Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity
The author, a painter, art historian, and lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy, Amman, Jordan, divides this volume into two parts. The first examines country by country the development of contemporary art in Arab society, proceeding chronologically from the time when Western standards of painting began to develop. Countries not subject to the Umayyed or Abbasid dynasties, when the artistic traditions of Islam were established, are not included. This is a shame, because including them would have given a more complete picture of Islamic art and its impact on traditional Islam. Part 2 discusses how contemporary artists have searched for an art form that expressed their needs and how various art movements joined to create the Contemporary Calligraphic School of Art. Within the framework she has defined, Ali has provided a very useful resource. One hopes that this study will spawn others examining each contemporary movement in detail and in the wider context of contemporary Islamic societies.AMartin Chasin, Adult Inst. Bridgeport, CTCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.