Ben Shahn: New Deal Artist in a Cold War Climate, 1947-1954

by Frances K. Pohl and James Thrall Soby

Book Overview

In the first, most intense years of the Cold War (1947-1954), New Deal liberals often found themselves in great disfavor. Ben Shahn's experience presents something of a paradox, however, since his paintings appealed in different ways to both liberals and conservatives. Blacklisted by CBS during the McCarthy era and yet, ironically, incorporated into presidential "campaigns of truth" aimed at improving the U.S. image abroad, Ben Shahn is a pivotal...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292755384
• ISBN13: 9780292755383
• Release Date: June 1989
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 249 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Red Stairway to Heaven....

When I was much younger I stumbled across a book of his with mostly black and white reproductions. I instantly loved his ability of filling up a composition in odd but logical ways. This book shows most of Mr. Shahn's paintings in color. I consider him a subtle yet sometimes bold colorist. Especially those reds. Now i can fully marvel at his work. Also grab the book "Common man, mythic vision". By all means, also check out Jack levine, Philip Evergood, Rico Lebrun and the rest of the American Expressionists/ Social Realists. So they won't be forgotten in time.

From the Publisher

"This monograph on Ben Shahn, the first in over twenty years, follows his career as the leading social realist of our time. It covers his Depression-era images of urban decay, labor strikes, and poverty; the posters he created for the Office of War Information during World War II and his paintings of the destruction in war's aftermath; and his eventual rejection of social realism in favor of a 'personal realism' using allegory and symbolism. This book weaves a complex picture of this multifaceted artist and includes many extracts from Shahn's writings. "168 pages, 100 full-color reproductions, hardbound book with dust jacket, size: 10 x 12." ISBN: 1-56640-312-X."--© Pomegranate