Sunday 11 December 2016

The Primacy of Your Eye

The Primacy of Your Eye is a fascinating book by author, artist and qualified art historian Allan W. Beckett.

It is a handbook that belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with even a passing acquaintance and interest in art and really should be owned by every public library, school library and university library in the country.

This will make a superb stocking filler for every art student and every lover of art.

He has researched for this book by watching people in art galleries. He acknowledges that they clearly enjoy what they are seeing on the walls of the art galleries, but believes they move too quickly from one work of art to another because they are unsure of what they should be looking for.

Beckett looks in broad depth at every topic that he has covered in his book, in an attempt to open the eye of the viewer of art to come to an understanding of the history of art, what the artist's intentions may well have been, what approaches they would have taken to their subjects and the varied array of artistic techniques and styles they would have used.

He also examines the influences that would have informed the work of the artists, from the early Renaissance period right through to modern times with contemporary art, via Modernism.

It is is intention -and a noble one, at that- to help people learn to appreciate the art in the world, but to do this in a non-threatening and non-elitist fashion.

The book is well-illustrated and the author executes his intention with a deft touch and a very welcome panache.

It is published by Matador at £12.99 and is available for purchase here >>> https://goo.gl/m5aVoo.

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