Charles Sheeler: Modernism, Precisionism and the Borders of Abstraction

Charles Sheeler was a photographer for the Ford Motor Company and the founder of Precisionism. This book argues that his true relationship to progress was highly negative, his precisionism both skewed and imprecise, and that his late work should be re-evaluated through a shift in our understanding of his work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 226 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Charles Sheeler, the enigmatic poet of the machine age, left an indelible mark on the world through his diverse roles as a photographer for the Ford Motor Company and the visionary founder of the painting movement known as Precisionism. As a champion and defender of the industrialized capitalist ethic, Sheeler is revered as a key figure in American modernism. However, this groundbreaking reassessment challenges the conventional understanding of Sheeler's relationship with progress. By delving into the entirety of his artistic oeuvre, from photography to painting and drawing, author Richard Rawlinson unveils a profound critique of the processes of rationalization and the realities of modernity. Through meticulous analysis, Rawlinson highlights the inconsistencies, curiosities, and puzzles that permeate Sheeler's work, offering a critical perspective on the rationalization of the visual realm. This book goes beyond mere appreciation and seeks to re-evaluate Sheeler's often overlooked late work, suggesting that it can only be fully understood through a radical shift in our understanding of his profound contribution to art.

ISBN-13: 9781032220123