Reviews (11)

Disappointing
I found this book extremely disappointing and agree with other reviewers that the author seemed more interested in aggrandizing himself through association with Mapplethorpe. Fritscher also seems intent on producing this biography to prove that Mapplethorpe selected him, rather than Patricia Morrisroe, as biographer.The writing is annoying, frequently repetitive, and skips all over the place chronologically.The book comes across more as a collection of magazine/newspapers articles rather than a coherent whole.

A Lasting Snapshot of Photographic Genius

Many authors wrote this book by Fritscher
By chasing down lots of interviews, author Fritscher manages to have several friends of Mapplethorpe compose their thoughts of robert and his photographs. The beauty of this book is the multiple voices speaking which Fritscher takes the time to present to honor Mapplethorpe. He could have had the last word himself--after all, he had the book contract and was the man's sometime lover. This Mapplethorpe memoir is actually written by the following artists and personalities who Fritscher presents--AND LETS SPEAK IN THEIR OWN VOICES WHICH HE COLLECTED: GEORGE DUREAU, HOLLY SOLOMON, CAMILLE O'GRADY, REX, MARK WALKER, THE INCREDIBLE MILES EVERETT, EDWARD LUCIE-SMITH, JOEL-PETER WITKIN. (Yes, this book is scary, and it gets scarier as time goes by and our culture becomes more puritanical. It's also a good reference book of those times and events that are now so far back in the past. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artists, Architects, Photographers    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Individual Photographers And Their Work    6. Mapplethorpe, Robert    7. Photographers    8. United States    9. Current Events / General    10. Individual photographers    11. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (8)

3rd rate photomontage
Compared to Jerry Uelsmann's work, these images are boring, unimaginative, and technically mediocre. The book also suffers from misregistered half-tone printing.

One of the most famous contemporary photographers
While many people criticize Scott Mutter's work, there is a true meaning behind almost all of his pieces. People do not like his work because they do not understand it or the difficult tasks he completed to make these works. I recently attended a lecture given by Mr. Mutter where he explained the thought process behind most of his photographs. He is truly an artistic genius. For Example, in his piece the Grave there is a revolving door. While most people say that he is implying reincarnation, this is incorrect. If you look closely you can see another door behind it that is closed. He told us that with this piece he meant to say that we can try and try to find out what is behind that solid door (representing death), but we can never know until we have passed because the door is locked. Many of the images in the book are not finished. During his lecture, Mr. Mutter constantly told us that he was eventually going to go back to pieces and work on them more. I know that a lot of what I'm saying doesn't concern the book, but my point is that this man is a creative genius and his work is truly mesmerizing. This book will make you look twice at many of the pictures. And if you really try to think about the pieces and look at the detail in them, you can find deeper meanings in them. Do not pass this book by. There is a reason why so many of his pieces have been made into posters. It is because this man's work is unbelievably amazing.

Real art and much more than mere camera trickery
Photo montage is not an art form that I was familiar with prior to receiving this collection as a gift. Having studied this book, it seems to me that photo montage, unlike painting, straight photography or other visual arts, has a quality of novelty about it that would make it easy for the snobbish to disregard the form as a lesser artistic effort. Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections Of Photographs    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Individual Photographer    4. Photo Essays    5. Photography    6. Photomontage    7. Photographs: collections   

Subjects:  1. Drawing & drawings    2. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    3. Individual artists    4. Italy   

Subjects:  1. Catalogues raisonnés    2. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    3. Individual artists    4. Italy    5. Morandi, Giorgio    6. Watercolours   

Editorial Review

Even when a famous artist's critical reputation has fallen on bad times, it's rare that the negative side of the legend finds its way into an elegantly designed and copiously illustrated monograph like Read more

Reviews (2)

Outstanding!
This book radiates with the beauty of Henry Moore, and helps us to recognize those more recent sculptors such as Donald Wright, who have perhaps surpassed the master.

Provides Moore enthusiasts with a body of works
Moore is one of the most beloved sculptors of the 20th century, yet his work has fallen out of favor with the modern critics: this seeks to reassess Moore's crucial contribution to art of the last century, examining his early experiments with primitivism and his later probe into modernist pieces. The focus on his early works in particular provides Moore enthusiasts with a body of works and approaches not seen in many other considerations of his works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1898-    2. 1898-1986    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    6. Exhibition Catalogs    7. Exhibitions    8. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    9. Individual Artist    10. Moore, Henry,    11. Sculpture    12. Art / Sculpture    13. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    14. Individual artists   

Reviews (1)

Modigliani's fine arts
I bought this book preparing a visit of an exhibition on paintings as well as my paission in arts, i.e. painting.
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Subjects:  1. 1884-1920    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    5. Exhibitions    6. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    7. Individual Artist    8. Modigliani, Amedeo,    9. Reference    10. Individual artists    11. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. European    4. Individual Artist    5. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    6. Garden design & planning    7. Individual artists    8. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    9. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (8)

Beautiful Photographs Beyond Words
This collection of color photographs of flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe is stunning beyond words. Just when you thought that nothing else could be done with the overdone photographing of Calla Lilies, Mapplethorpe graces this book with eleven new shots of them, along with Orchids, Tulips, Poppies and a Rose or two. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Mapplethorpe's work that some of these magnificent color shots are quite phallic in nature.
Not quite the best available
While the photos are stunning, the presentation is a little rough.While most photos are presented with a blank page opposite there are a few photos that face other photos.This is a little jarring but worse is the two photos that are printed across the facing page.The spine break really detracts from a pair of beautiful photos. just plain beautiful
Even though Mapplethorpe is better known for his controversial black and white nude photos, this book demonstrates his careful delicacy with not only the flowers but also the controlled lighting and the subtle colors. I have loved this book since the first time I leafed through it in studio photo class. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Individual Photographer    3. Individual Photographers And Their Work    4. Mapplethorpe, Robert    5. Nature & Wildlife    6. Photo Essays    7. Photography    8. Photography of plants    9. Pictorial works    10. Gardening: plants    11. Photographs: collections    12. c 1980 to c 1990   

Subjects:  1. 1890-1964    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Artists    5. Artists, Architects, Photographers    6. Biography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. European    9. History - Contemporary (1945- )    10. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    11. Italy    12. Morandi, Giorgio,    13. Art / General    14. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    15. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    16. Individual artists   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Belgium    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    6. Exhibitions    7. History - Surrealism & Dadaism    8. Individual Artist    9. Painting, Modern    10. Surrealism   

Reviews (2)

Get into the head of Mary Ellen Mark
This book uses a Q&A format in an interview with Mary Ellen Mark and the Smithsonian asks all the right questions. They start out with how she got started, what it takes to put a photo essay together, if she uses assistants and if art directors have a say over what she does. Por los ojos de Mary Ellen Mark y a traves del ensayo!
Un excelente libro con soberbias im�genes de Mary Ellen Mark, edicion bien cuidada y papel de excelente calidad viene a ser la base para emprenderun viaje por los ojos de esta gran fot�grafa documental a traves del EnsayoFotografico, venga pues no dejen de darle una mirada de cerca! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1940-    2. Documentary photography    3. Individual Photographer    4. Individual Photographers And Their Work    5. Mark, Mary Ellen,    6. Photo Essays    7. Photo Techniques    8. Photography    9. Photography, Journalistic    10. Photojournalism    11. Mark, Mary Ellen   

Reviews (1)

Seventy-five seminal works reproduced in full color
Georgia O'Keeffe died in 1986 owning more than half the approximately two thousand works she had produced during the eighty years she was active as an artist. Four hundred of those works were oils, charcoals, pastels, pencils, and watercolors. Additionally there were more than seven hundred sketches in her personal collection. O'Keeffe's O'Keeffes: The Artist's Collection explores and showcases the significance of Georgia O'Keeffe's collection of her own work and comprises seventy-five seminal works reproduced in full color and dating from around 1910 down through the 1960s. Unique, impressive, O'Keeffe's O'Keeffes is an essential volume for students of American art history in general, and the life and work of Georgia O'Keeffe in particular. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1887-1986    2. American - General    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    6. Criticism    7. Exhibitions    8. Individual Artist    9. Individual Painters - 20th Century    10. O'Keeffe, Georgia,    11. Permanent Collection Catalogs    12. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    13. Individual artists    14. Painting & paintings    15. USA   

Reviews (3)

Good references for animation.
This book has a lot of photos for understanding human locomotion.

