A broad and deep anthology of critic and art historian Richard Shiff's
most influential writings, which have shaped our understanding of
twentieth- and twenty-first-century art.
In his engaging and often strikingly deep observations of major modern
and contemporary visual art, Shiff has written about an impressive range
of artists, including Willem de Kooning, Marlene Dumas, Jasper Johns,
Donald Judd, Barnett Newman, Pablo Picasso, and Bridget Riley. A leading
scholar and powerful voice, Shiff's insight into some of the most
prominent artistic practices spans generation, place, and approach as
seen in this considered selection of essays on twenty-six artists.
These writings first appeared in exhibition catalogues for
retrospectives at galleries and institutions including the Centre
Georges Pompidou, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern
Art, and Tate Modern. Shiff supplements his unquestionable fluency in
art history with insights cultivated from his readings in philosophy,
phenomenology, literary theory, and psychoanalysis, among other fields.
Shiff's writing--conceptually rich, meditative, and enjoyable to
read--is attuned to the nuances of artistic style and technique, drawing
out art's social implications not merely from broad histories but also
directly from artists' mark making and technical gestures. Actively
engaged as a viewer and a writer, Shiff has transformed the act of
looking at art into contemplative and captivating writing.
Includes essays on Georg Baselitz, Mark Bradford, Georges Braque, Jim
Campbell, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Dan
Flavin, Suzan Frecon, Lucian Freud, Ellen Gallagher, Jasper Johns,
Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Brice Marden, Julie Mehretu, Barnett
Newman, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro,
Richard Tuttle, Cy Twombly, Jack Whitten, and Zeng Fanzhi.
