Wholesale Shape of Content

Shape of Content by Ben Shahn The clearest, most forceful statement on art by an artist of our time that I have read. —Frank Getlein, New Republic An illustrated guide to artistic creation from one of the twentieth century's most provocative and expressive painters. Can art be taught? For the celebrated activist-painter Ben Shahn, the answer was a qualified yes. Any would-be artist can take a few courses and dip their toes in the water. But a true education goes far beyond the classroom. The Shape of Content, compiled from Shahn's 1956-1957 Norton Lectures, appeals for artists to break the confines of formal instruction. In wide-ranging reflections on art history, the problems of form, and his own career, Shahn conveys the stubborn determination required to move beyond dilettantism and toward an authentic voice.