The Shape of Content

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1957. Presumed first edition/first printing. Hardcover. Good/fair. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. [8], 131, [1] pages. Color frontis (Allegory). Illustrations. This work is made up of the author's Charles Eliot Norton Lectures. DJ worn, torn, soiled, and chipped. Minor page soiling noted. From Wikipedia: "Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 March 14, 1969) was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content. Shahn mixed different genres of art. Shahn used both expressive and precise visual languages, which he coalesced through the consistency of his authoritative line. His background in lithography contributed to his detail-oriented look, Shahn is also noted for his use of unique symbolism. While Shahn's "love for exactitude" is apparent in his graphics, so too is his creativity. Evocative juxtapositions characterize his aesthetic. He intentionally paired contrasting scales, colors, and images together to create tension. His art is striking but also introspective. He often captured figures engrossed in their own worlds. Although he used many mediums, his pieces are consistently thoughtful and playful." "Mr. Shahn sets forth his views on both the practice and the purposes of art with a clarity, cogency, and incisiveness that any professional writer might envy, and he manages to interweave with this a good deal of interesting material about his own development as an artist, as well as a running summary of his opinions on contemporary painting in general… The book is highly controversial…also highly stimulating."-The New Yorker"The book is the clearest, most forceful statement on art by an artist of our time that I have read."-Frank Getletin, The New Republic"A remarkably interesting book, which puts the reader in rewarding contact with a questing mind and a humane spirit."-The Atlantic"To find a lucid painter speaking lucidly of art is a thrilling discovery… [He traces] the formation of painting from idea to completion, both generally and specifically with a clarity of thought and a precise use of language which should be a very archetypal model for all critics and painters alike."-Virginia Quarterly Review"In this brilliant book, which brings the many talents of Ben Shahn…into one crisp, clear, unified, astounding career, the primary focus is the exploration and explanation of the relationship between Shahn's paintings and photographs… The first half of the book consists of four exquisitely written essays by Kao, Katzman, and Webster, beautifully illustrated with superb reproductions of Shahn's photographs and related materials, including detailed notes. The second half is an exhibition catalog with a wealth of quality reproductions of his paintings and photographs."-J. Natal, Choice.