The Painting of Modern Life: 1960s to Now

by Vija Celmins (Artist), Kaja Silverman, Barry Schwabsky

Andy Warhol's silk screens, Gerhard Richter's blurred images, Vija Celmins' some of the most influential developments in the history of contemporary art hinge on the use of photographs as source material. Beginning in the early 60s, with seminal works by the aforementioned artists, The Painting of Modern Life charts the 45-year evolution of the translation of photographic images to paint--revealing an extraordinary breadth of stylistic and thematic diversity. This volume features 22 painters whose sources range from snapshots to commercial media, among them Richard Artschwager, Robert Bechtle, Celmins, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Thomas Eggerer, Judith Eisler, Franz Gertsch, Richard Hamilton, Eberhard Havekost, David Hockney, Johannes Kahrs, Johanna Kandl, Martin Kippenberger, Liu Xiaodong, Malcolm Morley, Elizabeth Peyton, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Richter, Wilhelm Sasnal, Luc Tuymans and Warhol. Essays by curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, writer and critic Martin

Genres: Art

196 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

American painter, sculptor, object-maker and draughtswoman, of Latvian birth. In 1944 her family fled to eastern Germany, eventually settling near Esslingen am Neckar (Baden-Württemberg) in the west. In 1948 they moved to the USA, staying briefly in New York before resettling in Indianapolis. Celmins studied painting at the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis (1955–62) and regularly visited New York to see the work of the Abstract Expressionists. After attending the summer session at Yale University, New Haven, where she met a strong community of students and artists, she decided to become a painter (1961). She then attended the University of California, Los Angeles (1962–5). From 1966 Celmins took photographs as subjects for paintings. In painted and drawn works since 1968 she drew upon photographs from books, magazines and those taken by herself, including views of the sea, desert and constellations.

Reviews

[Sara Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this show at the Hayward gallery in London about 5 years ago. It was perhaps my favorite show ever. I loved every single piece. I invite you to look through this catalog at my house and wish you had seen the work in person.