David Smith
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One of the best-known American sculptors of the modern period, David Smith (1906 – 1965) was a true innovator. He revolutionized the possibilities of metal sculpture by introducing the industrial process of welding and economical materials such as steel into the studio. As a result, Smith was able to manipulate metal into the most extraordinarily balanced compositions – using metal to ‘draw in space’.
Smith was a pioneer in abstract sculpture – previously a figurative medium – and achieved a new scope by creating layered planes and burnishing or painting surfaces. A reclusive figure, Smith spent increasing time at his studio and foundry at rural Bolton Landing, the surrounding fields of which became filled with his monumental sculptures. Predominantly known as a sculptor, the book also sheds light on his prolific practice of drawing, sketching, writing and photographing his sculptures.
Specifications:- Format: Hardback
- Size: 245 × 172 mm (9 5/8 × 6 3/4 in)
- Pages: 144 pp
- Illustrations: 120 illustrations
- ISBN: 9780714861562
Joan Pachner, a David Smith scholar since the 1980s, has published and lectured widely on the artist’s work. She pioneered the study of the artist’s photographs in an essay in David Smith: Photographs 1931–1965 (1998). She has also lectured and written about the artist’s life at Bolton Landing in the Adirondacks, notably the 'The Concept is Primary. he Medium is Secondary' lecture part of the programme 'A Sculptor’s Eye: David Smith & Photography' in 2006, and has contributed to such publications as The Fields of David Smith (1997) and Painted Steel: The Late Work of David Smith (1998). As an independent art historian, she specializes in modern sculpture and lectures at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
On the Phaidon Focus series
"Excellent introductions to modern masters series."—The Observer Magazine
"Satisfyingly hardback yet not too hefty. Tastefully simple, encased in a plastic cover to protect them from all those crayons and paints that you're sure to whip out in a frenzy of inspiration after browsing these pages. Each contains a trove of images of artwork and educational focus chapters on themes and techniques."—It's Nice That
"Concise yet spirited introduction... Plenty of colour plates make it brilliantly useful as a reference tool."—The Sunday Telegraph
"Eschewing the heavyweight doorstop format of many art books, these beautiful and compact Phaidon Focus artist monographs are small and slick, and refreshingly affordable... Designed by Julia Hasting, the Zurich-based design director at Phaidon Press, who manages to create a clean, fresh look that - as art book design should - put the artists' work centre stage... Coated in a translucent grey plastic with a clear window, the book's pared back approach continues with clean, black typography on a white background. Never cluttered, but resolutely in-depth, the series manages to condense some of the 20th century's most famous artists' work into small, but by no means diminutive introductions."—DesignWeek.co.uk
"Beautifully designed... The most iconic artists of the modern day... Bring you the essentials in a concise manner."—It's Nice That
"Phaidon are adept at packaging up key artists and movements in contemporary art, ensuring each generation has a familiar and forward-thinking way of immersing itself in visual culture. The newest tranche of introductory monographs is Phaidon Focus. [...] The Focus series is an extended primer, a handsome hardback designed to provide an in-depth overview of an artist's life, plus a more concentrated focus on key works from the artist's career to date."—Wallpaper.com
"Amazing... An essential addition to any art lover's collection."—Grazia