Art of another kind: international abstraction and the Guggenheim, 1949-1960

Abstract

"Pioneering artists in the post-orld War II era alternatively embraced artistic freedom and gesture-ased styles, nontraditional materials and countercultural references.French art critic Michel Tapié even declared the existence of un art autre (rt of another kind) - a radical break with all traditional notions of order and composition, in a movement toward something wholly 'other.' This catalogue accompanies the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum exhibition 'Art of Another Kind: International Abstraction and the Guggenheim, 1949-1960, ' which especially highlights works that entered into the collection during the tenure of then-director James Johnson Sweeney. Featuring nearly 100 works by Louise Bourgeois, Alberto Burri, Asger Jorn, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Pierre Soulages, Antoni Tàpies and Zao Wou-Ki, among others, this collection-based exhibition explores the affinities and differences between artists working continents apart in a period of great transition and rapid creative development. This fully illustrated exhibition catalogue includes essays by Tracey Bashkoff, Megan M. Fontanella, and Joan Marter"--Exhibitions International (viewed August 1, 2012).

Contents

Tastebreakers of the 1950s: an introduction / Megan M. Fontanella -- Tastebreakers of the1950s: a chronology / compiled by Flavia Frigeri -- Aftermath trash: the acquisions of James Johnson Sweeney / Tracey Bashkof -- A vital force: abstract art and cultural politics at mid-century / Megan M. Fontanella -- Abstract sculpture of the atomic age / Jean Marter.