He has been compared to Blake, Piranesi, and Escher, and his imaginative architectural drawings have been described as "the find of the century." Outwardly, he was a recluse who had few companions except for his mother and children in the neighborhood; inwardly, he was the creator of fantastic renderings, including an attempt late in life to transcribe a third testament of the Bible. He is A. G. Rizzoli (1896-1981), visionary artist extraordinaire. The discovery of Rizzoli's Beaux Arts-style drawings in San Francisco came in 1990, when they were brought to the attention of a keen-eyed dealer. Since that time, Rizzoli has acquired a fame that would astonish this shy, conflicted man. Essays about Rizzoli's life, analyses of his work and writings, and sources of his inspiration are presented in this first-ever survey by scholars John Beardsley, Roger Cardinal, and Jo Farb Hernandez. A. G. Rizzoli: Architect of Magnificent Visions brings together for the first time a dazzling array of works. In addition the book includes a chronology, glossary of terms (for the artist was an acrobatic linguist), and list of pseudonyms and self-referential titles. Today Rizzoli is regarded as one of the most astonishing visionary or outsider artists, with an avid following from California to New York. This book will accompany a major traveling exhibition in the U.S., organized by the San Diego Museum of Art.

A.G. Rizzoli: Architect of Magnificent Visions

Biographies & Memoirs

Beardsley, John

Cardinal, Roger

Hernández, Jo Farb

Arts & Literature

Harry N.Abrams, Inc.

Misch Kohn: Beyond the Tradition is the first comprehensive study of one of the most significant master printmakers of the modern era. Hailed as a pioneer for "breaking the shackles of conventionality," Kohn has been lauded for reinvigorating printmaking in post-war America. Now, for the first time, this book brings together work from all six decades of his artistic career. This book chronicles sixty years of Kohn's prints, from the early W. P. A. lithographs through the startlingly evocative wood engravings of the 1950s, the technical innovations with etching and serigraphy of the 1960s, and his "all media" works of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. An essay about his life and analysis of his work is complemented by numerous illustrations and the first catalogue raisonne of the prints.

Misch Kohn: Beyond the Tradition

Arts & Photography

Kohn, Misch

Individual Artists

Published in conjunction with three exhibitions two in 1998, at the Weigand Gallery (which he directs), Belmont, California, and at the SOMARTS Cultural Center in San Francisco; and one in 1999 at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico. Strong, who has been an artist in the Bay Area for four decades, began as an abstract expressionist painter in the early 1960s; he has also explored other media, including, most recently, figuration and monumental sculpture. This survey includes 65 color plates and 10 duotones, along with interpretive text by Karlstrom (Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art) and freelance curator/writer Hernandez. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Fire and Flux: An Undaunted Vision : The Art of Charles Strong

Karlstrom, Paul J.

History & Criticism

Weigand Gallery

Gerald Walburg

Sculpture

Natalie and James Thompson Art Gallery School

The fast-paced demands of a global economy make it increasingly difficult for folk and traditional artists to stay true to their heritages. All too often, artists either isolate themselves in an impossible struggle against the modern world or give up traditional methods and practices to follow current trends. Forms of Tradition in Contemporary Spain is a groundbreaking study of contemporary Spanish folk art and traditional artists. It charts the varied routes artists have found to evade these pitfalls while pursuing their art. 
 Through case studies of four considerably different kinds of artists-a traditional potter, a couple who create huge papier-mâché figures for festival processions and dancing, a group of masked, costumed "devils" who enliven traditional street theatre with modern pyrotechnics, and an idiosyncratic builder of one of the most spectacular art environments known worldwide-this book broadens the existing understanding of traditional arts by creating a more realistic and expansive interpretation of tradition and the influences upon each creative act. 
 Featuring 142 color photographs and 9 black-and-white illustrations, this work is a major contribution to the field of art history as well as a celebration of the artists it profiles. The artists were chosen because each is emblematic of a particular tradition and each represents a distinct relationship with a given community. In addition to analyzing and describing the art and artists featured in the book, Jo Farb Hernández uses these case studies to achieve a broader range of understanding. Breaking down old divisions in art history, she presents information which has not received much attention in the U.S. and provides access to work that was previously available only in Spanish or Catalan.

Forms of Tradition in Contemporary Spain

UNIVERSITY PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI

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Books by Hernández, Jo Farb