Clyfford Still [Hardcover]

David Anfam (Author), Neal Benezra (Author), Brooks Adams (Author), demetrion (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001

Clyfford Still (1904-1980), best known for his compelling abstract works with jagged fields and powerful expanses of color, stands among the giants of post-World War II art. Together with his peers Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman, Still helped shape the new vision of art that came to be called Abstract Expressionism. This vividly illustrated book presents more than thirty of Still's greatest works, paintings that represent the full flowering of his style.

The contributors to this volume explore various aspects of Still's art, his accomplishments, and the Abstract Expressionism movement. David Anfam presents an overview of Still's career from the 1930s through 1950s. Brooks Adams examines Still's artistic legacy and influence on succeeding generations of artists. And Neal Benezra's chapter focuses on a provocative, unexplored element of Still's studio practice: his habit of painting replicas of many of his own works.

This book accompanies an exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., from 21 June through 16 September, 2001. The exhibition will offer an unprecedented opportunity to view outstanding examples of Still's work, many of which have not been on public display for decades.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Published in association with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution

About the Author

David Anfam, a foremost scholar of Clyfford Still, has published widely on Abstract Expressionism and American art. Brooks Adams is a freelance art critic and scholar who has written extensively on postwar American art. Neal Benezra is deputy director and curator of 20th-century art at the Art Institute of Chicago. James T. Demetrion is director of the Hirshhorn Museum.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300089694
• ISBN-13: 978-0300089691
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,405,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a new Clifford Still fan:, October 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Clyfford Still (Hardcover)

I am a painter who has largely avoided Clifford Still but this book has turned me into a great admirer. Particulary influential was the contribution by David Anfam, the art historian who was responsible for the magnificent, award-winning Mark Rothko catalogue raisonne. Anfam's essay is insightful, far-reaching, beautifully written with poetic underpinnings, a pleasure to read. All you'll ever need to know about Clifford Still, his work, and his place in art history is covered in this essay. The color plates are also wonderful and, even as reproductions, offer a great chance to appreciate the paintings.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth study of an elusive artist, April 1, 2007

By 

Claude Reich (Florianopolis, Brazil and Paris, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Clyfford Still (Hardcover)

An excellent catalogue written by leading authorities on a great artist whose unique body of works has remained hidden in the estate (only about 150 paintings are scattered in public and private collections), and who, as a consequence has been neglected by the general public. It is the only such publication on Clyfford Still to be published since the late 1980's and I strongly recommend it to any art lover interested in the Ab-Ex movement.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a Recent Still Convert, November 15, 2001

By 

John Franklin (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clyfford Still (Hardcover)

A few of my favorite painters are contemporaries of Still, so I saw it as my duty to see the Hirschhorn exhibition. Well, I picked a dead day and had the show to myself and simply put I am now a fan. The book is great and David Anfam's addition to the book is especially enlightening about the work of Still.