MONDRIAN His Life, His Art, His Quest for the Absolute

Patty Nieman's pleasing voice and steady pace keep this biography of painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) interesting. Nieman provides the right amount of expression and manages Dutch and French names with a convincing accent as Mondrian moves from the Netherlands to Paris and London. Mondrian evolved from painting profitable landscapes, portraits, and flowers to his deceptively simple arrangements of black lines and blocks of primary color that upon closer examination reveal hidden depth through harmony and rhythm. A major theorist and founder of the neoplasticist journal DE STIJL (The Style), he created abstractions that inspired modernist graphic design and architecture. Mondrian's eccentric personality was reflected in other aspects of his life such as the fastidious way he would eat a pear and his odd style of dancing. J.E.S © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]