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John Golding is one of the most highly regarded living writers on modern art. Visions of the Modern assembles many of his most important essays: some long out of print, others first published in journals inaccessible to the average reader, still others which started life as lectures. Taken together they create an authoritative, deeply informed and original account of this century's art.A distinguished painter in his own right, John Golding taught for many years at the Courtauld Institute in the University of London and at the Royal College of Art. He brings to his scholarship a particular understanding of the way in which the pioneering giants of artistic modernism - Picasso, Matisse, Leger, Malevich, Brancusi, Duchamp and others - faced challenges and achieved their individual goals. An appendix to the book, in the form of a dialogue between Golding and the philosopher Richard Wollheim, casts new light on the origins and aims of abstract art.Visions of the Modern presents some of the most astute critical analyses of contemporary art ever made. For anyone seeking to fully comprehend the radical artistic upheavals of the twentieth century, it is utterly indispensable.
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John Golding brings to his writing the sure eye and profound sensitivity of a practicing artist. Perhaps best known for his seminal history of Cubism, Golding has long been regarded as one of the most outstanding art historians and critics of our time. This volume brings together many of his most important essays, and its publication will be celebrated not only by his admirers, but by lovers of art and language everywhere.Visions of The Modern covers a vast range of twentieth-century art, from Matisse and Cubism, Dada and Surrealism, to aspects of postwar American art. Some essays have been out of print, while others have appeared in periodicals not easily accessible to the average reader. Taken together, they establish a sustained, deeply informed account of many of the grandest moments in the art of this century.A much admired painter, Golding's unique balance of eye and mind infuses his exceedingly literate criticism. Combining a meticulousness in matters of fact with a capacity to write in a lucid, jargon-free manner, he addresses equally the sophisticated art historian, the cultural historian, and the general reader.An appendix to the volume is in the form of a dialogue between Golding and the philosopher Richard Wollheim. It provides additional insights into the origins and aims of abstract art, as well as revealing the mind of an invigorating artist at work.
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