Words for Art: Criticism, History, Theory, Practice

The twenty book reviews and essays in this new title from Barry Schwabsky, longtime art critic for The Nation, were written across as many years and for as wide a breadth of publications. Though originally conceived as a book of essays on painting, Schwabsky s diverse interests in literary theory (he cites giants Paul de Man and Roland Barthes as influences) and philosophy bring new perspectives to this collection. Walter Benjamin s views on color, E. H. Gombrich s theory of perception, Mel Bochner s and Liz Kotz s narratives of Conceptualism, and Sarah Thornton s peregrinations in the art world are but a few of the topics explored. In an era of hyper-specialization and rigid academic protocols, Barry Schwabsky revives a form of criticism one imagined barely existed a criticism of varied interests and passionate opinions.