Title: Color-Field Paintings
Authors: Fiore Ai and Fleur Yano
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5245-8912-7
Pages: 74
Genre: Art
Reviewed by: Beth Adam

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Being raised in New York City, my family had a membership to the Museum of Modern Art, and I would frequently visit, witnessing first-hand the evolution of modern art from the days of Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein, Alexander Calder and others. Artist Fiore Ai has established her niche in this genre of art with her collection of collagraphs, mostly done in the early-to-mid 1970’s. The artist Fiore Ai and her co-author Fleur Yano have assembled a collection of paintings and narrations which are chronically presented in their book, appropriately titled, Color-Field Paintings.

Unique in the way her collagraphs use printing or painting on a surface such as Masonite, metal or magnetic tape, then adhered to a backing; this type of art enables lines and shades of color to have sharp edges, and in the case of magnetic tape, be able to be altered. Readers can see the evolution of detail and complexity of Fiore Ai’s work from her early variations of blocks, vertical zones and shades of color in her work done in 1971 to her Prisma Series in 1974. I personally was astonished by her Prisma Series and Planetary Series due to the amazing use of colors, light and shapes which seem to be simultaneously both complex and simple.

Aside from the beautiful works of art, the galley text offers a narration of each of the collagraphs. It is written so intelligently it is as if a curator at the museum or a professor of art appreciation at a university is addressing an audience viewing each painting. Paging this book was reminiscent of the times I would walk down the spiral of the Guggenheim Museum watching and learning about each of the masterpieces exhibited. Effortlessly reading and viewing Color-Field Paintings created a similar relaxation and brain teasing feeling. As with most all art, having the viewer categorize and disseminate the meaning or feeling is an individual experience. Fiore Ai’s creations allow for so much interpretation that many minutes can easily be taken simply looking into each piece. Unfortunately, due to the limitation of printing or viewing on a computer monitor, the sizing aspect the variations of work is lost; some smaller works are the same size as much larger ones in the book.

This book is excellent. The artwork is unique and the curation is perfect. It educates the readers to much of the history of modern art while opening their minds to the work of Fiore Ai. The printed version of Color-Field Paintings is my recommendation, so it can be on a coffee table, bookshelf or nightstand, easily opened and viewed. As a picture is worth 1,000 words, this book can take hours upon hours to enjoy.