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Evolution Through Art: Art—Integrator of the Human Spirit Kindle Edition
On this aesthetic journey you will witness the birth of art in prehistoric times, understand the rise and fall of art movements, and discover superb art developments happening now. You will see da Vinci and Van Gogh with fresh eyes, comprehend the connection between Kant's aesthetics and postmodern nihilism, and be invigorated by Aristotle's concept of eudaemonia! Finally, you will be introduced to subtle and powerful works by living, innovative figurative artists. With this book you will uncover:
- How art contributes to humanity and to the formation of ourselves
- How art set humanity on its path 30,000 years before philosophy, religion, and the written language
- How personal, intimate artworks became the exemplars of civilization
- How art is the original PsyOp that communicates the technology of the soul
- How Eudaemonia is experienced through art
This book is a clear-headed contemplation of art history and its relationship to our evolution and humanity. And it offers a moral platform for figurative artists to advocate for themselves while bringing beauty and humanity back into the arts.
Brett Holverstott, architect, author, and founder of Figure Ground Gallery
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMay 21, 2021
- File size3996 KB
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Product details
- ASIN : B095MGMQV7
- Publication date : May 21, 2021
- Language : English
- File size : 3996 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 245 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : B092482Z8M
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,167,602 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #361 in Art History Criticism
- #816 in Art History Schools, Periods & Styles eBooks
- #6,180 in Arts & Photography Criticism
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Michael Newberry is a figurative artist with over five decades of experience, exhibiting in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Rome. His journey began in California and led him to Holland at age 19, where he studied in the footsteps of the masters and lived in Europe for 17 years.
Newberry’s work explores the intersections of emotion, thought, and sensory perception, guiding viewers through narratives that resonate on multiple levels. He emphasizes innovation, drawing on first principles that highlight the universals of human experience.
As an author, he writes about art history, color theory, philosophy, and memoir. Like a compass, he aims to point towards a 22nd-century evolution in art, inspiring others to explore its potential for connection and understanding.
Discover his journey and artwork to gain insights into the evolving nature of art.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book insightful and informative about art history and theory. They appreciate the author's knowledge and research into philosophical principles that shape their aesthetics. The book provides a comprehensive overview of significant artworks and its emotional impact on readers. Readers praise the eloquent, clear writing style that is easy to understand.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers appreciate the book's knowledge of art history and theory. They find it informative and engaging, covering the history of art and its impact on us. The author provides extensive research and examples of paintings and sculptures that support his views. The conversational style is appreciated for its sophisticated yet down-to-earth ideas.
"...This book is a clear-headed contemplation of art history and its relationship to our evolution and humanity...." Read more
"...ETA" is a work of art in its eloquent writing, outline, and premise, but it is not art in the sense of Michael Newberry's art displayed on Instagram...." Read more
"...Art, history, and how to experience the joy of life, all in one place. Bravo, Michael" Read more
"...; copious photos of paintings and sculpture provide concrete examples to support his observations regarding both progress and reversals; writing..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's art value. They find it a light encyclopedia of significant artworks, with examples of paintings and sculptures that provide concrete examples to support the author's broad thesis. The book is described as sublime, elevating the sensory experience and tapping emotional potential.
"...There is a clear headed strength in Newberry’s words. He is a great figurative artist who is commentating on postmodern art...." Read more
"...He depicts reality on Instagram in image form. His art is sublime, but his fabulous book is not art by virtue of his insightful writing...." Read more
"Beautifully executed from its beginning glimpse of the artists' drawings in ancient caves to examples of extraordinary contemporary artists and..." Read more
"...is art that lights the fire for us to push and grow, it is art that refuels our spirit when it is exhausted and can’t do more, and it is art that..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's emotional impact. They say it heightens and taps their emotional potential, allowing them to experience the subtle and beautiful emotional experience of art. The psychological function of art is multi-faceted and complexly intertwined. Readers find the book inspiring and positive, giving power to figurative artists everywhere. It offers a moral platform for figurative artists to advocate for themselves while bringing together art, history, and how to experience the joy of life in one place.
"...He always pays attention to the subtle and beautiful emotional experience of the art, never forgetting that we are not talking just about form...." Read more
"...Art, history, and how to experience the joy of life, all in one place. Bravo, Michael" Read more
"...terms of readability, comprehensibility, and something positive and inspiring without being stupid or superficial." Read more
"Great history of how art has evolved and its emotional and inspiring influence on us..." Read more
Customers find the writing style eloquent and comprehensible. They appreciate the sophisticated yet down-to-earth ideas and clear definitions and good methods to understand the music. The book is written in a conversational style.
"...The modest, clear, and compelling thoughts of Michael Newberry show us that we have a moral justification to break down the door and move in." Read more
"...ETA" is a work of art in its eloquent writing, outline, and premise, but it is not art in the sense of Michael Newberry's art displayed on Instagram...." Read more
"...his observations regarding both progress and reversals; writing style is always thoughtful and often eloquent...." Read more
"...history but it's hard to imagine a better introduction, in terms of readability, comprehensibility, and something positive and inspiring without..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021In the last fifteen years, it has become clear that the world scene for artists has undergone a dramatic shift. Thousands — tens of thousands of figurative and representational artists are practicing around the world. They have been enabled by the slow return of the art atelier — what is now called the Atelier Movement. Unfortunately this movement is only starting to get its advocacy legs. Despite world-wide grassroots art-making, we have yet to see fresh, excellent figurative art in museum shows, or see high-dollar sales.
