"Why is the history of art so often construed as a history of artists, when its alleged focus is art? This book responds to this question by examining Giorgio Vasari's Lives and the artist it features most centrally, Michelangelo. More than any other artist in the Lives, Michelangelo exemplifies art as an expression of the individual. Yet at the same time, as this book aims to show, the Lives fashions Michelangelo as the founder of a new academic era in which art develops collectively as a discipline. Paradoxically, Vasari's celebration of Michelangelo mobilizes a conception of art as teachable and transmissible that is antithetical to Michelangelo's aesthetic ideals and unique style."--Page 4 of cover.

An immense contribution to scholarship on Ed Ruscha and his pioneering artistic practice, offering thorough documentation of his works on paper This highly anticipated book—the first in a series of three—comprehensively chronicles the first two decades of Ed Ruscha’s (b. 1937) work on paper, which comprises the largest component of his production of original works. Over 1,000 works on paper are documented, all created between 1956 and 1976, and they encompass a wide range of formats, materials, themes, and styles. Included are collages, ephemeral sketches, preparatory studies for paintings, oil on paper works, and drawings executed in a variety of inventive materials, including gunpowder and organic substances. Ruscha came to prominence in the early 1960s as part of the Pop art movement, although his work equally engages the legacies of Dada, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism as well as the Conceptual art that emerged later in the decade. He has long enjoyed international standing and admiration, and his work is widely known. Despite this recognition, this volume contains hundreds of works that have infrequently, or never, been exhibited or published. Each work is catalogued with a color reproduction, collection details, full chronological provenance, exhibition history, and bibliographic references. Essays by Lisa Turvey and Harry Cooper complete this extraordinary survey, which expands and enriches our understanding of Ruscha’s pioneering exploration of the written word as a subject for visual art and his witty assessment of the iconography of Los Angeles, both real and imagined.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Mar. 30-Aug. 29, 2005.

A visual feast of eclectic artwork informed and inspired by spiritual beliefs, magical techniques, mythology and otherworldly experiences. Mystical beliefs and practices have existed for millennia, but why do we still chase the esoteric? From the beginning of human creativity itself, image-makers have been drawn to these unknown spheres and have created curious artworks that transcend time and place – but what is it that attracts artists to these magical realms? From theosophy and kabbalah, to the zodiac and alchemy; spiritualism and ceremonial magic, to the elements and sacred geometry – The Art of the Occult introduces major occult themes and showcases the artists who have been influenced and led by them. Discover the symbolic and mythical images of the Pre-Raphaelites; the automatic drawing of Hilma af Klint and Madge Gill; Leonora Carrington's surrealist interpretation of myth, alchemy and kabbalah; and much more. Featuring prominent, marginalised and little-known artists, The Art of the Occult crosses mystical spheres in a bid to inspire and delight. Divided into thematic chapters (The Cosmos, Higher Beings, Practitioners), the book acts as an entertaining introduction to the art of mysticism – with essays examining each practice and over 175 artworks to discover. The art of the occult has always existed in the margins but inspired the masses, and this book will spark curiosity in all fans of magic, mysticism and the mysterious.