The American Eye: Eleven Artists of the Twentieth Century [Hardcover]

Jan Greenberg (Author), Sandra Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

In the twentieth century, American artists freed themselves from the conventions of European art. As diverse as the U.S. itself, the works of artists like Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keefe, Thomas Hart Benton, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol brought America to the forefront of the international art scene and combined to create an artistic declaration of independence. In lively, lucid prose Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan look at the lives and works of eleven artists who shaped America's vision of itself in the twentieth century, and whose legacy will be felt well into the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Collections always reflect the prejudices of the collectors. In this case, choices were made from the many artists "who paved the way for a new American art...who particularly stood out for us." Clearly our artistic history is far more comprehensive and complex than this account can tell, but there is attention to the flow of social change and its effect on these artists that makes for inviting, informative reading. The writing is insightful and the prose accessible and authoritative without being mired in pedantic scholarship; the chapters include photographs and sharply printed, full-color reproductions. It's good to find proper attention being given Arthur Dove, Thomas Benton, and Romare Beardon?artists often neglected in other surveys. And Eva Hesse's inclusion is a big surprise. A four-page glossary, a listing of places to see some of the original artworks, and a two-page bibliography conclude the book.?Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-12. In The Painter's Eye (1991) and The Sculptor's Eye (1993), Greenberg and Jordan concentrated on living artists they could interview. In their latest fine collective biography, the subjects are dead twentieth-century artists, and the work of each one is viewed over a lifetime. From the realism of Edward Hopper to the collages of Romare Bearden and the pop art of Andy Warhol, we see how each artist was formed by and helped form the American tradition. In the discussion of each artist's life and work, there's a sense of things opening out, a celebration of diversity, restlessness, and change. Individual works are discussed in terms of color, line, texture, shape, composition, and feeling, but there's no jargon or pretension. The style is direct, sometimes lyrical, and the book design is inviting, with photographs of the artists and full-color reproductions of their works. Young people may start by reading about one artist, but they'll stay and browse, and some will go from here to the art galleries and museums listed at the end. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385321732
• ISBN-13: 978-0385321730
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,939,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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