Barnett Newman (1905–1970), an original Abstract Expressionist, was a contemporary of Pollock, de Kooning, and Rothko. Born in New York to Polish Jewish immigrant parents, he involved himself in every detail of the city’s life: He crusaded for the civil service; ran for mayor; taught public school; wrote poetry, criticism, and manifestos; and promoted artists—all before painting a mature work of his own.
Art historian Amy Newman (no relation) tells the story of how someone with none of the qualities once considered indispensable for an artist became, through his intellect and conviction that aesthetic expression is an assertion of human dignity, the artist who seemed to be exactly what American post-war culture called for and the favorite father figure of later generations of American artists.
Newman’s new book, Barnett Newman: Here (Princeton University Press), is available for purchase.
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