Book Description

Max Beckmann was among the greatest painters of the 20th century, yet no retrospective of his work has been mounted in the art capitals of New York, London, and Paris in over 30 years. Perhaps the lapse of attention has to do with the importance of abstraction in 20th-century art, and Beckmann's work is always figurative, simultaneously muscular and enigmatic and has enormous and unsettling power.
Beckmann began his career as a naturalist and Symbolist in the period before World War I. After the war he developed a unique pictorial style that mixed expressionist color and gesture, mythological and mystical allegory, and the harsh new objectivity of his portrayal of modern life throughout the Nazi reign of terror. A prolific artist in painting, drawing, and printmaking--as well as a powerful sculptor--Beckmann created mysterious images and dense tableaux of unparalleled intensity and complexity during an odyssey that took him from his native Germany to Paris, Amsterdam, St. Louis, and New York.
A new examination of Beckmann's role and reputation during the first half of the 20th century has been eagerly awaited. Making use of new scholarship and previously unavailable research materials, this book sheds light on Beckmann's work and his influence on and interactions with the artists of his day. Essays include discussions of Beckmann's Frankfurt cityscapes, his pictures from Italy, his triptychs, his group portraits, and his relationship with cultural politics in the 1920s and 1930s; texts and interviews by artists Leon Golub and Ellsworth Kelly; curator Robert Storr on "The Beckmann Effect"; and artist William Kentridge on Beckmann's Death. This sumptous volume is published on the occasion of the retrospective exhibition mounted jointly by the Tate Modern, Centre Georges Pompidou, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. It is the first comprehensive exhibition of Beckmann's work to be seen in the United States since 1984, and the first in New York since 1964.
The greatest mystery of all is reality. --Max Beckmann
I hardly need to abstract things, for each object is unreal enough already, so unreal that I can only make it real by means of painting. --Max Beckmann

Edited by Sean Rainbird.
Essays by Robert Storr, Didier Ottinger, Jill Lloyd, Anette Kruszynski, Susanne Bieber, Nina Peter, William Kentridge, Charles W. Haxthausen, Leon Golub, Ellsworth Kelly, and Barbara Buenger.

Hardcover, 9.7 x 11 in., 304 pages , 140 color & 70 b/willustrations ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essential Blake
This is a GREAT set. I was amazed and well-pleased. Blake is essential for thinkers...and this is just a slight sample of his talent. I'd recommend it for those who love to think and to learn. Very heady--good food!

Tikya!
ari ... Read more

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Love him or hate him
Look at the skeletons of Balthus' familiar works. The over-worked paintings of late might lead one to assume a lack of spark.

Here you find some fresh and direct drawings on paper. You might question the subjects he chooses as I do, but the love of gesture and mark-making evident are persuasive.

Put in your library with other great draftsman. ... Read more

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Insightful essays, but better yet, many color plates!
Copley remains one of the top portrait painters in American history, although half of his career was spent painting in London. This book appeals to two diffent audiences. Being an art history graduate student, the essays were interesting and insightful (and perhaps show how scholarship on Copley is shifting to "outer" areas of his art). My Mom, on the other hand, couldn't care less about what was written in the book, yet loves the magnificent color reporductions of Copley's early American works. The mate to this book, John Singleton Copley in England is equally as impressive in the color reproduction section, but in my opinion, his American paintings are far better. An expensive book but certainly worth the change. ... Read more

Book Description

Emily Carr (1871-1945) traveled to remote regions for inspiration for her art, vibrantly chronicling the rich culture of Northwest indigenous people and the dense forest of the West Coast. Carr's spiritually infused work was controversial in its day; today she is considered a master of the style. This book reflects more than a decade of meticulous research and includes reproductions of over 200 paintings, charcoals, and drawings, as well as extensive quotes from the artist, who was also a writer. ... Read more

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A West Coast Vision
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of artists on this continent (North America), specifically the West Coast, I'd recommend this erudite volume on the work of Emily Carr. Emily Carr was a late-bloomer, but when she found her own she produced haunting canvases of her encounters with Northwest Coast Native Art, specifically totems. This was followed by strong formalized images of the coastal rainforest. Late in her life she painted expressive landscapes. I recently read that a joint exhibit of Emily Carr, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo "Places of their Own" will be travelling to various venues in 200l/2002. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hibbard is a master sculpture historian:
Hibbard is one of the world's most respected and informed historians of sculpture. And he's a good writer too. That sums up my review. Enjoy the reading and the wonderful photographs!!!