Michael Newberry is a life-long artist, who has often advocated for the figurative arts through philosophical articles and reviews. He speaks plainly and from the heart but with a razor sharp knowledge of art history and theory. This book is a clear-headed contemplation of art history and its relationship to our evolution and humanity. And it offers a moral platform for figurative artists to advocate for themselves while bringing beauty and humanity back into the arts.
The first section of the book is a contemplation of the role that the development of figurative art played in our ancient history. Newberry’s point is that the psychological function of art is multi-faceted and complexly intertwined with our evolution. He talks as much about the experience of creating art, as the act of observing it. Newberry carries us swiftly through time, picking and choosing advancements in the successful representation of the figure. He always pays attention to the subtle and beautiful emotional experience of the art, never forgetting that we are not talking just about form.
The second section of the book is a candid stare at the dark side of art history, at those who have sought to destroy art. This was all new information to me, and I wonder where a modern art student would go to find it.
What is most essential to Newberry’s thesis is his clear understanding of the impact philosophers have had on the history of art. In particular, he contrasts the Ancient Greek idea of eudaemonia, “the ultimate state of the noble soul” as described by Aristotle; with the views of Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant. Newberry discusses several works by 20th century artists such as Pollock, Christo, Whitehead, McCarthy, and Duchamp that exhibit Kant’s notion of the sublime in their conveying of “horrific insistence on negative emotions like wrath, despair, and violation.”
There is a clear headed strength in Newberry’s words. He is a great figurative artist who is commentating on postmodern art. He is like a man staring down a vicious beast, and without flinching, is able to subdue it. And in this strength he is giving power to figurative artists everywhere.
The third section resumes the walk through history, discussing those who have made unique contributions to our technical understanding of color and light. Newberry concludes the book with a discussion of living artists who, through their work, are continuing to push art forward. Although Newberry is a brilliant artist himself, he keeps the spotlight on his contemporaries.
Newberry offers a new vision of the sublime that ought to become the rallying cry for the figurative art movement: "Art integrates senses, emotions, and thought. The sublime in art elevates our sensory experience, heightens and taps our emotional potential, and furthers our knowledge. The sublime in art can give us a moral to the story, a stance toward living. At its best, the sublime in art inspires awe in our human potential and awakens our desire to evolve as a whole being and as a species."
Figurative artists are knocking on the door of the art world. The modest, clear, and compelling thoughts of Michael Newberry show us that we have a moral justification to break down the door and move in.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022From the beginning of Michael Newberry's book "Evolution Through Art," (ETA) he shows how early art had more of a dual utility between a physical tool or purpose and a less (primitive) psychological value by today's standards. His observations flesh out a reference by which to measure the evolution he artfully documents throughout the book.
The only disclaimer I have for "ETA" is that although Newberry defines art from the beginning of the book, he doesn't untastefully hold the readers hand in constantly reminding them as much as he shows it in graphic form of photo. "ETA" is among many attributes a light encyclopedia of significant artworks.
A reader of this book needs to keep in mind at all times one clear definition of art as presented by Newberry. The easiest definition of art I have found to keep in mind while twice reading this book, was penned by author Ayn Rand: "Art is a selective re-creation of reality..."
"ETA" is a work of art in its eloquent writing, outline, and premise, but it is not art in the sense of Michael Newberry's art displayed on Instagram. He depicts reality on Instagram in image form. His art is sublime, but his fabulous book is not art by virtue of his insightful writing. Keep this type of distinction throughout Newberry's up-tempo journey, and your ride though the history of art will be the more enjoyable.
Another thing to keep in mind while reading this book is that artists think a little differently than anyone else. They tend to rely more heavily on metaphysical value judgements and demand rigorous understanding of significant principles to measure value and create art. Artists tend to aim high in whatever they do. Such aim can be a demanding psychology, but may translate to excellence in other endeavors in life. Newberry displays this aim through out the book.
As a composer I bought "ETA" because I am interested and invested in discovery of philosophical principles that shape my aesthetics; as a person, I was drawn to philosophy because it gave me clear definitions and good methods to understand the music I imagine. Newberry's perspective of an artist's knowledge gives "ETA" the features of a philosophy of art, art history, and science of its progress woven into a narrative of human nature.
Newberry's narrative is powerful and exciting. I have forgone the standard formula of citing Newberry in this review. If you are an artist by trade, hobby, or standard of doing anything with an aim for excellence, I want you to freshly savor every word, idea, and photo from "ETA." Newberry offers a unique book that I haven't seen anyone yet match by such means as he employs in his writing.
Am I a biased fan of this book? Absolutely! Read "Evolution Through Art," and I am confident you will be a fan as well.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023Beautifully executed from its beginning glimpse of the artists' drawings in ancient caves to examples of extraordinary contemporary artists and their works.
Art, history, and how to experience the joy of life, all in one place.
Bravo, Michael