Framing America: A Social History of American Art [Paperback]

Frances K. Pohl (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500283346 | ISBN-13: 978-0500283349 | Publication Date: February 2002 | Edition: Underlining

For more than a generation, critics and scholars have been revising and expanding the customary definition of American art. A tradition once assumed to be mainly European and oriented towards painting and sculpture has been enriched by the inclusion of other media such as ceramics, needlework, and illustration, and the work of previously marginalized groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. Now, in a brilliant combination of original scholarship and synthesis, Frances Pohl's Framing America provides the first comprehensive survey of this new, enlarged vision of American art. Here are the many strands of North America's history and visual culture: the first contacts of the Spanish with the Aztecs and other Native Americans; the post-Revolutionary definition of nationhood; the visionary feeling for landscape and nature; the images of social and military conflict of the nineteenth century; and the tempering of the twentieth century's heady plunge into modernism by the Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and the culture wars. Framing America's consistent presentation of the resonance between art and history offers a coherent sense of the evolution of a new, generously defined conception of American art. Pohl's account is an adroitly inclusive fusion of many themes. Her discussion of the early definition of nationhood includes the traditional painters of the grand manner, West, Copley, Trumbell, and Stuart. But Stuart's portraits of George Washington, for instance, are also viewed in relation to portrayals of Washington in wood carvings, embroidery, and the vogue for "mourning pictures" after Washington's death, which create a domestic counterpoint to the more institutional portrayals. Pohl's description of the great landscape tradition of Cole, Durand, and Church shows how the optimistic assertion of a sublime sense of the American nation was accompanied by a sense of loss as the nation expanded westward. As our appreciation of the rich cultural diversity of American life has grown, our sense of American art—its sources, its motives, its possibilities—has become more varied too. Fresh and contemporary, Framing America embraces what our history can tell us about our art and what our art can tell us about our past and present. 665 illustrations, 337 in color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even if the ultimate outcome of the culture wars is still in some dispute, it is clear that revisiting art's "greatest hits," from America or anywhere else, is not sufficient for a basic understanding of art history. Framing America's focus is determinedly and liberatingly inclusive, showing how popular and vernacular arts have had just as great cultural and inspirational impact as the work of trained artists. Pohl, professor of art history at Pomona College, proves her case again and again with revealing juxtapositions and inspired close readings, from the objects plundered by Cort‚s to those fabricated by Jeff Koons. Native art, folk art and "Outsider" art, as well as many previously neglected female artists and artists of color are present in Pohl's narrative, never as victims of special pleading but as essential components in a vibrant mosaic. An examination of depictions of the Old West introduces to great effect drawings of startling iconic simplicity done by some of the victors of the Battle of Little Big Horn; an account of the construction of the Statue of Liberty is viewed against the Haymarket riot and trials; the Tilted Arc controversy leads to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And if the section dealing with recent developments is somewhat more cautious than the rest, Pohl at least steers clear of millennial pronouncements. Written less as a series of static tableaux than as a set of provocations for discussion and exploration, this large, satisfying and beautifully produced volume, with 665 illustrations (half of them in color), will be of value not only to students and scholars, but to anyone interested in the contradictory forces at the heart of American life.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Eschewing the conventional genesis story of American art, one that locates its origins in the portrait work of anonymous colonial itinerants, Pohl (art history, Pomona Coll.; In the Eye of the Storm: An Art of Conscience 1930-1970) reaches further into history than previous surveys. In order to locate a more authentic foundation for American art, she investigates the cultural production resulting from interactions between Native Americans and several exploratory European groups. Also unprecedented is Pohl's exploration of crafts, utilitarian objects, and curiosities to further illuminate the development of society in America. She incorporates artists previously excluded, such as Japanese American internment camp inmates, whose art powerfully relates their experience. Her survey lucidly conveys the key concepts of each period and communicates the significance of seminal tracts like Clement Greenberg's 1939 essay Avant-Garde & Kitsch. A timeline concludes the book, providing a valuable chronological overview of both art and history, including formerly uncited yet significant historical events. With 665 illustrations (337 in color), this volume is recommended as the most up-to-date American art textbook available. It is essential for all academic and large public libraries. Savannah Schroll, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Underlining edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500283346
• ISBN-13: 978-0500283349
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview, February 27, 2007

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kazmoney - See all my reviews

This review is from: Framing America: A Social History of American Art (Paperback)

This is a great book for a survey course in American art or for someone who wants to get into American art and just wants a general overview. The text is written in a very approachable manner, and the images that are included are of excellent quality and represent some good instances of characteristically American works. I used this book for an art history course in American art that was of a very limited time period, but the book is essentially written to cover everything in American art fairly broadly, from colonial times to the late twentieth century. A good read, and a good deal.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, February 7, 2010

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Ocean Sparkle "Interior Design and Art Histor... (Central Coast, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Framing America: A Social History of American Art (Second Edition) (Paperback)

Wow! Another incredible book published by Thames and Hudson! I love their art compendiums. Here, the author gives us a Canadian viewpoint on US history that is erudite and fascinating. Huge detailed book yet quite refreshing to read. I'm using it in a History of American Art from a Multicultural Perspective class. Lots of history and beautifully detailed artworks, including timelines. The printing is superb (Singapore). I highly recommend it! Great reading and a wonderful addition to your home library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on American Art, July 21, 2010

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Benita "Busy B Studio" (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Framing America: A Social History of American Art (Second Edition) (Paperback)

This book is extremely well written, well rounded, and well researched. A great book for a art history student or someone who is just curious because it examines the subject matter from several points of view - not just the standard white male version of history. Folks that are normally breezed by in other texts are discussed here in length - finally! I loved reading this book and gaining insights into the history of what makes American Art unique in it's vision. I am a college art teacher and will be recommending this book for my next semester. Thank you to Frances Pohl!