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Early in his career, Ralston Crawford (1906-1978) earned acclaim for his Precisionist paintings of architectural subjects associated with a forward-looking, industrialized America. But Crawford was a multifaceted artist with a curiosity for the world beyond the United States, one whose work in various media continued to evolve, with his later, more abstract painting having a remarkable emotional dimension. This new book focuses on two series of works "Torn Signs" and "Semana Santa" that Crawford developed mostly over the course of the last 20 or so years of his life. Rick Kinsel considers how and why his travels to Europe, especially to Andalusia in Spain, were so inspiring to Crawford. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is observed in Seville with public processions of penitential confraternities. Witnessing this event proved to be a moving experience for Crawford, and he revisited the subject of the penitents multiple times across a number of years.

"Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) was proud to call himself an American artist, but he dreamed of travel to Europe, believing that he would learn more there than in his home state of Maine or even New York. His rise to prominence as a specifically American modernist was based largely on the visual influences that he encountered in 1912-15 in the vibrant cities of Paris, Berlin, and Munich, which he then synthesized through a New England perspective. Solitary by nature, Hartley never lost his wanderlust, and throughout his life found inspiration in many other landscapes and cultures. Marsden Hartley: Adventurer in the Arts provides a fresh appraisal of this pioneering modernist, whose work continues to be celebrated for its spirituality and experimentation. Insightful essays explore the manifold ways in which Hartley's peripatetic life shaped his artistic vision, while detailed studies of works he created in places as diverse as Provence, Nova Scotia, and Mexico are accompanied by personal photographs, postcards, and images of some of the possessions he gathered on his travels. Also included are reproductions of a photograph album that Hartley compiled, a "Color Exercises" notebook, and his typescript "Elephants and Rhinestones: A Book of the Circus"."--

A new examination of the art and influence of artist John Graham and his circle, whose works and ideas contributed to the advancement of American modernism in the interwar period The enigmatic and charismatic John Graham (1886-1961) was an important influence on his fellow New York artists in the 1920s through 1940s. Graham and his circle, which included Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, and Willem de Kooning, helped redefine ideas of what painting and sculpture could be. They, along with others in Graham's orbit, such as Jackson Pollock and David Smith, played a critical role in developing and defining American modernism. American Vanguards showcases about eighty-seven works of art from this vital period that demonstrate the interconnections, common sources, and shared stimuli among the members of Graham's circle. Three essays by notable scholars investigate the complex relationships among Graham and his New York artist-colleagues during this formative period. William C. Agee positions Graham and his circle within the movement of New Classicism, which drew upon classical and Renaissance examples in an attempt to overcome the devastation of World War I. Irving Sandler focuses on the social, political, and intellectual dynamics among Davis, Gorky, Graham, and de Kooning in the mid-1930s. Karen Wilkin discusses the circumstances that brought these artists together, their common commitment to modernism, and the fascinating artistic cross-fertilization evident in their work. This critical reconsideration sheds new light on the New York School, Abstract Expressionism, and the vitality of American modernism between the two world wars. Published in association with the Addison Gallery of American Art Exhibition Schedule: Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY (01/29/12-04/28/12) Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX (06/09/12-08/19/12) Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA (9/21/12-12/31/12) San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA (02/01/13-06/02/13)