Reviews (2)

Presenting subtle differences as well as similarities
Artist/author Mary Ellen Mark spent two consecutive years setting up a studio on the site of the Twinsburg, Ohio 'twin days' festival', inviting twins to be photographed: Twins provides a collection of startling images which succeed in presenting subtle differences as well as startling similarities between twins. The multicultural representation of twins as well as the inclusion of which twin is older by how many minutes makes these full-page black and white photos exceptional works of art and study.

Beautiful Portraits
Haven't most of the rest of us all wondered at one time or another what it would be like to have a twin?It is amazing that two people can look so alike.And we can only imagine that there is a closeness there that most of us never experience in our lives.Read more

Subjects:  1. Individual Photographer    2. Photo Essays    3. Photography    4. Photography As An Art    5. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    6. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    7. Individual photographers    8. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (1)

LOADED WITH WONDERFUL INFORMATION
I would highly recommend this book on John Everett Millais for anyone who has an interest in the life of this incredibly talented painter. From his early induction into the Royal Academy to his death, this book seems to uncover every aspectimaginable, be it good reviews or bad. I could not put it down. My only disappointment is that the photos of his work are all in black and white. I am not a scholar, but a layman with a keen interest in learning of the man behind such outstanding pieces as My First Sermon. I will read this book again and again, it is that interesting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1829-1896    2. Art    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. England    6. Fine Arts    7. General    8. Individual Painters - 19th Century    9. Millais, John Everett,    10. Painters    11. Sir,    12. Biography: general    13. Individual artists    14. Painting & paintings    15. Pre-Raphaelite art   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art and society    5. Case studies    6. Chromolithography    7. History - General    8. Individual Artist    9. Printmaking    10. Techniques - Printmaking    11. Techniques - Printmaking - Lithography    12. United States    13. West (U.S.)    14. Yellowstone National Park    15. History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900    16. Individual artists    17. Planographic processes (eg lithography, screen printing, stencilling)    18. Western & Pacific Coast states   

Reviews (2)

One of the greatest art books ever written.
Armin Zweite's chronology of the life and work of Barnett Newman is absolutely fantastic.Written in a compact style hitherto unknown by art commentators the book flows from one anecdote to another.Complete and well referenced, the book is as complete as one would wish without ever being overbearing.Given the limited scope of Newman's work I would have hope that all prints were in color but alas only about 50% are color.Still the works are presented logically and connections are made throughout the book.HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended for anyone. HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended for the abstract art enthusiast.

Barnett Newman : Paintings, Sculptures, Works on Paper
it is exelente book if you need same ideas ,for your paintigsthis book it�s greatfull ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1905-1970    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Conceptual    5. Criticism and interpretation    6. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    7. Individual Artist    8. Individual Painters - 20th Century    9. Newman, Barnett,    10. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    11. Individual artists    12. Newman, Barnett    13. Painting & paintings    14. Sculpture    15. USA   

Reviews (7)

Interesting Reading
Solnit has some interesting things to say about Muybridge's photography, and about how photography, our self image as a society, and even California's culture of rebirth, innovation, and redemption are tied up. But even apart from such heady stuff, Muybridge was a rascal who lived an interesting life (besides his photography, he murdered his wife's lover and invented the technology that is the basis for movies). So read this book, you'll enjoy it, and maybe learn a bit too.

Imagining the 19th century
Rebecca Solnit achieves two things in this book. First, she gives us a vivid portrait of a pioneer photographer, despite the paucity of biographical detail available to her, and spells out the significance of his achievement. Secondly, she evokes the perceptual universe of the 19th century. Solnit encourages us to imagine what it must have been like to see for the first time that which is too fast for the eye to discern (such as the pattern of water droplets in Muybridge's motion studies); or to travel for the first time at a speed that removes the traveller from her surroundings (train travel); or to receive news of an event as it happens (the telegraphic announcement of the transcontinental railroad link).
Brain exercise
Certainly much more than a biography, this book on Muybridge is full of other subjects. Solnit angle on time is quite special, as it comes back again and again. We tend to forget how everythig has thoroughly changed since the victorian era. This book confronts our acquired attitudes and what we take for granted today.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Cinema/Film: Book    4. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    5. Film & Video - Cinematography    6. Film & Video - General    7. Historical - General    8. Special Subjects In Motion Pictures    9. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers   

Reviews (2)

BRILLIANCE
Robert Motherwell, is one of the great geniuses of American art. His Paintings are broad and powerful images; more "pure" than many other of the abstract painters of his day. This is a superlative book, which lets you into Motherwells mind. Any reader will see his sharp criticism and poignant observations, those who are open will take them to heart.

