Fred Orton Explained

Fred Lionel Orton (born 1945, Coventry, Warwickshire England) is an English art historian. His initial training was at Coventry College of Art in painting as a Dip.A,D student. He extended his experience in the History and Development of Art initially at the Courtauld Institute in London and then professionally as a scholar of art history and art theory at the University of Leeds.

Scholarship

Orton published an influential essay in 1991 in the Oxford Art Journal^[1] that argued that Harold Rosenberg, the critic who coined the term "Action painting", developed the concept as a result of his commitment to Marxism rather than to the photographs of Jackson Pollock in action. According to art critic Stephen Moonie, Orton's essay was one of the first attempts to define the term, offering a "political reading" which, "as Orton shows with great diligence", was a continued effort in Rosenberg's career.^[2] With Griselda Pollock he wrote Avant-Gardes and Partisans Reviewed and Vincent van Gogh: Artist of his Time.^[3] A social historian of art, he is influenced by Marxist theory.^{[4] [5]} His 1994 book Figuring Jasper Johns investigated the relationship between Jasper Johns and Frank O'Hara.^[6]

Orton is also one of the editors of a collection on the Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses, and with Catherine Karkov edited an important collection on Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture; he contributed one essay, and three other essays are responses to his.

Books published

• Vincent van Gogh: Artist of his Time (London: Phaidon, 1978)^[7]
• Figuring Jasper Johns (London: Reaktion, 1994)^[8]
• Avant-Gardes and Partisans Reviewed (with Griselda Pollock; Manchester University Press, 1996)^[9]
• Theorizing Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture Medieval European Studies 4. (Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2003, edited with Catherine Karkov)^[10]
• Fragments of History: Rethinking the Ruthwell and Bewcastle Monuments (Manchester University Press, 2007, with Ian N. Wood and Clare Lees)^[11]
• Aesthetic Thinking: Essays on Intention, Painting, Action, and Ideology (Brill, 2022)

Selected articles

Action, Revolution and Painting . Oxford Art Journal . 14 . 2 . 1991 . 3–17. 10.1093/oxartj/14.2.3 . Orton . F. .

republished in Orton andPollock, Avant-Gardes and Partisans Reviewed, 3-17.^{[1] [2]}

Notes and References

1. Harold Rosenberg on the Character of Action . Christa Noel . Robbins . . 2012 . 35 . 2 . 195–214 . 10.1093/oxartj/kcs019 . 23322155 .
2. Book: Moonie, Stephen . Art Criticism and Modernism in the United States . 113 . Routledge . 2022 . 9781000554311.
3. Book: Thomson, Richard. Vincent Van Gogh: The Starry Night. 2008. The Museum of Modern Art. 9780870707483. 41.
4. Book: Harris, Jonathan. The New Art History: A Critical Introduction. 2002. Routledge. 9781134582501. 22.
5. Book: Harris, Jonathan . Art History: The Key Concepts . 182 . Routledge . 2006 . 9781134363278.
6. Coming Unhinged:: Art and Body in Frank O'Hara and Jasper Johns . Alexandra . Gold . . 17 . 3 . 2015 . 330–351 . 10.5325/intelitestud.17.3.0330 . 10.5325/intelitestud.17.3.0330 .
7. Review of Vincent van Gogh:
   • Petrie. Brian. July 1979. 916. The Burlington Magazine. 879696. 455. none. 121.
8. Reviews of Figuring Jasper Johns:
   • Brilliant. Richard. March–April 1996. 1. The Print Collector's Newsletter. 24555761. 36–37. On target. 27.
   • Jachec. Nancy. 2. Oxford Art Journal. 1360565. 110–112. Committed practices: intentionality, radical subjectivity, and the history of art. 18. 1995. 10.1093/oxartj/18.2.110 .
   • Schiff. Richard. Summer 1995. Bookforum. Go figure. 1, 26, 33.
9. Reviews of Avant-Gardes and Partisans Reviewed:
   • James. Merlin. May 1998. 1142. The Burlington Magazine. 887908. 342. none. 140.
   • Varsamopoulou. Evy. February 2000. 10.1080/108487700115189. 1. The European Legacy. 146. none. 5. 219644726 .
10. Reviews of Theorizing Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture:
    • Altvater. Frances. November 2004. The Medieval Review. 04.11.02. Stone Sculpture.
    • Coatsworth. Elizabeth. July 2005. 10.1017/s0038713400008460. 3. Speculum. 20463434. 906–907. none. 80.
    • Eshleman. Lori. 10.1353/cjm.2004.0017. 1. Comitatus. 287–289. none. 35. 2004. 162273092 .
    • Ireland. Colin. January 2005. 10.1484/j.peri.3.584. Peritia. 339–350. none. 19.
11. Reviews of Fragments of History:
    • Bailey. Richard N.. July 2008. 10.1017/s0022046908004776. 3. The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. 537–538. none. 59. 191009059 .
    • Boldrick. Stacy. 10.1093/oxartj/kcn032. 3. Oxford Art Journal. 20542854. 431–435. Out of place. 31. 2008.
    • Farr. Carol. September 2008. 10.1017/s000358150000175x. The Antiquaries Journal. 456–457. none. 88. 162564138 .
    • Moreland. John. November 2008. 10.1179/174581708x335549. 1. Medieval Archaeology. 403–404. Reviews. 52. 218681257 .