Alan Magee: Paintings, Sculpture, Graphics

by Barry Lopez, Jonathan Weiner, Richard West

A realist not of the New Realist school, nor really of any other school, for that matter, Alan Magee is an artist whose work is stark and innocent, technically astonishing, miraculously perceptive, and ever strange in its conjunctions. Witty, subtle, and informed, shaped by art history and prodded by Surrealism, his work pulls and pushes the mind beyond the mere acknowledgement of his dexterity and precision. This publication is the first to cover the complete range of Magee's oeuvre, including his paintings, sculptures and graphic works. Within are almost 200 color plates of the artist's realist paintings, monotypes, and sculptural assemblages, plus an insightful biographical essay by Pulitzer Prize-recipient Jonathan Weiner, and an in-depth conversation between Magee and American Book Award-recipient Barry Lopez. Lopez and Magee discuss a wide range of subjects pertinent to the culture at large, including the role of literature and art in politics, the nature of work, the education of an artist, and the human quest for spiritual understanding.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2004

About the author

Barry Holstun Lopez is an American author, essayist, and fiction writer whose work is known for its environmental and social concerns.

Lopez has been described as "the nation's premier nature writer" by the San Francisco Chronicle. In his non-fiction, he frequently examines the relationship between human culture and physical landscape, while in his fiction he addresses issues of intimacy, ethics and identity.

Reviews

[Lauren]

this is an incredible collection of alan magee's paintings, sculptures, and graphics. he is one of the those artists in which one stands back, looks, takes a few steps forward, then back again... marvelling at the photographic quality of his paintings. i love chuck close for this same reason!

[Ellen Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a book with photos of sculptures and finally realized it was super-realistic drawings. Nice juxtaposition of objects. maybe too much of the neutral colors, but that's his style. trompe l'oeil indeed! book is beautifully put together.