|
|
Black
Angel: The Life of Arshile Gorky
Long
neglected by art historians, Gorky has been resurrected.
Matthew Spender wrote the superb biography From a High
Place , and now Matossian, who shares Gorky's Armenian
heritage, offers her compelling insights into Gorky's
restless life and lyrical work in a narrative notable
for its tenderness, lucidity, and psychological authority.
She is particularly attuned to how "locked up memories"
of his boyhood--the beauty of his homeland, his love for
his mother, and the trauma of the Armenian genocide--surfaced
so dramatically in his expressive creations. She also
brings warmth and empathy to her account of his early
years in the U.S. when he transformed himself from the
Armenian refugee Manoug Adoian into a dashing Russian
aristocrat. His virtuosic gifts, high energy (he would
make 100 drawings a night), and charisma quickly earned
him recognition both as a genius and a character, but
heartache and illness took their toll. Matossian's close
reading of his work and temperament makes it clear that
Gorky will continue to inspire ardent appreciation and
meticulous interpretation. Donna Seaman
|
|
|
Arshile
Gorky: The Implications of...
Harry
Rand's critically acclaimed study of Gorky's brief, troubled
life and artistic development is finally available in
paperback. All of Gorky's major themes are touched on
and his major paintings dealt with in some depth, with
attention to the details of the individual works, and
frequently to the drawings and preliminary studies from
which the paintings evolved. The discussion centers on
the images that united the pieces as they develop from
work to work. Rand explores Gorky as well as possible
sources and their relationship to the body of Gorky's
art. A concluding chapter reassesses Gorky's impact on
the New York School in light of a new understanding of
his aims and methods. Through close study of Gorky's oeuvre,
the author deciphers an iconography revealing the unexpected
and systematic use of explicit ideas and symbols as well
as commonplace objects, settings, and personas from the
artist's life. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
|
