#3190248 in eBooks 2013-12-18 2013-12-18File Name: B00HUXUU00
Review
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Splinters of analyis; not synthesisBy Wayne DynesIn the years following the end of World War II; advanced American art; incarnated by such figures as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning; came to the fore. Yet criticism lagged as the writers rallied in the first instance to defending the new art from the strictures of the old fogies. In this way a sort of rudimentary theory emerged; typically represented by Clement Greenbergs concepts of two-dimensionality and flatness.In short; advanced art was undertheorized. After 1968 this lack was addressed by a massive importation of French theory; as seen in the work of Roland Barthes; Jacques Derrida; and Jacques Lacan. Yet this verbal barrage did not fit the art works very well; a problem that haunts this book.In addition; many younger artists and critics held that art must be socially significant. As social movements proliferated; ranging from African American and Hispanic to feminist and LGBT; the narrative became fragmented.The fundamental problem with this book; however; is that the writers; most of them; oscillate between analysis and history; on the one hand; and cheer-leading; on the other. The effect is confusingly kaleidoscopic; yielding only splinters of analysis and not the synthesis that most are seeking.3 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Supplemental Essays on Fresh Art HistoryBy Dr. Debra Jan BibelThe reader will be sometimes disappointed; sometimes fascinated; sometimes frustrated; sometimes bored; and sometimes delighted with this extensive series of essays on the art world in America and Europe since WWII. As with most anthologies; the success of each chapter and section depends on the authors prose under editorial guidance. Only a few essays flow with life. Often I was crushed by dense boredom of unwarranted trivia and expansive interpretive perspectives (sometimes a cigar is just a good smoke) and disgruntled that favorite art movements are scarcely touched or entirely missed. Also; the heavy compensatory sociological discussions of feminism and gay/lesbian movements in art are highly repetitious. It quickly became apparent that the emphasis of the art scene here is on installations; performance; and multimedia conceptions over simple canvases and sculptures. Political agendas and the propaganda of rebellion take center stage. The artists themselves and the process of creation are mere ghosts. Despite such criticism; the book does discuss nicely aesthetics; ethnic diasporas; and also the new technology of digital imaging; electronics; and new materials. The scope of the book covers my entire life period; and I have followed the progress of the discussed movements since my youth. The book brought back memories and offered new insights. The Companion is just that; supplemental literature; and is not encyclopedic. I would not recommend the book for the general readership; instead; the art historian will find the book useful; particularly as an important reference; as notes and sources for further readings are included.
