The first book devoted to the enigmatic and thought-provoking drawings and watercolors of Carmen Cicero--in a handsome oversize format Carmen Cicero (b. 1926) is now in the midst of his seventh decade at the cutting edge of contemporary art. His early Abstract Expressionist works of the 1950s, collected by the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, and other major museums, later evolved into clearly defined, dreamlike images indebted to Surrealist automatism. In the 1960s, Cicero was one of the first members of the American avant-garde to return to figuration, pursuing, through the 1970s and '80s, a figurative expressionist style. This developed into his more recent "visionary" mode, in which he depicts, with a startling clarity, mysterious scenes animated by multiple contradictory feelings--unfulfilled desires, jealousy, despair, and isolation--as well as a generous dose of humor. Throughout his entire artistic evolution, drawing has remained central to Cicero's practice, allowing him to depict the products of his fertile imagination with a vivid immediacy--a tendency that has continued with his watercolors, which he focused on seriously beginning in 1980. This oversize volume presents a generous selection of drawings and watercolors from every stage of Cicero's career. The drawings are printed on an uncoated stock that recalls the artist's favored Arches watercolor paper; many appear at close to their actual size.

The watercolors are printed on a coated art paper for the greatest vibrancy. An essay by critic David Ebony brings out the pathos, humor, and consummate skill of Cicero's art, while a foreword by art historian Annette Blaugrund takes the reader inside Cicero's studios and working methods. An interview with the artist; a detailed chronology with review excerpts; and reprints of critical essays by Lowery Stokes Sims, Donald Kuspit, and Robert Berlind further add to the value of this work, which will be an essential acquisition for any library of American art.