Objects of Desire: The Modern Still Life
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.18 (956 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 087070110X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-08-31 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Margit Rowell is the former Chief Curator of the Department of Drawings, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Published to accompany a major 1997 exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Objects of Desire traces a radical rethinking of the genre in terms of subject matter and formal invention.. An incisive exploration of the still life genre as artists have rediscovered and reshaped it in the 20th century, Objects of Desire proves that despite the century's hostility toward older aesthetic conventions, avant-garde artists of many schools have made of the still life a vital opportunity for invention. From Matisse, Picasso, and Braque to the Dadaists, Surrealists, and Pop artists and finally to contemporary creators like Cindy Sherman and Charles Ray, the still life has hardly led a stolid, stable, or staunch existence. Originally a subject reserved for painting, the genre has progressively invaded the arena of sculpture, its themes reinvented in the provocative assemblages called "readymades," its forms recas
Enjoy the early plates, ignore ALL the text! Tam Mossman This outsize book begins with some arrestingly beautiful illustrations that reward repeated viewing. But the selection stumbles when it tries to stretch the definition of "still life" to include postmodern sculptures like Jeff Koon's basketball in an aquarium and Tony Cragg's pointed objects lined up across a bare floor.But well before that, you'll have thrown up your hands (along with your lunch) at Margit Rowell's text--written in PhDspeak, seeking to plumb new depths of academic obfuscat. Kansas Tango said Dilbert in the Artplace. While doing research for an essay on the "Search for Postmodernism in a Modernist World," I purchased Ms Rowell's book, curiously titled Objects of Desire. At the very least, it was a questionable investment. However, it is indicative of what is wrong with the world of modern art [or even postmodern art] where pretentious jargon takes the place of actual description, reason or discussion as an excuse for art works that in the end are just boring.At the time of the book's publication, Ms Row. Good Explanations of the Humble Still Life and It's Role in Art Evolution Excellent essays with good plates of the chosen works to illustrate this idea. One book can not be all things to all people, and obviously some things more important to me are missing, but what was chosen was chosen well and with meaning. Enjoyable as well as educational - a hard combination to dispute.
. About the Author Margit Rowell is the former Chief Curator of the Department of Drawings, The Museum of Modern Art, New York