Words for Art

The twenty book reviews and essays in this new title from Barry Schwabsky, longtime art critic for The Nation, were written across as many years and for as wide a breadth of publications. Though originally conceived as a book of essays on painting, Schwabsky s diverse interests in literary theory (he cites giants Paul de Man and Roland Barthes as influences) and philosophy bring new perspectives to this collection. Walter Benjamin s views on color, E. H. Gombrich s theory of perception, Mel Bochner s and Liz Kotz s narratives of Conceptualism, and Sarah Thornton s peregrinations in the art world are but a few of the topics explored. In an era of hyper-specialization and rigid academic protocols, Barry Schwabsky revives a form of criticism one imagined barely existed a criticism of varied interests and passionate opinions.