Barnett Newman [Hardcover]

Armin Zweite (Author), Barnett Newman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1999

Artwork by Barnett Newman. Text by Armin Zweite.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Large canvases covered with a single color "zipped" apart by a vertical strip, bold color field paintings with frayed edges, slim columns of steel and hovering pyramidal forms, each providing the viewer with a subjective experience of self and an objective observation of the image: this is the genius of Barnett Newman. With an equally wide range of vision, Zweite offers a scholarly insight into the work, a formidable task quite successfully accomplished in this important volume. Originally published to accompany the first major exhibition of Newman's work in Germany, this is far more than a catalog of works. It is indispensable for anyone interested in understanding one of the major figures in American art of the last half of our century.
-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Newman (1905-70), the son of Jewish Polish immigrants, worked slowly and contemplatively, unlike his frenzied friend, Jackson Pollock. He made a modest number of paintings and had few major exhibitions, yet by virtue of his "shockingly minimal" paintings and eloquently radical theories about art (he was as loquacious as his paintings were quiet), was a phenomenally influential creative force. Curator Temkin, whose last book resurrected the painter Alice Neel, oversaw the first-ever posthumous retrospective of Newman's work, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and put together this marvelously evocative catalog in which stunning reproductions are matched with biographical and critical essays and other valuable documentation. Temkin and her contributors illuminate the thought and emotion that went into Newman's deceptively simple paintings, large fields of deep, textured color dramatically divided by vertical lines, or "zips." Newman's restrained yet vibrant paintings are just the sort of modern art people love to mock--in fact, he drolly collected cartoons poking fun at abstract painting--but his work, essential and transcendent, embodies a genuine quest for liberty and spiritual insight. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers; Revised edition (November 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3775707956
• ISBN-13: 978-3775707954
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,743,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest art books ever written., January 20, 2001

By 

John Veltheer (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barnett Newman (Hardcover)

Armin Zweite's chronology of the life and work of Barnett Newman is absolutely fantastic. Written in a compact style hitherto unknown by art commentators the book flows from one anecdote to another. Complete and well referenced, the book is as complete as one would wish without ever being overbearing. Given the limited scope of Newman's work I would have hope that all prints were in color but alas only about 50% are color. Still the works are presented logically and connections are made throughout the book. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended for anyone. HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended for the abstract art enthusiast.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great catalogue, April 8, 2007

By 

Claude Reich (Florianopolis, Brazil and Paris, France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barnett Newman (Hardcover)

Apart from the Catalogue Raisonné, this is the best contribution to the understanding of Newman's work in recent years. It is the catalogue for an exhibition held at the National Gallery in London and, therefore, carries no surprise: All the masterpieces are there, arranged in a chronological order, beautifully illustrated and accompanied by an enlightening text.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive Barnett Newmann overview, March 15, 2010

By 

Ivor E. Zetler (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barnett Newman (Hardcover)

As the saying goes "you need to have a gimmick if you want to get ahead". Well, for Barnett Newmann, a major figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement and a precursor of Minimalism, the gimmick was the "zip"; a vertical line dividing the canvas. This feature is observed in many of his later works. Opinions are divided about Newmann's work. Clement Greenberg was an early enthusiast, Robert Hughes however is far less enthusiastic. Hughes caustically observes that "this minimal form came to be invested with powers one might hesitate to attribute to Paradise Lost or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony".

This volume, a catalogue of an exhibition held in Philadelphia in 2002, gives a comprehensive overview of Newmann's life and artistic output. The book begins with scholarly essays about Newmann and his work. This is followed by color illustrations of 109 exhibits. These are mainly paintings but there are a few sculptures and etchings. It is very interesting to observe the development in Newmann's painting style over the course of time. This book is is very well printed with high quality full page illustrations. This catalogue would serve very well as a comprehensive Barnett Newmann overview.