How, When, and Why Modern Art Came to New York

by Marius de Zayas

Marius de Zayas (1880-1961), a Mexican artist and writer whose witty caricatures of New York's theater, dance, and social elite brought him to the attention of Alfred Stieglitz and his circle at "291," was among the most dedicated and effective propagandists of modern art during the early years of this century. How, When, and Why Modern Art Came to New York, originally written in the late 1940s, is a fascinating chronicle assembled from de Zayas's personal archive of photographs and from newspaper reviews of the exhibitions he discusses, beginning with those held at the Stieglitz gallery and including important shows mounted in his own galleries. An appendix added by the editor provides detailed information on the various exhibitions. Additional appendixes contain transcriptions of the de Zayas and Stieglitz correspondence, as well as an account of de Zayas's unique relationship with Picasso, a Spaniard with whom he felt a special kinship and whose work he would be among the first in America to promote and defend.

Genres: Art

276 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Analu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book..I keep checking it out from the Library to read the correspondence between Mr. Zayas and Mr. Stieglitz. A good insight to their often overlooked friendship. Mr. Zayas was highly influential to Stieglitz and was the very reason for him creating a "Modern" gallery aside from "291". The letters back and forth are intimate, refreshing and enlightening. He was/is considered one of the first writers to attempt to explain the modern movement as it unfolded. A goodread for those interested in Modernism in NYC/US from the beginning and through the eyes of Mr. Zayas. Why the 4 stars instead of 5 if I liked it so much? Mostly because if I am not mistaken the book was published in 1998 way after Mr. Zayas passed on. Check out an out of print catalog called "Conjurer of Souls" that goes further in depth into his life. There is this other magazine I am trying to hunt down that digs even deeper but it is extremely rare. I will keep you all posted :o) oh and if you are down to do further research on him like I, the Harold Washington Library has the Camerworks archives (repros) and I have found plenty of Mr. Zayas' contributions to this magazine. Wonderful works. I think he and I would understand one another quite a lot...

[sslyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book. It consists of notes by author de Zayas and transcriptions of articles form newspapers at the time of the works were shown. It provides a contemporaneous record of modern art presented in America (NYC) between 1905 and 1919. Also included is the correspondence between de Zayas and Stieglitz.