Ben Nicholson A subtle and sensitive study of this pioneer of abstract art.Abridged editionNorbert Lynton Monograph on the life and work of Ben Nicholson (1894-1982), one of the pioneers of abstract art in the 20th century Explores each phase of Nicholson's creativity as he played with the elements of landscape and still life, explored the eloquence of limitations in his famous white reliefs, and experimented with colour, surface texture and transparency Author's acquaintance with Nicholson allows him to craft an exceptionally well-rounded portrait of the artist's 60-year career Originally published in 1993 in a larger edition with many supplementary illustrations (also published by Phaidon), this abridged version has been reissued at a highly competitive price Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) was one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. A pioneer of abstract art in Britain, he first came to prominence with his famous 'white reliefs', but also maintained a lifelong attachment to landscape and still-life forms and, in a career of over 60 years, produced a remarkable range of carved reliefs, paintings, drawings and prints. Norbert Lynton's subtle and sensitive study, the first full-length, comprehensive monograph on the artist's life and work, was originally published in 1993 in a large edition with many supplementary illustrations. In this second, paperback edition it is reissued in a shorter format. With the text unchanged and with over 190 illustrations, the new edition makes this standard work available at an incredibly competitive price to a new and much wider audience.
This updated edition, which includes a new chapter about art in the 1980s, explores artwork of the 20th century, from 1900 to the present day. The text examines the motives behind the main developments, and argues that they are serious and intelligent attempts to make art honest and significant.