Peter Hassrick (1941–2019)

The book was published in conjunction with the exhibition "Unending Frontier: The Art of the West" organised by the Grand Rapids Art Museum in 2006. Following the foreword and other introductions there are four essays: first that of the title of the book; then "Home of Native Peoples and Transecting Cultures"; "Western Progress and Its Evolving Myths"; "Eanger Irving Couse: Michigan to New Mexico". The book concludes with a Checklist of the Exhibition; Suggested Reading; and finally notes on the Authors.

The essays are very much rooted in the "place", and chronicle the development of the Art of the West, making direct reference to the work in the exhibition. The text is illustrated with the work from the exhibition, with the relevant images usually on the same page as the text to which they relate. There are about 50 works from the exhibition's total of 74 illustrated in the book, predominately paintings but with a few bronzes, all are in full colour.

The large square (11" x 11") format of the book allows for some of the images to be reproduced to a good size, almost filling the age, but many of the landscape proportioned pictures do not fare so well, and occupy often less than half a page. The printing quality is very good, with the colours rich and strong, and the book is attractively laid out. What is without question is the beauty of the paintings, some familiar, others less so, making this a very appealing publication.… (meer)

This comprehensive account of the life and work of one of the founder members of the Taos Society of Artists demonstrates the artist's role not just in Taos or Western art, but also the influence he brought to bear on the wider American art scene.

The various essays look at the artist's background, his early work as an illustrated, and his development as a painter. They consider the influences on his work including his musical training, and his part in the preservation of the American Indian culture.

This is a substantial, authoritative and well documented study. The book includes a chronology, bibliography, exhibition check-list, copious notes to the text, and a full index. It is also well illustrated with around 100 full colour plates of the artist's not too prolific output, along with numerous monochrome pictures and photographs.

This substantial tome is beautifully designed and produced, and claims to provide to most comprehensive assemblage of the artist's work ever published. It is certainly a handsome and informative book.… (meer)