Product Description
Profusely illustrated guide covers geometric basis of design, implements and their use, borders, textile patterns, nature study and treatment. Over 380 illustrations include many diagrams, designs for title pages, border patterns, allover patterns, textile patterns and historical examples from many cultures and periods. Clear and well written, this volume will be an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn the principles and techniques of creating nonrepresentative designs. 383 illustrations.
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Customer Reviews (3)

Old and good book
The present book is an abrideged republication of a 1930 book. Therefore, it is not reasonable to expect many color pictures, in particular in a Dover reprint. The pictures are all black and white, save for a color plate on the back of the front color.

The thrust of the book is on repeatable designs, either borders or all-overs. Most of the drawings are of a geometric nature, with many greek style friezes, celtic knots friezes, some good arabic style all-over patterns, and also a good number of floral designs. There are also reproductions of art, specifically ancient stone carvings and some mosaics.

The author explains the tricks of the trade, some of which have to be translated to the modern day computer graphics. Nevertheless, circles, straight lines and polygons have not aged and are still quite usable in computer graphics.

For the mathematically minded person, this is practical group theory and pavings of the line and the plane, but there is no mention whatsoever of any kind of mathematical approach: this is good and bad. Good, because it will not scare away anyone, and bad, because it would have allowed for a more systematic presentation. One can live with this.

Abstract?????
I am an abstract painter and I had to return this book as soon as I received it. All it shows are patterns of some kind of designs. No color throughout the entire book.

Nice Little Book
The back cover says it all: "Students, designers, and craftspeople who want to create their own abstract patterns and designs will find this profusely illustrated guide one of the best books availabe on the subject. After an introductory chapter dealing with the geometric basis of design,the author goes on to discuss implements and their uses, borders, textilepatterns, nature study and treatement."

"Over 300 illustrationsinclude many diagrams, designs for title pages, border patterns, alloverpatterns, textile patterns and historical examples from an extraordinarynumber of cultures and periods...Thorough and comprehensive, [this book]will be an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn the principlesand techniques of creating nonrespresentative designs."

To which Iwill add, the illustrations are nice as they include a little block showingyou how it was drawn, and sometimes giving variations (positive vsnegative, simple vs complex, etc).A large part of the book is spentshowing textile patterns.I think maybe that was the original bent of theauthor.But there are also lots of lovely border designs, too.

Wellworth the price! ... Read more

Product Description
The most important art movement since the Second World War, Abstract Expressionism revolutionized the way Americans viewed art and culture alike. Drawing on a vast array of scholarly research, David Anfam examines the politically radical spirit of a nucleus of artists who transgressed the traditional forms of American art and faced the tensions of a modernizing society. The author places the movement within a broad cultural background, while at the same time giving a close account of the visual art of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, as well as the photography of Aaron Siskind and the sculpture of David Smith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Legends of Catharsis.
Heritage:from Cubism "the backcloth of modernism" through influences such as Benton and Avery then onto the various AB-EX artists.This book presents a grand sweep of a 'group' of artists without center.They remained too individualistic to accept a group identity.An broad breath that extends from Newman's abstract measured panoramas to de Kooning's fierce figuration.

Anfam presents Pollock, de Kooning, Still, Rothko, Noewman, Klein, Guston, Gorky, Motherwell, gottlieb = the prime members of AB-EX.Their personal progression, growth and acceptance.

Individual original statements.A boundless art movement without compare. To allow ones feeling to lead and dictate the structure and formation of art."The elimination of all obstacles between the painter and the idea and between the idea and the observer".In no other art movement is the observer closer to the feelings of the artist.Stand before a Rothko, Pollock, or Still and just feel the power their art exudes.

Imagry, sybolism, and outright bravado ended the silence and solitude of art past thus allowing for a stretching of the arms of art future. Maybe Pollock "broke the ice", but these guys unrelentingly fixed it into our collective psyche.The heritage of AB-EX is enormous.Every artist since is a bastard of there guys.Everything we see around us, on TV, magazines, etc., is directly influenced by this art period of the 1940's.

