New Art City: Manhattan at Mid-Century

by Jed Perl

In this landmark work, Jed Perl captures the excitement of a generation of legendary artists–Jackson Pollack, Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Ellsworth Kelly among them–who came to New York, mingled in its lofts and bars, and revolutionized American art. In a continuously arresting narrative, Perl also portrays such less well known figures as the galvanic teacher Hans Hofmann, the lyric expressionist Joan Mitchell, and the adventuresome realist Fairfield Porter, as well the writers, critics, and patrons who rounded out the artists’world. Brilliantly describing the intellectual crosscurrents of the time as well as the genius of dozens of artists, New Art City is indispensable for lovers of modern art and culture.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History, New York

656 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Ruth Charchian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have rated this book a 5 because the depth and breadth of the knowledge of the Jed Perl is at the level far beyond Ph.d. If this is not a text book, it should be one for students learning how modern art emerged and poised NYC as an artitistic peer city to Paris. His descriptions of the art scene in NYC during the 1940s through the 1970s is unparalleled. He describes the emergence of "The Club" "Cedar Tavern," and "Black Mountain College" where every late afternoon and evening artists of all stripes gathered to listen to speakers or debate life and philosophy as they relate to their own art. The cream rose to the top: Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Gorkey, James Graham and many, many others strived to create their own unique interpretations of life through their abstract expressionism art, collage art, welded art, etc..

Perl is the art critic for "New Republic." His credentials are impecable. The book, however, is dense and packed with detail. It is not for the disinterested reader.

[Myles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I don’t like Jed Perl. He’s tremendously erudite but he has a way of bleeding the life out of anecdote and getting lost in asides that a more forceful editor would have forced him to cut. This is a messy, repetitive portrait of a time and place that starts and ends somewhat arbitrarily. Bopping between portraits and surveys of movements and institutional activity can be great. But it’s better done in the company of Calvin Tomkins.

[Kathryn Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the contemporary art movement in New York in the 50's and 60's. This movement led the way for artists such as Andy Warhol and, current artist, David Hockney.

[Holbrook · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Jed Perl used the word "dialectic" one more time I was going to scream. Incrdebily interesting topic not very interestingly conveyed.

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a mint hardcover for 50 cents at a local library summer sale, so I was inclined to like this book. THAT BEING SAID I REALLY ENJOYED-and continue to enjoy-this entertainingly written account of the New York-and U.S./Western civilization-art scene post World War II. There are artists I really like-Warhol, Lichtenstein, Elaine deKooning (I saw the National Portrait Gallery exhibit of her work in D.C. and the unforgettable images of JFK) and others I'm cool toward-Rothko. But NYC, the hangouts, the bars, the studios are all detailed in this work, and the NYC street images by groundbreaking photographers are terrific. There are pioneering artists detailed you never heard of. Altogether a delightful and enjoyable find.

[Robert Walkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth and exciting encounter with New York’s art scene in mid-century! The book makes a great companion piece to Mary Gabriel’s Ninth Street Women. Both books are necessary reads for anyone interested in the history of the art scene when New York took over from Paris as the center of the art world.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read over half of this book. The first quarter or so I read in less than a week, and absolutely loved it. However, the author eventually starts talking about individual artists in an unconnected manner. These artists are discussed merely through individualized analysis of individual works. I began to lose interest and didn't feel like I was gaining anything. It was a struggle to keep reading it. Hopefully, if I ever finish it off, the work will become more cohesive and didactic.

Update: Finally picked up and finished this. It had moments that were very good and deeply enriched my understanding of this period. At other times it was just sheer fluff, and suitable only for scanning. Ultimately, the good outweighs the bad.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough and well-written discussion of the New York art scene from the late 40s through the mid 60s. It basically starts with Hans Hofmann and runs through Donald Judd. The only real disappointment is the fact that the images are all B&W, and generally pretty small. Perl gives a great sense not just of the artwork and why it was important, but also of the social scene and the connections of NYC artists to scenes in Europe and other parts of America. Lots of original research went into this book, so even if you are familiar with the artists there will be new anecdotes and insights to enjoy.

[Tommy Kaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jed Perl examines the "American moment" in modern art - the artists and movements around abstract expressionisms rise in New York. Gathering in a wide variety of personalities, the account is somewhat biased (a burning hate for Pop and all things Duchamp pervades the book) but all the more readable for it. Lifting up some more obscure artists and downplaying the role of the most prominent, "New Art City" lives up to the double meaning in its name - showing a fresh view of the art scene in and around the city from the late 30s to the minimalism of the 60s - without the overpowering shadow of Pollock.

[Peter Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, a fascinating time and Perl knows his stuff backwards and forwards and has the passion to go with it. But it's (overly) long, IMO. I found swathes of it dry reading and skipped paragraphs and pages, something I rarely do. That said, the chapters on Joseph Cornell and on the history of the creation/building of MoMA are gems of essays in and of themselves.

Some head-scratching omissions as well. Most glaring for me was how one could write a 400-page book on this time and subject and not once, even in passing, mention Cy Twombly.

Perhaps a must for art historians. For the general, interested public, perhaps not.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Which was amazing and so full of things. My copy is a rainbow of highlights passages. Hit my "I can't stop reading and making notes" button. For art lovers with minimal understanding of the era and knowledge of the major players. It's a springboard to other readings. Well written and engaging. This is not a dry academic non fiction but the 100 pages and more notes and bibliography will warm the cold heart of academic readers. I know it did mine.

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most interesting thing about this book is its dust jacket: sleek and translucent in a wax-papery way, New Art City is exciting to the touch.

Just don't open it. Jed Perl seems to think that Art began and ended in midcentury NYC; his implicit self-importance and verbosity made me feel like an asshole for even liking art at all -- not, I assume, the intended affect.

[Rhonda Hankins · Rating 1 out of 5]

i think i don't want to know about the personal lives of artists. it diminishes the enjoyment of the artwork to know about their ego-maniacal tendencies & i find their little demons and petty habits/feuds tiresome.

[Shannon]

Excellent, but not quick reading. I think I'll buy this one.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find it a little troublesome as to who he is including in our future history. All are pretty obvious, thank god for the few lesser known artists that make the book a more interesting read.

[Karie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the good old days......

Great stories of Hoffman, Pollock and the (abstract expressionist) gang during the golden age of art...New York in the 1930's, 40's and 50's.

[Aaron VanAlstine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting but a little dense. The author is clearly in love with his subject, though. Hence the almost excruciating detail.

[Giovanni García-Fenech · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive in its scope, but often - particularly when interpreting artists' work - Perl really strains to make everything lock together. Well worth reading, anyway