The Art of New Mexico: How the West Is One (Hardcover)

by Joseph Traugott (Author) "GERALD CASSIDY'S MONUMENTAL PAINTING Cur Bono? (pl. 2) symbolizes the contradictory cultural attitudes that throngs of visitors brought to the Museum of Fine Arts when..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Mexico, Ness Mexico, Indian School (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Using the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., curator Traugott explores the rich and varied history of art in New Mexico and its place in the national canon. Since its founding in 1917, the museum's leadership has been deliberate in its curatorial choices and generous in its documentary urges, and so Traugott has a great deal to work with, from debates about architecture and interior design to decisions on the nature of each round of acquisitions, offering a surprisingly complete record of the institution's growth and development. As such, it should find a broad audience: art lovers will relish the ample plates explained in straightforward, concise prose; art historians will appreciate the wealth of details about artists, movements and the museum; and history buffs will appreciate the story of the region as revealed through its art. As the title suggests, Traugott aims to find the unity in New Mexico's diverse artistic heritage, which at times results in generalizations and backpedaling, especially in sometimes-breezy treatment of colonialism. Readers seeking a more critical consideration of the political issues involved (U.S. treatment of Native Americans and Mexicans, the stereotyped image of the "native") should look elsewhere; those who come for the art won't be disappointed.
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Review
"If you want a comprehensive, informative and visually stimulating overview of art in the Land of Enchantment, you can't do much better than (this). -- Taos News Tempo Magazine, October 25-31, 2007

"This heavily illustrated book explores the aesthetic and cultural cross-currents in New Mexico art from the 1880s to the present..." -- Enchantment Coop, November 2007

"rewarding and though-provoking read...The work includes, but often transcends, typical southwestern imagery, making this volume a good antidote to misperceptions about the art of the Land of Enchantment." -- Bloomsbury Review, July/August 2007

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890134979
• ISBN-13: 978-0890134979
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #584,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)