American Art: A Cultural History

American Art: A Cultural History by Discontinued 3PD. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780810942141.

In this provocative new survey of American painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture, David Bjelajac dismisses both the idea of an evolutionary development of styles and a uniquely American way of seeing. Instead, showing the interrelation of art, politics, and social change, he encourages readers to look at artworks from the point of view of contemporaneous audiences and within a larger historical context. Explaining how shifting cultural values influence the way we interpret art, Bjelajac helps us to understand why people have reacted positively or negatively to various works at various times. Nearly 400 illustrations, 150 in full color, illustrate a vibrant, stimulating, and original work in which art is viewed not only in terms of its creation but also its reception. DAVID BJELAJAC, professor of art and the human sciences at the George Washington University, lives in Washington, D.C. 400 illustrations, 150 in full color, 8 x 10"