Ralston Crawford: Air & Space & War
American art underwent a transformation in the period 1940–55, and nowhere is that change better exemplified than in the work of Ralston Crawford (1906–1978). Crawford’s painting during the 1930s had largely been a series of dazzling Precisionist works that reflected advances in industry and engineering. After the United States entered World War II, Crawford served in the Weather Division of the Army Air Forces. He created pictorial representations of weather patterns for pilots, and was exposed to countless photographs of air crashes. He continued working as an artist throughout the conflict, receiving a commission to paint the Curtiss-Wright aircraft plant in Buffalo, New York, and, in 1946, an assignment from Fortune magazine to record one of the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. These experiences had a profound impact on Crawford, and marked a major turning point in his life and art. This exciting new book presents a remarkable selection of Crawford’s paintings, drawings, photographs and prints from this pivotal time. Accompanying the artworks are five perceptive essays that consider Crawford’s war years in the context of developments in both aviation and American art; the evolution of his aerial imagery throughout the 1940s; his visual storytelling, particularly his work for Fortune; his use of photography and lithography; and early 20th-century paintings of aircraft and flight as a means by which to explore how aviation redefined our understanding of air, space and war.
| Weight | 1.845000 |
|---|---|
| ISBN13/Barcode | 9781858946917 |
| ISBN10 | 1858946913 |
| Author | William C Agee, John Crawford, Rick Kinsel |
| Binding | Hardback |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 11th March 2021 |
| Pages | 232 |
| Publisher | Merrell Publishers |
Rick Kinsel, Emily Schuchardt Navratil, Amanda C. Burdan, Jerry N. Smith and John Crawford
American art underwent a transformation in the period 1940–55, and nowhere is that change better exemplified than in the work of Ralston Crawford (1906–1978). Crawford’s painting during the 1930s had largely been a series of dazzling Precisionist works that reflected advances in industry and engineering. After the United States entered World War II, Crawford served in the Weather Division of the Army Air Forces. He created pictorial representations of weather patterns for pilots, and was exposed to countless photographs of air crashes. He continued working as an artist throughout the conflict, receiving a commission to paint the Curtiss-Wright aircraft plant in Buffalo, New York, and, in 1946, an assignment from Fortune magazine to record one of the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. These experiences had a profound impact on Crawford, and marked a major turning point in his life and art. This exciting new book presents a remarkable selection of Crawford’s paintings, drawings, photographs and prints from this pivotal time. Accompanying the artworks are five perceptive essays that consider Crawford’s war years in the context of developments in both aviation and American art; the evolution of his aerial imagery throughout the 1940s; his visual storytelling, particularly his work for Fortune; his use of photography and lithography; and early 20th-century paintings of aircraft and flight as a means by which to explore how aviation redefined our understanding of air, space and war.
An illuminating new study of the artist Ralston Crawford, focusing on his wartime experiences and the influence of aviation on his work
With contributions from experts on American modernism and Crawford scholars, including his son John
Accompanies an exhibition opening at the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in June 2021, then travelling
Published in association with the Vilcek Foundation, New York