City of ambition

City of Ambition, published to accompany a Whitney Museum exhibition, takes its title from the famous 1910 Alfred Stieglitz photograph of New York's then-burgeoning skyline. Both the book and exhibition explore the creative ferment of the first half of the century, seeking to reveal and revel in the notion of ambition as an idealized source of energy and inspiration.

Paintings, prints, sculptures, and photographs by some of America's most renowned artist - Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Man Ray, Edward Hopper, Diane Arbus, Jackson Pollock, and many more - provide a broad overview of expressive interpretations.

This magnificently illustrated catalogue includes a preface and introductions to each plate section by Whitney Museum curator Elisabeth Sussman and Corey Keller. In addition, the volume includes a selection of reprinted poems, excerpts, and lyrics by well-known writers, and a lively essay on New York and its artists by Brendan Gill.