An impressive edition effectually written and beautifully presented by David Anfam.No this is not a cocktail picture book.Rather an expert history exploring a fascinating subject.Wonderfully complimented by appropriate art reproductions.

lots of info that's not well prganized
I bought this book to learn more about the Abstract Expressionism period and painters.While this book provides info on this, it does so in a way that is not very focused or structured which makes it difficult to read.This book is definitely NOT a page-turner and did little to satisfy my thirst for info on the subject.I haven't picked it up for months because it makes me tired. The black and white pictures are really just pointless.

Art critique vies to outstage the art itself
What I found most striking about this book was the way that the writing ABOUT the art rose to such a complex, historical, metaphorical and intuitive exploration of the art, that I sensed it beginning to vie with the abstract expressionist art itself.In reading this book I began to understand how it is that we've arrived at a time where art criticism can seem like a snobby and pretentious game to many, where many self-serving pages can be written about the meaning of a work of art which consists of a toilet or a piece of trash.Not that the art criticism in this book itself seems to partake of intellectual fraud -- no, I did not sense that at all -- but rather I can start to sense here the justification of the art criticism as an art in itself, and sense it beginning to break away from the art to have a life in itself.I do believe that rather than being hung in museums, art serves a better purpose when it lives with us in a more daily, ordinary way, and that the best response we can have to it, is not an attempt to intellectually understand it, but rather to artistically respond to it. In that regard, it makes sense that art criticism would begin to exist as an art in itself.
As other reviewers mention there are a lot of black and white reprints in this book, but you can still enjoy the forms and tonal values of the paintings, and I even think it's sometimes helpful to look at a color painting in monochrome to see these aspects of it more clearly.This reduces some distractions.

A very good introduction
Whether you are a student, a teacher, or just an art lover, this is undoubtedly the best introduction to the abstract-expressionist movement available on the market. The author is a leading authority on the subject and covers the careers of all the major exponents of the movement (Rothko, Pollock, De Kooning, Kline, Newman...), explains their roots, how they turned New York into the art center of the world, what message they wanted to convey and also, the heritage and the limitsof the movement. Many illustrations (most in black and white, unfortunately) help this book make for good, easy, and yet serious, reading.

abstract expressionisme
Great review of several artist,mainly well know ones.Most pictures are black and white.Author talks about individual paintings.Nice size pocket book to take or read any where. ... Read more

Product Description
The first survey of Pan-American geometric abstraction between the 1920s and 1950s, Constructive Spirit: Abstract Art in South and North America, 1920s-50s provides a fresh and innovative look at this dynamic and cosmopolitan period of Modernism in the Americas.

In the first half of the twentieth century, South American and US artists infused the hard-edge lines and geometric shapes of abstract art with new perspectives. This richly illustrated book examines the connections, both conceptual and personal, among abstract artists from Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela, suggesting parallels that cut across time, national borders, and a range of media. It begins with the arrival of Torres-Garcia in New York City in 1920, and culminates in the 1950s, as North and South American abstract artists converged in the international arena in such exhibition venues as the Bienal de Sao Paulo.

Released in conjunction with the traveling exhibition organized by the Newark Museum, Constructive Spirit presents more than ninety rarely seen paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, drawings, and films, from private and public collections across both continents. The sixty-eight featured artists include the renowned--Alexander Calder, Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Jesus Rafael Soto, and Arshile Gorky, for example--as well as those who deserve much wider recognition, such as Charmion von Wiegand, Geraldo de Barros, Alfredo Hlito, and many others.

Essayists Karen A. Bearor, Tricia Laughlin Bloom, Aliza Edelman, Adele Nelson, Mary Kate O Hare, and Cecilia de Torres offer new insights as they investigate the ideas and influences that informed South and North American artists transformation of abstraction into a language of their own.

Exhibition catalog edited by Mary Kate O Hare. 192 pages featuring the work of 68 artists, with more than 90 full-color illustrations. Size: 8.5 x 10 inches. Smyth-sewn casebound book with jacket. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An outstanding presentation key for any art library
CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT: ABSTRACT ART IN SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA, 1920s-50s provides the first survey of Pan-American geometric abstraction of this period and place, and is released in conjunction with the traveling exhibition of the same name. It provides over ninety rarely seen paintings, sculptures, prints and films from public and private collections across both continents, featuring nearly seventy artists and including essays by a range of experts who offer new insights on ideas and influences. The result is an outstanding presentation key for any art library.

