Customer Reviews

Salon to Biennial: Volume 1

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Roberta Smith in The New York Times, Nov. 27, 2008: "One of the most interesting books of the season takes a nothing-but-the-facts bead on a subject of increasing art historical study: the exhibitions that have introduced most modern art to the public. Thick and very orange, Salon to Biennial ... is a marvel of information, organization and design. ... it combines engaging analysis with myriad details to create in-depth portraits of exhibitions that are known, but not well."

The Sunday Times (London), Nov. 30, 2008: ""Academic" is a dirty word, I know, but even - I mean especially - the Courtauld-educated like getting art books for Christmas. So, if I'm honest, what I'd like, please, is one of the most remarkable art books of the year. It's Salon to Biennial by Bruce Altshuler, which documents the most important group exhibitions in Europe and North America between 1863 and 1959. ... The contents of each are illustrated, as is a multitude of installation shots. Complete with contemporary reviews, it's an art historian's heaven."

The Economist, Dec. 4, 2008: "The story of the medium through which most art lovers have experienced modern art: the big group show. A must for anyone interested in art, politics and taste in the 20th century."

Any student of Western art would not only benefit from, but also enjoy the historical thread provided by this weighty book's coverage of a selection of special exhibitions held between 1863 and 1959. (And, people who may find themselves responsible for future art exhibitions at museums will find this an essential text.)

The art works and artists included in each exhibit, its physical layout, and, importantly, contemporary critical reviews are all provided.

On a higher level, this book serves to reaffirm the importance of expressive freedom--both to create and criticize--as a bedrock marker for a healthy society. The chapter on the 1937 Degenerate Art show by the Nazi government of Germany provides a jarring reminder of this point.