Latin American Art

Latin American art of the twentieth century is exceptionally rich and varied. The twenty countries that make up the vast cultural area have each evolved a unique artistic heritage from a blend of European, African or indigenous influences, combined with the unpredictability of individual genius. This book is the first comprehensive survey of the whole field to be published in English; and because each of the contributors is an expert on his or her own national art, it is the first to present a genuinely Latin American viewpoint. The range and quality of the work produced in the course of the century is represented by over 300 outstanding images, many previously unpublished or little known.

Library Journal

The belated onset of modernism might be the leitmotif of this compendium of brief histories of painting and sculpture in 20th-century Latin America, edited by the chair of New York University's fine arts department. While students of varied "isms" of our century will not be surprised by the imagery and attitudes of Latin American artists, they will be struck by the originality and regional shadings that reverberate throughout this volume. The work embraces every Hispanic tradition from that of North American Chicanos to work from the Argentine tip of South America, and each national tradition is independently surveyed, from usually desiccated academic beginnings to the postmodern present. As the quality of the national traditions varies, so do the individual considerations. Several of the essays are little more than recitations of basic art historical data, while others attempt a more subtle exploration of style, content, and context. Although it is lavishly illustrated, many of the cited artists' works are not reproduced. Nevertheless, the trove of some 300 fine color reproductions and compilation of otherwise hard-to-find information make this essential for collections concerned with the culture of Latin America.-Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York