With the advent of abstract expressionism in the 1940s, America became the white hot center of the artistic universe. Now, in The Oxford Dictionary of American Art and Artists, the first such volume to appear in three decades, Ann Lee Morgan offers an informative, insightful, and long overdue resource on our nation's artistic heritage. Featuring 945 alphabetically arranged entries, here is an indispensable biographical and critical guide to American art from colonial times to contemporary postmodernism. Readers will find a wealth of factual detail and insightful analysis of the leading American painters, ranging from John Singleton Copley, Thomas Cole, and Mary Cassatt to such modern masters as Jackson Pollack, Romare Bearden, and Andy Warhol. Morgan offers razor-sharp entries on sculptors ranging from Alexander Calder to Louise Nevelson, on photographers such as Berenice Abbott, Man Ray, Walker Evans, and Ansel Adams, and on contemporary installation artists, including video master Bill Viola. In addition, the dictionary provides entries on important individuals connected to the art scene, including collectors such as Peggy Guggenheim and critics such as Clement Greenberg. Morgan also examines notable American institutions, organizations, schools, techniques, styles, and movements. The range of coverage is indeed impressive, but equally important is the quality of analysis that appears in entry after entry. Morgan gives readers a wealth of trustworthy and authoritative information as well as perceptive, well-informed criticism of artists and their work. In addition, the book is thoroughly cross-referenced, so readers can easily find additional information on any topic of interest. Beautifully written, filled with fascinating historical background and penetrating insight, The Oxford Dictionary of American Art and Artists is an essential one-volume resource for art lovers everywhere.

About the Author
Ann Lee Morgan works as an independent scholar in Princeton, New Jersey. She has taught art history at the University of Illinois at Chicago and worked in publishing as an editor of art reference books. She specializes in American art, particularly twentieth-century painting.

Reviews
"Concise, clear, and very informative....There is really nothing comparable at this size or price....Essential."--CHOICE "This impressive work provides a wealth of information in succinct entries....An important text."--Imerican Reference Books Annual "Concise, clear, and very informative....There is really nothing comparable at this size or price....Essential."--CHOICE "This impressive work provides a wealth of information in succinct entries....An important text."--American Reference Books Annual



Book Information
ISBN 9780195128789
Author Anne Lee Morgan
Format Hardback
Page Count 560
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 916g
Dimensions(mm) 166mm * 235mm * 43mm