David Smith in Two Dimensions: Photography and the Matter of Sculpture - Hardcover

Sarah Hamill is Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at Oberlin College.

"Sarah Hamill's David Smith in Two Dimensions makes a decisive contribution to our understanding of one of the greatest modern sculptors by focusing attention—to all intents and purposes, for the first time—on the surprisingly important role of photography in his practice and thinking. All future students of Smith's art will be in her debt."—Michael Fried, Johns Hopkins University

"This unusually intelligent and illuminating analysis of David Smith’s photographs significantly redefines our understanding of the artist’s sculptural oeuvre. It is not just about the relation between his photography and his sculpture. Rather, it demonstrates in a way that no previous study has done how Smith’s often-experimental photographic imaging was integral to his sculptural practice."—Alexander Potts, University of Michigan

"Hamill’s exploration of the vital significance of photography to David Smith’s sculpture will alter the understanding of this great artist’s work. She shows the purposefulness with which he photographed his sculpture and how his photography amplified his dialogues with other influential modernists, such as Rosso, Brancusi, and Moore. Her analysis of Smith’s color photographs leads to a welcome revision of the language around his paint on steel. This astute and probing study reveals an artist of staggering intentionality and invention."—Michael Brenson, Bard College

"Sarah Hamill's David Smith in Two Dimensions makes a decisive contribution to our understanding of one of the greatest modern sculptors by focusing attention to all intents and purposes, for the first time on the surprisingly important role of photography in his practice and thinking. All future students of Smith's art will be in her debt." Michael Fried, Johns Hopkins University

"This unusually intelligent and illuminating analysis of David Smith s photographs significantly redefines our understanding of the artist s sculptural oeuvre. It is not just about the relation between his photography and his sculpture. Rather, it demonstrates in a way that no previous study has done how Smith s often-experimental photographic imaging was integral to his sculptural practice." Alexander Potts, University of Michigan

"Hamill s exploration of the vital significance of photography to David Smith s sculpture will alter the understanding of this great artist s work. She shows the purposefulness with which he photographed his sculpture and how his photography amplified his dialogues with other influential modernists, such as Rosso, Brancusi, and Moore. Her analysis of Smith s color photographs leads to a welcome revision of the language around his paint on steel. This astute and probing study reveals an artist of staggering intentionality and invention." Michael Brenson, Bard College