The first time she made a pizza from scratch, art historian Nancy Heller made the observation that led her to write this entertaining guide to contemporary art. Comparing modern art not only to pizzas but also to traditional and children's art, Heller shows us how we can refine analytical tools we already possess to understand and enjoy even the most unfamiliar paintings and sculptures.
 How is a painting like a pizza? Both depend on visual balance for much of their overall appeal and, though both can be judged by a set of established standards, pizzas and paintings must ultimately be evaluated in terms of individual taste. By using such commonsense examples and making unexpected connections, this book helps even the most skeptical viewers feel comfortable around contemporary art and see aspects of it they would otherwise miss. Heller discusses how nontraditional works of art are made--and thus how to talk about their composition and formal elements. She also considers why such art is made and what it "means."
 At the same time, Heller reassures those of us who have felt uncomfortable around avant-garde art that we don't have to like all--or even any--of it. Yet, if we can relax, we can use the aesthetic awareness developed in everyday life to analyze almost any painting, sculpture, or installation. Heller also gives concise answers to the eight questions she is most frequently asked about contemporary art--from how to tell when an abstract painting is right side up to which works of art belong in a museum.
 This book is for anyone who agrees with art critic Clement Greenberg that "All profoundly original art looks ugly at first." It's also for anyone who disagrees. It is for anyone who wants to get more out of a museum or gallery visit and would like to be able to say something more than just "yes" or "no" when asked if they like an artist's work.

Why a Painting Is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art

Arts & Photography

Heller, Nancy G.

History & Criticism

Princeton University Press

With its lavish color illustrations―the paintings and sculptures are all reproduced in full color―and numerous documentary pictures of the artists themselves, Women Artists: An Illustrated History provides an unprecedented wealth of visual material on the subject. With coverage of the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium, nearly half of this new edition of Women Artists is now devoted to the remarkable period from 1960 to the present, when women artists emerged as the most dynamic force in contemporary art. New to this edition are innovative contemporary American artists, such as Janine Antoni and Renee Cox, as well as major international figures, including Iran's Shirin Neshat, Shahzia Sikander from Pakistan, and the Icelandic sculptor and performance artist Katrín Sigurdardóttir. As in past editions, all the artists works are represented in large–format color reproductions, and the artists careers are examined in concise critical biographies.

Women Artists: An Illustrated History

Abbeville Press

Beautifully designed and illustrated, Women Artists: Works from the National Museum of Women in the Arts features eighty-six notable women artists who have helped shape the world of art for the past five hundred years, from the Renaissance to the present. Written by the art historian Nancy G. Heller and showcasing the most noteworthy artists and key holdings of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., Women Artists authoritatively records the history of women in art. Among the artists featured are the Italian Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontanta, considered Western Europe's first professional woman artist; the eighteenth-century silversmith Louisa Courtauld of England, one of the most important women of her time in the silver trade; modern-day artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Elizabeth Catlett, and Nan Goldin; and other legendary artists, including Berenice Abbott, Mary Cassatt, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Helen Frankenthaler, Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, María Montoya Martínez, and Georgia O'Keeffe, among many others. Artists' books from the collection are featured in a special section. Women Artists presents the artists and their works in eight sections representing chronological and regional groupings. Each section opens with an introductory essay that places the works in a historical context, providing a general overview of the social and political forces that shaped the era and region in which the works were created. In addition to illustrating the artists' works in full color, Women Artists provides a portrait of each artist, a brief biographical entry, and a discussion of her work. Included is a complete listing of the artists whose works constitute the museum's 2,600 holdings.

Women Artists: Works from the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Rizzoli

Women artists: An illustrated history

Women Artists provides visual material on the subject, with several new international artists added to bring the content up to the minute.

Book by Topping, Brett, Heller, Nancy G., Metzer, Evelyn

The Age of Grandeur and a Woman Who Lived It: Artist Evelyn Metzger

Politics & Social Sciences

Topping, Brett

Metzger, Evelyn Borchard

Women's Studies

Natl Museum of Women in the Arts

Strikingly beautiful and a pleasure to read, Women Artists surveys female painters and sculptors from the Renaissance to the present, illuminating both the obstacles the artists encountered and the contributions they made. 179 illustrations, 132 in full color.

Examines women's contributions to the world of art, and introduces some important women artists

Abbeville Pr

Imaging Dance

Kaeppler, Adrienne L.

Dunin, Elsie Ivancich

Sparti, Barbara

Van Zile, Judy (editors)

Georg Olms Verlag

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Heller, Nancy G.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Heller, Nancy G.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Heller, Nancy G.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Why a Painting Is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art

Why a Painting Is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art

Women Artists: An Illustrated History

Women Artists: Works from the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Women artists: An illustrated history

The Age of Grandeur and a Woman Who Lived It: Artist Evelyn Metzger

Women Artists: An Illustrated History

Women Artists: An Illustrated History

Imaging Dance