A solid, straightforward biography of one of the pioneering forces of early 20th century American art and photography. Whelan's (Robert Capa, 1985) account anchors Alfred Stieglitz's (18641946) place in the changing artistic, social, and political context of his time. Stieglitz emerges first as an indefatigable champion of photography as a fine art; as a promoter of Photo-Secessionist photographers like Edward Steichen, Clarence White, and Gertrude KÑsebier, as well as himself, he also played a vital role in establishing the preeminence of straight photography. As if that was not enough, in the years before the famous Armory Show of 1913, Stieglitz's small gallery at 291 Fifth Avenue was essentially the only place in America where the art of Picasso, Matisse, and other European modernists could be viewed. But Stieglitz's commitment was always to the American photographer and artist. At ``291'' and his subsequent galleries, Stieglitz promoted the work of young American modernists like John Marin, Marsden Hartley, and, of course, Georgia O'Keeffe. In Whelan's account, Stieglitz comes across as a passionate but difficult autocrat whose single-mindedness and stubbornness in large part accounted for his great achievements but, at the same time, alienated him from some of his closest friends and followers, like Steichen and Paul Strand. The book's only serious flaw results from Whelan's (blessedly infrequent) forays into psychoanalysisStieglitz's photographs of attractive women are used as a barometer of his mental state and, particularly, his libido. Nevertheless, we are led through Stieglitz's romantic frustrations and flirtations: his long loveless marriage to his conventional wife Emmy, his well- known relationships with O'Keeffe and Dorothy Norman, and numerous crushes on his friends' wives and, in his later years, adolescent girls. Apart from being a first-rate biography, Whelan's study provides a lively cultural history of Stieglitz's day. (b&w photos, not seen)
Pub Date: Aug. 21, 1995
ISBN: 0-316-93404-6
Page Count: 672
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1995
Like Sly and the Family Stone “taking ‘them’ higher” here, the authors likewise reach for the sky.
A homemade brew of whimsical rhymes and personal photos from the historic hippie event that Levine attended as the still photographer for the Academy Award-winning documentary Woodstock.
This is an incredible all-access pass to the music and art fair that came to be known solely as Woodstock. With “you are there” photos, from aerial views of endless bodies sardine-packed like a Spencer Tunick happening, to close-ups of Hendrix, to an exquisite shot of Arlo Guthrie’s shoes reflected in a puddle of water above the caption, “Rain and a wet stage were a constant factor but didn’t stop Arlo from performing,” the authors have created an intimate time capsule with this book. The details and tidbits are highly specific (“The Woodstock security were called ‘Polites,’ not Police,” while another page features a then-pregnant Joan Baez and Ravi Shankar chatting backstage accompanied by a caption that explains that her husband was in jail for draft resistance), allowing for the festival to be framed inside its all-important, Vietnam-era context. Because Woodstock is told through a collage of photos, song lyrics and rhyming text, it also has a homespun scrapbook vibe, which feels right for recounting a personal communal experience. For example, one page reads, “Richie Havens launched the great show / ‘fore other performers were ready to go / Holding the crowd for nearly three hours / ‘til ‘Motherless Child’ rang out from the towers” in bold type next to a shot of Havens on guitar. Smaller print explains, “Because the other acts hadn’t arrived, Richie Havens was asked to open the show. His performance set the tone for all that followed.” Even if readers are not familiar with Havens or his music, the vivid picture of this artist drawn through word and image is nonetheless mesmerizing. From The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia smiling behind a “For Rent” sign, to towheaded toddlers playing naked around a drum set during a break, the peace and love essence of Woodstock rings out loud and clear.
Like Sly and the Family Stone “taking ‘them’ higher” here, the authors likewise reach for the sky.Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4392-2261-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Selections from Kramer's superb ``Letter from Europe'' series in the New Yorker—challenging, informative models of intellectual journalism for the general reader—have been collected in several books (Europeans, 1988, etc.). This single-article reprint launches Public Planet Books, a series edited by Kramer, Dilip Gaonkar (Rhetoric/Univ. of Illinois), and Michael Warner (English/Rutgers) that aims to ``combine reportage and critical reflection on unfolding issues and events.'' This short volume is Kramer's account of the furor provoked by white artist John Ahearn's sculptures of residents of the South Bronx—one of New York City's urban ruins. Kramer's article (originally published in the New Yorker), which prompted charges of racism and stereotyping, touches on the hyper-charged subjects of multiculturalism and political correctness. The author addresses these questions with her customary sensitivity to nuance and the human dimensions of social issues. Rutgers University dean Catharine R. Stimpson (Where the Meanings Are: Feminism and Cultural Spaces, not reviewed) provides an introduction that, while not as elegantly written as Kramer's text, usefully puts the debate into historical context.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-8223-1535-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Duke Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1994
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