Prized for over a millennium by Chinese literati, scholars' rocks--stones sculpted by the elements into richly detailed miniature landscapes--have long been objects of contemplation, inspiration and ever-changing beauty. This succinct, elegantly designed volume offers a meditation by the noted artist and collector Richard Rosenbaum on the philosophy and spirit of Chinese natural art, from scholars' rocks to similarly-fashioned objects in wood, metal and ceramic--as well as such reverse manifestations as works sculpted to replicate natural art. In a style that is at once informal and passionately engaged, Rosenblum discusses the history and use of natural art, the influence it has had on his own work, and, beyond this, the wider philosophical issues it raises--about artistic perception, the context of an art object and what ultimately distinguishes and constitutes a work of art. Centuries before Duchamp's snow shovel first hung on a gallery wall, Chinese natural art was challenging received notions about artistic creation and response. A book for scholars, artists and thinkers alike, Art of the Natural World is an indispensable commentary on the art of nature and the nature of art.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Found objects that were mounted on a base, placed on the desks of aristocratic philosophers and artists, and used as objects of meditation and concentration, Chinese scholars' rocks epitomized for their users the natural world in its concentrated force. Richard Rosenblum, who died of cancer last year, was a Boston sculptor and leading collector of this art naturel. His Art of the Natural World: Resonances of Wild Nature in Chinese Sculptural Art, edited by Valerie C. Doran, consists of the collector's own musings about the importance of these works, both intrinsically and to his own work as a sculptor. For example, he finds inspiration in the modern French mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot's theory of fractals, which finds symmetry in the irregular forms of nature. 100 color illus.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
"The rock is to Chinese art what the nude has been to Western art." --John Hay
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Romancing The Stone,
By garahito "garahito" (Portsmouth, RI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of the Natural World (Hardcover)
Most books which present collections of art objects treat the subject as that: an object. Emphasis is put on value or history. This book treats stones as a source of inspiration. Rosenblum takes individual objects and explains what he sees in them and how they effected his life as well as his artwork. He infuses the art of collecting stones with the original intent of the Chinese scholars who began the practice. The value he places on the stones are not so much monetary but how they speak to him on an individual basis. This book complements "Worlds Within Worlds", the first book about Rosenblums collection. That book explained technical and historical data, this one humanizes the collection. An excellent book, a great addition to the genre of viewing stones, suiseki, scholar stones, etc.
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