Alexis Rockman A Fable for Tomorrow
Joanna Marsh. With contributions by Kevin J. Avery and Thomas Lovejoy
Published by GILES in association with Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Publish Date — March 2011 (UK and USA)
Dimensions — 176 pages, 292 x 241 mm (9½ x 11½ in.), portrait
Illustrations — 120 colour
Hardback price — UK£35.00 / US$49.95
ISBN — 978-1-904832-86-7
Trade Orders — Please visit our Trade Orders section
Press Release — First major survey of a modern visionary artist
News — Alexis Rockman is Editor’s Pick
— Alexis Rockman: A Fable for Tomorrow one of the...
Sales Points
“This is not a book for the faint- or soft-hearted. But it is filled with thought-provoking, unforgettable images.” Natural History Magazine
“The book is exceedingly enjoyable reading for modern and contemporary art enthusiasts as well as individuals interested in the natural sciences.” Stan Parchin, Art Museum Journal
“These paintings are the work of a modern Hieronymous Bosch who is concerned with environmental degradation and resiliency rather than human salvation and damnation. If you are interested in art as well as environmental science, this book is for you” Glenn Suter, IEAM Journal
“Able to lament the tragedy of nature’s disruption and glory in the vitality of its survivors, Alexis Rockman is the perfect artist for the anthropocene.” Brandon Keim, wired.com
About the Book
Alexis Rockman: A Fable for Tomorrow features 47 artworks from private and public collections that trace the artist's career from Pond’s Edge (1986) to The Reef (2009), with its timely reminder of the fragile ecosystems that lie just out of sight but never out of danger. Inspired by nineteenth-century landscape painting, science fiction film, and firsthand field study, Rockman’s paintings proffer a vision of the natural world that is equal parts fantasy and empirical fact.
This vividly illustrated volume highlights the artist’s unique synthesis of art and science, along with his meticulous attention to detail and striking use of colour. Rockman’s three monumental paintings—Evolution, Manifest Destiny, and South—exemplify the boundless imagination and extraordinary skill that go into every painting. The compelling mix of intensely coloured realism, scientific detail, and environmental concerns results in a stunning body of work that is a reflection of our times and a portent of events to come.
Author Joanna Marsh examines the evolution of Rockman’s career over three decades, convincingly linking his artistic development to the history of America’s environmental movement. Rockman’s ability to blur the boundary between fact and fiction appeals to both scientists and art critics. In two further essays art historian Kevin Avery considers the nineteenth-century-painting references in Rockman’s work, and Thomas Lovejoy offers the perspective of an expert on biodiversity and climate change.
Accompanies the exhibition Alexis Rockman: A Fable for Tomorrow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010 – May 8, 2011, travelling to the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, September 24, 2011 - January 1, 2012.