Latin American art from the XXth century is (at last) given its due.
This book is the catalogue for a comprehensive exhibition held at the Newark Museum until may 2010, which will then travel to Fort Worth. It centers on the connections between U.S. and South American artists(from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela)during the first half of the XXth century, a relationship which was initiated with Joachim Torres-Garcia's move to NYC in 1920.

The book is divided into 6 essays, tackling such themes as the dialogue between Torres-Garcia and American art, the need to find a new type of genuine American (North and South) art in the face of the inability of Western culture to cope with the developments marking the XXth century (wars, new technologies...), a new art that will find its roots in common origins, an interesting study of the role of light (with the development of electric light in the big American cities), and a study of the role played by women artists such as Lygia Clark (Brazil), Mariá Freire (Uruguay), Lidy Prati (Argentina), Alice Turnbull Mason (USA), etc.

The book is very well documented and full of high-quality illustrations. A must-have for anyone interested in the growing importance of Latin American art in the history of XXth century art. ... Read more

Product Description
Stimulating, thought-provoking guide shows how to discover a rich new design source in the abstractions inherent in natural forms. Lines of growth and structure, water and liquid forms, weather and atmospheric patterns, luminosity, earth colors, many other elements are shown to be wellsprings of creative abstraction. Over 370 photographs, scientific illustrations, diagrams and reproductions of works by the masters. Bibliography.
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Customer Reviews (5)

Great info. Poor execution.
The natural world can be maddeningly complex to draw. Abstraction in Art & Nature seeks to bring that complexity down to a understandable level.

Hale relates the similarities of just a few basic forms, forces and patterns that can be found throughout nature. Not just plants or fish, but clouds, water splashes on up to humans. Seeing these basic forms and how they relate to each other gives you a foundation to work with so you can capture natural forms without drawing every twig on a tree.

Even though there's some invaluable information in this book, it isn't presented very well. Hale's style of writing is rather halting. It can be hard sometimes to squeeze the relevant information out of his words. And even though I see plenty of merit in his "project" suggestions line observing how glass breaks, or sprouting an avocado seed, I would've personally liked more specific instruction on how to tie this info to artmaking.

The later chapters are far less informative than the earlier ones. Subjects like perspective and tone are handled far better in other books. And the last chapter on color is kind of worthless, since it's a black & white book and there really aren't any pictures.

Altogether this isn't a bad book to have. Just being made aware of these natural forms is a great asset. However I wouldn't recommend paying full price for it.

A Must Have for Students of the Arts
This book is a must have...it has chapters set up in logical order with exercises in each section to help you master the lesson of each chapter.This author is or was a professor at the prestigious PRATT INSTITUTE of Utica, New York (through Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute) and Brooklyn/Manhattan, New York...so you know that the instruction is high quality.Most of the illustrations/photos are black and white, and if that bothers you, you may not like this book, but the photos and diagrams are sharp and clear and are a decent size, so they should be of help nonetheless.A great addition to the library of the self-taught artist!

Essentials/Abstraction
The elation of discovery when I read in the very first paragraph of this book...*the word abstraction...simply means the act of drawing out the essential qualities in a thing, a series of things or a situation*. This is what the book is about throughout--rhythmic flows and patterns.

Examples from this book include mention of several instances in which the orgonome or teardrop form exists in nature--in the pull of a magnetic field, in the shape of an apple seed and in the form of a ducks body, and how the jet form of water creates the same shape of a common mushroom sliced in half...as well as numerous other forms illustrated that may surprise the reader.

I could give many more examples, but the great thing about this book is that it is no mere science lesson--all the information is given in relation to art and art making. Numerous large and smaller photos and illustrations all in black & white, taken from nature and art, along with suggested drawing exercises, assist the visual type of person to more fully grasp the points made. The final brief chapter is on Color in Nature.

This book is exactly what I hoped it would be, when I ordered it based on the title alone...

This is reference book that should be in every artist's library
Concepts not easily grasped by the beginner/intermediate(like myself), but I know that I will go back to this book again and again as my skills grow.

Facinating approach to the study of form
Hale has thought deeply on the meaning of forms and has found endless relationships between them. All organic matter follows laws which are written into their structure. For the artist, understanding these laws means that each new object is no longer unique, but part of a larger whole. This means that each new object (watermountains, trees, bodies) can be related to others, making the "new" object more familear ... Read more

Product Description
A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is a remarkable journey of discovery about art and language through painting, collage, and sculpture by Caldecott Honor artist Stephen T. Johnson. With literal renderings of each letter, complete with witty titles and playful, alliterative captions, Johnson's abstract art forges connections between words, objects, and ideas.

Can you find the hidden letters? Look closely and you will see a letter C made of colorful candy, a letter H hidden in a hook, and an S in a soft shadow. From A to Z, each stunning, original work of art will stimulate the imagination and creativity of children and adults alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Clever!
Stephen's colorful book of original Art is safe for little ones to enjoy as an introduction to a modern artistic style while the text is stimulating to a slightly older audience.

Alphabet book collector
I like to collect alphabet books that focus on an individual topic.An alphabet book that helps explain modern art, very cool.

A is for Amazing
This is an Amazing Alphabet book for All Ages - words and art come together to challenge the mind and the senses. To hold this book is to have a visual, emotional and intellectual experience.

A is for awesome and amazing.
I think this book is terrific.It challenges the reader whether child or adult and that's okay. If you want to spend some quality time with your child helping them learn, go for it. If you yourself learn something along the way, bonus.Take the letter E for example.Earthworm, egg, eagle, ear and exclamation point are easy but when you get to enigmatic or elongated get the dictionary.And what a great way to illustrate what the word elongated means by referencing an earthworm.When you get to the Eiffel tower show them how to find France on the map and talk about architecture.Egg and dart is an architectural term.Show them why it's called that.

I am a docent at a significant art museum.You would be surprised what kids can comprehend.Kudos to Mr. Johnson for not being afraid to share complex art concepts with children.Believe me, they can handle it.I can see a grade school teacher or home school teacher using each letter as a lesson plan.This book not only illustrates art concepts and techniques but also shows how math (letter Q and G, golden ratio), science (the letter I), language skills and geography (letter E) find their way into art.

A most unusual A-B-C book
My son just turned 3, and he's addicted to the alphabet. He has a number of ABC books -- his favorites are Firefighters A to Z and Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! -- and I'm always looking for more to encourage his love of language.

When I first got this book, I found it very appealing. Clearly an immense amount of thought and care went into creating these original images, and each one is an artwork of its own. The images represent many different techniques -- from collage to assemblage to sculpture (including inflatable sculpture!) to installations. The art touches on styles from Pop Art to abstract expressionism to graphic design. Every piece was done specifically for this book, which is a stunning feat in itself. (Technical details are given at the end of the book; I think it would've been nice, especially for the young reader, to provide more informaton on the school or style each artwork represented, and perhaps name representative artists. Some of the pieces seemed to be homages to various artists; I thought I spotted nods to Johns, Liechtenstein, Ernst and others.)

Nevertheless, although I was delighted by the book, I was afraid its abstractness would turn off my toddler. After all, when you're 3, the alphabet alone is abstract enough, without adding additional puzzles to it. Nevertheless, I showed him the book. And he loved it! He enjoyed looking for the hidden letters, and found most of them (even though some of them are in neighboring artworks and I had to point him in the right direction).

I don't think he paid much attention to the words, though. Random sample: "Meditation on the Memory of a Princess ~ Motionless, a man-made, monochromatic magenta mass mimics multiple mattresses and makes a massive mound near a mini mauve marble. (Look for the missing letter M in the letter R.)" I thought it was amusing, but no toddler's going to understand it. Mine seemed content to let the words wash over him as he looked for the letters.

Before you buy this book, check out the sample spread Amazon has provided and think about your preferences and your toddler's. I think this would be an ideal gift for an older child -- say 8 to 12 -- who's interested in art, but it won't suit everybody. Don't let the "A B C" format fool you; some toddlers will love this book, like mine did, but it's no ordinary A-B-C. ... Read more

Product Description
An exploration of ways to think about abstract art and the problems of interpretation it raises. The author speculates on the language required to describe the effects of key abstract paintings and sculptures and on ways to discuss critical issues when a work of art is without "subject matter". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

no title
Another tough book, but not as bad as others I've read on the same subject.Not as long either, mercifully.Some insightful stuff here, and great photos.I am beginning to appreciate and even like abstract art.

