Totality

Abstraction and Meaning in the Art of Barnett Newman

Michael Schreyach

$65.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University of California Press
11 August 2023

Art & design styles: Modernist design & Bauhaus; Individual artists, art monographs

An original and ambitious approach to understanding the creative achievements of one of the most important American artists of the twentieth century.

Totality offers a deeply researched and thoughtful account of the art of Barnett Newman (1905–1970). While Newman’s paintings are widely regarded as among the most significant statements of abstract expressionism—and emblematic of modernism at midcentury—they pose distinct challenges to formal description and historical evaluation. With this book, Michael Schreyach guides readers toward a transformed understanding of Newman’s profound body of work.

Through a sequence of close readings, Schreyach examines six key terms—symbol, surface, self-evidence, space, standpoint, and scale—that illuminate the meaning of Newman’s claims for the “metaphysical” content of his art. Totality progresses from the meticulous analysis of the technical structure and visual appearance of specific works to critical and archivally documented arguments about Newman’s intentions. The result is an altogether original interpretation of the artist’s enterprise, as surprising as it is nuanced.

By: Michael Schreyach
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 953g
ISBN: 9780520379510
ISBN 10: 0520379519
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 11 August 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Symbol 2. Surface 3. Self-Evidence 4. Space 5. Standpoint 6. Scale Frequently Cited Sources Notes Picture Credits Index

Michael Schreyach is Professor of Art History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of Pollock’s Modernism.

Reviews for Totality: Abstraction and Meaning in the Art of Barnett Newman

“In Totality Newman scholar Michael Schreyach emphasizes the artist’s intentions. Relying on as many primary sources as possible, Schreyach probes the Barnett Newman Foundation Archives—discovering previously unpublished, relevant photos of Newman; scrutinizes and describes selected paintings with insightful detail; and reads closely Newman’s extensive writings.” * CHOICE *