Cultural Writing. Art. WHY DRAW A LANDSCAPE talks about the relationship of the self to the real world, and looks at different approaches to landscape by eleven painters and sculptors whose styles ranges from Realist to Conceptual. This book follows Kathan Brown's well-received WHY DRAW A LIVE MODEL? (also available from SPD) about which Artforum's Bookforum commented The next best thing to being there. And from Contemporary Impressions: Brown's style feels like a conversation with a friend. Includes 83 color plates.
Brown, founder of Crown Point Press, has known so many artists, but unfortunately her descriptions/interviews here do not delve into how the artist paints or sculpts landscapes. For instance, she doesn't mention that Robert Bechtle projects slides onto the canvas and copies. And Jane Freilicher was a very spirited interviewee, but very little is included here. Disappointing.