Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Henry Moore (1898-1986) is arguably one of the most famous and beloved sculptors of the twentieth century, yet in recent decades his work has fallen out of favor in the world of contemporary art criticism. This handsome book examines this intriguing contradiction and seeks to reassess Moore's crucial contribution to art of the last century.

Looking at Moore's early engagements with primitivism, his 1930s dialogue with abstraction and surrealism, and his postwar interest in large-scale public sculpture, the authors show how the sculptor helped to define some of the most significant aspects of modernism. The authors also contextualize within the polemics of early modernism Moore's emphasis on direct carving instead of modeling and the necessary balance between abstraction and what he called the "psychological human element". Moore's early sculpture -- largely unfamiliar to the general public -- is given particular attention, enabling the reader to explore the evolution of thematic and formal elements in his,work and his ongoing response to different materials. Photographs, some by Moore himself, of over 120 works, including plasters, maquettes, carvings, bronzes, and drawings, are featured, many of which are previously unpublished.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Making its case right from the title, Henry Moore: Sculpting the 20th Century argues for the popular English sculptor's continued primacy. Edited by Dallas Museum of Art curator Dorothy Kosinski, and serving as the catalogue for an exhibition currently touring the U.S., the book covers the artist's entire career, from his early primitivism to his 1930s surrealism to his post-war public art. Photos of over 120 of Moore's suggestively abstract plasters, carvings, bronzes and drawings grace the pages of the book, along with scholarly essays from Moore proponents. ( June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Although Moore (1898-1986) is one of the most important and appealing artists of the 20th century, a major exhibition of his work has not been held in almost 20 years. The bane of popularity often relegates an artist to the negative critical scrap heap. The authors of the catalog argue convincingly through Moore's own photographs of his works, as well as through renewed critical assessment, that it is possible to deconstruct his work from the corporate, visual furniture mode they seem to have fallen into in the latter decades of the 20th century, thus allowing them to be seen not only as they were during the artist's lifetime but freshly in new critical light. The exhibition consists of some 100 sculptures and about 100 drawings, taken from all periods of Moore's oeuvre: his early engagements with primitivism, his 1930s dialogue with abstraction and surrealism, and his postwar interest in large public sculpture. Excellent texts complement the photographic essays with stimulating titles: David Cohen, "Who's Afraid of Henry Moore?"; Harriet Senie, "Implicit Intimacy: The Persistent Appeal of Henry Moore's Public Art"; and Elizabeth Brown, "Moore Looking: Photography and the Presentation of Sculpture." Checklist of exhibition works; detailed index. Well produced and modestly priced. Highly recommended. General readers; undergraduates through faculty. J. Weidman Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Booklist Review

Critical fortunes notwithstanding, Moore is a major figure in twentieth-century sculpture. It is, in fact, his very popularity that has at times caused modernist critics to dismiss his work. A series of enlightening essays assess the mixed reception accorded his sculptures over his 60-year career and discuss how primitive art has influenced Moore, Moore's relationship with surrealism, and even the works that the artist collected. These essays provide a sound entry point into the study of Moore's work, and the outstanding illustrations provide the impetus. The volume begins with a series of photographs taken by Moore of his own work and ends with a photo-essay by Tom Jenkins. In between are reproductions of the monumental sculpture for which Moore is best known, as well as smaller works and drawings both from notebooks and finished portfolios. A detailed chronology that both documents Moore's life and places him within a larger cultural and aesthetic context rounds out the expert coverage. --Regina Schroeder