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CONTACT: Nicki Clendening
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CALIFORNIA LIGHT
A Century of Landscapes
By Jean Stern and Molly Siple
In association with the California Art Club
Hardcover / 264 pages / 11” x 10” / 300 color illustrations / $50 U.S.
ISBN: 978-0-8478-3625-3 / Publication date: April 2011
“From the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the desolate splendor of the Mojave Desert; from the wildflower-covered coastal hills to the countless, secluded valleys; from the dazzling beaches of the south to the rocky coves of the north; all these vistas were ideal subjects for the landscape painters who first came to California over a hundred and thirty years ago.” –Jean Stern, from California Light
At the dawn of the twentieth century, California became home to artists who came to paint the state’s awe-inspiring natural landscapes “en plein air”, an Impressionistic style in which painters work outdoors in order to capture the ephemeral moment of natural lighting across a landscape. In 1909 the California Art Club was founded and since then this society of artists, patrons, and visionaries have worked to capture the beauty of California’s landscapes in resplendent plein air paintings. A first-of-its-kind monograph, CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes, by Jean Stern and Molly Siple, offers up a comprehensive look at this esteemed society’s paintings over the past one hundred years.
Divided into two main sections, the first half of the book addresses the beginnings of “Art in California, 1880-1925: A Perspective” and offers a historical narrative on the inception of painting the California landscape. The second half of the book, “A New Chapter for Plein Air”, picks up the narrative and offers a contemporary account of the club members’ paintings to-date, as well as efforts to educate art enthusiasts about California’s rich art heritage.
Celebrating a century of unique artwork, CALIFORNIA LIGHT presents over 300 impeccable images of the art club’s masterworks, including unforgettable paintings of California’s stunning and varied beauty—desert vistas, plunging coastlines, verdant vineyards, charming towns, and snow-topped mountains. It’s a must-have for any art enthusiast!
Beginning in February 2011, The California Art Club will mark its historic 100th anniversary by paying tribute to a century of landscape paintings with a series of art exhibitions to be held at museums and historic sites throughout California. Venues for the Painting the Golden State exhibitions include the Bakersfield Museum of Art in Bakersfield, California Historical Society in San Francisco, Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, Oceanside Museum of Art in Oceanside, Pasadena Museum of California Art in Pasadena and San Luis Obispo Museum of Art in San Luis Obispo, as well as the California Art Club Gallery at The Old Mill in San Marino. Further information may be found at: www.californiaartclub.org
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Jean Stern is the executive director of The Irvine Museum. An authority on California Impressionism, he coauthored California: This Golden Land of Promise and has contributed to several books about California artists. He also appears in the PBS documentary series Impressions of California: Early Currents in Art, 1850–1930. Molly Siple is an artist member of the California Art Club. She contributed to the book Enchanted Isle: A History of Plein Air Painting in Santa Catalina Island and has written for magazines such as American Artist and Workshop.
Credit for the book must read: © CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes, Skira New York, 2011. Images from CALIFORNIA LIGHT: A Century of Landscapes may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally, without written permission from the publisher, and must be credited on a case-by-case basis. For information please contact Nicki Clendening at (646) 330-4878 or nclendening@rizzoliusa.com.
California Light: A Century of Landscapes
By Jean Stern and Molly Siple
In association with the California Arts Club
Hardcover / 264 pages / 11″ x 10″ / 300 color illustrations
ISBN: 978-0-8478-3625-3
$50 U.S., $59 Canadian, £35 U.K.
Skira Rizzoli
Publication Date: April 2011
