Robert Kushner: Wild Gardens

With an essay by Michael Duncan. Smyth-sewn casebound with jacket; 24 x 26 cm., 78 color reproductions and 5 color photographs, 120 pp. English text. This book publishes for the first time an extensive collection of New York painter Robert Kushner's most recent floral paintings. Kushner is internationally known for his rich yet contemplative works. An insightful essay by Michael Duncan, contributing editor to Art in America magazine, traces Kushner's gradual aristic evolution over the past six years. Duncan discusses Kushner's diverse Asian sources as well as his long-standing admiration for European and American masters such as Henri Matisse, Georgia O' Keeffe, and John Cage. Duncan identifies the placement of Kushner's opulent paintings within the current dialog of internationalism and its relation to contemporary thought. Many of these works are painted directly on antique Japanese screens and sliding doors. An articulate, humerous essay by the artist discusses his philosophical reasons for painting on these nontraditional surfaces. He also explains his working methods and technical issues of restoration, gilding, and composition. 'Wild Gardens' also includes a biography of the artist.