Richly illustrated and clearly focused, this book surveys the genesis, development, and culmination of modern European/American painting, sculpture, architecture, and conceptual art—from Post-Impressionism through the most recent developments in the 1990s. It avoids the typical encyclopedic approach of surveys in favor of examining selected but highly representative works in greater depth and from an enlarged spectrum of critical discourse. Organized along chronological lines, topics explore the ideas, forms, events, artists, and works—with each chapter devoted to a style, movement, or decade—from Cézanne, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh through Minimalism and the general reaction known as Post-Modernism. Ideal for readers with a general interest in art.
Obfuscation in the name of Academia? I bought this book for an Art History class that I am currently taking. I don't take issue with anyone who may argue that it is dense with information or perhaps even those who may say that the info provided is insightful, thoughtful, yada, yada...
What I can say, unequivocally, is that it is so poorly written as to be painful to read. As a mathematician and computer scientist, I admit to not having been initiated into the world of art historical prose. It is possible that the style of writing in this text is accepted, perhaps even encouraged in the academic world. But I do have several years' experience in the study of Conceptual Art so peculiar ideas and complex associations are not beyond me. Also, I know deep in my bones that it is possible to communicate far more effectively the ideas presented in each paragraph of this book using simpler language, shorter sentences, fewer "are you a member of our club" references than the authors chose to use.
I once had an English teacher say to me that effective writing is concise writing. I often violate that principle even as I embrace it. I am convinced, however, that the authors of this book must reject it out of hand.
An example (one of too many to count): "To explore and express this unprecedented condition, artists found innovation itself to be highly emblematic, especially since it now involved charging images, objects, tempos, techniques, and physical as well as social perspectives from the quotidian world with aesthetic significance, until they would constitute conventions as endlessly malleable and regenerative of both forms and meanings of those of the Classical Renaissance orders."
Hunh??
With an IQ far above the generally accepted threshold for genius, I consider myself well-equipped to understand most things that I read. But please... I find myself reading, re-reading and reading once more (almost) each paragraph of this text just to elicit some meaning from it.
I ask you this: Why write a single sentence of 61 words when two or three of fewer than 20 might communicate your ideas as well and in a way that is much more accessible to a broader variety of readers.
Dreadful, dreadful book. (But the pictures are nice. LOL
Basics It was a required book for class. I bought it and was very happy with the organization and explanation of the different movements and periods in Modern art.
Modern Art book This book has a lot of information. The format is to crowded and needs more headings. Everything sort of runs together
Great Book This is a very intense book. You have to have a strong background in order to fully appreciate the book. Many pictures inside to help you understand the concept. I highly recommended.
over written This book has no flow from sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph or page to page. It seems as though the authors have taken multiple reference books and simply regurgitated all of the fluff. A classic case of thesaurus gone wild. I have a hard time throwing away books usually, but that is not the case with this one......
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
