Photo: Eleanore Lazare
"... [a] friend introduced the then comparatively young art critic Clement Greenberg... Marianne seemed to be familiar with his writing and said, on shaking hands, "Oh, the fearless Mr. Greenberg." -- Elizabeth Bishop in Efforts of Affection: A Memoir of Marianne Moore
Clement Greenberg was the greatest art critic of the second half of the 20th century--possibly the greatest art critic of all time. This, of course, is arguable and will remain so, as some of the comments which follow suggest..
This site may not convert Greenberg's detractors, though it may controvert their claims; it presents the opinions of friends, admirers, and sometime critics as well as selections from Greenberg's own writing. Material will be added as it becomes available.
My thanks for support from Greenberg's many friends and especially from his widow, the late Janice Van Horne.
Thanks, in advance, to readers, students, and art lovers. ,Äî Terry Fenton
 Janice Van Horne A COMPLICATED MARRIAGE My Life With Clement Greenberg In paperback and e-book |
Greenberg on Greenberg a
brief autobiography from 1955
Avant Garde and Kitsch (1939)
Modernist Painting
(1960)
Avant Garde Attitudes (1968)
Modern and Postmodern (1979)
Cross-Breeding
of Sculpture 1952. A masterly historical
overview
Collage,
(1959) the pre-eminent essay on Cubism,
the seeds of abstraction, and assemblage. Required
reading.
Hofmann
(1961) a seminal essay on Hans Hofmann,
the great and still underappreciated master
Influences of Matisse (1973)
Catalogue text from an exhibition at Acquavella Galleries, New
York
Detached
Observations (1972) on the history of art
Interview
(1978)
Robert McLaughlin Gallery, re: 1957 Toronto visit and studio practice.
Autonomies
of Art (1980) Life
and art, morality and art, the place of art -- includes link to
RealAudio
Art
Criticism (1981)
On the State of Criticism, from Partisan
Review
Taste (1983) Text
(plus Real Audio) of a talk at Western Michigan University
Interview
(1991)
From The
Edmonton Review,
1996
by
Clement Greenberg. the
book -- out of print for 50 years!
The Man Who Loved Pictures,
1994 a memorial tribute by Terry Fenton
Greenberg the Critic, 2001. An overview by Terry Fenton
The Unconditional Aesthete,
by Darby Bannard,1987, a discussion of Greenberg's contribution
In The Studio by
Sir Anthony Caro, Nov. 2000. Includes link to new Caro web site.
Soulmates in Art
by Peter Harris, Oct 2001. Greenberg and an Australian painter.
The Veteran Critic
by Neil Marshall, Nov. 2000. Judgment; manners, good & ill.
Clement Greenberg by
Kenworth Moffett, 2014. Critical assessment by former friend and
colleague.
Clement Greenberg,
a Memoir by Tim Hilton, from the New Criterion archive,
Sept. 2000
by John Link.
Is decadence upon us?
The
Slippery Slope of Hope -- please send us yours...
GREENBERG, KANT AND
CONTEMPORARY AESTHETICS
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A seminar held June 1-3 2007 at Emma Lake, Saskatchewan, sponsored by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Saskatchewan. The papers by teachers and students of aesthetics from Canada and the United States proved to be serious and sympathetic, a far cry from Greenberg's treatment by the art world during his lifetime. Selected papers from the workshop have been published in a special issue of AE: The Canadian Aesthetics Journal devoted to the workshop proceedings. |
The Greenberg I Knew, 2007.
Keynote address to the Kant/Greenberg seminar
by Terry Fenton
Review by Helen Frankenthaler
of The Harold Letters from Partisan
Review
Journalism 101... 1998 a
review by Piri Halasz of Florence Rubenfeld's Clement Greenberg
Greenberg, A Life
Greenberg
in the 40s; his Critics in the 80s by
Piri Halasz. A detailed examinati
A
Critic and His Critics: the Reception of Clement Greenberg:
A Life by Karen Wilkin
Rubenfeld
Aftermath by Terry Fenton
Against Clembashing by Peter Harris -- the phenomenon isn't confined
to North America.
Beyond
Revisionism: Reconsidering Clement Greenberg's Cold War Politics by Sheila Christophedes
The
Portland
Art Museum acquired Greenberg's art collection, which consists
primarily of gifts from artists, and organized a traveling exhibition
drawn from it. The museum's "past exhibition" site contains
a provocative selection of works from the collection. It's well
done although incomplete and not always well selected. A
must see.
Catalogue available in book format,
text by Karen Wilkin.
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Writing on art |
 An electronic journal of plain talk about new art. |
Includes writing by Darby Bannard and John Link. A rich, well designed site with many links to others. |
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A monthly/bimonthly column of criticism and comment about the current art scene. |
