Kirjahaku

Michael Dunbar has balanced his sharply escalating renown as a sculptor with two decades as the coordinator of the arts and architecture program for the State of Illinois, which has enabled him to mentor the careers of hundreds of artists for over twenty years. Each of Dunbar's precisely crafted sculptures is a new entity rather than an abstraction of an existing one. They are concerned with ideas such as time, connection, and interaction. His formal influences include trestles, clocks, and navigational instruments as well as the cultural concepts of the heartland. His works are installed at universities, corporate headquarters, and sculpture parks throughout the country. A 21 by 18 by 30-foot piece, Euclid's Cross, was recently reviewed in Sculpture Magazine. An even more massive work is scheduled to go up at the confluence of three rivers in the Midwest. This monograph is an indispensable addition to educational and private art libraries.

Abstract art has a stunning presence in New Mexico. As a premier international art hub, the state is renowned for its artistic diversity, creative excitement, and cosmopolitan ambiance. The most sophisticated art lovers and collectors come from all over the world to experience the galleries and museums that exhibit abstract art. Today's creativity is built on centuries of Pueblo Indian design and Territorial Spanish elegance. More than a hundred years ago, prominent artists from the East Coast discovered the area and brought their energies to the task of founding the storied art colonies of Taos and Santa Fe. The light and the striking landscape proved fertile ground for innovative ideas and bold experimentation, then and now. Abstract Art presents a thoughtful sampling of the range and sheer variety of abstract art being produced in New Mexico today. Over 200 full color images reflect the vigor and originality of artists whose work compares favorably with that being produced in major metropolitan art centers. Stuart Ashman's essay covers the development of modern art in the state. He also selected the artists to appear, such as Eugene Newmann, Janet Lippincott, Kevin Tolman, Sally Anderson, Richard Hogan, Alan Paine Radebaugh, and Pascal. These artists are presented individually in profiles by Suzanne Deats.

Indian artists from all over the nation have deep ties to New Mexico. A great many live and work in the state. Countless others have attended and/or taught at the renowned Institute of American Indian Arts (AIA) in Santa Fe, NM. All have exhibited their work at Pueblo and Indian art exhibitions, in major galleries, or at the annual Indian market hosted by the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) in Santa Fe.Almost without exception, Native artists draw upon their heritage for inspiration, and usually for form and content as well. Some create their art using traditional mediums and designs; others explore modern, sometimes unorthodox Subjects, styles, and mediums. The visions expressed in their art mirror the diverse experiences of indigenous peoples living in America today.Ndn presents examples drawn from the panorama of Native American art. Charleen Touchette's lively essay brings a contemporary perspective to Indian art. She also selected the artists to be included in Ndn, some of whom are Allan Houser, R. C. Gorman, Arlo Namingha, Margarete Bagshaw-Tindel, Kevin Red Star, Anita Fields, and Joel McHorse. Each artist is presented individually in profiles by Suzanne Deats.

Western Traditions is a new book on the art of the American West, an art that attracts not only great artists but passionate collectors, not only nostalgia buffs who revel in the history of the frontier but pragmatists who know that the life of the working cowboy is a solid reality in today's ranching industry. Featuring more than fifty celebrated painters and sculptors, Western Traditions paints a broad picture of this fine art category, showing where it has been, where it is now, and where it is going. Featuring such prominent artists as Glenna Goodacre, Gordon Snidow, Dave McGary, William Acheff, and Gary Niblett, this book belongs in every private and public art library, for it is an important reference as well as a rip-roaring good read.