⇒ Download The Painted Word Tom Wolfe 9780553380651 Books

The Painted Word Tom Wolfe 9780553380651 Books

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The Painted Word Tom Wolfe 9780553380651 Books

If you have ever been confused, amused, or just plain confounded by abstract art, this book will make it very clear what its all about and what its not! Wolf described the forces, real and imagined, that brought this art movement to the fore. On the way you will smile and laugh at the goings on in the NY art world of the 50's and 60's. When you are done, you may well ask was it real? It is a relatively short book and does not assume you have or need a degree in art history.
Get a laugh and little insight into one of the more offbeat eras of art. When you are done, you may never think about abstract expressionist art again in the same light, or any light.


Tags : The Painted Word [Tom Wolfe] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The author derails the great American myth of modern art in a scathing, witty, uncompromising critique of American art from the 1950s through the 1970s. Reprint.,Tom Wolfe,The Painted Word,Bantam,0553380656,General,20TH CENTURY ART,ART General,Art,Art & Art Instruction,Art Criticism & Theory,Criticism,Essays,General Adult,History,History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945),History of art art & design styles,Non-Fiction,PSYCHOLOGY OF ART,United States

The Painted Word Tom Wolfe 9780553380651 Books Reviews

An oldie, but quite possibly one of the very best books written about the early advent of 'modern' art. Tom Wolfe, always good.
A most enjoyable, beatifully written humourus book about modern art. Yet, the main argument of the author, that modern art culminates in theory and metaphysics is hard to sustain. Other than the extravagancies of Duchamp and followers, modern art has consistently moved away from narration and conceptual speculation in its attempt to grasp and remain within the boundaries of its own material presence and inmanent meaning.
Excellent book that, in a very humorist way, exposes modern and contemporary "Art" for what it has become a total scam, manipulated by a handful of wealthy individuals, Art institutions (more often than not, funded by those wealthy individuals) and a bunch of absolutely talent-less "artists", who don't possess an inch of real Art fundamentals, but can sure write volumes of pseudo-intellectual BS theory to support their "creations." I wonder if any of these guys has ever read the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes"...
It is actually amazing that Wolfe, already in 1975, more than 40 years ago, had nailed and exposed the scam.
So, thank you, Mr Wolfe.
And thank God, figurative Art and real Art fundamentals training are coming back.
By the end of the book, you'll hear a Nietzsche-like voice in your head whisper, "fine art is dead." In an art world full of vague, jargon-heavy speak meant to exclude the public, Wolfe's indictment is so clear and rational that you can feel the art theorist's blood boiling, as he (because there was hardly ever a "she" in that club) readies himself to attack in the same way a street-side psychic lashes out defensively towards anyone that threatens to ruin their hustle, claiming "you just don't understand the nuances of the paranormal!" Hegel thought that fine art would eventually become so conceptual that it would teeter off into philosophy. Wolfe paints a similar story, only the evolution isn't so natural. Art theory--and psychological trends amongst anti-bourgeouisie artists--push fine art into the literary, ridding it of image, dimension, form, color, etc. Although, as with anything else, this view should be taken with a grain of salt. But it's a super fun read that's eloquently written and succinct.
All the things we believed in our heart of hearts about modern art--that it was bogus, a con put over on the public--it turns out was true. That’s what Tom Wolfe tells us in “The Painted Word.” The art critics created the rules, the artists obeyed, the media went along, and we believed it. This is a wonderful little book (106 pages), immensely readable, funny, outrageous, and best of all, spot on the mark. Take Jackson Pollock—please! Seriously, Jackson Pollock was picked by one of the super-rich elites who despises the middle-class and decides what hangs on gallery walls and what doesn’t. Pollock was chosen from the vast unwashed bohemian artists of Lower Manhattan, set him up in one of New York’s Midtown lofts, given a stipend on which to live, and told to create art, which, in Jackson’s case, was dripping paint on canvas. Jack the Dripper, some wag called him. Next, take art critic Clement Greenberg—please! Smug, arrogant, out-of-touch with reality, he created an art theory in order for we the unenlightened simpletons to appreciate what Abstract Expressionism artists like Jackson Pollock were creating. Eventually, Jackson Pollock had to refer to Greenberg’s theory in order to be in compliance, so to speak. This was the state of the art world in the 1940s and 50s and thank goodness it’s passed. And thank goodness no one really bought into it. As Jackson Pollock would say, “If I’m so terrific, why ain’t I rich!” Except for a handful of people, nobody was buying his paint drippings. If you want to be entertained some lazy afternoon, read “The Painted Word.” Or take in a movie. Whatever you do, find the time to read this book. Tom Wolfe is a flat-out joy. Five stars.
Tom Wolf writes that the major art movements in the 20th century started in the 1920's. Artists began gathering in major art centers to express their philosophies, and as the trend grew their work became looked upon as movements, the major one being the birth of Modern Art. By the 1960's in NYC, scouts from the Museum of Modern Art would head downtown periodically looking for the latest trends. They bought what they decided was the best of the best, and of course the word spread. Artists began to care if they were noticed, but slyly so they wouldn't be obvious. Art became worthy if chosen by these few critics. Tom Wolfe follows this theory through the decades, and it's a fascinating, if disheartening journey into the commercialization of art.
He's right, the Art World is a total scam. Most of the public have no idea what they are looking at, and the elite that buy the junk don't either, it's just an investment to them. I do art, but not weird stuff like a rotting rope thrown down on a mat, or some other lame crap. Anyway it doesn't matter what I think, this song and dance is for the buyer and the seller with no intentions of including the public. Why don't you make some of your art yourself, Jeff Coons? What a joke.
If you have ever been confused, amused, or just plain confounded by abstract art, this book will make it very clear what its all about and what its not! Wolf described the forces, real and imagined, that brought this art movement to the fore. On the way you will smile and laugh at the goings on in the NY art world of the 50's and 60's. When you are done, you may well ask was it real? It is a relatively short book and does not assume you have or need a degree in art history.
Get a laugh and little insight into one of the more offbeat eras of art. When you are done, you may never think about abstract expressionist art again in the same light, or any light.