Customer Reviews

The Art of Richard Diebenkorn (Ahmanson-Murphy Fine Arts Book)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being a painter myself, Richard Diebenkorn has influenced my life and work. To see the freshness of the paintings in this book was magical to me. The Ocean Park series is the most accessable works or the most widely shown works by Diebenkorn. To see the horizontal development of the works throughout Diebenkorn's life in one volume is spectacular. The book is an asset to anyone interested in seeing what it takes to make a fine painter. The drawings, the still-life paintings of tomatos and a knife with their luscious quality and subtle sexual symbolism is pure genius. The slow and subtle transition from landscape painting to completely abstracted landscape of the Ocean Park series is extremely useful visual material. The book is worth it for the plates alone, however, the writing is thought provoking and insightful.

After reading a few of the other reviews I felt like throwing my 2 cents worth. First of all, I am amazed and love the fact that Diebenkorn has recieved so much press. Its a shame he was shunned from the New York art world when he was alive.(Although, I don't think he was terribly upset by this) I didn't even hear of him untill I went to England to do my M.A.! I bought my first book of his then in 94'. I think its whitechaple press. In any case, this book is much more complete with great- great photos and essays. It is pure joy. The biggest problem I have with the book is trying to keep it out of my studio, so as not to get paint on it. If you happen to go to the San Francisco MOMA check out their nice collection of his work!

A great book that presents the vitality of Diebenkorn's best work. This book includes plates of all major phases of his oeuvre. While not a great admirer of his Ocean Park series, his expressionist Berkeley series and his figurative paintings and drawings are really stunning! He was a great colorist and a painter's painter. I would consider this book to be a must-have for any student of 20th century art...

Richard Diebenkorn has finally achieved the status of Modern Master, but his success was only secured later in his life and after his death. Although he was at first an Abstract Expressionist artist who painted as convincingly as Still, Rothko, Kline and Motherwell, he was too much identified with the Bay Area, and therefore he did not have the imprimatur of the New York critics. Then, in the 1950s, he was viewed as having betrayed the New York Abstract Expressionists, when he turned to figurative painting with David Park and Elmer Bischoff. Eventually, until his death, he returned to abstraction with his much-acclaimed "Ocean Park" series. And then the critics finally realized what had eluded them for years: That Diebenkorn painted abstract realism, leaning more to one and then the other, all his life.

Jane Livingston does a fine job of portraying the life of Richard Diebenkorn through his stunning paintings, which exemplify fire beneath the calm. Be sure to read the Norland book as well, since his book is still the seminal book on Diebenkorn.

I fell in love with Diebenkorn's paintings when I saw a picture
of one of them on Internet. I bought this book. It was
printed with high quality. His paintings are all about beauty.
He achieved the maximum freedom of expression with little
effort. But you should always try to see a real painting of him in musems. I was shocked the first time to see one Oecan Park.

This book contains plates of most of Diebenkorn's well-known works -- all very high quality reproductions. If you are a student of abstract expressionism, you deserve this book. It is an absolute steal at the current price. This will likely become a collectors item.

This is a great collection of Diebenkorn's work through the years. Though it's a paperback, the book is big, sturdy, and will last a long time. The color plates are very true to his original works.

This book provides an excellent overview of the arc of Diebenkorn's painting style, from abstract to figurative and then to his final amazing abstracts. This is a good starting point for understanding Diebenkorn's art, with large beautiful color prints of his paintings. And, because it's a paperback edition, it's pretty affordable for an oversized, color fine arts book.

Great reference on Diebenkorn with lots of color plates and in-depth text on the process of his work. It was recommended by my professor and I keep it by my easel!

Ruth E. Fine's title for her essay on Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) aptly describes the career of this phenomenally important and gifted artist. His works are still sought after by those who can still afford his many print editions from Crown Point Press ('Green', an etching from the Ocean Park Series remains one of the most highly valued etchings in this country): his place in art history is secure.

This book is actually a catalogue form the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City exhibition that traveled from 1997 - 1999 across the country. It is in very respect one of the finest books on Diebenkorn, form the color reproductions to the fine and intelligent essays from not only the curator of this exhibition Jane Livingston ('The Art of Richard Diebenkorn'), but also form the above mentioned Ruth E. Fine and especially John Elderfield ('Leaving Ocean Park'). The artist's career is followed chronologically, a particularly fine curatorial choice because of the ways in which Diebenkorn's career mutated. Best known for his abstract expressionist paintings created in his home in the Bay Area of California - especially the Ocean Park Series, paintings that glow with light the way that Rothko's glow with dark. But Diebenkorn, always testing the waters of creativity, turned to representation for a while, creating figurative work that while painted with realism still managed to make even his figures reflect his unusual gift for capturing the qualities of light peculiar to the Bay Area. The canvases range from the very large to the intimately small works of still life, like 'Poppies' that graces the cover.

A special aspect of this book of wonders is the decision to add bits and fragments of Diebenkorn's own writing - at times witty, at times shy, and always informative as to his perception of his work in the art world at large. This is a book to cherish for all art lovers and a monument to the art of catalogue design. Grady Harp, October 10