Duke University Press Marshall Plan Modernism - Duke University Press Art Book

Explore the evolution of Italian postwar abstraction with Marshall Plan Modernism. Published by Duke University Press, this volume provides a deep look into how abstract painting and the monochrome movement signaled a departure from fascist-associated futurism. Jaleh Mansoor examines the social transitions of postwar Italy through the lens of radical new artistic methods. This publication offers a fresh perspective on the work of legendary artists including Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, and Piero Manzoni. Rather than viewing the physical violence of Fontana's slit canvases, Burri's burnt plastics, or Manzoni's achromes as simple metaphors for World War II trauma, Mansoor connects these procedural choices to the history of the medium itself. It is an essential resource for students and historians interested in the intersection of art, politics, and social change in mid-century Europe.