MoMA Highlights - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0870704907 ISBN 13: 9780870704901

Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2005

Synopsis

In this updated, expanded, and superbly produced handbook, The Museum of Modern Art presents its own selection of the most significant artworks in its collection. Few institutions approach the richness of The Museum of Modern Art's holdings in painting, sculpture, drawing, prints, illustrated books, architectural models and drawings, graphic and industrial design, photography, film, video and multimedia installations. In this volume, some 350 highlights--23 of which are new to this edition--from the Museum's six curatorial departments, are interwoven to present a sumptuous and broadly chronological overview that takes readers from Post-Impressionism to contemporary art. Every work that was executed in color is reproduced in MoMA Highlights in vibrant hues, and each is accompanied by a brief commentary. Updated and revised, this book is the definitive guide to the broad scope of MoMA's collection. Also updated and expanded, The Museum of Modern Art recently reopened on November 20, 2004 in its newly designed building by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. Founded in 1929 as an educational institution, MoMA is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world. The ultimate purpose of the Museum declared at its founding, is to acquire the best modern works of art in all visual mediums.

About this title

Review:

One expects any museum to produce greatest hits package type books along with the t-shirts, postcards, and boxer shorts that make a gift shop the driving engine of any decent museum. And if you thought this surely must be one of these kind of books, you’d not be faulted for that. However, the newly-expanded and revised version of this book (which is slightly less White Male-centric than its predecessor) is something of a classic when it comes to writing about modern art in a way that's both accessible and informative. Not to say that it's a masterpiece of art history, but it is a rather marvelous look at 350 major works from the Museum of Modern Art's considerably deep collection. One wishes many of these items could be on permanent display, but of course MOMA would have to be 50 times its size to showcase all of its holdings. You'll find a huge variety of disciplines, including video and multimedia works, design and painting, spanning pretty much the entire gamut of art, making it a model gift for the art lover in your circle of friends. --Mike McGonigal

About this edition

• Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0870704907
• ISBN 13: 9780870704901
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 380
• Editor: Harriet Schoenholz Bee, Cassandra Heliczer