Veiling the Subject
A woman cuts up bits of paper and makes a tacky collage that would disgrace the aesthetic judgement of a pre-schooler; a man paints a big red dot, a big yellow dot, and - wait for it - a small black dot; another man drops bits of torn paper and glues them on a sheet of paper where they fall; another man (famously) paints vertical and horizontal straight lines and fills some of the squares with primary colors; a woman puts rows of bricks on the floor in straight lines that would be extremely thrilling if it wasn't so mind-numbingly boring; and, to cap it all, a man paints a white square on a white square - duh!

It's all supposed to mean something. For Briony Few, the the writer, it means a chance to spout over-intellectualized jargon that usually boils away to nothing. For example:

Human figures and objects have been expelled from the pictures but there is always at least one body which remains in this scene and that is the spectators.

This means that someone is looking at a picture that doesn't have any people in it. Great. I guess this is how they earn their money in academia. This book is a good example of what is quite common in art history and criticism, the pose of knowledge instead of its communication.

The history of modern art can be divided into two clear movements. First there was a move towards increasing explicitness in art which climaxed in the efforts of Surrealists like Dali to drag the processes of the mind out into the daylight. This tended to strip away the veils of mystery and made art almost unnecessary, so this was quickly followed by a move to mask and hide the subject of paintings as we see in the work of Miro and his three dots, abstract expressionists like Pollock, and colorfield painters like Rothko.

When I read a book like Fer's I realise that the same process has occurred in art criticism. For every critic like Martica Sawin (Surrealism in Exile) who do what they can to make the processes of art history transparent, there are countless others like Fer who do what they can with their lardy, tautological, and over-conditional and ambiguous jargon to mask and veil the true history of art. People like this are driven by the same motives as medieval guilds and the Magic Circle. They want to retain control of their area of expertise by preventing their audience, customers, or readers, from finding out about it. We are simply supposed to read this book and 'sense' their knowledge without being allowed to understand it. Understanding whatever clear ideas such writers as Fer have, would reduce them to the the intellectual minnows they are. ... Read more

Product Description
Explains how abstract art originated and evolved, discusses major abstract artists and movements,and looks at the current revival of abstractpainting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Abstract Art
I haven't read much of the book to really give it a fair review. It's a used copy and filled with notes and underlines. Although I find it fascinating to read what was important to this previous owner, it has interrupted my progress with the book. However, I believe it will serve the purpose intended and that is a concise overview of the abstract art movement.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0500202370/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title
e.macie

Not what I expected.
If your looking for a book with beautiful abstract art as I was, this isn't it.

Want to understand abstract art?
This is the perfect book for the lay person (not the artist, the art history major, or the art expert)to get an introduction to abstract art, which in fact IS 20th century art. For the last 100 years there has been a radical departure from the representational, the portraits of the wealthy, the landscapes, the still lifes of fruits and flowers. If you have ever stood in front of a painting at the Museum of Modern Art (or its local equivalent) and wondered what's really behind it? Is there a meaning? Is the artist just putting us on? This is the book you want to start with. It's short, to the point, easy to read and contains many black and white and color illustrations from all of the major artists. The author discusses the subject chronologically, making it easy to follow. The illustrations are numbered, and when an artwork is being discussed in the text, she puts the number in the margin so that you can follow along with the picture. The book provides an excellent general background. If you want to delve further, using this book as a jumping-off point, it's easy to determine which artists or styles may interest you more. The writing is not overly technical; i found i learned a lot and probably will be reading more in the area. This is well written and well organized, and well worth the time.

A Great Guide to Abstract Creations
The beauty of color, line, proportions, and textures are described for those interested in learning how to appreciate abstract art. The book follows the abstract movements in chronological order, making it easy forthe reader to grasp the work of great artists such as O'Keefe, Kandinsky,Mondrian, Pollock, and Johns.An important reference book for any publicor private library.

An excellent introduction to Abstract Art
Ever walked into a museum or gallery reacted to an abstract painting not sure of what you might be seeing and what may cause the love or revulsion?Moszynska takes the reader on an unforgettable tour of what was and how itcame to be.Paintings that you have seen reproduced for years will take onnew life.An excellent introduction to Abstract Art, this book is a greatrefresher course for those of us who have forgotten everything we weresupposed to have learned in Art Appreciation classes. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Discussing the styles of the masters with elementary children.
This book targets the older elementary school children and focuses only on abstract art. To be even more specific, the author discusses the styles of six artists and talks about how we can create our projects inspired by the masters.

Joyce starts with Picasso's cubism, talks about the elements of his art and provides suggestions to make ' faces with feelings'. She then wraps up Picasso session with photographs of child-made collages/models/sculptures made with a wide variety of material from paper and glue to lego blocks to strips of coiled paper arranged in a careful order.

The other artists discussed are Matisse, Leger, O'Keeffe, Calder and Gorky.

The book's motto is "art as a springboard for expression" and manages to successfully accomplish it.

what's the big idea
Great book that takes big art ideas and breaks them down so they are easily understood

Big bang for little buck
The book is great fun.Every book in this series are absolute winners.If you are looking for something to try as a parent or teacher, with kids, this is a good book for you.You don't have to know anything about art to create awesome stuff.Simple directions, simple materials, and each project comes with a quick bit of background (kid-friendly, ie, short AND interesting)to lead you on your way.Helps kids understand why artists did things the way they did and open ended enough to make everyone feel successful.

What's the Big Idea?
What's the Big Idea? Follows in the style of Joyce Raimondo's other books in this series. I teach art education on a college level and use her books as a way to help my students understand that when you are creating art with children it is not just the activity or experience of making art that is fundamental. It is the balance that comes from discussions of looking at art that provides open ended thinking and questioning that prepares students to be creative. It is a process that encourages risk taking and validates expression in art.

Full color art blended with questions and ideas for children ages 5-12
From a mixed-up green face to a mobile that changes, abstract art is explored for kids using a little under fifty pages of full color art blended with questions and ideas for children ages 5-12. From easy art projects supporting art examples to color pictures of works by famous artists, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? ACTIVITIES AND ADVENTURES IN ABSTRACT ART is a winning art survey. ... Read more

Product Description
More than 60 years have passed since Robert Coates, writing in the New Yorker in 1946, first used the term "Abstract Expressionism" to describe the richly colored canvases of Hans Hofmann. The name stuck, and over the years it has come to designate the paintings and sculptures of artists as different from one another as Jackson Pollock and Barnett Newman, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner and David Smith. The achievements of this generation put New York on the map as the center of the international art world, and constitute some of the twentieth century's greatest masterpieces. From the mid-1940s, under the aegis of Alfred H. Barr, Jr., works by then little-known American artists--including Pollock, de Kooning, Smith, Arshile Gorky and Adolph Gottlieb--began to enter the Museum's collection. These ambitious acquisition initiatives continued throughout the second half of the last century and produced a collection of Abstract Expressionist art the breadth and depth of which is unrivalled by any museum in the world. Supplemented by an essay by Ann Temkin, Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at MoMA, this volume celebrates the richness of the Museum's holdings of the paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs from this epochal moment in the history of art and of this institution. ... Read more

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Product Description
This work rejects the view that abstraction can be traced as a succession of stylistic trends, each set within its particular art-historical context. It offers readings of specific paintings by such artists as Kasimir Malevich, Naum Gabo, Piet Mondrian and Jackson Pollock. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

Excellent

I am currently involved in art therapy. This book has helped me express myself more freely.

Great procedural manual

Loved how van Vliet created wonderful lesson plans for
producing abstract images.Lots of detailed information
and colorful options to explore while learning about
composition.

Helpful for this mid level painter
I found this book helpful, good ideas and doesn't waste a lot of time on all the same old introductory information. Certainly my favorite abstract idea generator book yet. The paintings have a depth and richness. Will certainly come back to this one as a resource and reference.

medium help
I found this book to be not really very helpful for the principles I wanted.Maybe it was just me.

The Art of Abstract Painting: A Guide to Creativity & Free Expression
This book, & Rolina van Vliet"s other publication, "Painting Abstracts", is loaded with information & exercises to spark new ideas & hone the artist's skills.Both books are written in a very down to earth,'reader friendly' style, as if you were in the midst of a terrific workshop! ... Read more

Product Description
The seventeen essays in this provocative book provide a radical rethinking of abstraction, from the Symbolism that prefigured abstract art through the current manifestations of spiritual content in American and European painting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent reading, excellent viewing
I purchased this item back in the early nineties when I was a young painter in school. I poured over its essays and absorbed all I could from the reproductions of the artwork in it. This catalog was one of the first I had ever purchased and it was also a constant presence in my various studios. Then I loaned it to another young, very earnest artist. Finally, nine years later and I've replaced it. Upon rereading portions of it, some of the essays seem dated, if not altogether strained. Be that as it may, this is still a marvelous collection of thoughts and images that attempts to cast new light on some modernity's favored children and dust off a few of it's more neglected relations. I would suggest that if this work appeals to you, then you might enjoy reading much of the work of James Elkins

The Spiritual in Art - an absolute winner!
I have owned this book for over twenty years and I never get tired of pouring over it again. It is an absolute treasure trove of information and is packed full of glorious illustrations- it's the one book I refuse to loan out. As an artist, this is the most important book in my collection.

the spiritual in art: abstract painting 1890 - 1985
There is a fantastic quality to the compliation of works in the Spiritual in Art, that indicates a profound understanding of the mystical forces of inspiration involved with the process of artistic endeavor.The book chronicles the exhibition of the same name organized by Maurice Truchmanand Judi Freeman at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.Many of themajor artists of the 20th century are represented; Mondrian, Duchamps andKandinsky to name a few.The ideosyncratic spin to the show lies in theexamination of their work from a philospophical and spiritual standpointthat involves a more involved examination than is often given with thepopular criticism styles of art history - ie; socio-political andaesthetic.With the aid of this book, the reader gleans a more profoundunderstanding of the motivational forces at work in these artists whosecreations transport viewers to new worlds and dimensions with only aglance. ... Read more

Product Description
This publicationtogether with its coinciding exhibition seeks to unveil the pluralistic ways in which abstraction developed after 1950, which will be revealed by the grouping of the works stylistically and thematically into three general sections: gesture, geometry, and introspection. As opposed to the establishing rigorous and constricting epithets, the sections are presented here merely as a loose guide to help organise the innumerable ways in which artists have continued to create abstract art over the last fifty years. These themes should help to illuminate the pluralism that has been, and continues to be, the abstract impulse.Marshall Price's text covers the history of abstraction at the National Academy both with regard to its exhibition in the Academy's annuals and the election of abstract artists to its membership. Furthermore Price's writing also reveals the process that its members went through to finally feature modern art at the Academy. The exhibition runs at the National Academy ... Read more

Product Description
"Abstract expressionism" refers to the non-representational use of form and color as a means of expression that emerged in America in the 1940s, largely thanks to the innovative work of Arshile Gorky. Interestingly, abstract expressionism is considered to be the first art movement originating in America to have a worldwide influence. Two very different sub-categories of the movement developed: "action painting" (exemplified notably by Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock) and "color field painting," made most famous by Mark Rothko. Abstract expressionists strove to express pure emotion directly on canvas, via color and especially texture (the surface quality of the brushstroke), by embracing "accidents," and celebrating painting itself as a communicative action.



Featured artists: William Baziotes, Helen Frankenthaler, Arshile Gorky, Adolph Gottlieb, Philip Guston, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, David Smith, Theodoros Stamos, Clyfford Still, Mark Tobey, Bradley Walter Tomlin ... Read more

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The exciting, novel fashions of Sonia Delauney, a member of the avant-garde movement in Paris in the early twentieth century, heralded the advent of a radically new concept in clothing design. Like many champions of Modernism, Sonia Delauney believed that art should be used to redecorate modern life, and that design should be truly artistic. By applying the bright colours of the peasant costumes from her native Russia to the elegant silhouettes that werecurrently in vogue in Paris, she translated theory into practice and produced a stunning series of clothes for the Jazz Age. Like the contemporary Orphist paintings created by her husband Robert, Sonia Delauney's designs are characterised by their vibrant colours and sharply patterned geometric collages. They were worn by starlets Gloria Swanson and Gaby; her imaginative theatre costumes were commissioned by another great advocate of Modernism, Diaghilev, for the Bullet Russes. Indeed, Sonia Delauney's clothing, as exalted in the poetry of Tristan Tzara and Guillaume Apollinaire, epitomised the spirit of the new age. ... Read more

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A portrait of America's abstract expressionists discusses the life and work of Pollock, de Kooning, Newman, Rothko, Gottlieb, Motherwell, and the others artists who made New York City the postwar capital of art and culture. 15,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Turning Page
April Kingsley is the Director of the Kresge Art Museum in East Lansing, Michigan and a former art critic for The Village Voice in New York City. She writes clearly, engagingly, and knowledgeably about the women and men of this turbulent period in American art history. She brings a sense of humor to her profession: witness an exhibition that she curated called "Paintings That Paint Themselves, or so it seems". This same lively spirit fills her writing and makes "The Turning Point" a pleasure to read.

