Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Drawing
Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure Details
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 Read more Review "The vivid reproductions in Tracing the Figure show de Kooning's frenzied mind and hand at work . . . as he developed his distinctive style. . . . This wonderfully produced book traces de Kooning's development from early figurative drawings to the studies tat led to Woman I, the painting that he worked on for almost two years, and that ended up defining his career." (Modern Painters)"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)." (Choice) Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
Among the very best art books I own. I saw this exhibit at MOCA, and the reproductions here are superb - many are very close to actual size. I've been a fan of de Kooning forever and own several books about his art. This is my favorite.
