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5946
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Educating an Artist: Shaping Content
Artist Ben Shahn shares his knowledge of the importance of an artist’s education outside of art school in his 1966 book, THE SHAPE OF CONTENT. Published by the Harvard University Press, Cambridge, this is the 3rd Printing of the 151-page hardbound book.
Each year in line and paint Ben Shahn speaks cogently to increasing thousands of Americans and to a great international audience. In this book he deals in words with the old problems in new guises to which every generation of artists must find a working answer if it is to satisfy itself or achieve a hearing. Shahn is as poised and as free from ambiguity when working with words as he is in his chosen professional media.
He discusses here the education of an artist, distinct from his training in art school, and concludes that everything which enlarges the horizon of the artist adds meaning and depth to what he has to say, if he has anything to say in the first place. He couples this with the warning, however, that education which inhibits originality by the weight of its authority and limits the student to exercises in imitation is worse than no education at all and far less good than a trade school.
Shahn talks of conformity and the need for non-conformity, not in comfortable and conforming abstractions, but in terms of the way in which pressures to conform to something -- very possibly the standards of a non-conformist group-or even of a university faculty -- actually present themselves. Making a show or point of independence has little to do with the matter; the non-conforming artist must walk quietly and literally alone accompanied only by his knowledge of what is right for him to do.
In one notable chapter, ‘Biography of a Painting,’ Shahn shows in the story of his own painting ‘Allegory,’ reproduced below in color from the frontispiece, how the total "experience of the artist from childhood on becomes naturally and inevitably involved in the creation of a work of art. Implicit in everything Shahn says, whether it concerns criticism, or technique, or the artist's communication with his audience, is the; quiet certainty that neither form nor meaning exists without the other in a work of art. Explicitly he makes a striking demonstration of how the very emphasis on form in denial of meaning results in the attribution of meaning to form.
Throughout this book, Shahn speaks to writers and musicians as well as to visual artists, and to audiences that read and listen as well as to those that see. Acknowledging the vast realms of material and meaning opened to all artists by the psychological concepts of subconscious experience, he holds firmly that a work of art is a conscious achievement, that the artist intends what he does.
This extraordinarily perceptive book follows the obscure paths of artist and audience to their meeting place of mutual recognition and shared understanding.
Condition is Very Good, although the book is ex lib with the usual library markings. There is minor scuffing and some sun-fading to the covers, as well as a bit of wear at top of the spine. Inside pages are without apparent defects. (5946/r18)
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5950
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Arts in Society: Sociology of Art
Behavioral scientists can learn from art because writers and painters reflect society and psyche through creative impression.
THE ARTS IN SOCIETY, edited by Robert N. Wilson, is a symposium of representative studies in the sociology of art. Published in 1964 by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ, its aim is to present various expert views about the interrelation of art, society, and personality.
Many observers are concerned about the sharp, and often hostile, division between the humanities and the social sciences in modern intellectual life. The authors have tried to bridge this division with an humane, but scientifically informed perspective on man and his arts.
Rather than indulging in abstract theories and elaborate generalizations about art, these authors have concentrated on making meaningful statements about particular works, artists, and periods.
Two major kinds of studies are included:
. descriptions of the career patterns of artists in modern society
. case accounts which discuss specific works, artists, and styles from a social-psychological point, of view
Throughout the 372-page hardbound book, close attention is given to the ways in which art reflects a social milieu, an historical situation, and its creator.
Among the contributing authors are scholars of international reputation, including Edward Shils, Hans Speier, Ian Watt, and Leo Lowenthal. Their diverse viewpoints add savor to the book. And the editor introduces each selection with a brief commentary which serves to unify significant common threads in the separate discussions and to place the individual efforts in a general intellectual framework.
The book is in Very Good condition, although ex lib with the usual library markings. Both covers and inside pages are without apparent defects. (5950)
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1333
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Masters of Painting -- Works/Lives/Times
Masters of Painting -- Their Works/Their Lives/Their Times is a wonderful large-format (9 by 13 inches) hardbound book compiled by Bernadine Kielty and published in what appears to be a FIRST EDITION in 1964 by Doubleday & Co., Garden City, NY. Within the book's 184 pages are 231 illustrations, including 55 reproductions in full color.
The book, written with warmth and gracefulness by a noted biographer, tells the story of paintings and the men whose brilliance created them. Beginning with the Sunburst of the Renaissance and ending with the Rainbow of Impressionism, this is a story full of light!
The Masters of painting -- or many of them -- have familiar names: Giotto, Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Van Eyck, Bruegel, Rubens, Durer, Hals, Vermeer, Rembrandt, El Greco, Velasquez, Manet, Monet, Giorgione, Renoir, Seurat VanGogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Few of them, however, have familiar lives. The author portrays each artist in his own time, and, from mirrors of their finest work, the masters of painting come alive.
History, biography and a guide to the splendors of art, this is a book for the whole family to enjoy!
This copy is in Very Good condition, with a couple of minor edge bumps to the covers and a previous owner's name plate on the inside. The dust jacket is present, with some minor edge wear and light scuffs. There's one small (1 inch) tear at top of both front and back. Still, it's a nice one! (1333)
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4991
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Every-Day Life Painting, Langdon
Great masters and minor artists alike have been painting scenes of everyday-life since the 15th century, but, as Helen Langdon shows in this wonderful book, the lively depictions of high-life, tavern low-life, domestic events and everyday activities were in greatest demand between the 17th and 19th centuries, especially in England, France and Holland.
Some pictures have an underlying moral theme, and others are like still-lifes – minute examinations of the world.
Everyday-Life Paintings is an authoritative text that takes into account recent research in art history. More than 100 full-color illustrations are complemented by tinted information panels providing specific reference to each major painting, its background and critical interpretations. It was originally published in 1979 in England by Phaidon Press, Ltd., with this coffee-table size edition published by Mayflower Books, New York. It was printed in Spain.
The color printing here is marvelous – and many of the 9.5 by 12-inch pages could easily be framed for long-term enjoyment! Among the artists in the book are Velasquez, Jan Steen, Vermeer, Metsu, Chardin, Murillo, Greuze, Hogarth, Courbet, Degas and Leger.
Overall condition is Very Good, although there is some damage to the bottom of the front cover and lower inch of spine. Corners and edges are blunted; a previous owner’s name is written on title page. Beyond that, however, the inside pages are without ANY apparent defects! It’s a great book for study of these great artists! (4991)
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4989
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101 HEADS in Pen, Pencil & Brush
Walter Foster is the author of 101 HEADS IN PEN, PENCIL AND BRUSH, book #16 in the Walter T. Foster series of art instruction books. The 36-page, 10" by 13.75" softcover book has page after page of information and step-by-step instructions for drawing the facial features, profiles, shading, expressions, proportions, and other features of humans from a variety of ‘types’ around the world.
Foster’s approach is straightforward and the directions seem easy to follow. The book is in Excellent condition with no apparent defects beyond slight creasing on one corner! (4989)
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4987
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Oil Painting – New Edition, Foster
Book #4 in the Walter T. Foster series of art instruction books is a New Edition of Foster’s OIL PAINTING, with step-by-step instructions for choosing the materials and learning to paint with oils.
The 32-page, 10 by 13.75-inch softcover book is in Very Good condition, with some very slight edge/corner wear on the covers. The inside pages show no apparent defects. (4987)
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2695
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PORTRAITS & How to Do Them
Book #14 in the Walter T. Foster series of art instruction books is by Stella Mackie and titled PORTRAITS AND HOW TO DO THEM.
The 28-page, 10" by 13.75" softcover book features page after page of informative help on how to show the true character of persons in your portraits. Examples of all ages are shown.
The book is in Good condition, with some edge/corner wear on the covers and a bruise at bottom of the spine. The center pages are pulled loose from the staple binding, but are complete and intact. There is slight creasing on some pages. (2695)
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2698
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How to Make Your Art COMMERCIAL
Dixi Hall offers information on HOW TO MAKE YOUR ART COMMERCIAL in this #30 of the Walter T. Foster series of art instruction books.
Step-by-step instructions are given in numerous topics relevant to commercial art – illustration, pastel drawing, collage, spot drawings, layout and design, reproduction, gouache drawing, scratchboard, line drawing, typography, markets, tools, terms and materials. Many illustrations highlight the text.
The 10 by 13.75-inch softcover book has 30 pages. It has some minor wear on cover corners and edges and a red paint stain on right margin. Still in Very Good condition! (2698)
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