The Writings of Robert Motherwell (Documents of Twentieth-Century Art) [Paperback]

Robert Motherwell (Author), Dore Ashton (Editor), Joan Banach (Editor), Jack Flam (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Documents of Twentieth-Century Art | Publication Date: May 10, 2007

Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), one of the leading American Abstract Expressionist painters, was also a theorist and exponent of the movement. His writing articulated the intent of the New York school --Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, and others--during a period when their work was often reviled for its departure from traditional representation. As founder of the Documents of Modern Art series (later renamed the Documents of Twentieth-Century Art), Motherwell gave modern artists a voice at a time when very few people understood their theories or work. This authoritative new edition of the artist's writings about art includes public lectures, essays, and interviews. Impeccably edited, with an informative introductory essay and rigorous annotation, it is illustrated with black-and-white images that elucidate Motherwell's writings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Robert Motherwell was not just a great painter, he was a brilliant thinker. As the founding editor of The Documents of Twentieth-Century of Art, he decisively shaped our understanding of modernism. This new and expanded selection of Motherwell's criticism provides an essential guide to the art of the high modern period, both American and European."--Pepe Karmel, author of Picasso and the Invention of Cubism

"In the past two decades Abstract Expressionism has become one of the most dynamic subjects in art history; sometimes the reading is so dense it is like swimming through peanut butter. But, cutting through to the essential questions that generated the movement, the writings of Robert Motherwell are a treasure. Written at the same time he was painting, Motherwell's texts make me feel like a witness to the philosophical curiosity that generated one of the most powerful art movements of the twentieth century."--Michael Auping, author of Abstract Expressionism: The Critical Developments

"This book is essential reading for anyone thinking about the uneasy clash of modernism and postmodernism in postwar America; Motherwell's writing played a decisive role and this volume is an admirably full account of it."--Jonathan Fineberg, author of When We Were Young: New Perspectives on the Art of the Child

About the Author

Dore Ashton is Professor of Art History at the Cooper Union and author or editor of over 30 books on modern art and culture, including Noguchi East and West, The New York School: A Cultural Reckoning, A Fable of Modern Art, and A Critical Study of Philip Guston, all from UC Press. Joan Banach worked with Robert Motherwell from 1981 to 1991. She is an artist who lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 397 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (May 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520250486
• ISBN-13: 978-0520250482
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #702,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ...from ArtsyFartsy News, October 2009, October 28, 2009

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Robert Burridge Studio - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Writings of Robert Motherwell (Documents of Twentieth-Century Art) (Paperback)

I am often asked how I paint everyday. How do I start and keep my enthusiasm up. My usual answer is, "Just show up." It sounds like a smart-alecky answer, but actually it couldn't more more true. Woody Allen said "90% of life is just showing up." There are some days I feel uninspired, all painted-out, and just flat out tired. I drag myself to the studio and start by just looking around. I'll have my coffee, read a book, write in my sketchbook - something to perk my interest up a bit. Invariably it happens and I get excited about a new project or a new technique I've been wanting to try. Sometimes all it takes is seeing a painting that I haven't finished yet. So I begin my daily warmup paintings, all fired up!
My inspiration comes from surprising sources. Henry Miller, the author, is the one that immediately comes to mind. Did you know he doodled in watercolor everyday before taking his meals while living in Big Sur? His library is on the Big Sur coast. Perusing his notes, I read that he painted for fifteen minutes everyday before dinner. He was lonely and it was a quiet place to be, so he painted and wrote daily.
An out of print book of his doodles is a rare and welcomed find - "Paint as you Like and Die Happy." Henry Miller not only fills the pages with his whimsical style of calligraphy and drawings... he also writes about his time painting these little gems everyday.

Robert Motherwell also painted everyday. Most importantly he painted on a ream (500 sheets) of white paper daily as a warmup exercise using large Sumi inked brushes. Think about that! 500 sheets, quickly painted with black marks and lines - everyday. He coined the phrase "Automatism." In fact, he felt that painting everyday became so natural (like tying your shoe) that while painting, you are thinking about what you are doing. It becomes automatic! ''This can only come to you when you paint many, many paintings - everyday. Even the great golfer, Arnold Palmer said, "It's a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get."
Paint, at least fifteen minutes everyday!

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, April 1, 2009

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C. HOUGHTON "contemporary artist" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Writings of Robert Motherwell (Documents of Twentieth-Century Art) (Paperback)

This is an extensive (some might argue "exhaustive") array of Motherwell's writings, including fully composed articles down to 2 paragraph notes. Motherwell was a significant thinker among the painting forces of that era, and we learn much from his contemplative and reflective musings on Art. Artists looking for perspective on the act of painting as well as thinking about painting are well served by this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Intellectual Artist, June 7, 2011

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Martha G. Thorning "Marty" (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Writings of Robert Motherwell (Documents of Twentieth-Century Art) (Paperback)

One of the AbEx's most articulate members. I found it interesting that at the beginning of his published writings and fresh from collegiate philosophy work he seemed to be a bit sophmoric - which I found endearing. I mean were't we all. The writing became more clear as he aged. As a fan of his work I also became a fan of the man.