The critic and scholar Richard Kalina examines the aesthetic, social and political conditions of contemporary art, addressing questions about how works are made, how they appear, and what they tell us about the changing definition of art.
Concentrating on the shifting boundaries and definition of art, Richard Kalina offers a panoramic view of the contemporary art scene over the last 30 years. His focus is on the ongoing development of concepts, the transformation of art worlds and the social matrices in which they are created.
Discussing painting in general and abstract painting in particular, his survey takes in photorealism, sculpture and art forms found outside of the modernist tradition. Kalina's group of artists includes Mel Bochner, Joan Mitchell, Cy Twombly, Franz West, and Alma Thomas who, in their ongoing projects, explicitly or implicitly questioned the aesthetic assumptions of their times.
Merging an examination of animating philosophies and context - political, social, and personal - with a sharply focused look at the works of art themselves, Kalina brings us closer to understanding the social matrices in which art is embedded and responds to bigger questions about the object nature of the work of art in today’s world.
"For over 30 years, artist and critic Richard Kalina has asked his readers to look beyond artworld rhetoric for authenticity and value in our ever-changing visual landscape. This selection of essays traces key developments and A-list artists, while foregrounding influences and individuals on the margins of accepted artworld practices." - René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, McNay Art Museum, USA
"In this series of essays, Richard Kalina takes us on an expansive and insightful expedition through some of the most salient art and art criticism of the post-war years. In doing so, he articulates coherent and meaningful analyses of some of Modernism’s (and post-Modernism’s) most persistently elusive concepts." - Marshall N. Price, Chief Curator and Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, USA
