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As If Art
Matters
Modern and post modern art
reviews and commentary
by Alec Clayton (2004)
A look at the essential elements that lift the best of
fine visual art above the mundane, including reviews ranging from Vincent van
Gogh to the New York School to contemporary video and film artists such as Bill
Viola and Sandy Skoglund, plus reviews of many artists in the Pacific Northwest
who are recognized regionally but who do not enjoy the wider acclaim they richly
deserve.
This is a book
of art reviews and essays on art. Some of the essays including:
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"The Case Against Wall Fodder"
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"Down with Namby Pamby Art"
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"Abstract Art and Figurative Art"
Also included are selected reviews
written for Art Access and the Volcano, including reviews of exhibitions
by Vincent van Gogh, Bill Viola, Morris Graves and many more nationally
and internationally known artists, and regional artists from the Pacific
Northwest whose works are rarely reviewed anywhere else.
"This little book is great."
- Becky Hendrick, author of author of Getting It: a Guide to
Understanding and Appreciating Art.
"I believe that we should approach visual arts the same way we
approach life. That is, seeking out new experiences, savoring the
foreign, valuing the unfamiliar. Those are the things that teach us.
Alec Clayton has opened my eyes to the art world. He writes
intelligently about art without using overblown art jargon. I don't need
Fancy School's art history degree to understand his writing. His words
are luminescent, entertaining and refreshing. Buy this book, gain
knowledge of the visual arts, then laugh at Fancy School's tuition."
- Ron Swarner, editor, Weekly Volcano
"Alec Clayton communicates about art in a thoughtful, personal manner
providing context and commentary to artwork with a writing style that is
accessible. His interpretation reveals a breadth of knowledge that he
generously shares without pretension, illuminating the art, the artists,
and exhibits with a point of view that reveals his interest and
curiosity in an honest and clear voice."
- Amy McBride, Public Arts Administrator
"Alec's articles are always informative, and it is not infrequent
that his reviews prompt me to view the art he discusses. He is one of
those rare writers on visual art who can accurately describe the works
he chooses to discuss while at the same time providing an assessment of
the quality of the artwork. His experience as an artist as well as a
writer informs his articles with sensitive understanding to help the
viewer perceive ways to focus her or his viewing of the art. His
personal integrity and his generosity as a humanist are manifest in his
reviews for the Volcano."
- Ron Hinson, artist
Reviews from amazon.com
click on the link above to read the complete reviews on amazon.com
Takes One to Know One
by Lynn Di Nino
"It is a
rare critic who can see from both sides of the fence."
HE GIVES ARTISTS THE RESPECT THAT THEY DESERVE
by Camile Abernathy "Cami" Sun Valley, ID
"... his writings are
the anecdote to those blinded by the glitz."
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You can buy
this book at ... |
Orca Books
Olympia, WA
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Kindle edition available
here |
autographed copies or other ordering options
by check or
PayPal from ClaytonWorks here |
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