For Intelligent Novices
I love this book! I've never explored any art history books before, but this was a great first experience. Hibbard has a gift for explaining all of the details of Bernini's works, without bombarding you with unknown lingo or being long-winded. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you plan on going to Italy someday. ... Read more

Book Description

Joseph Beuys in America: Energy Plan for the Western ManBy Joseph Beuys.Edited by Carin Kuoni. "A tasty collection of hitherto uncollected/unpublished writings by and about the legendary German artist." -FlashArtillustratedISBN: 1-56858-007-X ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent collection of original documents on Beuys
Joseph Beuys is a mythical figure in the art world; however, this books shows the real intetions of his art work and social sculpture. An excellent resource, a must read for anyone interested in challenging the fabric of society. ... Read more

Book Description

An essential read, offering a balanced and pertinent assessment of Constable and his work.
... Read more

Book Description

Edited by Felix Baumann, Evelyn Benesch, Walter Feilchenfeldt, Klaus Albrecht Schroder. Essays by Friedrich Teja Bach, Felix Baumann, Evelyn Benesch, Gottfried Boehm, and Walter Feilchenfeldt.

The story of Cezanne's fame and influence would be incomplete without taking into account the impact of his unfinished paintings. Immediately following his death, these works were already held in high regard both by Matisse and the Fauves and by Picasso and the Cubists. This book looks at these paintings, a crucial aspect of Cezanne's body of work, and thus a signpost in 20th century art that pointed the way to the future, right up to Abstract Expressionism. Cezanne aimed to renew painting on the basis of classicism, and to establish Impressionism so that it would hold a prominent place in museums. But no other artist has created so many seemingly unfinished works. Examining his paintings and watercolors, including the monumental still lifes and the late paintings from Montagne Sainte-Victoire, this book shows clearly that what is 'unfinished' in Cezanne's work is not a sketch, not a preparatory study. Detailed essays that compare finished paintings with so-called unfinished ones provide a completely new insight into the creative process of the father of modernism. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Bit Thin On Ideas
This book probably deserves 3 1/2 stars but since I've got to go with round numbers I'd say 3 is closer to the truth than 4. I may have been influenced by the fact that I have read an awful lot of stuff on Cezanne, but I don't think so. This book was put out to coincide with an exhibition that has "finished/unfinished" as its theme i.e.-when is a painting truly "complete". The idea wears a bit thin after 400 pages. The book starts off with essays by about 5-6 people that take up the first 120 pages. The last couple of essays are interesting and contain some good ideas but the first several essays pretty much say the same thing over and over (many of Cezanne's paintings that were not actually finished are "complete" from an artistic standpoint) and if a couple of these essays had been left out no harm would have been done. The same point is hammered home in too many of the "mini-essays" that accompany each painting and sometimes the contributors get a bit carried away in seeing genius and "completion" in even the works that are clearly failures not only by Cezanne's own standards but also, I think, by the standards of the intelligent layperson and probably also of many art historians. The book does get high marks, though, for many high quality color reproductions and the Cezanne lover will be sure to find his/her favorite genre well-represented. You get many portraits as well as landscapes and those luscious still-lifes (my particular favorite). One of the interesting ideas contained in the book is that the reason the still-life seems to be the category where Cezanne really excelled is that the subject was the one best suited to his temperament. He was an extremely slow worker and did not like changes in the "motif". For example, he did not like it when human sitters would move and he did not like changes in the weather and in light conditions as the changes would make him rethink what he was doing and oftimes start over or have to make corrections. With the still-life Cezanne could arrange things just the way he wanted and could use artificial flowers that would not wither as he worked, etc. Also note that the book contains many works in watercolor, which is a medium that Cezanne excelled in. If you are not familiar with his watercolors I think you will be pleasantly surprised... ... Read more

Book Description

Orchestral music from the national PBS special provides an evocative backdrop for Adams' breathtaking images of the American landscape.

In 1941 Ansel Adams was hired by the United States Department of the Interior to photograph America's national parks for a series of murals that would celebrate the country's natural heritage. Because of the escalation of World War II, the project was suspended after less than a year, but not before Adams had produced this group of breathtaking images, which illustrate both his early innovations and the shape of his later, legendary career as America's foremost landscape photographer.

