"Declaring Space: Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein" by Michael Auping explores themes related to abstract art, particularly focusing on the concepts of **space and color** 【1】. It examines the individual contributions of these four artists to the development of abstract painting in the postwar era, specifically during the 1950s and 1960s 【2】.
Key themes and topics include:
- **The evolution of space and color in abstract painting**: How these artists influenced and transformed these elements 【1】.
- **Postwar abstract art**: The broader context of artistic movements after World War II 【3】.
- **Abstract Expressionism and Color-Field Painting**: The book delves into the characteristics and development of these movements, particularly the use of pure, unmodulated areas of color 【4】.
- **Individual artistic approaches to "declaring space"**:
- **Mark Rothko's** approach to opening up space 【2】.
- **Barnett Newman's** creation of a totemic space 【5】.
- **Lucio Fontana's** literal manipulation of the picture plane 【5】.
- **Yves Klein's** conceptual "leap into the void" 【5】.