On Innovative Art (Ists : Recollections of an Expanding Field) - Hardcover

As the title reveals, this collection of over 50 previously published essays spanning the years 1965-91 devotes most of its space to innovative developments in the arts. Although the author discusses such mainstream contemporary artists as Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol, he focuses on less well-known figures who explore new media and/or combinations of art forms, especially when these experiments involve technology. Kostelanetz does not hide the fact that he zealously champions the "intermedia" art movement; several of the essays, in fact, describe his experiments with visual poetry, sound recordings, video, book art, and holography. Topics overlap considerably, and the absence of illustrations is a serious drawback, but the author sets forth his complex ideas in a remarkably clear fashion. This excellent introduction to recent avant-garde and intermedia art movements is recommended for art, music, and dance collections.
- David B. Hegeman, King's Coll. Lib., Briarcliff Manor,
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.