The invitation to photograph the nation's parklands was the perfect assignment for Adams, as it allowed him to express his deepest convictions as artist, conservationist, and citizen. These stunning photographs of the natural geysers and terraces in Yellowstone, the rocks and ravines in the Grand Canyon, the winding rivers and majestic mountains in Glacier and Grand Teton national parks, the mysterious Carlsbad Caverns, the architecture of ancient Indian villages, and many other evocative views of the American West demonstrate the genius of Adams' technical and aesthetic inventiveness.

In these glorious, seminal images we see the inspired reverence for the wilderness that has made Ansel Adams' work a most enduring influence on the intertwining spirits of art and environmentalism, both so necessary for the preservation of our natural world.

A CD featuring music from the PBS special, "Tim Janis: An American Composer in Concert" completes this new edition. With over one million albums sold worldwide, Tim Janis, known for his music's powerful evocation of the wonders of nature, is one of America's most beloved and accomplished young composers. Performed by the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Janis himself, massive orchestral climaxes leading to sweet, passionate melodies unfold in tone poems ranging from "White Mountains" to "Half Moon Bay," to all inspired by the same reverence for nature so movingly expressed in the photographs of Ansel Adams.

Other Details: 125 duotone illustrations, packaged with music CD ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Introduction to Ansel Adams
Anyone who doesn't know a lot about Ansel Adams but is interested in learning more about his work will appreciate and enjoy this cleverly organized pictorial. Structured by national parks, the reader will see many wonderful pictures, some classics, that will surely create a better impression as to what type of pictures Adams takes. A great gift book as well.

Wee, but Wonderful
This wee little book (4 inch by 4 inch format) dispels the notion that the work of Ansel Adams can only be appreciated in a coffee table book. Organized into 10 sections by location (Zion National Park, Yellowstone, etc.) and peoples (Native Americans and Their Lands), it shows Adams's work out west in our great national places like Grand Canyon and the Boulder Dam. The great appeal of this little book is that these fabulous black and white images retain their beauty and mystery even though reduced in size. I can, and I have, carried it with me throughout the house, or on a walk with the dog, or have thumbed through it while sipping a cup of coffee. It is well worn and well loved. And now I am going to order one for my cousin who will move out to Montana with her new husband. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Compromise
If you seen the work of Joseph Cornell before and loved it then you will find much to learn from in this book. But, I'm not sure readers encountering Cornell for the first time through this book will be won over. The detailed text by McShine is thorough, covering his life, his surrealist box constructions, collages and cinema. A huge amount of his work is reproduced, and an extensive bibliography are included. However, most of the plates are in black and white, with only a handful of colour photographs of his work. Moreover, the photographs of his work lack depth, so the three-dimensional tactile qualities of his enigmatic box constructions are lost. Perhaps these qualities would be difficult to convey in any photographs. So, it is not the perfect Joseph Cornell book. But the writing is interesting and I still loved looking at the less-than-ideal reproductions of his work. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a tribute
sculptor. architect. child prodigy... Bernini's real name was Michaelangelo, but he hid the fact so that his own work would stand apart from that of the greatest sculptor of all time. Here is a tribute to a man who fufilled a great potential to create beauty in this world. The Galleria Borghese in Rome will attest to this. A wonderful volume about a truly incredible talent.

bellissima
Wittkower has created a book that is easily enjoyable for those familiar of Bernini, or those starting to learn about art/archetecture of the Baroque. I highly reccommend this book to anyone remotely interested in this period, as the photos are clear and the explanations are not filled with jargon a lay person could not understand. bravo.

A Must For Bernini Scholars
Wittkower's work is simply stated an artistic anthology of the achievements and life of the chief architect of the Roman Baroque. His perseptive commentary and pertinent factual information are extremely useful to all who attempt to comprehend the complex messages behind all of Bernini's work. While the author stays committed to rendering the artist as a sculptor and architect, one wishes that Wittkower would delve more into the environment, particularly political and religious movements, that continually serve as an impetus and background to Bernini's chef d'oeuvres. Regardless, Wittkower's inclusion of both color and detailed black and white plates allow the viewer to observe the Baroque master's works in their appropriate light. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first book to reproduce the definitive set of 937 rarely seen and classic images of Robert Capa, one of the most influential documentary photographers of the twentieth century.

Robert Capa (1913-54), one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century and a founding member of Magnum photographic agency, had the mind of a passionate and committed journalist and the eye of an artist. His lifework, consisting of more than 70,000 negative frames, constitutes an unparalleled documentation of a crucial 22-year period (1932-54) encompassing some of the most catastrophic and dramatic events of the last century. This book represents the most definitive selection of Capa's work ever published, 937 photographs meticulously selected by his brother, Cornell Capa (himself a noted Life photographer), and his biographer, Richard Whelan.

