Art in Chicago, 1945-1995 examines the unique development of artistic traditions within the cultural, social, and political life of this quintessential American city during the second half of the twentieth century. Capturing the verve and innovation that characterized each decade, the book considers painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, and media arts (film, video, performance) by 150 artists who have either always lived and worked in Chicago or have created significant bodies of work in residence there. Among the artists profiled are Roger Brown, Harry Callahan, Ruth Duckworth, Jeanne Dunning, Leon Golub, Robert Heinecken, Richard Hunt, June Leaf, Kerry James Marshall, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Archibald J. Motley, Jr., Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, Hirsch Perlman, Martin Puryear, Arnaldo Roche Rabell, Miroslaw Rogala, Alejandro Romero, Kay Rosen, Hollis Sigler, Aaron Siskind, Nancy Spero, Tony Tasset, H. C. Westermann, Claire Zeisler, and the Zhou Brothers. More than 170 color reproductions are set amidst a running timeline of historical events in both Chicago and beyond, and over 140 black-and-white photographs complement the text.

Art in Chicago: 1945-1995

Arts & Photography

Schulze, Franz

Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, Ill.)

Adrian, Dennis

SELZ, Peter

Boris, Staci

Corbett, John

Horsfield, Kate

Molon, Dominic

Kirshner, Judith Russi

Abell, Jeff

Jaffee, Barbara

Rago, Carmela

Stamets, Bill

Meloche, Monique

History & Criticism

Thames&Hudson

H.C. Westermann

The irony and antic sense of humor that animate the work of H. C. Westermann (1922–1981) and make it so accessible are evident on every page of this volume, the first comprehensive study of the artist in over 20 years. Published to accompany a major traveling exhibition of Westermann’s sculpture, the book looks at how defining themes central to 20th-century America—the horror and disillusionment of war, the mythology of the American utopia, and Hollywood and mass media—shaped his thought and his art. 
Magnificent color illustrations accompany essays by Robert Storr, who evaluates Westermann in the context of 20th-century art; Lynne Warren, who looks at his years in Chicago in the 1950s; Dennis Adrian, a longtime friend, who surveys the artist’s entire oeuvre; and Michael Rooks, who examines his most elaborate achievement, the house and studio in Connecticut that the artist designed and built by hand from 1969 to 1981.

Rooks, Michael

Individual Artists

Harry N. Abrams

Sight out of mind: Essays and criticism on art (Contemporary American art critics)

UMI Research Press

Roger Brown, a Different Dimension is an exhibition catalogue published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name on view at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, April 10 through June 6, 2004 and at the Chicago Cultural Center, July 17 through September 26, 2004. Brown, a central figure in the Chicago Imagist school of painting, was both a two-dimensional and a three dimensional artist. This book concentrates on the three-dimensional works completed by Brown between 1973 and 1996.

Roger Brown, a Different Dimension

Brown, Roger

Stone, Lisa

Montgomery Museum of Fine a

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

Chicago: Some Other Traditions

Myers, Trent

Madison Art Center

Book by Adrian, Dennis, Born, Richard A.

Chicago Imagist Print: Ten Artists Work 1958 87 a Catalogue Raisonne

Born, Richard A.

Univ of Chicago David & Alfred

The American sculptor, painter, draftsman, and printmaker H.C. Westermann (1922-1981) was a central figure in American art, lauded as an American original who steadfastly followed his own finely crafted and keenly ironic sensibilities. Published in conjunction with the David and Alfred Smart Museum's "See America First" exhibit, this book presents the first comprehensive, scholarly consideration of Westermann's graphic work and serves as a catalogue raisonné of his prints: 100 large-format color images and 20 black and white illustrations are accompanied by detailed entries containing key historical information on Westermann's art. Critic, curator, and art historian Dennis Adrian contributes an overview essay examining Westermann's body of work. "See America First" will be exhibited at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art from June 30 to September 23, 2001.

"See America First": The Prints of H.C. Westermann

Smart Museum Of Art, The University Of C

Chicago-based painter Phyllis Bramson articulates a rich fabric of dreams, desire, fears and pleasures in vibrant visual poetry, constructing a libidinal, aestheticized world where temperaments, colors, and collars all run hot. Bramson is a foremost figure of the Chicago Imagist School, and her artistic sources are diverse and numerous--ranging from Japanese prints to stage design to decorative motifs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. This catalogue of The Society's 1986 mini-retrospective of Bramson's mid-career work offers a thorough view of the artist's development, which is marked by stylistic and personal breakthroughs that are dramatically revealed in both Bramson's imagery and choice of media. Dennis Adrian's catalogue essay chronicles the transformations in Bramson's oeuvre through this decisive period, and is an instructive introduction to the surreal beauty of her world.

Phyllis Bramson: 1973-1986

Renaissance Society

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Books by Adrian, Dennis