From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. An important American artist, Charles Sheeler made significant contributions as a photographer, painter, draughtsman, industrial designer and filmmaker, all of which are covered with aplomb in this wonderful overview. Although less well-known than American art world superstars like Hopper, Rothko or Warhol, his approach and aesthetic were influential world-wide, especially on the Precisionist movement, and he numbered Alfred Stieglitz, Walter Arensberg and Maurius de Zayas among his supporters. Brock has done a superb job selecting images, including some dynamic examples of Sheeler's commercial work for Condé Nast and N.W. Ayers and Sons. There are plenty of color plates, and Brock divides them by type and period, presenting them immediately following the chapter that discusses them rather than collected in an appendix. This facilitates the study of the relevant images while reading and allows the reader to appreciate the relations between works visually, independently of the written analysis. Brock's essays are also consistently excellent, providing a good mix of critical debate over the intricacies of Sheeler's work with straightforward discussion of his long and varied career. The work is definitely lighter on academic analysis, however, and so will appeal immediately to general readers, but a concise bibliography at the end and judicious notes throughout make this a good starting point for readers wishing to delve into the subject in more detail.
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