The photographs, arranged in chronological order as stories and accompanied by brief commentaries, reveal the dramatic shifts in location and subject matter that Capa experienced from day to day--- from war-torn Israel to Pablo Picasso on a sunny beach in France and from Ernest Hemingway carousing in London to Capa's historic images of the Allied landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy in 1944. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is definitive
I have not seen another book on Robert Capa that provides such a complete and insightful coverage of his career and voluminous production. For those who appreciate the importance of Capa's contribution to the history of photography and the rendition of key events spanning a momentous era of human history, this book is a "must-have". At the same time, it is unfortunate that the publishers chose to economize on the quality of the printing and the binding. ... Read more

Book Description

A prodigious body of work that has transformed perceptions of women's art and collaborative venture is fully scrutinized in the first book to cover the entire scope of an astonishing and influential career.One of the most controversial artists of our time, Judy Chicago is most famous for her groundbreaking installations The Dinner Party, Birth Project, and Holocaust Project. While these works have been analyzed extensively from artistic and historical perspectives, this book's in-depth discussion also embraces many of the artist's lesser-known pieces. Using a great variety of techniques, from drawing, painting, and printmaking to needlework and sculpture, her search for a personal means of expression is examined through lavish illustrations and edifying text. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Of Legends and Myths
Perhaps I missed the point. As anyone who reads a book about Ansel Adams, I am also a great fan of his work, and like many others too, a photographer with no claim to fame.

The amount of interesting information in this book regarding the life of Ansel Adams is wonderful. The people he knew, the places he's been, and the struggles he's undertaken are all part of a dazzling portrait of the man we do not know simply from looking at his work. It is a book which provides historicaly interesting snapshots from his life (literally, and figuratively), and lets us see glimpses of the lives of other great artists too.

What I found unpleasant was getting to know someone I may not have liked as a colleague or friend. The opinions or thoughts which flow from the pages of this this autobiographical are not always as polished as the photos we have come to know and love. In fairness, the man is not his work, and the work, likewise, is not who he is as a person. I have seen them both now, and prefer the work over the man (at least as he presented himself to me). I also thought that many of the events or persons which Adams spoke of where ALMOST done so by way of 'name dropping' in order to gain attention for himself (i.e. 'see who I know'). This was unnecasary I thought, and only made me wonder why he felt a need to do it that way, if indeed it was intentional.

I was particularly troubled by one of his closing observations on the value of photography as a fine art form, and how a photograph is, beyond all others, the most difficult form of art there is to create. I should think Michael Angelo, Monet, Picaso, or hundreds of other amazing artists through the ages may be inclined to a different viewpoint, even if they wouldn't admit to it.

Matt Lang

Brilliant photos, sanitized text?
First of all, the reproductions of Adams' photographs in the hardcover edition are excellent. The text is designed to relate to the photos, directly or indirectly, without distracting too much from the photos. Adams does tend to lean towards the philosophical towards the end of some chapters, perhaps with a well-founded basis.

However, I think it is fair to say that Adams has "visualized" himself in a stylized and abstract manner, not unlike his photographs of the wilderness, cropping any rough edges of his life and ultimately contributing to (even propagating?) the myth surrounding his life.

After reading his autobiography, I am now looking forward to reading his biography, written by Mary Street Alinder, his editor in the present effort. I hope that she reveals some of the driving tensions and flaws in his life, much in the same way James Gleick filled in the more sombre details of Richard Feynman's life that he glossed over in his autobiographies.

Great Ansel Adams Book!
If you're looking for a great bio on Ansel Adams, this is the book for you. It is a great, fact-filled book.

Great book, great information, great photographer!
I think that Ansel Adams was a great photographer, I personally love photography, and would love to see more professional photographers.

Ooops!! I submitted this for the wrong book!!!
Sorry for the inconvienince- I submitted the followig review for the wrong book. I meant these comments in reference to Mary Alinder's Biography of Ansel Adams, not his auto biography on which she assisted. Please try to correct the mistake for me. It is a great book!!

Mary Street Alinder presents a very personal look at many parts of Adams' life and career. Though most know some of his work, we don't know the early struggles to bring photography into the stuffy artistic world, the environmental activist, and his development and refinement of the photographic medium that Alinder brings to life. A great read for anyone who has marveled at his photos and wants some perspective on the personal side of this artist. ... Read more