Sign-In
Cart
Constantin Brancusi: Sculpting the Essence of Things
Hardcover
Art Criticism & TheoryIndividual ArtistsSculpture & Installation
ISBN13: 9781861713391
Publisher: Crescent Moon Pub
Published: Dec 1 2011
Pages: 180
Weight: 0.95
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Constantin Brancusi is one of the greatest of all sculptors, and a key sculptor of the modern era, with Auguste Rodin and Pablo Picasso. Brancusi's influence can be seen in a wide range of Western sculptors, including Donald Judd, Carl Andre, Henry Moore, Jean Arp, Barbara Hepworth, Minimalists and land artists.
This new book studies the religious and mythical dimensions of Constantin Brancusi's distinctive scultpural forms, the 'eggs', 'fishes', 'heads' and 'columns'. His central quest was for the 'essence of things', which resulted in purifying a form until only the essence was left.
It was Constantin Brancusi's project to strip away the detritus that had accumulated around sculpture, Henry Moore said, and to offer the pure, simple shape. What Brancusi did was 'to concentrate on very simple shapes, to keep his sculpture, as it were, one-cylindered, to refine and polish a single shape to a degree almost too precious.'
As well as being a sculptor, Constantin Brancusi was also an accomplished photographer. Quite a few artists (not all of them sculptors) have expressed for Brancusi's photographs, and the way he would set up his sculptures in his studio and photograph them at particular times of the day, when the lighting was just right. They are early examples of installation art (and some of the best, too). Andy Goldsworthy said he admired how Brancusi created the right conditions in his studio so that his work 'comes alive at a particular time of the day as the light momentarily touches it'. For Goldsworthy, Brancusi's works were at their best when they were arranged by the sculptor in his studio and photographed. Somehow, it wasn't quite the same when they were displayed in modern art museums (such as the Pompidou Centre in Paris or the Museum of Modern Art in Gotham, which have important Brancusi pieces).
Fully illustrated, including many photos of Brancusi's studio in Paris, Brancusi's works in museums in New York, Washington and L.A., and the art of his contemporaries.
With bibliography and notes. ISBN 9781861713391. 180 pages.
This new (4th) edition has been revised.
www.crmoon.com
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The art of Constantin Brancusi never ceases to fascinate and inspire, and it always seems fresh, as if it had been created fives minutes ago, no matter how many times you look at it. When you encounter a Brancusi sculpture in a museum, it pops out, clear and direct; there is simply nothing else like Brancusi's art in history. I have tried to explore the key elements of Brancusi's art, and the important events in his development as a sculptor. I have also included comparisons with other artists of the period, and also how Brancusi's art has influenced many subsequent artists.
Also in
Individual Artists
Herve Tullet's Art of Play: Images and Inspirations from a Life of Radical Creativity
Tullet, Herve
Van Der Linden, Sophie
Hardcover
Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger
Sterling, Susan Fisher
Niffenegger, Audrey
Wasserman, Krystyna
Hardcover
Dragonart Ultimate Gallery: More Than 70 Dragons and Other Mythological Creatures
Peffer
Peffer, J. Neondragon
Hardcover
Insect Anatomy: The Curious World of Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, and Bugs
Rothman, Julia
Hearst, Michael
Paperback
Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World
Rothman, Julia
Paperback
Disney Dreams Collection Thomas Kinkade Studios Disney Princess Coloring Book
Kinkade, Thomas
Paperback
Friends of the Devil: West Texas Cowboys, Brown-Eyed Women, and Other Sunshine Daydreamers from the Songs of the Grateful Dead
Pappademas, Alex
Hardcover
Uneasy Elixirs: 50 Curious Cocktails Inspired by the Works of Edward Gorey
Miller, Virginia
Hardcover
E Is for Edward: A Centennial Celebration of the Mischievous Mind of Edward Gorey
Hischak, Gregory
The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust
Hardcover
All the Colors of Life: Deluxe Gift Edition: An Illustrated Coffee Table Book for Occasions and Celebrations
Aisato, Lisa
Hardcover
Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo's Family Home and Sanctuary
Romeo, Frida Hentschel
Romeo Kahlo, Mara
Romeo, Mara de Anda
Hardcover
Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World
Yoshitani, Yoshi
Hardcover
The Art of Jacques Pépin: Favorite Recipes and Paintings from My Life in the Kitchen
Pépin, Jacques
Hardcover
October Woods Coloring Book: A Coloring Book with Cozy Hygge Scenes of a Relaxing Autumn
Blackburn, Jessica
Paperback
Art/Work - Revised & Updated: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) as You Pursue Your Art Career
Bhandari, Heather Darcy
Melber, Jonathan
Paperback