Joseph Cornell's Theater of the Mind: Selected Diaries, Letters, and Files

Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism

Joseph Cornell's Theater of the Mind: Selected Diaries, Letters, and Files Details

From Library Journal Joseph Cornell seems the perfect 20th-century artist as enigma: he led a frugal life in a small house in Queens, New York, crafting boxes with allusions to 19th-century opera and ballet using scraps of photographs, tiny objects, and found materials in framed combinations that place him among the best of modern artists. Caws has carefully selected about 1/30th of Cornell's diary entries; included many of his letters, which read like poems; added bits and pieces of file materials; and given us a view of the artist's quiet, cautious, and mysterious world in his own words. Caws's introduction and occasional sidebars explaining the context and timing of Cornell's writings are welcome contributions for the reader. Lovingly designed, and as understated as the artist , the book has only one flaw: its limited use of visuals, which might have served to connect the subtle beauty of his art and the ethereal tone of his writings. Recommended for academic, public, and museum libraries.- David Bryant, New Canaan P.L., Ct.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more About the Author Mary Ann Caws is Distinguished Professor of English, French, and Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center, City University, of New York. Read more