Ben Schonzeit Paintings

Stunning in their initial impact, resonant in the stories they relate, Ben Schonzeit's big, vibrant canvases leap from the pages of this lavish volume, offering one moment of delight after another. Renowned as a gifted draftsman and colorist, Schonzeit has built a rich vocabulary of images from an international career spanning nearly four decades. From the sculptural three-dimensionality of his gorgeous still-lifes of flowers to witty parodies of artists such as Degas and Corot and cinematic explorations of his own dream world, Schonzeit creates paintings of breathtaking clarity and stillness.

Library Journal

The first extensive monograph on this photorealist painter, this book offers an absorbing retrospective portrait of one of the masters of postmodern simulacra. Riley (art, CUNY) provides an insightful biographical narrative, including details about Schonzeit's family and a life-changing incident that fundamentally influenced the painter's perception of the world: the loss of his left eye in a childhood accident. The book is divided into chapters that detail major turning points in Schonzeit's career. A particularly enlightening segment devoted to Photorealism delves into the movement's critical definition, first offered by critic Gregory Battock in 1975. Riley reappraises the creative climate of each decade of Schonzeit's activity and locates his work within it. Valuable commentary from the artist himself about the significance of his formative experiences, iconography, and technique appear throughout the text. The full-color sampling of Schonzeit's work is sumptuous, sometimes nearly palpable. The book ends with a detailed biographical chronology and an extensive list of the artists' exhibitions and collections in which his work is held. Recommended for collections focusing on modern and contemporary art. Savannah Schroll, Smithsonian Institution Libs., Washington, DC Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.