Stephen Shore is renowned for his vibrant, high-key photography that encapsulates the essence of contemporary life. His work has significantly impacted the art world, showcasing a unique perspective and style that resonate with the spirit of the times.
Exploring the intricate relationship between painting and the viewer, this collection of essays delves into the evolution of French art and literature from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. It highlights notable painters like Manet, Degas, and the Impressionists, alongside writers Baudelaire and Flaubert. Michael Fried presents vivid, thought-provoking analyses, offering fresh interpretations of both well-known and obscure works, making this a compelling read for those interested in the intersections of art and literature.
Fried offers a fresh and historically grounded perspective on Caravaggio and his artistic circle, delving into themes such as address, autonomy, and the nature of easel painting. His analysis reveals surprising insights into familiar works, making the book a significant contribution to the understanding of early modern art. Scholars and enthusiasts alike will find valuable discussions that resonate throughout the field, highlighting the complexities of Caravaggio's influence and the broader implications of his art.
With this widely acclaimed work, Michael Fried revised the way in which eighteenth-century French painting and criticism are viewed and understood. Analyzing paintings produced between 1753 and 1781 and the comments of a number of critics who wrote about them, especially Dennis Diderot, Fried discovers a new emphasis in the art of the time, based not on subject matter or style but on values and effects.
Adolf Menzel was one of the most important German artists of the 19th century, yet he is scarcely known outside his native land. In this study a leading art historian argues that Menzel deserves to be recognized not only as one of the greatest painters and draftsmen of his century but also as a master realist whose work engages profoundly with an extraordinary range of issues - artistic, scientific, philosophical and socio-political. Michael Fried explores Menzel's large and fascinating oeuvre, and in so doing seeks to make the artist's achievement accessible to a wide audience.
Richly illustrated, this collection features eight significant essays by esteemed art critic Michael Fried, covering a range of artists from Jacques-Louis David to contemporary filmmakers like Douglas Gordon. Fried's work emphasizes both keen observation and rigorous argumentation, providing deep insights into the artistic endeavors of figures such as Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet, while also referencing influential thinkers like Denis Diderot and Immanuel Kant. The originality and clarity of Fried's analysis further solidify his status as a vital voice in art criticism.
If literary impressionism is anything, it is the project to turn prose into vision. But vision of what? Michael Fried argues that the impressionists compelled readers not only to see what was described and narrated but also to see writing itself: the upward-facing page, pen and ink, the written script, the act of inscription.
Charles Ray (*1953 in Chicago) zählt zu den herausragenden Skulpteuren der Gegenwart. Wie Jeff Koons und Katharina Fritsch arbeitet er an einer neuen plastischen Figuration, zu sehen etwa in der weiß bemalten Stahlskulptur Boy with Frog (2009). Ihre Präsenz an der Punta della Dogana in Venedig sorgte bis vor Kurzem für große Aufmerksamkeit. Der nackte Junge in Übergröße, der vital bis rabiat mit der Tierwelt umgeht, ist bei allem Naturalismus von einer Typisierung ins Klassizistische geprägt. Stupend in der Ausführung, hat die Skulptur, der man ihre enorme Schwere überhaupt nicht ansieht, etwas Zeitloses an sich; viele Leute denken bei ihrem Anblick wohl nicht an Gegenwartskunst. Horse and Rider, ein Selbstporträt des Künstlers zu Pferd aus dem Jahr 2014, belebt sowohl die Tradition des Reiterstandbildes als auch des typisch amerikanischen Westernhelden antiheroisch wieder. Ausstellungen / Exhibitions: Kunstmuseum Basel 15.6.–28.9.2014 The Art Institute of Chicago 22.5.–4.10.2015
Charles Ray (* 1953 in Chicago) zählt zu den herausragenden Skulpteuren der Gegenwart. Wie Jeff Koons und Katharina Fritsch arbeitet er an einer neuen plastischen Figuration, zu sehen etwa in der weiß bemalten Stahlskulptur Boy with Frog (2009). Ihre Präsenz an der Punta della Dogana in Venedig sorgte bis vor Kurzem für große Aufmerksamkeit. Der nackte Junge in Übergröße, der vital bis rabiat mit der Tierwelt umgeht, ist bei allem Naturalismus von einer Typisierung ins Klassizistische geprägt. Stupend in der Ausführung, hat die Skulptur, der man ihre enorme Schwere überhaupt nicht ansieht, etwas Zeitloses an sich; viele Leute denken bei ihrem Anblick wohl nicht an Gegenwartskunst. Die Publikation gibt einen Überblick zu Rays Skulpturen, die seit 1997 in langjährigen Arbeitsprozessen entstanden sind, darunter neue und teilweise erstmals veröffentlichte Werke. (Englische Ausgabe ISBN 978-7757-3793-7) Ausstellungen: Kunstmuseum Basel 15.6.–28.9.2014 | The Art Institute of Chicago 17.5.–4.10.2015