American Art and Architecture

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title American Art and Architecture
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Michael J. Lewis
SeriesWorld of Art
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:336
Dimensions(mm): Height 210,Width 150
Category/GenreArchitecture
ISBN/Barcode 9780500203910
ClassificationsDewey:720.973
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Illustrations 140 Illustrations, black and white; 140 Illustrations, color

Publishing Details

Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publication Date 19 June 2006
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

This survey provides a complete history of American art and architecture from the seventeenth century to the latest installation and video work. It includes all the major American artists and works, and discusses and illustrates dozens of building types, from the earliest colonial houses and churches to the most spectacular modernist and postmodernist stores, museums, stations, and iconic skyscrapers. The characteristics of the different periods are defined, highlighting the forms, techniques and styles that mark the works as distinctively American. The ways in which American artists and architects both adopted and diverged from European models to create a language of their own are charted, and Lewis shows how that language eventually came to dominate the rest of the world. The author dextrously integrates discussions of both buildings and works of art, revealing the shared social and aesthetic concerns that underlie them. Vernacular, religious, secular, and corporate architecture appear alongside painting, sculpture, photography, and new-media art.

Author Biography

Michael J. Lewis is the Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art History, Williams College.