Birth of the Cool presents art that developed in subtle deviation from the familiar movements of 20th century American painting though retaining their main characteristics as points of reference. The accentuation of the surface, the breaking up of illusionist space, the opening up of the painting's format to new dimensions in space and time are the lasting constants of American painting. The American tradition in painting - a tradition that is both sensual and severe, intellectual and open to modern society. (German edition available ISBN 3-89322-884-5) The artists: Georgia O'Keeffe, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Richard Artschwager, Alex Katz, Andy Warhol, John Wesley, Malcolm Morley, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, Ross Bleckner, Richard Prince, Sue Williams, Philip Taaffe, Christopher Wool