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| Anselm Kiefer | 
 enlarge | Authors: Daniel Arasse, Anselm Kiefer
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Category: Book
Buy New: $355.55
New (2) Used (4) from $156.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2022789
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 327
ASIN: B0002IA1T0
Publication Date: October 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Writing about one of the most important and complex artists of our times requires the erudition, clarity, and broad view of a Daniel Arasse, author of the gorgeously illustrated Anselm Kiefer. Avoiding a straightforward chronological survey, Arasse plunges directly into Kiefer's major themes and the ways they reflect the artist's subtly evolving perspectives on German history, the role of the artist, and the meaning of life. Arasse illuminates Kiefer's use of Jewish kabbalistic symbolism, his relationship to philosophers and writers from Nietzsche to Celan, and the rich trove of metaphor to be found in his use of lead, straw, books, and images of railroad tracks and artists' palettes. Never succumbing to art-speak, Arasse--whose French text has been deftly translated into English--marshals his arguments with lucid elegance. The approximately 400 full-color plates, including full views and close-ups, are magnificent. This is surely one of the major art books of our time. --Cathy Curtis
Product Description
This monograph uses a thematic and chronologial approach to explore the many facets of Anselm Kiefer's work. By examining his influences, style and recurring motifs, Daniel Arasse highlights Kiefer's rich culture and his philosophical and artistic practice, while demonstrating the unity and continuity in his work that transcends any linear concept of time. Arasse takes as his starting point the 1980 Venice Biennale, a key moment in the artist's career, as it marked the birth of both his international reputation and the controversy over the "Germanness" of his work. Through the six main chapters, the author delves into the central themes of Kiefer's paintings and their evolution. Nordic and Germanic mythologies, Jewish mysticism, the cosmos, the legends of the ancient world, links between heaven and earth, men and the gods, transmutation, the role of the human body - all of these lie at the heart of Kiefer's thought. Interspersed with the main discussion are five sub-chapters that shed a new light on the fabric and subject of Kiefer's art by examining his favourite motifs and the ways that they have mutated through time and thematic shifts.
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| Customer Reviews:
Great book. Great visionary. June 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Kiefer is one of the most easily recognized contemporary artists. This book is what I would call the definitive collection. Awesome value to anyone who follows the artist.
For the illustrations alone September 21, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
An extraordinary tome, with a scale befitting the artist, his ambition and the size of his works. The reproductions are excellent, and many are necessarily spread over two pages without diminishing one's viewing pleasure. Size and fragility preclude many of Kiefer's works appearing in retrospectives, so it is remarkable that this particular overview includes a tremendous array of his unique works of art. I hesitate to use the word 'paintings', simply because Kiefer's current endeavors include a variety of materials with paint being only one component.
The text consists of a number of enlightening interviews with the artist over the years. All provide insight into the work itself and the man who makes it. For detailed analysis of the art, Daniel Arasse's monograph is a better bet. Kiefer's output is prodigious, and from year to year it is difficult for those interested to keep pace with the new work, so any and all books about this artist are welcome additions to one's library. I heartily recommend this recent addition to the catalogue. Mind you bend at the knees before lifting, and handle with care....!
Comprehensive and deep review of this pivotal artist. September 13, 2007
This is a deep, thorough and comprehensive look at much of Keifer's oeuvre. It covers different periods of his work and reveals the shared threads of each phase. This book is one of the better ones that I've physically seen, as it has many pages of well-printed photographs and documentation. The text is well written and cogent.
As for the artist, he's compelling and profound. What more can be said?
Brilliant, haunting artwork December 30, 2004
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
There is so much pain and desolation in Kiefer's paintings... while this is an outstanding book, with a comprehensive and balanced collection of paintings, the genius of Kiefer can only be genuinely experienced by seeing his art at a gallery, in person. His paintings are enormous and overpowering and wring true poetry out of their dual chrome palettes. Buy the book to get a taste of this masterful artist, find the nearest gallery with his paintings and go there. This man dwarfs Picasso and Dali.
The pictures do the talking May 6, 1998
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
This is a beautiful book which covers some of Kiefer's best work in painting as well as his photo-montage and book making activities. A small and eloquent tribute and forward leave adequate room for many full color reproductions (some double-paged) of paintings, large black and white photos taken by the artist, photos of installations and performances and reproductions of selections from his book makings. The reproductions are bright and clear and attempt to give you an adequate view of the texture and matter that Kiefer paints with. Kiefer is one of the most prodigious and poetic artists of our time. He stands out individually in our present, sometimes cynical art atmosphere in the age of post-modern theory. These are magical paintings that contain deep myth and meaning. A truly beautiful book on beautiful and revealing art that can change your view of the world.
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