From Library Journal
This book is published to accompany the first major exhibition of Still's work since his death in 1980. The artist's own monomaniacal control over his work has contributed to its relative obscurity compared with that of his coevals in the Abstract Expressionist school. Adding significantly to the literature on the artist, a general essay by Thomas Kellein (director of the Kuntshalle in Basel) describes the genesis of Still's unique contribution to Abstract Expressionism. Additional essays by Michael Auping, of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, and Susan Landauer, for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, discuss in detail the works in these collections that make up the exhibition. Patricia Still, the artist's widow, contributes a chronology of his life liberally sprinkled with quotes from the artist himself. Of great value are the color reproductions of the 33 works from the Buffalo collection and 30 from San Francisco's. Recommended for art libraries and strong collections of American or contemporary art.-- Martin R. Kalfatovic, Natl. Museum of American Art/Natl. Portrait Gallery Lib., Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D.C.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Clyfford Still (1904-1980), best known for his compelling abstract works with jagged fields and powerful expanses of color, stands among the giants of post-World War II art. Together with his peers Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman, Still helped shape the new vision of art that came to be called Abstract Expressionism. This vividly illustrated book presents more than thirty of Still's greatest works, paintings that represent the full flowering of his style. The contributors to this volume explore various aspects of Still's art, his accomplishments, and the Abstract Expressionism movement. David Anfam presents an overview of Still's career from the 1930s through 1950s. Brooks Adams examines Still's artistic legacy and influence on succeeding generations of artists. And Neal Benezra's chapter focuses on a provocative, unexplored element of Still's studio practice: his habit of painting replicas of many of his own works. This book accompanies an exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., from 21 June through 16 September, 2001. The exhibition will offer an unprecedented opportunity to view outstanding examples of Still's work, many of which have not been on public display for decades.

From the Publisher
Published in association with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution

About the Author
David Anfam, a foremost scholar of Clyfford Still, has published widely on Abstract Expressionism and American art. Brooks Adams is a freelance art critic and scholar who has written extensively on postwar American art. Neal Benezra is deputy director and curator of 20th-century art at the Art Institute of Chicago. James T. Demetrion is director of the Hirshhorn Museum.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Clyfford Still (1904-1980), best known for his compelling abstract works with jagged fields and powerful expanses of color, stands among the giants of post - World War II art. Together with his peers Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Barnett Newman, Still helped shape the new vision of art that came to be called Abstract Expressionism. This illustrated book presents nearly forty of Still's greatest works, painting that represent the full flowering of his style." "The contributors to this volume explore various aspects of Still's art, his accomplishments, and the New York School. David Anfam presents an overview of Still's career from the 1930s through the 1950s. Neal Benezra focuses on a provocative, unexplored element of Still's studio practice: his habit of painting replicas of many of his own works. Brooks Adams examines Still's artistic legacy and influence on succeeding generations of artists."--BOOK JACKET.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

This book is published to accompany the first major exhibition of Still's work since his death in 1980. The artist's own monomaniacal control over his work has contributed to its relative obscurity compared with that of his coevals in the Abstract Expressionist school. Adding significantly to the literature on the artist, a general essay by Thomas Kellein (director of the Kuntshalle in Basel) describes the genesis of Still's unique contribution to Abstract Expressionism. Additional essays by Michael Auping, of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, and Susan Landauer, for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, discuss in detail the works in these collections that make up the exhibition. Patricia Still, the artist's widow, contributes a chronology of his life liberally sprinkled with quotes from the artist himself. Of great value are the color reproductions of the 33 works from the Buffalo collection and 30 from San Francisco's. Recommended for art libraries and strong collections of American or contemporary art.-- Martin R. Kalfatovic, Natl. Museum of American Art/Natl. Portrait Gallery Lib., Smithsonian Inst., Washington, D.C.

ACCREDITATION