Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and scheduled to appear as well in museums in Bonn, Rotterdam, and New York during 1996 and 1997. Until now, the 1980s paintings have been seen only in a handful of gallery exhibitions or in the context of large museum surveys; this presentation allows study of the distinguishing qualities of these late paintings, and the thoroughly researched essays explore the complex issues surrounding de Kooning's affliction with Alzheimer's disease. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR