Focal Points: Ad Reinhardt

This insightful volume examines the work of Ad Reinhardt, exploring his paintings and philosophies that influenced modern art. Focal Points: Ad Reinhardt provides a deeper understanding of his contributions.

How can we interpret the work of contemporary artists? Focal Points: Ad Reinhardt is a new book in a series of essays, articles, and reviews by acclaimed curator and critic Robert Storr. Expertly edited by art historian and curator Francesca Pietropaolo, this volume is richly illustrated and provides Storr’s illuminating insights into an artist’s practice and mindset over recent decades. Brilliantly scholarly yet accessible, Focal Points: Ad Reinhardt offers fresh interpretations of the diverse landscape of modern and contemporary art.

This particular volume delves into the work of American abstract painter Ad Reinhardt (1913–1967). Active in New York for more than thirty years, Reinhardt was part of the group of artists known as Abstract Expressionists and created works that significantly influenced younger generations of Minimal and Conceptual artists. He championed a philosophy he termed 'art-as-art,' using his writing and satirical cartoons to advocate for the value of abstract art. As he famously stated in 1962: 'Art is art-as-art and everything else is everything else.'

In this insightful volume, Robert Storr explores Reinhardt’s paintings, his comics, and his unique slide lecture series, which he referred to as 'non-happenings.' Through this examination, readers gain a deeper understanding of Reinhardt's contributions to the art world and the enduring impact of his ideas on contemporary artistic practices.