ABSTRACT

I am indebted first to Thomas B. Hess and James Fitzsimmons, the editors of Artnews and Art International, who encouraged me to publish the essays and reviews that led, years later, to this book. I am equally grateful for the encouragement I have received from Elizabeth C. Baker, the editor of Art in America.

chapter |3 pages

Introduction

part 1

The American Infinite

chapter |5 pages

1

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2

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3

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4

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5

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6

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7

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8

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9

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10

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11

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12

chapter

13

part 2|31 pages

The Action Painter

chapter |8 pages

14

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15

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16

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17

part 3|44 pages

Fragments of the Ordinary

chapter |7 pages

18

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19

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20

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21

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22

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23

part 4|12 pages

A Dazzling Continuum

chapter |10 pages

24

part 5|32 pages

Glamour and Death

chapter |7 pages

25

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26

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27

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28

part 6|49 pages

The Quest for Purity

chapter |5 pages

29

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30

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31

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32

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33

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34

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35

part 7|41 pages

From Doldrums to Boom

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36

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37

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38

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39

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40

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Epilogue