Ronald Bladen (1918-1988) is best known for his monumental sculptures. He was regarded as an artistic forerunner by Minimalist artists such as Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt, and Carl Andre. His large objects fill entire rooms, and his themes include the force of gravity, the dynamism of planar surfaces, the impact of scale, and the emotional power of confrontation with the viewer. This first monographic study of Bladen's art connects him to the artistic, intellectual, and social forces of his age. Copiously illustrated, it presents a comprehensive record of his oeuvre and documentary photographs of his working process, in addition to a complete chronology, bibliography, and exhibitions list. AUTHOR: Robert S. Mattison, Marshall R. Metzgar professor at Lafayette College, Easton, PA, is the author of numerous books, articles, and exhibition catalogues on modern art, including Franz Kline: Coal and Steel, Arshile Gorky: Works/Writings, and Robert Rauschenberg: Breaking Boundaries. Sculptor Mark di Suvero is a 2010 National Medal of Arts winner and the recipient of a gold medal from the National Academy of Arts 2013. SELLING POINTS: ? Ronald Bladen (1918-1988) is best known for his monumental sculptures ? Some of his best-known pieces are Earth Drawings, which he created in his early career, and Three Elements, which was featured at the breakthrough exhibition Primary Structures at The Jewish Museum in 1966 ? Bladen's pieces are tributes to the monumentality of sculpture, what the artist called "presence" 50 colour, 20 b/w images
