Pictures of Nothing
2010
Book
Book Review: Pictures of Nothing, by Kirk Varnedoe
My review of Pictures of Nothing by Kirk Varnedoe
by Eric Hunter on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 12:14am
Kirk Varnedoe was an inspiring speaker, and writer, and until his unfortunate early exit from this Earth probably the most articulate advocate for modern and contemporary art that we had. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, and plan to read all of his published material as I find it. I also recommend watching his appearances on Charlie Rose, which were my intro to Mr. Varnedoe, they offer inspiring insights into the mind of Varnedoe, and Rose is so good at drawing his guests out.
This book represents transcriptions of the six Mellon Lectures that Varnedoe gave in the Spring of 2003, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, on the subject of abstract art in America since the time of Jackson Pollock. The book was published posthumously as Kirk Varnedo die of cancer just 3 months after giving the last of these lectures. It is an amazing accomplishment without having to cope with a body ravaged by cancer, and the various treatments for the disease, while researching, compiling, and writing the lecture series.
Varnedoe, Uses Jackson Pollock as the seminal breaking point in America with represenative art. But the discussion centers around the years after the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. He argues, convincingly, that the abstract art post-Pollock was in so many different ways a response to Pollock's accomplishments. The range of abstract art discussed is incredibly varied, and stunningly fascinating in Varnedoe's hands. If only he were my art history teacher in college.
Any time I have heard Varnedoe interviewed or read one of his articles his enthusiasm for modern art and abstract art is palpable. I was never a great admirer of several of the artists that he discusses in the lecture: take Ellsworth Kelly for example. One of the seminal minimalist from the mid 50's on, and Frank Stella's early career when he was strictly a painter. With the author's help I have become more sympathetic and appreciative of the subtleties and inventiveness in their work (I always got and loved Robert Ryman and Brice Marden's work though.)
The other anchor to the book (lecture series) is how the author responds to an earlier Mellon lecturer the art historian E.H. Gombrich and his book Art and Illusion (also based off of the Mellon lectures that he delivered back in the 1950's.) Gombrich built the case for the growth and development of representational art since the Renaissance as a series of heroic achievements, and the advent of abstract painting, which was in its heyday when he wrote Art and Illusion, as a temporary return to the dark ages, from which the rational artist will regain his footing and find his way back to the realistic canon that he was destined to pursue and further develop. But, as Varnedo so thoroughly, and passionately argues that once Pollock and his colleagues let the genie out of the bottle anything was possible, representational or not.
Whether you love modern and contemporary art or find it all a bit mystifying, give this book a read. I am fortunate to have benifitted from Varnedoe's insights into many great artists. Especially Kelly, Stella, the minimalists Judd,Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, and Robert Morris, Larry Bell, and Robert Irwin. He opened my mind to James Turrell, Dan Flavin,and the true nature of Walter de Maria's Lighting Field, which has to overcome the dramatic photograph of the Lighting Field with tremendous bolts of lighting breaking down upon it. Which, it turns out of course, misses the point entirely.
Varnedo was a big fan of Richard Serra's work and wraps up his lectures focussing on his sculpture. I have always loved his prop pieces and the thrown lead. I also supported his cause for artistic freedom when his Tilted Arc was finally removed from its commissioned place of rest at United Nations Plaza. But, and I'm sure this has a lot to do with the global warming, and climate change issues and the political correctness that accompanies these important issues that we all face now, I have a hard time justifying the production of his highly regarded torqued ellipses because they require so much energy just to obtain the materials to make, not to me much less the process of actually manufacturing the pieces mention the time and energy involved in the manufacture of this colossal works of art. Of course I could be missing the whole point on this one. Read the book and judge for yourself. You won't be sorry.
Ellsworth Kelley
Donald Judd
Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty
Eva Hesse. Right After, 1969.
Walter de Maria's 'The Broken Kilometer'
by Eric Hunter on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 12:14am
Kirk Varnedoe was an inspiring speaker, and writer, and until his unfortunate early exit from this Earth probably the most articulate advocate for modern and contemporary art that we had. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, and plan to read all of his published material as I find it. I also recommend watching his appearances on Charlie Rose, which were my intro to Mr. Varnedoe, they offer inspiring insights into the mind of Varnedoe, and Rose is so good at drawing his guests out.
This book represents transcriptions of the six Mellon Lectures that Varnedoe gave in the Spring of 2003, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, on the subject of abstract art in America since the time of Jackson Pollock. The book was published posthumously as Kirk Varnedo die of cancer just 3 months after giving the last of these lectures. It is an amazing accomplishment without having to cope with a body ravaged by cancer, and the various treatments for the disease, while researching, compiling, and writing the lecture series.
Varnedoe, Uses Jackson Pollock as the seminal breaking point in America with represenative art. But the discussion centers around the years after the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. He argues, convincingly, that the abstract art post-Pollock was in so many different ways a response to Pollock's accomplishments. The range of abstract art discussed is incredibly varied, and stunningly fascinating in Varnedoe's hands. If only he were my art history teacher in college.
Any time I have heard Varnedoe interviewed or read one of his articles his enthusiasm for modern art and abstract art is palpable. I was never a great admirer of several of the artists that he discusses in the lecture: take Ellsworth Kelly for example. One of the seminal minimalist from the mid 50's on, and Frank Stella's early career when he was strictly a painter. With the author's help I have become more sympathetic and appreciative of the subtleties and inventiveness in their work (I always got and loved Robert Ryman and Brice Marden's work though.)
The other anchor to the book (lecture series) is how the author responds to an earlier Mellon lecturer the art historian E.H. Gombrich and his book Art and Illusion (also based off of the Mellon lectures that he delivered back in the 1950's.) Gombrich built the case for the growth and development of representational art since the Renaissance as a series of heroic achievements, and the advent of abstract painting, which was in its heyday when he wrote Art and Illusion, as a temporary return to the dark ages, from which the rational artist will regain his footing and find his way back to the realistic canon that he was destined to pursue and further develop. But, as Varnedo so thoroughly, and passionately argues that once Pollock and his colleagues let the genie out of the bottle anything was possible, representational or not.
Whether you love modern and contemporary art or find it all a bit mystifying, give this book a read. I am fortunate to have benifitted from Varnedoe's insights into many great artists. Especially Kelly, Stella, the minimalists Judd,Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, and Robert Morris, Larry Bell, and Robert Irwin. He opened my mind to James Turrell, Dan Flavin,and the true nature of Walter de Maria's Lighting Field, which has to overcome the dramatic photograph of the Lighting Field with tremendous bolts of lighting breaking down upon it. Which, it turns out of course, misses the point entirely.
Varnedo was a big fan of Richard Serra's work and wraps up his lectures focussing on his sculpture. I have always loved his prop pieces and the thrown lead. I also supported his cause for artistic freedom when his Tilted Arc was finally removed from its commissioned place of rest at United Nations Plaza. But, and I'm sure this has a lot to do with the global warming, and climate change issues and the political correctness that accompanies these important issues that we all face now, I have a hard time justifying the production of his highly regarded torqued ellipses because they require so much energy just to obtain the materials to make, not to me much less the process of actually manufacturing the pieces mention the time and energy involved in the manufacture of this colossal works of art. Of course I could be missing the whole point on this one. Read the book and judge for yourself. You won't be sorry.
Ellsworth Kelley
Donald Judd
Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty
Eva Hesse. Right After, 1969.
Walter de Maria's 'The Broken Kilometer'