AbstractArt's Virgil
Motherwell was a superb writer in addition to being a painter. This anthology spans 1941-1988. It's a great read, not only for it's insights into art but also for capturing the flavour of the time.In a sense it let's you stand behind Motherwell's shoulder and peer into his thoughts and see how he viewed modern art both from a philosophical view point as well as aesthetic.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. History - Modern    3. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    4. Individual Artist    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Art / Individual Artist   

Reviews (1)

mannered elegance
This book brings together 40 prints of the artist's paintings in beautiful colour, as well as a lengthy text which precedes them, with photographs of Modigliani, and examples of his sculptures and caryatids. Werner presents M as a tragic figure since his health was poor - he suffered from tuberculosis all his life, and he died relatively young at 35, without receiving any substantial recognition of his work. Much is made of his excessive social life in Paris, though M was Italian, where he is said to have indulged in alcohol and hashish. He focused on painting after he was unable to continue with sculpture because of his lack of money, the difficulty in obtaining materials, and the affect of the stone dust on his weak lungs. Werner also tells us that M suffered from a psychoneurosis, and calls him a "solipsist who produced exclusively self-portraits, symbolic representations of his own tortured soul". However these arguments do not appear to relate to the nature of his painting. His work is calm, not tortured, and the idea that his infamous style of Expressionist distortion is meant to reveal a "paranoiac autism" seems silly. The photos we see of M show that he does not resemble his skittle-shaped, swan-necked, almond-eyed portraits. Even the notion that some of the subjects having closed eyes meaning an inner directed concentration based on a fear of the world, does not appreciate the stylistic choice he made to express his form of conception upon reality. He had trained as a draftsman and considered his work "illuminations", accentuating attributes to the point of caricature. The faces of his sculptures bear the same kind of visage. His work is both striking in his use of colour, where he favoured strong lines and prefered primary blacks and reds; and tender in the delicate way he treats the subjects, whether they be Parisian socialities, other artists, his two mistresses - Beatrice Hastings and Jeanne Hebuterne, or working class models like maids and peasants. What ultimately makes the work of Modigliani great is how one can return to the prints again and again, to revel in their mannered elegance, their sadness and beauty, and his unique balance between naturalism and abstraction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1884-1920    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. History - General    5. Individual Artist    6. Individual Painters - 20th Century    7. Modigliani, Amadeo    8. Modigliani, Amadeo,   

Reviews (1)

The must have barnet newman book
i didnt know anything about barnet newman before i got this book, now he is one of my favorite artist. this isnt a picture book, in fact there are almost no pictures of actual art works. this book is a collection of barnet newmans life long obsession with writting. he wrote letters and essays to everybody and about everything. from newspaper editors to gallery owners barnet newman wasnt afaraid to let people know what he thought, and he does it in a very informative and entertaining way. he was a very good writer. so mu suggestion is, if you want to learn about barnet newman the man, the writer, the artist, then get this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1905-1970    2. Aesthetics    3. Architecture    4. Art    5. Artists    6. Artists, American    7. General    8. Individual Artist    9. Individual Painters - 20th Century    10. Interviews    11. Newman, Barnett    12. Newman, Barnett,    13. United States    14. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Criticism    4. Criticism    5. Individual Artist    6. Art / General    7. Individual artists    8. Installations    9. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    10. USA   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art, Italian    4. Art, Renaissance    5. Artists    6. Biography    7. Early works to 1800    8. History - General    9. Italy    10. Art / History / General    11. Biography: general    12. Individual artists    13. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    14. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (3)

A new view of a modern master
Preliger writes swiftly and cleanly, though of course much of the book's heft is devoted to reproducing the paintings under question.She is very good at describing and clarifying how narrow our view of Munch has been; we treat him like some kind of haunted Poe or Klimt-like figure, even though the majority of his work has a golden glow like a fairy tale, and is not horror stricken as the early work we associate him with.His painting is smooth and delicate, reminding me of the clear tempera colors we used to paint Easter Eggs with when we were small children, and there is something of the innocence of a child about his mature work; it is as though having undergone the darkness early on, his spirit was allowed to soar later on.Or compare Shakespeare's late romances like The Winter's Tale or Cymbeline with the earlier and heavier problem plays (Measure for Measure) etc.In any case, brava to Elizabeth Preliger for her much needed corrective.

