William Blake and the Age of Aquarius
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
William Blake and the Age of Aquarius Details
Review "In 1948, in a Spanish Harlem apartment, the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg had an auditory hallucination of Blake reciting 'Ah Sun-flower!' and other mind-altering verses. That vision changed Ginsberg’s life, and Blake became a touchstone figure for many radical American artists of the 1950s and his destroy-all-tyrants radar continued to burn through the 1960s. It would certainly find appropriate targets today, as is confirmed by this excellent book, the catalog for an exhibition at the Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University."---Holland Cotter, New York Times"A handsomely designed book . . . including an excellent historical overview."---Albert Rivero, Times Literary Supplement"William Blake and the Age of Aquarius is the most intriguing book on Blake since Marsha Keith Schuchard’s expose of him as a swinger."---Dominic Green, The Spectator"One of the The New York Times Best Art Books of 2017, chosen by Holland Cotter""The works of William Blake gradually but conclusively made its way into the poetry of Allen Ginsberg, the principles of Jim Morrison and The Doors, incantations from Van Morrison, and the religious work of Bob Dylan. Indeed, Blake has been everywhere and nowhere at the same time, perhaps just as he would have wanted it to be. William Blake and the Age of Aquarius--a beautiful volume published in conjunction with Northwestern University's Block Museum of Art exhibition of the same name--wonderfully, strikingly, fantastically puts this formidable artist/ poet/ visionary into a logical context. . . . Those familiar with William Blake's work will welcome the considerations of his legacy as seen through visual and auditory art since the mid-20th century through today. Those unfamiliar with Blake should still be fascinated by how the man's work has drifted through the ages without losing much of its power. No reader of this book will come away from it unmoved and indifferent to the potential of the artistic sensibility as it comes to terms with light, dark, and everything in between."---Christopher John Stephens, PopMatters"One of the most stunning books of art I have ever seen and read. I highly suggest this book to everyone."---Anna Maria Polidori, Al Femminile"Honorable Mention for the 2018 PROSE Award in Art Exhibitions, Association of American Publishers" Read more Review "A timely book that provides fresh perspective on the art of the 1960s. Much as it did for the artists and activists of the Beat and hippie generations, Blake's visionary antiestablishment thought and work can perhaps again offer a reference point for those today who are struggling to produce an artistic response appropriate to the new century's demands."―Michael Archer, author of Art Since 1960"This is a jewel of a book. It revisits the searing and soaring works of Blake through their reincarnation in the 1960s counterculture, deepening the understanding of both."―Daniel Herwitz, author of The Star as Icon: Celebrity in the Age of Mass Consumption Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
By far one of the most intelligent and well researched studies of Blake and his influence across the centuries in all Art History. I had the great fortune of seeing the exhibition several times ... which was glorious.But, this book is easily accessible for anyone interested in the subject, whether you begin with Blake or with the art of the Age of Aquarius. It brilliantly spans the centuries -- poetry, fine art, music, photography and video.