The Suspension of Time: Reflections on Simon Dinnerstein and The Fulbright Triptych

Brooklyn painter Simon Dinnerstein created The Fulbright Triptych (1971%E2%80%931974), the inspiration for this unusual book. A critical homage to a monumental, autobiographical painting, the book is also a revealing portrait of the artist and an energetic exploration of the creative process. Forty-four essays illuminate the painting, with contributions from musician David Krakauer, actor John Turturro, late critic Rudolf Arnheim, art historian Albert Boime, and Dinnerstein's own daughter, classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein, for whom the painting is the story of her parents' lives before and right after her birth.%C2%A0The strongest essays, like artist Dan Beachy-Quick's interpretation of the faces in the triptych; Italian poet Maurizio Gregorini on the painting's spirituality and poetry; and writer Anthony Doerr on why "the best paintings are like dreams," are profound explorations not only of Dinnerstein's work but of art itself. Included are several primary documents connected to the painting, interviews with Dinnerstein, and a helpful annotated map of the work. General readers interested in contemporary art and the creative process and scholars of contemporary American art will find this book significant. 70 illus. (June)