Art of the Twentieth Century, Volume II: 1920-1945 The Artistic Culture Between the Wars (Art of the Twentieth Century, 2) - Hardcover

Terraroli, Valerio

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8876248048 ISBN 13: 9788876248047

Publisher: Skira, 2007

Synopsis

This second volume in the Art of the Twentieth Century series analyzes and presents the diverse world of artistic production between the two world wars, beginning with the environment that took shape in the immediate wake of World War I. The Artistic Culture Between the Wars is an interdisciplinary survey of this period’s changing artistic climate that included the re-emergence of a figurative approach (the New Objectivity), and the evolution of an avant-garde that is now historicized by its second-generation artists. Also considered are phenomena such as Surrealism, the change in taste from Art Deco to Novecentismo, and the expression of the totalitarian regimes during the outbreak of World War II. The book’s chronological boundaries stretch from the birth of the Dada in Germany to the birth of Abstract Expressionism (1943-1945).

About this title

About the Author

Valerio Terraroli is professor of History of Contemporary Art and History of Modern Decorative Arts at the University of Turin. He is the author of numerous essays and volumes including the Skira Dictionary of Modern and Decorative Arts (2001) .

From Publishers Weekly

The second offering in Skira's five-volume series Art of the Twentieth Century surveys a period that gave birth to a bewildering array of new forms of expression. The text, written by a group of young scholars and edited by University of Turin art historian Terraroli, encompasses styles from Dadaism to Abstract Expressionism, relating them to the cultural environments and artistic centers that produced them. Chapters are devoted to the tension between the avant-garde and tradition; to Italy, where artists were eager to reconcile the avant-garde with classical tradition; and to a lengthy discussion of surrealism in Spain, Belgium, Great Britain and the United States that gives a lucid account of the movement's literary and political components. Terraroli has also included six short essays by noted scholars who address related topics, including dance, photography, decorative arts and the art of propaganda; one piece offers an illuminating survey of the contemporaneous controversy about whether art should be relevant to or independent of social and political concerns. The color illustrations, often highlighting works of lesser-known artists, are superb, and the text is supplemented by boxes featuring specific subjects or personalities. This beautifully produced volume is an excellent introduction to a complex subject. 400 color illus. (Nov.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Skira
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 8876248048
• ISBN 13: 9788876248047
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 448