From Library Journal
This scholarly study of the radically inventive Romanian abstract sculptor looks at his life and work from a poststructuralist point of view. As she draws upon Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, among other things, Chave's obvious love for the outwardly simplistic beauty in Brancusi's oeuvre becomes quickly mired in the impenetrably abstruse prose of the academy. Chave states that she employs "a hermeneutic model of psychopoetics," fashioning a "counterorthodox or reinventive approach" to his sculpture. For all but those in academe to whom poststructuralism remains a viable paradigm, such language is excessive. Brancusi himself once cautioned his critics, "Don't look for obscure formulas or mystery. I offer you pure joy." Only those academic libraries seeking comprehensive coverage of 20th-century art need consider buying this. A far better purchase for most collections would be Radu Varia's handsome Brancusi (LJ 3/1/87), which remains in print.
Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Constantin Brancusi-the most influential sculptor of the twentieth century-is usually viewed as a sculptor of pure, perfect, essential forms and as a lone visionary and exotic peasant-sage, aloof from both the social concerns of his age and from avant-garde affiliations. In this fascinating book, Anna C. Chave uses both feminist and social historical lenses to explode many of the myths about Brancusi, offering a revised view of the sculptor as an artist creatively responding to his artistic and social environment.
