Joe Brainard: A Retrospective [Paperback]

Constance Lewallen (Author), Carter Ratcliff (Author), John Ashbery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2001

Over a period of four decades--from the early 1960s until his death in 1994--artist, writer, and designer Joe Brainard contributed greatly to the arts in a number of media. From his early paintings and assemblages, which built upon the work of Jasper Johns and Joseph Cornell, to his set designs for LeRoi Jone's The Dutchman and Frank O'Hara's The General Returns from One Place to Another; from his comic book collaborations with various poets, C Comics and C Comics 2, to his later drawing, collage, painting, and assemblage work, Brainard exemplified the link between avant-garde art, writing, and theater that defined the New York School. In addition to a checklist and bibliographies of work by and about Brainard, this exhibition catalogue includes the artist's published and unpublished writings, as well as interviews and letters. Also included are essays by John Ashbery, Carter Ratcliff, and Constance Lewallen, who chronicles Joe Brainard's formative years in Oklahoma and move to New York City, his involvement with Pop Art, assemblage and painting, and his literary and artistic associations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an artist who was incapable of murk, being always too clear to get caught in the trappings of theory." -- San Francisco Bay Guardian, January 31, 2001, Noel Black

Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Granary Books/University of California, Berkeley Art Museum (February 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188712344X
• ISBN-13: 978-1887123440
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,863,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Joe!, January 24, 2002

By 

"houseseller" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joe Brainard: A Retrospective (Paperback)

I first learned about the artist Joe Brainard in two articles published in Art In America in July 1997, written by Edmund White and by Carter Ratcliff. I saved those features and came across them recently. Sharing my renewed enthusiasm for this artist with a friend, he informed me that he had seen a wonderful retrospective of Joe Brainard at the Berkeley Art Museum last year and that he had purchased a fine catalogue of the exhibit. I was delighted to find this incredible catalogue at Amazon.com. A tremendous overview of this underappreciated genius with relevant text and fantastic color reproductions of exhibited work. Amazing to see work created 20-30 years ago that has so obviously influenced a generation of contemporary artists. This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in contemporary art. If you don't know the work of Joe Brainard, this retrospective will impress, and if you are already an admirer of this extraordinary talent, this is a must have for your art library.