Coney Island
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Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008
Edited by Robin Jaffee Frank; With contributions by Charles Denson, Josh Glick, John F. Kasson, and Charles Musser
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Format: HC - Paper over BoardPrice: $35.00
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A captivating look at Coney Island and its iconic place in the history of American art
Called “America’s playground,” Coney Island is a world-famous resort and national cultural symbol that has inspired music, literature, and films. This groundbreaking book is the first to look at the site’s enduring status as inspiration for artists throughout the ages, from its inception as an elite seaside resort in the mid-19th century, to its evolution into an entertainment mecca for the masses, with the eventual closing of its iconic amusement park, Astroland, in 2008 after decades of urban decline. How artists chose to portray Coney Island between 1861 and 2008—in tableaux of wonder and menace, hope and despair, dreams and nightmares—mirrored the aspirations and disappointments of the era.
This dazzling catalogue highlights more than 200 images from Coney Island’s history, including paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, posters, film stills, architectural artifacts, and carousel animals. An extraordinary array of artists is represented, from George Bellows, William Merritt Chase, Reginald Marsh, and Joseph Stella to Diane Arbus, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Frank, Red Grooms, Weegee, and Swoon. Essays by prominent scholars analyze Coney Island through its imagery and ephemera as both a place and an idea—one that reflected the collective soul of the nation.
Called “America’s playground,” Coney Island is a world-famous resort and national cultural symbol that has inspired music, literature, and films. This groundbreaking book is the first to look at the site’s enduring status as inspiration for artists throughout the ages, from its inception as an elite seaside resort in the mid-19th century, to its evolution into an entertainment mecca for the masses, with the eventual closing of its iconic amusement park, Astroland, in 2008 after decades of urban decline. How artists chose to portray Coney Island between 1861 and 2008—in tableaux of wonder and menace, hope and despair, dreams and nightmares—mirrored the aspirations and disappointments of the era.
This dazzling catalogue highlights more than 200 images from Coney Island’s history, including paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, posters, film stills, architectural artifacts, and carousel animals. An extraordinary array of artists is represented, from George Bellows, William Merritt Chase, Reginald Marsh, and Joseph Stella to Diane Arbus, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Frank, Red Grooms, Weegee, and Swoon. Essays by prominent scholars analyze Coney Island through its imagery and ephemera as both a place and an idea—one that reflected the collective soul of the nation.
Published in association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Exhibition Schedule:
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art(01/31/15–05/31/15)
San Diego Museum of Art(07/11/15–10/13/15)
Brooklyn Museum(11/20/15–03/13/16)
McNay Art Museum, San Antonio
(05/11/16–09/11/16)
Robin Jaffee Frank is chief curator and Krieble Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art(01/31/15–05/31/15)
San Diego Museum of Art(07/11/15–10/13/15)
Brooklyn Museum(11/20/15–03/13/16)
McNay Art Museum, San Antonio
(05/11/16–09/11/16)
ISBN: 9780300189902
Publication Date: February 17, 2015
Publishing Partner: Published in association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Publication Date: February 17, 2015
Publishing Partner: Published in association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
304 pages, 9 1/2 x 11
228 color + 77 b/w illus.
228 color + 77 b/w illus.
