Garo Z. Antreasian: Reflections on Life and Art - Tapa blanda

"A personal recollection of a renowned artist whose contributions to American printmaking are deservedly and widely valued. Through exploration of his Armenian roots, his family life in the Midwest and Southwest, and the intricate balancing act of a working artist, husband and father, educator, printmaking wizard and painter, Antreasian's autobiography emerges as a particularly American story of innovation, technology, and persistence."--Peter S. Briggs, Helen DeVitt Jones Curator of Art at the Museum of Texas Tech University "Like a wonderful novel or filmed documentary, Antreasian's story guides us through the great moments of the American art century, back and forth between the story of a regular American family and the intellectual world of ideas and academic achievement. His dedication to powerful art both as historic icon and object yet-to-be-made is a tribute to art's ability to engage our passions and understand more richly the world around us." Andrew Connors, curator of art, Albuquerque Museum "Profusely and beautifully illustrated with an impressively detailed commentary."--Midwest Book Review "Antreasian looks to his past to illuminate his process and the origins of that mysterious spark that has moved him to create throughout his life. The book is at once the chronicle of a life as well as a meditation on the things that make us who we are--in Antreasian's case, a tireless, unflaggingly curious creator."--Weekly Alibi

Garo Z. Antreasian (b. 1922) belongs to the great generation of innovators in mid-twentieth-century American art. While influenced by a variety of European artists in his early years, it was his involvement with Tamarind Lithography Workshop starting in 1960 that transformed his work. As Tamarind's founding technical director, he revolutionized the medium of lithography. He discovered how to manipulate the spontaneous possibilities of lithography in the manner of the Abstract Expressionist painters. In addition to reflecting on his work, he writes movingly about his Armenian heritage and its importance in his art, his teaching, and his love affair with all sorts of artistic media. Illustrating his drawings, paintings, and prints, this book reveals Antreasian as a major American artist. This book was made possible in part by generous contributions from the Frederick Hammersley Foundation and Gerald Peters Gallery.