Edwin Dickinson: Dreams and Realities [Hardcover]

Dickinson is not a name that carries instant recognition outside the circles of art historians and artists. He spanned (1891 - 1978) a period in American art history which jumped from academic Realism to Cubism and Abstract Expressionism and through all of these changes he retained his own style, pausing here and there to prove that he was thoroughly informed by all the new schools in the arts while continuing his mission as a representational artist. His studios were in New York and in Cape Cod and it is here that he observed and painted the world as he saw it. Some of his canvases took years to complete: other canvases and works on paper were dashed off in a most facile fashion.

This major book celebrates an artist who probably will always be an enigma in the history of American art and brings his entire oeuvre to our attention. We are shown self portraits painted throughout his career, always a fascinating and valid way to track and artist's progress. The color reproductions are a bit bland and tend to flatten the images. Oddly the black and white drawings suffer the same fate, becoming shades of gray rather than strong lines. The various contributors to the book add a significant dimension of awe for this under-appreciated artist. It is up to the viewer of this book to judge how visually important rather than hisortically significant was Edwin Dickinson.

Dickinson is not a name that carries instant recognition outside of art historians' and artists' circles. He spanned (1891 - 1978) a period in American art history which jumped from academic realism to cubism and abstract expressionism and through all of these changes he retained his own style, pausing here and there to prove that he was thoroughly informed by all the changes in the arts while continuing his mission as a representational artist. His studios were in New York and in Cape Cod and it is here that he observed and painted the world as he saw it. Some of his canvases took years to complete: other canvases and works on paper were dashed off in a most facile fashion.

This major book celebrates an artist who probably will always be an enigma in the history of American art and brings his entire oeuvre to our attention. We are shown self portraits painted throughout his career, always a fascinating and valid way to track an artist's progress. The color reproductions are a bit bland and tend to flatten the images. Oddly the black and white drawings suffer the same fate, becoming shades of gray rather than strong lines. The various contributors to the book add a significant dimension of awe for this under-appreciated artist. It is up to the viewer of this book to judge how visually important rather than historically significant was Edwin Dickinson.