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Struggle Over the Modern: Purity and Experience in American Art Criticism 1900-1960 discusses the concept that there was not one, but rather two competing “modernisms” clashing for dominance in the critical field of American art in the early to mid twentieth century. One side of the debate was the more well-known formalism, which focused on “purity” in art and was superbly summarized in the writings of the late art critic Clement Greenberg. The other, more obscure viewpoint emphasized the importance of “experience” over formal purity, as expressed in the writings of Greenberg’s rival, Harold Rosenberg, as well as a number of other critics. The debate would determine whether art was to be defined as merely a self-referential undertaking, or within a much broader and more inclusive category. Meticulously researched with numerous quotes, Struggle Over the Modern perfectly captures the evolution of an intense artistic and cultural clash. Recommended especially for reference shelves concerning modern art criticism and study.

Wisconsin Bookwatch, September 2006