The Saints Of Modern Art

Asceticism seen as a powerful force in the art and thought of our time.

The saints were the original social justice advocates. This stunning collection of contemporary portraits celebrates their diversity and spiritual depth as never before, accompanied by thoughtful reflections from bestselling and influential writers. “This book is profound, insightful, and beautifully disruptive.”—Sarah Bessey, author of the New York Times bestsellers A Rhythm of Prayer and Jesus Feminist Over the centuries, the rich diversity and relevance of the saints has been whitewashed, their images portrayed as expressionless, and the lessons of their lives watered down. But artist, writer, and modern iconographer Gracie Morbitzer is painting the truth. The Modern Saints is a celebration of the divergence of ethnicities, ages, abilities, and practices of spiritual pilgrims who transformed the world, and an invitation to connect with historical icons whose lives have astonishing and inspiring relevance for our present-day. Each entry of this striking collection features a contemporary image of the saint, a re-imagining of the space they might hold in society today, and an inspiring prayer to honor each figure. Readers will appreciate each contribution from our current generation's spiritual thought leaders that illuminate the impact and wisdom each historical saint offers us today. Among forty-eight additional spiritual reflections and original paintings, The Modern Saints presents: • Fr. James Martin’s reflections on the flexibility of St. Ignatius of Loyola to encounter God in everyday life • Tsh Oxenreider's unique appreciation for the endurance of St. Monica with her strong-willed children • Dr. Christena Cleveland's praise for St. Catherine of Alexandria’s fight for intersectional justice • Kirby Hoberg’s inspiration from the resilience of St. Kateri—the first indigenous American to be canonized—who overcame personal humiliation to cultivate love in her community With its unique portraits and compelling narrative, this 52-week collection is perfect for devotional reading, as it will move, encourage, and strengthen each reader as they find solidarity and profound belonging within the host of saints.

A cultural history of a famous collaboration, Virgil Thomson's and Gertrude Stein's making of the modernist opera, Four Saints in Three Acts. Watson explores the transatlantic, commercial, racial, gay, and artistic aspects of this story (NewYork/Paris, with Kansas City thrown in for fun; Thomson's score echoes the very American rhythms of his youth). Juicy, smart, and sophisticated writing and analysis.

This comprehensive collection of the most enduring and enigmatic saints brings them to life through iconography, art, and story. Each profile includes a biography with canonization, patronage, feast dates, and prayers to and about each saint in a beautiful full-color format.

This book demonstrates that numerous prominent artists in every period of the modern era were expressing spiritual interests when they created celebrated works of art. This magisterial overview insightfully reveals the centrality of an often denied and misunderstood element in the cultural history of modern art.

This lively work of cultural history tells the stories of five young art patrons who, in the last 1920s and 1930s, were instrumental in bringing modern painting, sculpture, and dance to America. A combination of wealth, Harvard education privilege, and family connections enabled Lincoln Kirstein, Edward M. M. Warburg, Agnes Mongan, James Thrall Soby, and A. Everett (Chick) Austin, Jr., to introduce the work of Picasso, Balanchine, Calder, and other important artists to the United States.

An entertaining coming-of-age memoir from Steven Heller, award-winning designer, writer, and former senior art director at the New York Times. Featuring 100 color photographs, Growing Up Underground takes readers on a visually inspired look back on being at the center of New York's youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s. Steven Heller's memoir is no chronological trek through the hills and valleys of his comparatively "normal" life, but instead, a coming-of-age tale whereby, with luck and circumstance, he found himself in curious and remarkable places at critical times during the 1960s and ‘70s in New York City. Heller's delightful account of his life between the ages of 16 and 26 shows his ambitious journey from the start of his illustrious career as a graphic designer, cartoonist, and writer. Follow his journey through stints at the New York Review of Sex, Screw, and the New York Free Press, until he became the youngest art director (and occasional illustrator) for the New York Times Op-Ed page at age twenty-three.

Religions teach their adherents how to see and feel at the same time; learning to see is not a disembodied process but one hammered from the forge of human need, social relations, and material practice. David Morgan argues that the history of religions may therefore be studied through the lens of their salient visual themes. The Forge of Vision tells the history of Christianity from the sixteenth century through the present by selecting the visual themes of faith that have profoundly influenced its development. After exploring how distinctive Catholic and Protestant visual cultures emerged in the early modern period, Morgan examines a variety of Christian visual practices, ranging from the imagination, visions of nationhood, the likeness of Jesus, the material life of words, and the role of modern art as a spiritual quest, to the importance of images for education, devotion, worship, and domestic life. An insightful, informed presentation of how Christianity has shaped and continues to shape the modern world, this work is a must-read for scholars and students across fields of religious studies, history, and art history.

British artist Michael Landy (b. 1963) is known primarily as an installation artist. His work, along with others associated with the Young British Artists (YBAs), was first catapulted to the world spotlight when it was featured in the notorious Sensation exhibition (1997). His sculptural installations and performances explore political and social themes, such as the nature of consumerism and commodity. In 2009, Landy began a three-year artist residency at the National Gallery, London. He chose to focus his project on representations of saints and their accompanying stories, often gruesome, which were once part of common culture but are now largely unknown. Landy's preoccupation with recycling narratives and repurposing imagery results in Saints Alive, the subject of this book, conceived to include drawings, collages, and a series of kinetic, interactive sculptures with moving parts and sounds. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The National Gallery, London(05/23/13-11/24/13)