Constance Dejong - Metal

Reed, Arden; Gus Blaisdell

ISBN 10: 0826333249 / ISBN 13: 9780826333247

Published by University of New Mexico Press, 2003

About this Item

This retrospective account of Constance DeJong's artistic career begins with the Steel Drawings of 1978 and ends with the Four/Three series of 2002. During this period of stylistic and theoretical change in the art world, DeJong's is a story of invention within consistency, as each new series grows out of the preceding one in unexpected ways. DeJong is sensitive to metal, which she employs not as a tool but for its own sake. She is a poet of steel and copper, of stain and patina, plying the boundary between sculpture and painting. She brings out the denseness of metal but also dissolves its heft. Her compositions are at once hard-edged and mysterious; her Light Drawings use empty space to do the work of metal sheets. She works with line to wed the illusory character of painting to the substance of metal. This rich collection of photos captures the essence of DeJong's work. Complimented with descriptive text by Arden Reed, and an interview of the artist conducted by Gus Blaisdell, Constance Dejong metal vividly documents the evolution of DeJong's art. Constance DeJong teaches in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of New Mexico.

Seller Inventory # 83346

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Constance Dejong - Metal
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0826333249
• ISBN 13: 9780826333247
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This retrospective account of Constance DeJong's artistic career begins with the Steel Drawings of 1978 and ends with the Four/Three series of 2002. During this period of stylistic and theoretical change in the art world, DeJong's is a story of invention within consistency, as each new series grows out of the preceding one in unexpected ways. DeJong is sensitive to metal, which she employs not as a tool but for its own sake. She is a poet of steel and copper, of stain and patina, plying the boundary between sculpture and painting. She brings out the denseness of metal but also dissolves its heft. Her compositions are at once hard-edged and mysterious; her Light Drawings use empty space to do the work of metal sheets. She works with line to wed the illusory character of painting to the substance of metal. This rich collection of photos captures the essence of DeJong's work. Complimented with descriptive text by Arden Reed, and an interview of the artist conducted by Gus Blaisdell, Constance Dejong metal vividly documents the evolution of DeJong's art. Constance DeJong teaches in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of New Mexico.

Review

"Along with author Arden Reed's insightful essays, the large format and excellent reproductions give the reader a clear image of DeJong's work." "DeJong is sensitive to metal, which she employs not as a tool but for its own sake. Her work is poetic. . . .The photographs are so beautifully reproduced that you want to touch the surface of the page to be sure that the tactile qualities you see are really in a photograph. The photographs make this book a treasure." "DeJong's work involves the use of metals such as steel, aluminum, and copper, and surface treaments such as stains, paint, sulfur, and nitrate. The result is works that are austere, refined, and mysterious. Stunning photographs of the artist's work highlight this book."