The Figure ─ Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture: Contemporary Perspectives

This book is a celebration of figurative art, essential to those interested in both traditional techniques and the latest developments in the art of the figure. An expansive survey of contemporary figurative art, The Figure showcases work by acclaimed artists including Jenny Saville, Eric Fischl, and Will Cotton alongside emerging talents. Artists’ texts and essays by distinguished critics, writers, and thinkers chart the evolution of figurative techniques, from the atelier to the use of photography, Photoshop, and 3D-modeling programs. Centered on the renowned New York Academy of Art—where many of the featured artists are alumni or instructors—this collection reflects the institution’s mission to instill the rigorous training of past generations within the lively dialogue of the present day. Championed by artists, scholars, and patrons of the arts, including Andy Warhol, since its founding in 1982, the Academy continues to serve as a creative and intellectual center at the vanguard of representational art. With a wealth of imagery displaying some of the finest examples of the genre in all mediums, this richly illustrated volume attests to the enduring appeal of the art of the human figure.

Margaret McCann is a painter, teacher, writer, and curator. Donald Kuspit is an art critic, poet, and professor of art history and philosophy at the SUNY-Stony Brook and professor of art history at the School of Visual Arts. Irving Sandler is professor of art history at SUNY-Purchase. Writer Bob Colacello is former editor of Andy Warhol’s Interview and a regular contributor to Vanity Fair. David Kratz is a painter and has served as the president of New York Academy of Art since 2009.