Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure [Hardcover]

Cornelia H. Butler (Author), Paul Schimmel (Author), Anne M. Wagner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2002

Willem de Kooning, one of the pioneers of Abstract Expressionism, experimented with the human form throughout his career. An artist deeply sceptical about Western ideals of beauty, he focused on anatomical fragmentation and spatial ambiguity to express the fleeting nature of the individual. This book, published in conjunction with an exhibition originating at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, explores de Kooning's drawings of the female form between 1940 and 1955. It reveals an artist who struggled to eliminate traditional barriers between drawing and painting as he explored ambiguities between the figure and its background. De Kooning relied on early-20th-century abstraction in his initial attempts to redefine the figure, drawing and re-drawing the same line until he resolved the image. Beginning in 1947-49, he synthesized abstraction and figuration, dismembering figures and rearranging them with seeming randomness. As his figural compositions developed, geometric configurations transformed into architectural elements (suggesting windows, doors, mirrors, paintings and furniture) to create ambiguous space. In 1951, de Kooning abruptly returned to depictions of women. Usi

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

At the forefront of modern art during the 1950s, painter Willem de Kooning secured his place in art history with the unveiling of his "Woman" series. Colorful, brash paintings composed of bold, violent brush strokes were seen by critics and viewers as vulgar and problematic but unfailingly important in their merging of abstract and representational forms. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles presents, in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name, Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure, a collection of drawings and studies that led up to the famous "Woman" paintings. Seen as completed works in their own right, these drawings bear de Kooning's distinctive draftsmanship of powerful lines, erasures, scrapings, and strong color. Blurred images of the figure coming apart at the seams, the works look as if they were made during an emotional explosion, though de Kooning's work process was known to be rather laborious. Four insightful essays complement the arresting images, including a remarkable discussion on the social ramifications of de Kooning's vision of the female form by curator Cornelia H. Butler. This well-crafted book is perfect for any fan of modern painting. --J.P. Cohen

Review

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the phenomenon that was abstract expressionism in the mid-20th-century US (or for anyone who is simply looking for something on De Kooning that is clearly written and carefully researched). -- Review

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the phenomenon that was abstract expressionism. . . . Clearly written and carefully researched. -- Choice

This wonderfully produced book traces de Kooning's development from early figurative drawings to the studies that... [defined] his career. -- Modern Painters

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 1st edition (March 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069109618X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691096186
• Product Dimensions: 13.6 x 9.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, June 4, 2005

By 

Austin Ivansmith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure (Hardcover)

I bought this book as a gift for my girlfriend's birthday and I was shocked by the size of the book. There are tons of images in the book, most seem to span his career from pencil drawings of his wife to the more familiar works like the one on the cover (which take up most of the works in the book, thank goodness.) The images are laid out with great focus, my only complaint is that some of the images aren't bigger, but then they would have to cut across the seam more.

The book is big, it weighs a lot, it has mostly pictures of his works, there is only 1 picture per page (no distracting, busy design), and a small biography in the back. A very good deal for the price, you get your money's worth.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great study of a master of drawing, April 8, 2007

By 

Claude Reich (Florianopolis, Brazil and Paris, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure (Hardcover)

If you don't like De Kooning, maybe you should rethink and stop to look at his wonderfully traced drawings which exhude life, violence and passion. This book is the first such publication and it may be the only opportunity to see so many drawings together (drawings do not like daylight and therefore are rarely exhibited). Definitely worth it, especially for the high quality of the illustrations which are all in color and often give you the impression of holding the actual drawing in your own hands.