Examining an artwork for what makes it succeed is the line of inquiry followed by artists themselves, about their own work and the work of others. We will try to emulate artists. We take artist in a wide sense to mean anyone who makes art or would like to do so, or even someone who is a kindred spirit. Makers of art want to know what effects worked, how they worked, and what techniques produced those effects.
See a pair of paintings exhibited in a corner, so they can see each other. The work on the left is by McArthur Binion and on right by Curtis Mann.
We make free reference to resources on the internet. This book, as well, is open to paths that lead outside of art. As appropriate, we will rub up against and slightly into psychology, economics, horticulture, music, literature, history, science, technology ‒ anything that illuminates, reinforces, or relates to the art under discussion.
This is not a studio, how-to-make-art book, but it does indicate that some abstract art, especially the geometrical kind, lends itself to being easily copied. You can freely adjust scale. If the original is 4 feet by 6 feet, in the ratio of 2 to 3, you can make a pleasant-to-own, small copy 6 by 9 inches. Such a copy is like a souvenir postcard to yourself.
If you don’t care to make a copy yourself, you might offer the job to someone you know, even a youngster, who might like to do it. The media needn’t be the same. The original might be in oil paint but the copy can be in colored pencil or crayon.
This book is arranged by themes which at times correspond to art movements but at times not. Our aim is to have each new artwork fit comfortably in a themed category to aid understanding and recollection and serve as a model for what you will see later in the book or elsewhere. The themes are not mutually exclusive so a topic could fit in more than one theme.
This book is meant to remedy a common bad experience. In a library or bookstore an open minded and curious reader peruses an art magazine such as Art in America and shortly puts it aside having no desire to continue. The reader saw an overwhelming, bewildering, even bizarre, series of modern artworks and didn’t know what to make of them all ‒ and rejected the whole experience.
Contrary to that scene, we hope to make the reader comfortable in knowing how to fit artworks into categories, and based on experience even invent new categories as needed. The few remaining puzzling artworks can be treated as miscellaneous for a while, or even as chaff to be disregarded. Yes, it is acceptable to consider some artworks inane, hyped up, vapid, pointless drivel.
After reading this book, when artworks don’t seem to be running off in all directions, the reader can expect critical acceptance and enjoyment. You will have quality prototypes to compare against and know how to pick new works apart as an art critic or artist would. An informed and critical view is what we are aiming for.
In tone, we wish to emulate a knowledgeable family member or friend explaining art. You can expect enlightenment to come in an informal conversational way along with clarity, candidness, and even some debunking.
We will concentrate on art made after 1950 with a few excursions prior to that time to identify precursor artists and movements.