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Henry Moore Artwork Catalogue

Primitivism in Twentieth Century Art: affinity of the tribal and the modern

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Primitivism in Twentieth Century Art: affinity of the tribal and the modern
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Bib. Number0000735

Primitivism in Twentieth Century Art: affinity of the tribal and the modern

Place PublishedNew York
Year
Date & Collation.2vols:xvi,343pp+v,344-689pp.Illus.Bibliog.Texts.
LanguageEnglish
More InformationDistributed by New York Graphic Society. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same title at M.O.M.A., Detroit Institute of Arts and Dallas Museum of Art. Prefatory texts and 18 articles on the influence of North American, Oceanic and African objects on modern art and artists.
Vol.2: 594-613(39 illus) Bibliog. WILKINSON Alan G. Henry Moore.
(Notes Moore's wide knowledge of art history, and the introduction to Primitivism through reading Roger Fry's Vision and Design, and being overwhelmed by the sculpture collections in the British Museum. This led to a rejection of the Classical tradition in favour particularly of Pre-Columbian art. Tribal influences came to Moore also through the art of Gaudier-Brzeska and Gauguin, from books and photographs, and from the Epstein collection. Wilkinson analyses Moore's notebooks for drawings based on tribal art, and quotes statements by Moore on the subject. The sources of specific works by Moore are discussed, and placed in the context of other art styles. Drawings of African art were most numerous in the 1920s, while Oceanic art was the dominant tribal influence on Moore's sculpture of the 1930s. Tribal influences are seen in Crowd Looking at a Tied-Up Object, 1942 drawing; and in post-war works like King and Queen, 1952-1953 bronze and Moon Head, 1964 bronze).
Moore is also mentioned in passing in Alan Wilkinson's article on pages 416-451 entitled Paris and London, and in the introductory texts by William Rubin.
Title as printed: Primitivism in 20th Century Art.