Carolyn Schlam’s More Joy of Art: Keys to Appreciating Art is an art history, art philosophy, and art criticism book all rolled into one. More Joy of Art is the sequel to Carolyn's best-selling book, The Joy of Art which provided the primary tools for readers to decode and appreciate works of art from any period or style. In More Joy she takes the reader into deeper territory, exploring historical references from the standpoint of beauty, authenticity, modernity, originality, perspective and a mysterious quality she refers to as ‘essence’. For the purpose of this article and the journal, we will be discussing the second portion of the book which focuses on contemporary art. In Part II: The Art of Today and Tomorrow, Carolyn elaborates on her specific artistic philosophies such as aesthetics, conceptual communication in art, emotional impulses, taste, and the importance of patronage. These insightful commentaries provide an introduction to the thoughtful art criticism which follows on notable contemporary artists.
The most experimental artists interpreted in More Joy of Art can be found in the works of Bernice Sokol Kramer, Phyllis Hammond, Carrie Pearce, Stephen Maffin, Anna Boothe, and Lola del Fresno. Bernice Sokol Kramer is an assemblage and collage artist who is known for creating humorous sculptures out of discarded materials, the author describes her work as a form of ‘entertainment’ which simultaneously has us ponder on conceptual purposes of peaking the interest of imagination by repurposing obsolete objects (and even literal trash) into “creative visioning…throwing us off the familiar, the ponderous, the correct, and engaging us with something fresh and new and yes, even lighthearted or frivolous”, as described by Carolyn Schlam.
Phyllis Hammond uses an automated process of creating abstract figurative sculptures by scanning drawings which are then processed into a computerized water jet machine which cuts the shapes. The pieces are defined with a hammer and anvil then distributed into a rolling machine. As a result, the ending of such a process produces sculptures which are as futuristic as they are fantastical. Carolyn Schlam’s description of Phyllis Hammond’s work delves into passionate musings which contemplate on the “remarkable and delicate woman creating these works, imagine them sitting on the landscape, in counterpoint to the environment, punctuating it, enlivening it, defining the space”.
Carrie Pearce is a mixed-media artist who creates assemblage consisting of a painting fused with collected conceptual objects related to the portrayed image, such as dolls. The use of beads, doll hair, and a variety of dolls creates a holistic work of art which Carolyn describes as an “intention to deliver a message, not to express her emotions or create beautiful work…We can’t help but question: is this play or is it work? The answer is that it is both, joyful work engendered by a playful spirit. And this surely is the message. Dolly delivers: I am delight”. The author’s entire analysis within the texts has the viewer question the conceptual purpose of the artist’s methods.
Stephen Maffin creates portraiture infused with materials such as plaster and burlap, as a result, his works have an aged, glass, or mosaic-like type of effect which suggests a multi-faceted "precariousness of existence—the fragility of the human being after all”. The immense detail of Stephen Maffin’s work along with the simultaneous fragmentation suggests an artist wishing to push the boundaries of portraiture.
Lola del Fresno is a draftswoman who incorporates the use of swirls and smears on top of what appear to be mastercopies from renaissance or baroque works in pieces such as Mother and Child. Carolyn Schlam cites her work as a “metamorphose [which] suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic; transmute implies transforming into a higher element; convert implies a change or preposterous metamorphosis; and transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies”. The author’s eloquent as well as elegant elaboration of Lola del Fresno’s work infuses an inspirational and analytical style of criticism which remains the peak of More Joy of Art.
Anna Boothe creates raw, ancient-appearing sculptures which are portrayed in configurations such as attaching an archaic-sculpted figure onto a slab of rock. Carolyn Schlam cleverly describes the rocks used in Anna Boothe’s work as representing ‘earth’ and the figure seemingly trying to escape the form of the slab, which the author describes as “the ability to exercise free will”. These particular types of descriptions convey Carolyn Schlam as a writer who investigates not just the conceptual approach of the artist, but also the philosophical as well as the poetic purpose of an artist’s work, which lead to clever interpretations.
Chapter 10 of More Joy of Art titled Living Artists Whose Focus Is on Truth remains one of the most interesting chapters of the book because of the discussions based on clearly defining conceptual art as well as the purpose of communication. The short philosophical excerpt introducing the artists provides a clear distinction between what separates a conceptual artist from other types of art, such as minimalism. Notably and sharply, she describes the absence of painting in conceptual art in which artforms such as minimalism “reduce the elements of visual art to the essentials, conceptual artists went even further and threw away the canvas itself”. Such a precise observation speaks volumes, even in the briefness of the expression, because conceptual art seems to force the artist to incorporate integrative techniques.
Carolyn Schlam’s book More Joy of Art provides the reader with a multi-faceted and well-rounded analysis based in criticism, history, and philosophy. If you are looking for essays which provide philosophical introductions to criticism, More Joy of Art should be the perfect book to sate your appetite. Carolyn Schlam’s written style of passion, vigor, and impactful observations encourages the viewer to see art as a thrilling experience which tickles the senses and invokes emotional reactionary impulses.
More Joy of Art: Keys to Appreciating Art by Carolyn Schlam, published by Allworth Press (a division of Skyhorse Publishing), 2025, ISBN: 9781621538455.
https://www.amazon.com/More-Joy-Art-Keys-Appreciating/dp/1621538451