I shall interviewed live by Professor Ed Dutton on The Jolly Heretic YouTube channel live tonight, 19h00 UK/14h00 EST. Subjects will include the politics of museums and my book “Artivism”. The stream will be live and you can submit questions. Watch a recording here:
I am pleased to announce that for the first time, books of verse and art catalogues by AA will be available for sale internationally. Currently, the poetry books are available through the website of Bournbrook Press/Magazine here: https://www.bournbrookmag.com/books/ The art catalogues will be available on the same page by the end of July.
If there is sufficient demand, other publications by AA will become available through Bournbrook in future. Not available are Degas, Culture War, Iconoclasm and other books by AA through large presses.
Proceeds of purchases support the author and this website.
I am delighted to announce the publication of “Degas”, my first book with Prestel (Penguin RandomHouse). Book data is below.
“Get a glimpse into the life and work of painter, sculptor, and printmaker Edgar Degas, who is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism.
“Best known for his depictions of young dancers on the stage and in the studio, Degas was an accomplished draughtsman and portraitist of superb emotional depth. This book explores the full range of Degas’ work, from his celebrated paintings of dancers and depictions of cafe life to his pencil sketches and wax and bronze sculptures. Stunning reproductions help readers understand many aspects of Degas’ oeuvre, such as his gift for capturing movement, the ways he drew inspiration from Japanese prints and Old Masters, and his experiments with color and form. A biographical text traces Degas’ life from his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts and his early history paintings to his friendships with Cassatt and Manet, his reliance on painting dancers to keep him financially afloat, and his lonely, final days in Paris. Accessible and engaging, this exploration of Degas’ life and art looks beyond his well-known works to reveal a talented and complicated genius.”
Paperback, with flaps, 112 pages, 17,0 x 21,0 cm, 55 color illustrations, £9.99/$14.95
ISBN: 978-3-7913-8736-9
Publisher’s page: https://prestelpublishing.penguinrandomhouse.de/paperback/Degas/Alexander-Adams/Prestel-com/e584205.rhd
Today I opened a Substack account, which can be found here: https://alexanderadamsart.substack.com/
That Substack will not be replacing this WordPress site, it will supplement it. The Substack account will have exclusive content including extended articles and reviews, older pieces not previously available and some completely new material. Some of this material will be for paid subscribers only. This is a way for me to gain a little income from the sort of work I have been doing for free on WordPress and a means by which readers can show their appreciation in a finance way.
Reminder: this WordPress site will remain open, free and updated in the future. For exclusive content, feel free to join me on Substack.
AA, 30 April 2022
AA will be published a short weekly column in the online version of Bournbrook Magazine every Tuesday. You can read the first article here. The articles will cover culture, politics and art.
For those of you who appreciate my writing, please consider five ways of indirectly assisting me.
Thank you again for your support.
AA
PUBLICATION DAY
Publisher’s notice:
“Why has identity become so central to judging art today? Why are some groups reluctant to defend free speech within culture? Has state support made artists poorer not richer? How does the movement for social justice influence cultural production? Why is post-modernism dominant in the art world? Why are consumers of comic books so bitterly divided?
“In Culture War: Art, Identity Politics and Cultural Entryism Alexander Adams examines a series of pressing issues in today’s culture: censorship, Islamism, Feminism, identity politics, historical reparations and public arts policy. Through a series of linked essays, Culture War exposes connections between seemingly unrelated events and trends in high and popular cultures. From fine art to superhero comics, from political cartoons to museum policy, certain persistent ideas underpin the most contentious issues today. Adams draws on history, philosophy, politics and cultural criticism to explain the reasoning of creators, consumers and critics and to expose some uncomfortable truths.”
This book is available from bookstores, all online book retailers and the site of the publisher, Imprint Academic: http://books.imprint.co.uk/book/?gcoi=71157100083870
Much of my critical writing, discursive pieces and journalism is produced for the British newsletter The Jackdaw. The Jackdaw is published 6 times per year and contains reviews, news, profiles, journalism, polemic, letters and satirical humour, all centred on fine art mainly in Great Britain but also international. Many of its subjects (small exhibitions, obscure artists, controversial views, neglected news) are not covered elsewhere in print media, making The Jackdaw a valuable journal of record. Visit the website www.thejackdaw.co.uk to view typical content.
The Jackdaw needs new subscriptions to survive. The printed version contains much more content than the website. If you enjoy my writing, you can find more of it published exclusively in The Jackdaw. These pieces are not available on my website and not all of it is on the Jackdaw website. By subscribing to The Jackdaw, you would be supporting my writing and independent arts journalism produced by many other authors. Subscription information is listed on the website front page.
I do not have a financial interest in The Jackdaw, for which I submit texts as a freelance writer.
Thank you for considering this.
Alexander Adams
“Why has identity become so central to judging art today? Why are some groups reluctant to defend free speech within culture? Has state support made artists poorer not richer? How does the movement for social justice influence cultural production? Why is post-modernism dominant in the art world? Why are consumers of comic books so bitterly divided?
“In Culture War: Art, Identity Politics and Cultural Entryism Alexander Adams examines a series of pressing issues in today’s culture: censorship, Islamism, Feminism, identity politics, historical reparations and public arts policy. Through a series of linked essays, Culture War exposes connections between seemingly unrelated events and trends in high and popular cultures. From fine art to superhero comics, from political cartoons to museum policy, certain persistent ideas underpin the most contentious issues today. Adams draws on history, philosophy, politics and cultural criticism to explain the reasoning of creators, consumers and critics and to expose some uncomfortable truths.”
180pp, 3 b&w illus., Societas/Imprint Academic, March 2019, ISBN 978-1845409982
Link to publisher’s selling page: http://books.imprint.co.uk/book/?gcoi=71157100083870
Link to Amazon book description:
alexanderadamsart 