The unmistakable work of Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) is characterized by its rhythm, clarity and bold colours. Often considered wholly non-representational, his paintings were in fact inspired directly by his experience of life.
By examining Mondrian's fascinating process of working - through his drawings, studies and finished paintings - John Milner explores the energetic tension between the brilliantly disciplined compositions and their underlying subject matter.
Originally published: 1992.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [232]-233) and index.
Pat Murray Collection.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Publishers Weekly Review
Piet Mondrian, the painter of architectonic grids who seemed to reject nature, had early on steeped himself in the study of landscapes and flowers. His haunting pictures of farms, windmills and factories treat nature as a dynamic interplay of forces. Influenced by Helena Blavatsky's Theosophical movement, the fastidious Dutch artist of strict Calvinist upbringing turned to mystical introspection, producing symbolist images like Dying Sunflower (1908). After experimenting with pointillist color and spare seascapes, Mondrian, who believed he had been reincarnated many times, moved to Paris and discovered cubism, which helped him to depict the underlying rhythm and structure of what he saw. From there it seems but a hop to Broadway Boogie-Woogie (1943). Milner ( Vladimir Tatlin and the Russian Avant-Garde ) has produced a masterful account of Mondrian's artistic and spiritual growth, a marvelously illustrated monograph that gives us Mondrian whole--as mystic, philosopher and individualist. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
CHOICE Review
In six chapters this well-written book traces the artist's career from landscape painter to abstract painter, and his evolution as a painter from his earliest years in Holland to his most productive periods in Paris and New York. Scholarly but readable, it interweaves Mondrian's intellectual side, which equated clarity of thought with clarity of technique, and his sensitivity in looking at his world. Mondrian is in an unquestioned position at the fore of abstract art in the 20th century, and the evidence is clearly presented here. Virtually all of the works mentioned in the text are illustrated in very high quality reproductions, including an extensive selection of color plates. The chronologically arranged bibliography will be quite useful to the researcher. There are two valuable indexes, one of the paintings and one that cross-references the concepts that were of utmost importance to the artist, including philosophical concepts, references to other artists, and even Mondrian's meetings with other artists. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty; professional. K. Dills; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Author notes provided by Syndetics
John Milner is a Professor in the Department of Fine Art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
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BookPublisher: London : Phaidon, 1994Description: 235 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm. + pbk.ISBN: 0714831670.Subject(s): Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944 -- Criticism and interpretationDDC classification: 759.9492 MON