Objects of Desire: The Modern Still Life

Published to accompany a major exhibition opening in May 1997 at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, this first in-depth study of the still life as interpreted and transformed by avant-garde artists of the 20th century traces a radical rethinking of the genre in terms of subject matter and formal invention. 190 illustrations, 150 in color.

This catalog presents the first show by the Museum of Modern Art to consider the full sweep of 20th-century artists' still lifes, one of the lasting genres of the Western tradition. After a historical introduction and a consideration of the inescapable influence of Cezanne's later works, Rowell, chief curator in the Department of Drawings, convincingly argues that the show's disparate works demonstrate a "progressive development" rather than a "radical subversion and destruction of earlier traditions." Nonetheless, the more than 130 pieces in the survey?opening with Picasso's proto-Cubist "Pitcher, Bowl, and Lemon" (1907); proceeding through Dada objects, Surrealist allegories, and Pop icons; and concluding with mostly sculptural works from the 1990s?will indicate to many readers nothing less than the eradication of the very meaning of "still life." This is perhaps the show's great accomplishment: using a "minor" genre to frame nothing less than the full progression of 20th-century art, with all its tangents and tensions. Moreover, the book provides access to works from many of the world's greatest collections and a very readable text. Highly recommended for most libraries.?Eric Bryant, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.