Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 [Paperback]

Gordon Chang (Editor), Mark Johnson (Editor), Paul Karlstrom (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Asian America | Publication Date: August 11, 2008

Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 is the first comprehensive study of the lives and artistic production of artists of Asian ancestry active in the United States before 1970. The publication features original essays by ten leading scholars, biographies of more than 150 artists, and over 400 reproductions of artwork, ephemera, and images of the artists.

Aside from a few artists such as Dong Kingman, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Isamu Noguchi, and Yun Gee, artists of Asian ancestry have received inadequate historical attention, even though many of them received wide critical acclaim during their productive years. This pioneering work recovers the extraordinarily impressive artistic production of numerous Asian Americans, and offers richly informed interpretations of a long-neglected art history. To unravel the complexity of Asian American art expression and its vital place in American art, the texts consider aesthetics, the social structures of art production and criticism, and national and international historical contexts.

Without a doubt, Asian American Art will profoundly influence our understanding of the history of art in America and the Asian American experience for years to come.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a must-read for specialists in American ethnic history.... It will surely remain a classic work in Asian American studies and—it is to be hoped—in American art history."—Greg Robinson, l'Université du Québec Montréal, Journal of American Ethnic History

"Here are artists and work that have long been lost, forgotten, and in some cases deliberately hidden. I was impressed by the comprehensive, thoughtful, insightful, and sometimes provocative approach taken in the essays, but to see the art itself! We see the breadth and range of experience, styles, and obstacles both artistic and personal. What is western? What is eastern? How did citizenship, internment, or discrimination affect these artists? Asian American Art faces these questions and beyond."—Lisa See, author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love

"I congratulate the team that has devoted years of work to this remarkable recovery of Asian American art making. Every library in the country should have this art history book on its reference shelves for its names, its biographies, its reproductions, and its fresh and inspirational stories of courage and dedication."—Wanda M. Corn, Professor Emerita, Stanford University

"A dazzling collection of images and essays which recuperates a century of Asian American artistic production, Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 provides us, at long last, with a comprehensive and foundational work. More than a convenient ìbridge,î the hundreds of images reproduced here explode the static and tired categories of ìWesternî and ìEasternî art. Beyond introducing the art and the artists in depth and in context, the essays in this volume stand as a brilliant exploration into the historical meaning of Asian American art. This book challenges the reader to re-visualize American art and re-imagine American culture."—Robert G. Lee, Brown University

"Ground breaking" and "historic" are terms often overused and overstated for the works they purport to describe. Both, however, are appropriate for this outstanding volume, which introduces readers to the breadth and depth of Asian American fine artists. This single work will spur enormous growth in the many fields it directly impacts, including American Studies, Art History, Asian American Studies, and American History. Another overused term: "A must read." In this case, understated. —Franklin Odo, Director, Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Program

About the Author

Gordon H. Chang is a professor of history at Stanford University and codirector of the Stanford Asian American Art Project. He is the author of many books and essays, including Friends and Enemies: The United States, China, and the Soviet Union, 1948–1972 and Morning Glory, Evening Shadow: Yamato Ichihashi and His Internment Writings, 1942–1945. Mark Dean Johnson is a professor of art at San Francisco State University and co-director of the Stanford Asian American Art Project. He has collaboratively organized exhibitions such as Chang Dai-chien in California and With New Eyes: Toward an Asian American Art History in the West, and conferences including Expanding American Art History to Reflect Multiethnic Diversity. He is also the editor of At Work: The Art of California Labor. Paul J. Karlstrom, former West Coast regional director of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art, writes about modern and contemporary art in the United States. He is the editor of On the Edge of America: California Modernist Art, 1900–1950 and has contributed to major studies of Diego Rivera, Jacob Lawrence, and Yun Gee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Stanford General Books (August 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804757526
• ISBN-13: 978-0804757522
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Asian American Art: a History 1850-1970, November 25, 2008

By 

Ming Fay (NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 (Paperback)

The most comprehensive work on this subject, which is a part of American art history but neglected by academia. In recent years works on this subject start to appear on the market place, but no other book went the distance as this one does. A lot of blank areas of the Asian artists in American is reviewed or mentioned but on the survey end, however, there is no other book like this. A must read book if you are interested in the Asian American history, a must have if you are interested in the Asian artists and their historical positions in America, the book will take you to the beginning of the story and bring one closer to the now.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful unparalleled book of the period, January 26, 2009

By 

lindamarie (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 (Paperback)

This is a beautiful book with text and photographs of the period art that cannot be found elsewhere. These Asian American artists of this first generation of immigrants lived through some problematic treatment and times and their work is relatively unknown by the public. The paperback version is a substantial book about 2 inches thick and it is wonderful that this is available at a reasonable cost that allows more people to own and experience it. This is also a lovely gift.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars about time, December 22, 2008

By 

Irene Andersen "avid reader" (san francisco) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970 (Paperback)

It's about time we had a volume devoted to Asian American art history. The book is history in the making itself. A wonderful resource and highly recommended.