The American Dream: pop to the present

The title of this accompaniment to an exhibition of the same name at the British Museum seems to indicate a wide-ranging look at American pop art in all media, but in fact, this is strictly an exploration of American printmaking. British Museum curators Coppel and Catherine Daunt and Art in Print editor in chief Susan Tallman provide vivid context to the rise of post-World War II ateliers and their interaction with artists such as Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Chuck Close, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Ed Ruscha, and to lesser-known but brilliant printmakers Richard Bosman, May Stevens, and Lee Lozano. The text and opulent illustrations are organized into 12 sections covering regional influences, artistic styles such as photorealism, abstraction, and minimalism. A series of essays discuss printmaking, feminism, political dissent, gender issues, and racial identity. The brief bibliography covers every artist featured and will aid those seeking more information on the print works as distinct from the artists' works in other media.