The first major exhibition of his works since 1978
Elizabeth Prelinger's After The Scream celebrates the late paintings of Edvard Munich: haunting paintings which also reveal quite a different side of the artist. While his images of people remain striking, he painted a range of subjects and used a brighter approach later in life, and this accompanies the first major exhibition of his works since 1978 - and the first to focus on his later achievements.

the unknown munch
munch is an artist who became so well known for an early work ("the scream") that his later work was eclipsed by it. the fact that nearly all of his later works hang in an oslo museum hasn't helped either. so it's a real surprise to browse this exhibition catalog and discover the many beautiful paintings munch created in the half century between "the scream" (1893) and his death (1944).Read more

Subjects:  1. 1863-1944    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    6. Criticism and interpretation    7. European    8. Exhibition Catalogs    9. Exhibitions    10. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    11. Munch, Edvard,    12. 20th century    13. Art / History / European    14. History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900    15. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    16. Individual artists    17. Norway    18. Painting & paintings    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (1)

Spectacular Record of an Important Exhibition
Before "Matisse: A Second Life" appeared, an exhibition focusing solely on the late work of this greatest of French masters had never been seen in France.Unlike most exhibition catalogues, this book is no mere compendium of pretty pictures, but a serious contribution to art history which will have lasting scholarly value long after the show's close.The "Second Life" of the title refers to the last few years of Matisse's existence, from about 1940 to 1954.After the chaos which accompanied the fall of France to German troops, Matisse fell ill with duodenal cancer and had to endure a serious operation early in 1941.Matisse nearly died during the operation, and remained a semi-invalid for the rest of his life (making the achievement of his last years all the more compelling).Rather than allow his health problems to embitter him, Matisse saw his tenuous survival as a new lease on life, a blessing of additional time in which to realize his fondest ambitions.Ironically, despite - or perhaps because of - his health problems, the 1940s were to see an extraordinary flowering of Matisse's art, from the creation of some of his most highly regarded paintings to the invention of a completely new medium - the famed paper cut-outs."A Second Life" is the first exhibition to survey this critical period in any detail.Organized around the correspondence between Matisse and his friend, poet and artist Andre Rouvyere, this exhibition brought together the insights available to us via this exchange of letters and presented these invaluable keys to the mystery of creation alongside a number of Matisse's most important works from the period.The book itself is beautiful - the color plates are of the finest quality and the spare, elegant design is ravishing.While may of the works here - such as the plates from 1947's "Jazz" - are world-famous, "Matisse: A Second Life" also shows many less well-known (but not lesser) works.Careful study of these images demonstrates that the cut-outs did not develop in isolation, but in fact were the solution to Matisse's long-held desire to unite color and drawing into a single medium, an effect which he achieved in oil paint between 1942 and 1948 after a lifetime of experiment.For those who love Matisse's work or are curious about how artists think, this book is an essential addition to your library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. European    4. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    5. Individual Artist   

Reviews (2)

Frustrating Read
Think carefully before buying this book.You won't finish it.The author spends most of his time describing (but not really analyzing) numerous works of art which are not illustrated in the book.At first, I tried to look up each image online, but with the number of paintings he writes about, it quickly became impossible. It is pointless (not to mention boring) to read the descriptions without being able to see the works themeselves. A very small number of paintings are illustrated in the book, but even they are in black and white. The biographical portions of the text are interesting, but the book is perhaps 1/3 biography, 2/3 description, which makes it impossible to get through.

Impressionist delight
All I can say is...buy this book ASAP.If you love French Impressionism and you like reading about the the artists themselves, this is the book to have. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Artists, Architects, Photographers    5. Biography    6. European    7. France    8. History - Impressionism    9. Impressionism (Art)    10. Impressionist artists    11. Painting, French    12. Reference    13. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers   

Subjects:  1. Calendar    2. Calendars & Diaries    3. Calendars - Art    4. Individual Artist    5. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (5)

Enjoyed reading it, lousy illustrations
Anreus' "Orozco in Gringoland" is a good read; clearly written with a profound understanding of context and a genuine love for the art itself. Even if one does not share the author's leftist methodology, the seriousness of his scholarship cannot be questioned. Scholarly life and times
Author Alejandro Anreus produces a compelling look at the life and times of Jose Clemente Orozco during hisr stay in New York. The author points out the issues bothering Orozco, his resulting attitude and ultimitely his creative surges.Orozco, the lesser known of the "tres grandes"(three great) Mexican muralists is brought to life as the brilliantone armed artist in a foreign land. The book can be a little confusing at times as the time period, issues and art work createdgoes back and forth and there is somewhat ofa lack of continuity. It helps to have some background information on the subject for clarity. As a single piece of analysis it is very good. The author draws upon various sources that came before his project. The book is good but like a dress shirtwith too much starch it can be a bit much. Definitely on the scholarly side the book demands your attention and deserves to be read for what it is, an examination of Jose Clemente Orozcos years in New York. If you want an Orozco art book this is not for you, however there are plenty of oversized full color reproduction books available. This is a book to be readand enjoyed for it's scholarship.

