Customer Reviews

Paths to the Absolute

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Golding's thesis is beyond debate: early modernist and abstract art in particular constituted essential spiritual statements. While this thesis is obvious, even if oft forgotten, Golding marshals and integrates a wealth of research in this splendid series of lectures. There are two minor problems with the book that bear mention. At turns Golding lacks the necessary critical posture. He discusses Barnett Newman at length, for example, and there can be no doubt that this artist supplies ample theoretical grist for Golding's mill. But Newman's actual painting ultimately cannot bear a fraction of his metaphysical intentions - an unfortunate fact and one that Golding fails to mention. Also, Goldman does not attempt to bring his book current. He would have done well to hold up contemporary painting against his finely focused history. In most respects this would reveal that abstraction has lost its way. However, a brief survey and analysis of the work of Helmut Federle, Astrid Colomar, Joseph Marioni, Agnes Martin, and Brice Marden would have demonstrated that there remain enriching artists who have remained on the path to the absolute.

Before I read this book, I didn't believe that abstract art had a spiritual content to it. I felt that it was too scientific. But reading this book has made me examine the art, and, also, to appreciate that this art does have a spiritualness to it.

This book delves into the art of Piet Mondrian, Kasimir Malevich, Vasily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still. There are individual chapters devoted to the first 4 painters names, and 2 chapters given to discuss Newman, Rothko, and Still as a group.

This book obviously can't do an in depth look at the painters featured, but it does impress upon the reader how each artist brought a spiritualness into his art, and how through that discovered his way of reaching the absolute in his art.

There is a mix of in color, and black and white, reproductions in the book. The works of the artists that proved to most influencial in abstraction are shown in color, while others--not so much of lesser importance, but not as perhaps influencial--are shown in black and white. Also, there are pictures from artists such as Picasso and Matisse, and others, featured to show how the abstraction artists used--or were inspired by-- different movements to find their way into abstraction.

The most interesting part of the book is the discussion of how spirituality is in the abstractionist art. For example, Mondrian was for many years a follower of Theosophy, and part of the Theosophy doctrine was that one is free of all oppression...and everything will be free of all oppression. Mondrian would later move on to seek different teachings, Golding states, but Theosophy gave him his first real direction into becoming an abstractionist.

This book is a good introduction for anyone not familiar with abstraction and its influence on modern art, as well as a having a wealth of information about the artists themselves.

I used this book while writing my undergraduate art history thesis. It proved to be invaluable--it's factual but very engaging, and I was quite inspired by some of Golding's arguments. There were many details mentioned in this book that I didn't find in other, more "definitive" books on these artists (such as the catalogues of major retrospectives). Though I used it for research, this collection of lectures-cum-essays would also make for good recreational reading for someone at least somewhat familiar with the history of abstraction in art, or interested in a close study. This is not, however, the best "picture book" or light introduction for a person more interested in enjoying the paintings than reading academic criticism.

The main reason I wanted to take a trip to Russia was to see the great examples of abstract art there. The very beautiful pieces at the Tretyakov made much more sense to me because of these wonderful lectures which I actually heard live at the National Gallery years ago. If only most writing on art were like this, and that pertains particularly to art of recent times. Great criticism raises the bar for everything in your mind and with your senses.
John Golding's book has made great art as one sees at the Tretyakov even finer in my eyes. But even the more quirky pieces, such as those in the fabulous show Painting Revolution which we saw at the Phoenix museum had a deeper resonance for me than they would have had if I did not have the insights in this book in my memory. Dr. Golding is also a painter whose works are at the Yale Center for British Art.

I am just beginning to read but the chapters are thought provoking and informative. Be prepared to learn new ideas in spiritualism and to think deeper into your own beliefs.