Framing America: A Social History of American Art / Edition 3

by Frances K. Pohl

Overview

Offers comprehensive engagement with the social, cultural, and historical context of American visual culture.

Unique in its inclusive treatment, Framing America embraces the full scope of American art from the sixteenth century to the present. In addition to offering comprehensive coverage of the canon, Pohl’s narrative goes beyond the traditional, and sometimes derogatory, treatment of certain populations in American society and addresses the domestic arts and the social and political contexts of art. This is a truly comprehensive look both at the history of art in America and at the reciprocal influence of American art and society.


The Third Edition features new images, from the early years of Western Europe’s encounter with America’s native peoples to the twenty-first century’s prioritization of sustainable architecture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500289839
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	616
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Frances K. Pohl is an Emerita Professor of Art History at Pomona College in Claremont, California. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. While at Pomona College, she taught a wide variety of courses in nineteenth- and twentieth-century North American art. Her work has focused on the art of the United States, in particular the work of Ben Shahn, about whom she has written two books, and the relationship between the visual arts and working-class culture. Professor Pohl taught in the United States for many years, but her Canadian origins give her a unique continental perspective on American art.

Editorial Reviews

"Examines how cultural encounters of all kinds—between ethnic, religious, and regional groups; the natural world and technological developments; and individual and political ambitions—have shaped American history."

Kristin Schwain

Even if the ultimate outcome of the culture wars is still in some dispute, it is clear that revisiting art's "greatest hits," from America or anywhere else, is not sufficient for a basic understanding of art history. Framing America's focus is determinedly and liberatingly inclusive, showing how popular and vernacular arts have had just as great cultural and inspirational impact as the work of trained artists. Pohl, professor of art history at Pomona College, proves her case again and again with revealing juxtapositions and inspired close readings, from the objects plundered by Cort s to those fabricated by Jeff Koons. Native art, folk art and "Outsider" art, as well as many previously neglected female artists and artists of color are present in Pohl's narrative, never as victims of special pleading but as essential components in a vibrant mosaic. An examination of depictions of the Old West introduces to great effect drawings of startling iconic simplicity done by some of the victors of the Battle of Little Big Horn; an account of the construction of the Statue of Liberty is viewed against the Haymarket riot and trials; the Tilted Arc controversy leads to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And if the section dealing with recent developments is somewhat more cautious than the rest, Pohl at least steers clear of millennial pronouncements. Written less as a series of static tableaux than as a set of provocations for discussion and exploration, this large, satisfying and beautifully produced volume, with 665 illustrations (half of them in color), will be of value not only to students and scholars, but to anyone interested in the contradictory forces at the heart of American life. (Oct. 28) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Eschewing the conventional genesis story of American art, one that locates its origins in the portrait work of anonymous colonial itinerants, Pohl (art history, Pomona Coll.; In the Eye of the Storm: An Art of Conscience 1930-1970) reaches further into history than previous surveys. In order to locate a more authentic foundation for American art, she investigates the cultural production resulting from interactions between Native Americans and several exploratory European groups. Also unprecedented is Pohl's exploration of crafts, utilitarian objects, and curiosities to further illuminate the development of society in America. She incorporates artists previously excluded, such as Japanese American internment camp inmates, whose art powerfully relates their experience. Her survey lucidly conveys the key concepts of each period and communicates the significance of seminal tracts like Clement Greenberg's 1939 essay Avant-Garde & Kitsch. A timeline concludes the book, providing a valuable chronological overview of both art and history, including formerly uncited yet significant historical events. With 665 illustrations (337 in color), this volume is recommended as the most up-to-date American art textbook available. It is essential for all academic and large public libraries. Savannah Schroll, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal