Exploring Modern Art

We love this series. It teaches children and adults alike how to "see" art the fantastic way I learned in History of Art in college. The book walks one through 13 pieces of art in a way that teaches many aspects of art in an easy and enjoyable way; one automatically appreciates it. It's exceptionally difficult to find a book that teaches people about modern art, and this book does the job beautifully. It is good for children of all ages and adults who haven't studied art thoroughly. There are questions to ask before teaching about the pictures. For example, the cover photo's questions are, "Describe the animal you see in this painting. Describe the background scene. Does this scene look like one you might see in real life? In what ways has the artist used his imagination in painting this scene? Does this look like a calm, quiet scene or an active, loud one? What makes you think so? These questions seem young as I type them, but they do get everyone thinking. There is background information on the history, artist and their motivations and symbolism in pictures. Works studied are: Henri Matisse's The Red Toom (Harmony In Red) Pablo Picasso's Horse Head Mask and Buffalo Mask Franz Marc's The Yellow Cow John Sloan's Backyards, Greenwich Village Joseph Stella's The Brooklyn Bridge: Variation on an Old Theme Grant Wood's Stone City, Iowa William H Johnson's Jitterbugs I Diego Rivera's The Flower Vendor (Girl with Lilies) Georgia O'Keeffe's Autumn Leaves NO. 2 Louis Comfort Tiffany's Landscape Andy Warhol's Muhammad Ali Helen Frankenthaler's Blue Territory