Nancy Spero by Jon Bird, Jo Anna Isaak (With), Jo Anna Isaak (With)

From the Publisher

American artist Nancy Spero concentrates on the depiction of women: mythological women, movie women, tortured women. Inspired by classical and modern sources, she collages and imprints her contemporary goddesses onto long, papyrus-like friezes that scroll around museum walls. Her subjectmatter, which has ranged from the writings of Artaud to the Vietnam War, mirrors her life; working in Paris in the cultural ferment of the 1960s, she moved to New York in the 1970s to co-establish the feminist gallery A.I.R. and to join with artists and critics such as Leon Golub, Robert Morris and Lucy R Lippard in forming the Art Workers' Coalition. Since the 1980s she has attracted international acclaim, her exquisite works giving form to feminist issues and new critical discourses.

Library Journal

There are a number of living artists whose reputations are solid but whose work is sadly unknown outside the art world. Fortunately, the "Contemporary Artists" series will go far to correct that. Affordable, thoroughly illustrated in color, these books provide maximum exposure for the price. Although this is enough to make the series worthy of consideration, it is important to point out what makes it unique. Each volume includes writings by the artists whenever possible. Of the two considered here, painter/printmaker Spero and photographer Wall, the latter is the more verbally prolific. In addition, a piece of literature was preselected by the artist to use as a tool for discussion. Put this together with essays by curators and critics, interviews from throughout the artist's career, and a handy chronology and you get an interesting, overall view of the artist. This multifaceted approach is rewarding not only for its comprehensive view of each individual artist but also because it allows each book in the series to vary according to its subject's strengths. A work in progressthese are the fifth and sixth titles, respectivelythis series is a practical buy for most libraries but is especially recommended for academic and large public libraries.Susan M. Olcott, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., Ohio

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