Ben Shahn: New Deal Artist in a Cold War Climate

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.

"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