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Radical Form

Modernist Abstraction in South America
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Radical Form explores how abstract art in South America from the 1930s to mid-1960s served as a critical lens on rapid industrialisation and social change. Focusing on artists like Joaquín Torres-García, Tomás Maldonado, Alejandro Otero, and Lygia Clark, Megan A. Sullivan shows how abstraction was embraced not merely as style but as a tool to imagine universal art forms, foster agency, and envision a better society.
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Format: Hardback
$11999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in arts and culture, Latin American modernism, art history, and social critique through creative expression.

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A timely look into how abstract art in South America aimed to envision a better society

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Radical Form offers a timely exploration into how abstract art in South America aimed to envision a better society.

Emphasizing the open-ended and self-critical nature of the projects of abstraction in South America from the 1930s through the mid-1960s, this study focuses on the painting practices of Joaquín Torres-García, Tomás Maldonado, Alejandro Otero, and Lygia Clark.

Megan A. Sullivan positions the adoption of modernist abstraction by South American artists as part of a larger critique of the economic and social transformations caused by Latin America’s state-led programs of rapid industrialization. Sullivan thoughtfully explores the diverse ways this scepticism of modernization and social and political change was expressed.

Ultimately, it becomes clear that abstraction in South America was understood not as an artistic style to be followed but as a means to imagine a universalist mode of art, a catalyst for individual and collective agency, and a way to express a vision of a better future for South American society.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its thorough research and nuanced analysis, Radical Form is described as a valuable addition to Latin American art scholarship. Experts commend its thoughtful approach that avoids oversimplification and fills important gaps in the study of modernism, promising significant impact for scholars and students alike.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300254020

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 June 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 76 color + 17 b-w illus.

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 203.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 232

About the Author

Megan A. Sullivan is assistant professor in the Department of Art History and the College at the University of Chicago.

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