Judy Chicago, An American Vision
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Judy Chicago, An American Vision Details
From Library Journal Judy Chicago (1939-) is something of a celebrity--she was voted 1973's "Woman of the Year" by Mademoiselle--and she has written two popular autobiographies documenting her artistic consciousness-raising. Many still remember her California installation piece, the accompanying performance Womanhouse (1972), and especially the notorious The Dinner Party (1979). She has been working industriously for these many years, producing several large-scale multimedia pieces that have not garnered such broad attention. Most of her artworks are "projects," calling on her organizational skills to persuade many people with no fine arts background to carry out her vision. The prolific Lucie-Smith, who has lately coauthored a book with Chicago (Women and Art: Contested Territory, LJ 9/1/99), presents many of these lesser-known pieces as well as the blockbusters and does a good job of offering a contemporary view of the artist. This handsome monograph, containing 275 illustrations, 240 in color, is recommended as an interesting, fact-filled tome for most serious collections and large public collections.-Mary Hamel-Schwulst, Towson Univ., MD Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more From Booklist Inspired by his coauthorship with Chicago in Women and Art , Lucie-Smith has composed the first book-length study of Chicago that focuses on her work rather than on her role as a feminist icon. He connects Chicago to Georgia O'Keeffe and Thomas Hart Benton, then launches a groundbreaking assessment of her mastery of diverse techniques--from pyrotechnics to china painting and tapestry design--as well as her fascination with medieval art and the use of symbols to teach moral doctrines and her "longing for religious transcendence." Known best for her installation The Dinner Party, which has been praised and maligned with equal passion, Chicago has broken every tenet of fine art by utilizing what are considered women's crafts, working with collaborators, and creating overtly political statements in explorations of such volatile subjects as female sexuality and the Holocaust. A true original, Chicago has touched people all around the world who have little interest in the contemporary art scene but who care deeply about life. Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Read more About the Author Edward Lucie-Smith, an eminent art historian, critic, curator, lecturer, and author whose previous books include Women and Art, Zoo: Animals in Art, and Visual Arts in the 20th Century, lives in London. Read more
Reviews
This is a beautiful book full of large, full color reproductions including quite a few fold-outs. It spans the complete career of Judy Chicago, who is a very under-appreciated artist, in my opinion. If you only are familiar with the Dinner Party, you don't know her best work. This book is worth checking out!