Skim, don't buy.
This book is only useful because there has been so little published recently on Orozco's important work. The book is not fun to read (text needed some serious editing) and the illustrations (in black and white) look like they were scanned from photocopies--worthless. UNM is to be blamed for the terrible production values here. A book to skim, but not own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1883-1949    2. American - General    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Caribbean & Latin American    6. Criticism    7. Criticism and interpretation    8. Individual Artist    9. Individual Painters - 20th Century    10. Orozco, Jose Clemente,    11. Orozco, Josâe Clemente,    12. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    13. Individual artists    14. New York   

Subjects:  1. Calendar    2. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (2)

The Classical Tradition
A fantastic reference in respect of Robert Mapplethorpe's more purist work. Amazingly well presented, printed and published, it has relevant accompanying text and essays, and as with most Mapplethrorpe images, the plates are simply brilliant. Be aware, this text is an important part of the book, so it's not all just pictures, but it asssists with giving an insight into the formalist manner in which the photographs were taken.
Mapplethorpe as Part of the Intellectual Museum Repertoire!
How far we've come!Not many years ago Robert Mapplethorpe's inimitable photographs were the cause c�l�bre in museums and galleries. Even journalists and politicians and filmmakers focused on the 'pornographic' aspects of Mapplethorpe's varied output.Yet today his place in the canon of art history is assured, and as proof of this status, here is a catalogue that accompanied an exhibition co-hosted by the prestigious Guggenheim Museum and the State Hermitage Museum of Russia!
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Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Photography As An Art    6. Special Subjects In Art    7. Individual photographers   

Reviews (1)

A Unique Collection of Portraits
The British photographer Sir Anthony Snowdon once said something to the effect that you cannot look at a photograph and identify who shot it. He couldn't have been more wrong about someone like Helmut Newton. You recognize many of his photographs immediately. They are often of women (tall and svelte), they are erotic thought according to Newton not violent, they are often shot at night with available light, and the women are often nude or partially nude. As the photographer says, "I always want more skin." And skin he got, even in portraits. What is fair for the goose works for the gander as well. This collection begins with self-portraits of Newton from 1934 to 1986, and he is nude is several of them in what certainly are not flattering photographs. Additionally, he photographs his wife June naked or near naked as well. (There is a marvelous portrait of her sitting at a table with food and wine in front of her. She is lighting a cigarette and exposing her breasts.) In "June Newton in the metro, Paris 1957" Newton's wife looks straight into the camera's lens. The woman wearing a fur seated next to her is even more interesting. Whether the photograph was posed or not, it has a wonderful candid feel to it. Newton obviously went to great lengths to stage some of these shots, however. The two portraits of Nastassia Kinski with the Marlene Deitrich doll are perfect examples. He apparently had favorite models as there are several photographs over a period of time of both Paloma Picasso and Charlotte Rampling. The environment is important in many of these portraits. These people, many of them celebrities, are often posed in elaborate, rich but relevant settings. For example, Mr. Newton would photograph American models only in front of American automobiles, never a French or German car. He would reserve those automobiles for French and German models.
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Subjects:  1. Individual Photographer    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photography    4. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    5. Portraits in art   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Fine Arts    4. Individual Artist    5. Individual Painters - 20th Century    6. Individual artists   

Reviews (3)

Not Just An Art History Book
As a lawyer who has clients involved in the art world, and has Manet (reproductions) on his wall, I have actually recommended this book to people who are thinking about applying to law school.While this may not make immediate sense to a non-lawyer (and may turn you non-lawyers off about the book), the different methodologies, lenses, sensibilities and sometimes inflexible dogmas through which the art historians view this iconic and enigmatic painting find amazing parallels in the wildly divergent theories and perspectives in which legal philosophers, professors and judges view and interpret the complex combination of factors (cultural, societal, class-based, psychological, political, authoritarian, libertarian, scientific, agrarian, industrial, religious, racial, tribal, etc.) through which what we call "the law" develops.

Flee this Book
This is the sort of book that gives art history--especially the "new" art history--a black name. Most of the articles are written in deliberately inpenetrable prose, always hiding the the most inept questions and comments (i.e., "Did Manet really intend to paint the mirror that way?") Only Griselda Pollock's article shows any sign of intelligence. Another title for this book:"12 Ways to Kill any Interest in a Work of Art."

A Marvelous Example of the Many Approaches to Art History
This is one of those books that art history students should use to learn the complexity of the field and the many different approaches to art currently practiced by art historians.For lovers of Impressionism, thisis one of the deepest and richest studies of a single work-- and what awork!Manet's BAR is one of the most mysterious and gripping works ofwestern art, and it's hard to imagine a work more deserving of this deeptreatment. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1832-1883    2. 1832-1883.    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bar at the Folies-Bergere    6. Bar at the Folies-Bergáere    7. Criticism and interpretation    8. Historiography    9. History - General    10. Individual Artist    11. Manet, Edouard,    12. Painting    13. Art / History / General    14. Art and Architecture    15. Impressionism    16. Individual artists    17. Painting & paintings    18. Post-Impressionism