The Shape of Content

by Ben Shahn

Book Overview

In his 1956-57 Charles Eliot Norton Lectures, the Russian-born American painter Ben Shahn sets down his personal views of the relationship of the artist--painter, writer, composer--to his material, his craft, and his society. He talks of the creation of the work of art, the importance of the community, the problem of communication, and the critical theories governing the artist and his audience.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674805704
• ISBN13: 9780674805705
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

The Shape of Content

"The Shape of Content" should be required reading for any serious artist, no matter what the venue. I bought and read this when it first came out and have passed on a few copies over the years. Ben Shahn clearly defines what is necessary for the development of anyone planning a career in the arts.

What is Art?

What's good about this book is that it defines art and discusses what it should be. Shahn says art is conventional and noncomformist, and it should be objective and subjective. The definition of art is the key point I found useful. I did, however, think that he could've kept it a little shorter. He digresses a lot. It's still a quick read (131pgs). I recommend this book to artists, whether writer, painter, etc., who are having trouble finding subject matter to depict or are unsure about what appeals to audiences.

The Creative Process

This book is one of the clearest explanations of the creative process of an artist available anywhere. Shahn speaks of painting, of course, but his lucid, interesting text, his ideas and explorations, apply to artists in any field. Highly recommended.

One of the few truly great primary sources on Modern Art

Ben Shan's "The Shape of Content" in many ways truly defines the thinking of artists in a time that might be considered the height of modern american painting and art. It is an enormously human and genuine dialogue on art of the fifties. Few books so clearly establish how and why one becomes an artist. It is written with soul, intelligence, and great humanism while totally avoiding the sophistry of the critics and journalists writing about art at that time in American society. A great book!

An excellent collection of essays on art by an artist.

Based on a series of six lectures given by Shahn at Harvard University in the 1950's, this collection gives an overview of Shahn's ideas and opinions on such topics as the education of artists, the creative process, the nonconformity of artists, and appraisals of various modern art movements and artists. Shahn is a surprisingly gifted writer. His arguments are clearly reasoned and his tone is that of an art historian or philosopher. At the same time, the book is an intimate look at Shahn the artist. It is illustrated with numerous pen and ink sketches by Shahn