ART & MUSIC​

Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the postwar era, making New York City the center of the international art scene. But what did it all mean? The drips, the spills, the splotches of color, the wild spontaneous energy—signifying what? Abstract Expressionism For Beginners will help you both understand and appreciate the work of some of the most iconic figures in modern art—Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, et al. Here, in easy-to-understand terms and copious original illustrations are their lives and artistic roots, the world of Greenwich Village in the 1940s and 1950s, the influence of jazz, the voices of critics, and the enduring legacy of a uniquely inspired group of artists.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Klin is the author of Something to Say (Leapfrog, 2011), a series of profiles of various creative forces discussing the intersection of art and politics. His work has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and has appeared in the Brooklyn Rail, the Forward, Kindling Quarterly, Akashic Books’ “Thursdaze” series, Chronogram, January, and other publications. He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Lily Prince has exhibited widely both nationally and Internationally and has been awarded numerous commissions. She has her B.F.A. from The Rhode Island School of Design and her M.F.A. from Bard College. She was granted a residency at the BAU Institute in Italy, 2013, and at New York’s The New Museum in 2014. Recent solo shows were at Vassar College and The Naples Museum in Florida. Prince’s work has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, San Francisco Weekly, and Bloomsbury Review, among many other publications. Her work was published in the book Something to Say: Thoughts on Art and Politics in America (Leapfrog, 2011), by Richard Klin. Prince has lectured widely and is an Associate Professor of Art at William Paterson University.

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...

Abstract Expressionism For Beginners is packed with references and anecdotes, bringing the era into user-friendly focus. An intelligent and well-written combination of fact, gossip, and analysis, Rich Klin’s text forges history, human interest, and ideology into a cohesive index, making it a book that is hard to put down. The drawings by Lily Prince are a welcome addition, as they represent, for the first time in my recollection, heartfelt portraits of all of the AbEx artists as they are ensconced in a matrix of their signature works. The illustrations add a personalizing feature, making the entire book an available and engaging experience for any reader, at any level of experience in this subject.

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           —Archie Rand, internationally acclaimed artist and Presidential Professor of Art, 
Brooklyn College

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Abstract Expressionism remains one of the most complex art phenomena of the twentieth century. What has long been needed is a book that provides an introduction to the bare bones of the subject, devoid of jargon, for those with absolutely no prior knowledge. Rich Klin’s lively account and Lily Prince’s dynamic artwork neatly fill that gap.

—David Anfam, Senior Consulting Curator, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver