Kazimir Malevich, 1878-1935 by John E. Bowlt
4to. pp. xvi, 230. profusely illustrated. index. hardcover. dw. (fine condition). Los Angeles: The Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Centre in association with the University of Washington Press, [1990].
ISBN-10: 0295970669 / ISBN-13: 9780295970660
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This catalog, which accompanies a recent Malevich exhibition at the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center in Los Angeles, is an excellent introduction to the artist. Paintings, drawings, watercolors, stage design, costume design, and experimental architectural models are on display. The technical quality of the reproductions is fine, allowing the luminous nature of the art to present itself. A helpful chronology is included, and questions of provenance, technique, and dating are discussed. Various essays complete the work. The excerpts from Malevich's writings are fascinating, and John E. Bowit's essay on Malevich and the nature of language as a sign and meaning is especially noteworthy. Malevich was one of the most influential forces during the beginnings of 20th-century European art, making this an important addition to any serious art library.