Great, but a tip...
Its all covered in "The Human Figure in Motion". If you want Muybridge, may as well get a more comprehensive volume, eh?

one of the great wonders of photography
Muybridge's seemingly artless photography sequences are one of the great wonders of photography, fascinating & humorous. How else could one react to a series of photos showing a nude woman stepping on to a chair topour cold water on to another? Or to two young men playing leap frog? Read more

Subjects:  1. Anatomy, Human    2. Collections Of Photographs    3. Human Physiology    4. Human locomotion    5. Individual Photographer    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photography    8. Physiology    9. Pictorial works    10. Techniques - General    11. Art techniques & materials    12. Photography / History   

Reviews (5)

Sensitive, Remarkable Photographs
In my view, three works by this gifted photographic artist should be treated as a triptych:this volume, At Twelve, and Immediate Family.Taken as an ensemble, they mutually inform each other both for the range of stylistic and technical mastery exhibited by Ms. Mann, as well as demonstrating the breadth of her photographic vision.
still time
a rehash of photos from other sources.interesting, but the buyer should have been made aware so as not to duplicate previous orders.

THE MAGICAL TOUCH OF BEING GIFTED
Sally Mann was so shockingly good in her book of photographys of her children called "Immediate Family" that I was sure none could be as good. And this book is not as good but it's still five stars.Just the cover of a night blooming cirus draped across her daughter is enough.........like the flower yet to be and the book is fully of much more. In her first books prologue there is the story of the very unconventional growing up that Sally Mann had......her father was a wildly creative man who had his children experience the unusal to say the least........but the most unusal is they apparently experienced the beauty of youth and family and life. Today some would stone her.....we know who they are ......so sad for them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1951-    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Exhibition Catalogs    4. Individual Photographer    5. Mann, Sally,    6. Photo Essays    7. Photography    8. Photography, Artistic    9. Individual artists    10. Mann, Sally    11. Photographs: collections    12. Photography / Individual Photographer   

Reviews (1)

love at last
a stunning portayal of nudes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Essays    4. Photography    5. Individual photographers    6. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (2)

Accessible, significant, colorful, inexpensive ...
Greatest Hoosier artist ever? ... is a leading question. The sadly neglected tale of a shy 13 year-old boy traveling alone across the sea and the landscape to LaPorte, Indiana for early schooling and known there as "Sam Gilmour", was later to become universally known as one of the world's greatest artists -- Isamu Noguchi (a future Jeopardy question?).
Great reference for Sculpture Class
This book is filled with examples of Noguchi's artwork, mostly sculpture. I am currently enrolled in a Sculpture Class and found viewing the pictures a helpful reference for the sculptures I produced.It is most important asan artist to be influenced by other artists, and I feel that this book wassuccessful in doing just that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1904-    2. 1904-1988    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Criticism and interpretation    6. Individual Artist    7. Noguchi, Isamu    8. Noguchi, Isamu,    9. Sculpture    10. 20th century    11. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    12. Individual artists   

Reviews (12)

Awesome, comprehensive book - but hard to get from Amazon directly.
This is an extremely handsome volume, beautifully printed and presented. The content is vast: sketches, photographs of models, finished works - if you like Mucha's work, it's a must-have.
Outstanding!!!
One of the best books that I have bought in a long time about my favorite artist. It (The Book) clearly and beautifully reproduces the work of this man, coupled with some well thought out text. As far as I am concerned a bargain at twice the price.
Beware Amazon doesn't stock this item!!!!!!!!!
I ordered this book for a friend of mine for Christmas.Every few weeks I'd get an email saying that it's been delayed (again).Finally in April I got an email saying that Amazon was canceling the order since they couldn't find a supplier.Order it from someone else if you ever expect to receive the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1860-1939    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art nouveau    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    6. Decoration and ornament    7. Design - Decorative    8. Exhibitions    9. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    10. Individual Artist    11. Individual Painters - 20th Century    12. Mucha, Alphonse Marie,    13. Art / Individual Artist    14. Art Deco    15. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    16. Decorative arts & crafts    17. Individual artists   

Subjects:  1. Impressionism    2. Individual artists    3. Post-Impressionism   

Subjects:  1. Individual Photographer    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photography    4. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    5. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    6. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    7. Erotic art    8. Individual photographers    9. Photographs: portraits   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Individual Artist    6. Criticism and interpretation    7. Individual artists    8. Matisse, Henri    9. Painting & paintings