Edited by James Glisson. Text by Alan Phenix, Kathleen Shields, Nancy Zastudil.
American painter Frederick Hammersley (1919–2009) is best known for his hard-edged geometric abstractions.
However, their elegant simplicity belies the complex system behind their creation. Thanks to sketchbooks, notebooks and color swatches reproduced in this catalog, the artist’s beautiful documentation of his multistep way of working out compositions is on full view. These artworks and archival materials show that rather than an all-at-once creative act, Hammersley’s method was step-by-step and structured by rules. Essays by Alan Phenix, a conservation scientist, as well as by Kathleen Shields and Nancy Zastudil, who manage the artist’s foundation, bring to light new scientific findings about his paintings.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Artforum
Suzanne Hudson
Frederick Hammersley epitomizes hard-edge mid-century Los Angeles painting.
FORMAT: Hbk, 9 x 10.75 in. / 120 pgs / 75 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $35.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $47.5 GBP £30.00 ISBN: 9780998681719 PUBLISHER: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens AVAILABLE: 11/21/2017 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Edited by James Glisson. Text by Alan Phenix, Kathleen Shields, Nancy Zastudil.
American painter Frederick Hammersley (1919–2009) is best known for his hard-edged geometric abstractions.
However, their elegant simplicity belies the complex system behind their creation. Thanks to sketchbooks, notebooks and color swatches reproduced in this catalog, the artist’s beautiful documentation of his multistep way of working out compositions is on full view. These artworks and archival materials show that rather than an all-at-once creative act, Hammersley’s method was step-by-step and structured by rules. Essays by Alan Phenix, a conservation scientist, as well as by Kathleen Shields and Nancy Zastudil, who manage the artist’s foundation, bring to light new scientific findings about his paintings.
