Art Historian and Scholar Alexander Nemerov on the Art of the West and the Greatest American Artwork
Update: 2024-11-13
Description
Our third of four Bill Lane Center for the American West podcasts featured Stanford's Alex Nemerov in conversation with Michael Krasny. The discussion began with what makes Western art distinctive and what captured Alex's imagination. Michael then explored Alex's approach to curating art exhibitions and discussed the influences of Alex's father, celebrated poet Howard Nemerov, and his aunt, iconic pioneer photographer Diane Arbus. This led to a discussion of Susan Sontag's book on photography and photography's status as fine art. The conversation then broadened to explore various themes: women artists, Jasper Johns, the universal and spiritual elements in art, solipsism, art for the marketplace versus art for art's sake, and socially purposeful versus aesthetic art. Alex shared both personal and professional perspectives on art's power—from its inward transformative and transfiguring effects to its broader meaning and potential as a world-changing agent. The interview concluded with a discussion of kindness, and Alex revealed what he considers the greatest work in American art.
Comments
Top Podcasts
The Best New Comedy Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best News Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Business Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Sports Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New True Crime Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Dan Bongino Show Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Mark Levin Podcast – June 2024
In Channel