Kingsley has a talent for avoiding art critic gibberish and long sentences filled with indecipherable phrases. Her writing flows as she moves from artist to artist, giving enough tantalizing personal history to encourage further research. I found the book fascinating and Kingsley's understanding of the ferments of the time compelling.

Corinne Whitaker
[...]

...from ArtsyFartsy News, October 2008
First published in 1992, this book is both biography and art history. My favorite. It is a detailed account and monthly report of what, when, who and why on the birth of American Abstract Expressionism. It is almost a daily account of the beginning of the "New York School," including Pollock, Rothko, Kline and Gottlieb, thru to Motherwell, Still, Reinhardt and everyone else who were in their studios at the end of World War Two. Artists were full of exhilaration and anxiety as they broke free from the exhausted European art community. Matisse and Picasso were still the "anointed ones." American artists were snubbed by the European old guard - so in typical American fashion, they started their own movement. It was around the time when I was born, 1943.

Many of these artists felt a missionary's zeal to reinvent what art should be. I am intrigued how they continued on with little or no money. Willem deKooning said, "We all had bad, hard times." I like how Elaine deKooning explained it, recalling earlier times: "We never considered ourselves poor. We just didn't have any money." Considering our current economy, this may be a timely book.

April Kingsley knew many of these artists personally. In her daily account, she interviewed every artist, spouse, friends and documented in detail, how and why they created their new art. I love this book and its history lesson.

second-hand art lore isn't worth the read
This removed and often second-hand journal of the 1950s School of New York is a mostly dry read whose uncommon interesting whirls really resolve themselves like a flaky TV episode of Chuck Norris.Too often, these complex characters are conceived by the author as stereotypes of American fairytaledom.Their frailties are not well-enough addressed and sparsely dotted among habitual drone and American folk imagery.Elaine deKooning, Lee Krasner, and other groundbreaking artists of the time such as Frankenthaler and Hopper, who may not represent the core of the Expressionist flame, but nevertheless burned bright have been neglected alongside other surrounding artistic circumstances.Besides these prominent shortcomings, the author is also lacking in bravery of prose.This is not an exciting read, but it is adequate in that it does not defeat itself while getting across the vital struggle for serious contemplation of American Art in the 1950s.Certainly not a "turning point" in literature, it provides facts and lore in a predictable and easily understood manner ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Seminal works from a Chicago collection go to the Met
This book is a catalogue for the newly-acquired Muriel Kallis Newman collection of abstract expressionist works at the Met in NY. Some beautiful illustrations and enlightening explanations of seminal works (especially by De Kooning and Pollock) make thisa valuable addition to the literature on this major artistic movement that dominated the American scene in the 1950's. The introduction is an interesting interview of the collector herself, who explains how she got acquainted with most of the artists she collected at a time when almost no one was paying attention to them. ... Read more

Product Description
The term Abstract Expressionism, though rejected by some of the artists involved, has come to signify the fascinating body of work made by American artists in postwar New York, mainly between 1947 and 1953. Artists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman, Lee Krasner, and Willem de Kooning created large-scale canvases that revitalized contemporary art in America. Although inspired to some extent by the Surrealists and by European abstract painting, Abstract Expressionism was hailed as the first truly American modern art movement, and was to have enormous influence on the activities of artists in Europe and the rest of the world.

In addition to 60 color illustrations of works created by the artists of the movement, this accessible survey examines the critical response to Abstract Expressionism from the time of its heyday up until the present day.AUTHOR BIO: Debra Bricker Balken is an independent curator and writer specializing in modern and contemporary art. Her publications include The Park Avenue Cubists, Arthur Dove: A Retrospective, and Philip Guston's Poem-Pictures. ... Read more