Literature on Modern Art: An Annual Bibliography (LOMA) 1969 by Alexander Davis (review)

Books 399 articles. There is useful information on other moldmaking processes, including self-cure sand and ceramic shell. The book, especially as regards metal sculpture, givesinformation of use to the professional sculptor, however,it isofgreater interest to students,amateurs and art lovers who wish to become acquainted with the way a metal sculptor works. I find some of the plates inappropriate, namely, those of slightly spectacular close-ups of artists at work and of beautifully arranged studios. These tend to build upthe falsemyth of the artist asa specialbeingapart, whereas the text in describing ordinary everyday industrial techniques used by the sculptor happily shows him as a down-to-earth operator. Also, the author weakens his authority as pedagogue and technician by illustrating himself as artist. Many books of this type have been published but this one is an innovation in that the attractiveness of the illustrationsand the easilyread text allow it to take its place readily alongside the handsome publications of purely aesthetic concern so widely collected today. Literature on Modern Art: An Annual Bibliography (LOMA)1969. Alexander Davis. Lund Humphries Publishers, London, 1971. 118 pp., illus. E2.50. This bibliography covers a selection of books, exhibition catalogues and periodicals dealing with twentieth-century art and artists published in 1969. About 150 journals in English and 50 in other languagesarecoveredand some400books arelisted. There are almost 3500 listings. These are subdivided among 59 subject categories. The first category entitled ‘Artists A-Z’ is by far the largest, containing about two-thirds of the listings. Texts relating to the work of artists are listed alphabetically under each artist’s name. The remaining 58 subject categories include ‘Art and Technology’, ‘Computers’, ‘Exhibitions and Congresses’, ‘Futurism ’, ‘Materials’ and ‘Optic-Kinetic Art’ (this category should be called ‘Op and kinetic art’). These subject categories may be consulted directly or the detailed subject index at the rear of the book may be used. The latter provides such listings as the ‘Ashcan School’, ‘Polish Art’ and ‘Plastics’, as well as the titles of some group exhibitions. The cross-indexing of listings is a considerable aid to the literature searcher. In ‘ArtistsA-Z’, under the artist-listing for Juan Gris, for example, there is not only a reference to a book on his life and work but also a cross-referenceto the subject classification ‘Countries-Spain’, where a group exhibition including his work is listed. One serious fault in LOMA 1969 is that there are no cross-references from the 58 subject categories to the category ‘Artists A-Z. Thus, a searcher consulting the subjectcategoryentitled ‘Cubism’willfindone book, one catalog and one cross-referenceto a book listed under another subject category but no crossreference is provided leading to the book on the life and work of Juan Gris. Similarly, a searcher consulting the subject category ‘Optic-Kinetic Art’ will not find a listing for Charles Mattox’s article ‘The evolution of my audio-kinetic sculptures ’, although it is listed under the artist’s name. One who undertakes to prepare a bibliography of texts on art is confronted with great difficulties. Frequently, titles of books and articles are very ‘artistic’ but give no indication of their content, for example, ‘Premature Burial’, ‘Snakes in the Grass’ and ‘Blowing Your Own Trumpet’. The author of LOMA 1969, in some cases, gives short helpful explanations of mysterious titles. There is an author index but, unfortunately, it applies only to books. This index should be extended to include authors of periodical articles as well. The inclusion of about 60 black-and-white reproductions from listed references is a waste of pages and unfair to artists not selected. There seem to be very few errors. Two errors in classification are the listing of ‘Rheology and painting’ under ‘Computers’ and ‘Complex curvilinear designs from pendulums’ under ‘Optic-Kinetic Art’ rather than placing both titles under ‘Art and Technology’. LOMA 1969 is most useful to all wishing to be informed about texts dealing with contemporary art. The author deserves the highest praise for his efforts to put some order in a very confused field. BOOKS RECEIVED The Aesthetic Field, A. Berleant, Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1970, 200 pp., $8.75. Architecture 2000, C. Jencks, Studio...