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Taschen Basic Genre
Abstract Art
Let s get abstract Making sense of revolutionary new forms Abstraction shook Western art to its core. In the early part of the 20th century, it refuted the reign of clear, indisputable forms and confronted audiences instead with vivid visual poems devoid of conventional, representational imagery and characterized instead by allegories of emotion and sensation. This radical artistic adventure established new artistic means, as much as narratives. Expression became characterized by shocking juxtapositions of color, light, and line. Artist abandoned the conventions of brush and easel and played with new materials and methods of artistic gesture commercial paints and housepainter s brushes, working on unstretched and unprimed canvases, moving the canvas to the floor, and applying paint with hands. This essential introduction spans the international breadth, conceptual depth, and seismic impact of Abstract art with a thorough survey not only of the big names such as Picasso, Klee, Kline, Rothko, and Pollock, but also lesser-known figures who made equally significant abstract contributions, including Antoni Tàs;pies, K.O. Gotz, Ad Reinhardt, and Sophie Taeuber-Arp."
95 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 6, 2020
The first third of this book is an introduction to abstract art and how it came about. We learn of key figures, movements, historical events, etc that shaped this genre and how it continues to develop today.
The next two-thirds is a showcase of selected abstract works by prominent/notable artists such as Picasso, Kandinsky, Pollock, Mondrian, Rothko, etc: each work is printed on one page, with more about it and its creator on the facing page. I very much liked this format - it was akin to browsing an art museum. The artworks are well-printed and a pleasure to look at.
On the whole a very enjoyable and inspiring book, with interesting write-ups on the works and what they were inspired by. If you are into abstract art or would like to understand more about the process behind their creation, this is a must-read.
The next two-thirds is a showcase of selected abstract works by prominent/notable artists such as Picasso, Kandinsky, Pollock, Mondrian, Rothko, etc: each work is printed on one page, with more about it and its creator on the facing page. I very much liked this format - it was akin to browsing an art museum. The artworks are well-printed and a pleasure to look at.
On the whole a very enjoyable and inspiring book, with interesting write-ups on the works and what they were inspired by. If you are into abstract art or would like to understand more about the process behind their creation, this is a must-read.
July 28, 2021
This review first appeared on my blog - https://nsfordwriter.com - on 19th April 2021.
Abstract art has been around for more than 100 years, but I think it still perplexes a lot of people. Art is not just about pretty pictures of objects, scenes and people we recognise. It’s about creativity, concepts, expression, experimentation. If you’re dismissing the radical developments of 20th century art as ‘pretentious rubbish’ which ‘a toddler could do better’ then you need to open your mind and understand that art is (a) created for many other reasons than to be merely decorative or ‘nice’ to look at, (b) freed from restrictions of composition, medium and subject, (c) not necessarily intended to ‘mean’ something and (d) any work presented as art, or produced by individuals or groups who consider themselves artists, regardless of whether you personally like the work or not. There is no such thing as ‘proper’ art. There is art. If you have a problem with this and you’re not curious about abstract art, then this book is not for you.
Glossy and well-produced, the book begins with an essay on the development of abstract art in Europe and America. Then there are features on 32 artists, with reproductions of works from 1910 – 1966. Each artist is given a brief biography, context within the art movements and a description of that particular work. The text is rather too wordy, partly due to the author’s academic writing style but I think the translation from the German could have been smoother. I don’t love every artist or image in the book but I appreciate their significance. Some of the most famous artists are included – Wassily Kandinsky (my favourite), Kasimir Malevich, Jackson Pollock, Piet Mondrian – and there quite a few that I hadn’t heard of before I read the book. Only two of the featured artists are women, which reflects the prejudices of the era we’re looking at – it was harder for female artists to be taken seriously and to be known for more than being the wives of their more celebrated artist husbands. This has filtered down through art history scholarship and should be addressed in books about abstract artists today.
If you’re not already interested in the topic, then the book won’t change your mind. Alternatively, if you’re interested but don’t know where to begin, this would be a good introduction.
Abstract art has been around for more than 100 years, but I think it still perplexes a lot of people. Art is not just about pretty pictures of objects, scenes and people we recognise. It’s about creativity, concepts, expression, experimentation. If you’re dismissing the radical developments of 20th century art as ‘pretentious rubbish’ which ‘a toddler could do better’ then you need to open your mind and understand that art is (a) created for many other reasons than to be merely decorative or ‘nice’ to look at, (b) freed from restrictions of composition, medium and subject, (c) not necessarily intended to ‘mean’ something and (d) any work presented as art, or produced by individuals or groups who consider themselves artists, regardless of whether you personally like the work or not. There is no such thing as ‘proper’ art. There is art. If you have a problem with this and you’re not curious about abstract art, then this book is not for you.
Glossy and well-produced, the book begins with an essay on the development of abstract art in Europe and America. Then there are features on 32 artists, with reproductions of works from 1910 – 1966. Each artist is given a brief biography, context within the art movements and a description of that particular work. The text is rather too wordy, partly due to the author’s academic writing style but I think the translation from the German could have been smoother. I don’t love every artist or image in the book but I appreciate their significance. Some of the most famous artists are included – Wassily Kandinsky (my favourite), Kasimir Malevich, Jackson Pollock, Piet Mondrian – and there quite a few that I hadn’t heard of before I read the book. Only two of the featured artists are women, which reflects the prejudices of the era we’re looking at – it was harder for female artists to be taken seriously and to be known for more than being the wives of their more celebrated artist husbands. This has filtered down through art history scholarship and should be addressed in books about abstract artists today.
If you’re not already interested in the topic, then the book won’t change your mind. Alternatively, if you’re interested but don’t know where to begin, this would be a good introduction.
July 23, 2025
Perfecta introducción a la atracción como campo artístico, viendo su historia y luego realizando una reseña de obras cumbres disímiles entre ellas (lo que permite una mirada más completa).
May 7, 2026
Missing an annoying amount of context (see Picasso section), very white.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews