Amazon.com

Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy uses a seemingly infinite array of purely natural materials, from snow and ice to leaves, stone, and twigs in the creation of his one-of-a-kind sculptures. Unlike such artists as Christo and Michael Hiezer, whose works leave definite marks on the landscape, Goldsworthy's approach is to interrupt, shape, or in some other way temporarily alter or work with nature to produce his fragile, mutable pieces. To create "Broken Icicle," for example, Goldsworthy was only able to work on the sculpture in the early morning, when temperatures were below freezing. As with most of his works, ultimately, the materials used to create this piece returned to their natural state, leaving no trace of the artwork's existence save for the stunning photos in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

man+nature=art
This is well worth the price of a big coffee table art book. Most of the people who see this book ask "how did he do that?" Indeed, it is amazing how Goldsworthy is able to play with nature to reflect his artistic visions, while still showing a reverence for his medium. He creates art where he finds inspiration, without any tools other than what he finds on site. These photographs are beautiful mementos of his ephemeral artwork.

A MUST HAVE / A GREAT GIFT
Whether you are an art enthusiast or not, this book is a must have for those that appreciate not only art, but beauty in life, nature, and the spirit. Andy Goldsworthy cleverly manipulates the legos of nature and creates a myriad of dynamic and simplistic designs that show his spirit. You will be "wow'd" by this book. It would make a great gift for any occasion or age.

WOW!
This book is truely inspirational. It is one you will go back to time and again. It is soothing when you feel stressed. I would not part with it. It makes a great gift for anyone who appreciates nature or art.

Mind Blowing!
If you've come this far, get this book- you are lucky to have discovered Andy Goldsworthy. And sit down before lifting the cover. The book is a testament to Goldsworthy's unique vision of his environment and skill as an artist and challenges you to believe that the seemingly impossible is possible. Not only are the sculptures genius, but the photographs are beautifully composed and the collection is mind blowing.
You can do a google search on Goldsworthy and see the same pictures but it in no way compares to having the collection in an oversized book on your lap and being able to show your friends as you say, "you will not believe this!"

Incredible photos!
Wow- some of the most beautiful photos of Goldsworthy's work. This collection has quite a variety of subject and spans many years. Truly exquisite environmentally friendly nature art. This is a great coffee table book that gets fought over by our artistic and non-artistic friends alike. ... Read more

Amazon.com

To achieve the quiet beauty of his art, Andy Goldsworthy spends long hours in rough weather, engaged in a tug-of-war with nature. He wrestles heavy stones on top of one another to form tall, egg-shaped landmarks known as cairns. He painstakingly covers fallen logs with bright golden bands of Dutch elm leaves—a last hurrah for a proud species decimated by disease. He pulverizes white chalk to lay a long, wandering path in the woods that gleams in the moonlight. Works like these are as much about the transience of life as they are about a sense of place and the pleasures of color, light and form. In Passage, the British artist's latest book, he once again provides diary excerpts that chronicle his daily successes and failures. The lush color photographs he takes to document peak moments of the birth, glory and decay of his art are as beautiful as ever. Unlike the other books, however, Passage--which begins in 2000 and darts back and forth over the next few years--is shadowed by a more urgent sense of mortality. Goldworthy's recently deceased father is in his thoughts, and a major project he tackles is the memorial Garden of Stones for the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. The garden's giant boulders pose many difficulties--finding the right ones, acquiring them, moving them, experimenting with cutting processes and coping with the elderly stonecutter's frequent tantrums. Hollowed out, the stones will be filled with trowels of earth (a ritual recalling burial) and tiny oak saplings, symbolic of life. "The partnership between tree and stone will be stronger for the tree having grown from the stone, rather than being stuck into it," Goldsworthy writes in his straightforward style. (An essay about this project by the historian Simon Schama, previously published in The New Yorker, is one of several pieces by other writers included in the book.) Once again, Goldsworthy succeeds in showing how seemingly simple ideas and actions can deeply engage both natural forces and human emotions. —Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (5)

What a work of creative and artistic genius!
What a work of creative and artistic genius!

What to say about such an amazing work? For the first few times I
mainly absorbed the photos of his works, with only reading the
little captions and it wiped me off my feet. After a few rounds
of these I decided to read all of the writing in the book that
accompany the works he made and it totally blew me away. This
book has definitely altered something deep inside about the way
Ilook at nature, change, the seasons and time in general.

Time, as the title of the book suggests is the main topic of the
book and Andy Goldsworthy's art in general or at least his
approach and intention towards it. The body of work presented in
numerous photos and with corresponding writing in the form of a
journal covers the whole range Goldsworthy's work. For example
works made from stone, wood, leaves, snow, ice,...

As a result it gives an excellent overview and introduction of
his work and via the numerous writings a very deep, personal and
detailed insight into how he approaches different places, how he
reacts to change and works with the weather. The writing is on
par with his work. Very clear, direct, honest and poetic.

His insight into the concepts of time and change and seasons and
nature is truly breath taking. The introduction he wrote for the
book is a wonderful example illustrating this. Part of it can be
read by using the "Look inside the book" feature of Amazon.

Spending time with this book really cracks ones mind wide open
about time, change, nature and seasons and how to look at it and
perceive it.

And honestly I don't know what's more amazing. These amazing
and unbelievable pieces of art. Or the incredibly crisp and poetic
writing, deepening so much ones understanding of the works and
give insight into Goldsworthys view and approach and thoughts. Or
simply that out there somewhere a human being is walking this
earth with such an amazing understanding of time and nature and
able to transform this into amazing art an writing.

If the idea of Goldsworthys work is for him to work with time and
change and nature and to further his awareness of these concepts
and make sense of them in the most beautiful way then that is
exactly what this book excells marvelously at for the reader.

Another superb look at Andy Goldsworthy's ephemeral art
Andy Goldsworthy's artwork is utterly ephemeral and fleeting, and perhaps because of this, utterly transfixing. There is something of the ancients in the way Goldsworthy puts together stone, or wood, or leaves--or even in the way he lays himself down on a dry patch of ground in the rain so that when he gets up, we see a sort of reverse shadow of his body. There is an astonishing intellect at work here, and a soul which sees the value in what some art snobs might term "mere beauty."

Goldsworthy's many mediums are covered in "Time," which features sumptuous photography by Terry Friedman. We see perfectly constructed stone cairns--some pyramidal, some only half done and all the more startling for what isn't there as for what is. We see ruddy sandstone arches four times the height of a man. But Goldsworthy's most consistently inviting work is done not in stone, but in the ephemera nature leaves for him everywhere he looks. Goldsworthy's work is sometimes so fleeting as to question the very nature of whether it constitutes art when it lasts only minutes or hours. The frost shadows, for instance, are simply photographs of the still-iced patches of grass over which Goldsworthy stood in the early morning, then stepped aside so that a photograph could be taken. Of course these are gone within minutes as the sun warms the now-exposed grass. Is this art? Merely the fact that you question it shows your engagement with the work--Goldsworthy fosters a kind of subtle dialogue between reader and artist and the dialogue is consistently engaging. Another heat-destroyed piece is the thinnest imaginable sheet of ice, laid against a moss-covered rock, and Goldsworthy's handprint visible on it. As it thawed, it buckled and disappeared and we see its disappearance in the photographs. It's lovely, it's witty and it is, improbably art.

Other things disappear, too, but not from the sun's warmth. There is a "stick hole" Goldsworthy built early one spring which he and Friedman came back to photograph throughout the summer until the final photograph shows it utterly covered with the lacy ferns which grew up around it. There are the perfectly circular or perfectly ovoid leaf rafts Goldsworthy stitches together, then sends on their way down a meandering stream, having their path photographed before they disappear. There are the piled of rocks he constructs leading into the ocean so that the tides swallow them up--each stage meticulously recorded on film.

Perhaps the most transformative art in the book is the mud wall displayed on the cover. Goldsworthy applied mud to walls and floor in such a way that when the mud cracked and dried, it showed the meandering, snakelike pattern he'd put into it. It has become something entirely different solely through the passage of time. This book is filled with surprises and delights, and will have you utterly absorbed, charmed, and astonished. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Mature Work by a Great Artist
This is perhaps Goldsworthy's most elegiac and moving book, a profound meditation on time and change. If you like his work, you won't be disappointed. This volume and "A Collaboration with Nature" are wonderful and permanent sources of inspiration.

Time
Entropy. Order versus Disorder, structure versus chaos, these are the forces that we all deal with, and Andy Goldsworth displays this primal struggle elegantly in this beautiful new book. What the artist creates nature returns to itself. We see the process from inspiring begininng to intriging end with the key player being Time. It is hard to envision a more perfect book of this artists' work.

The best yet
If you are already an Andy Goldsworthy fan, this book is an essential coming together of his various design phases. It explains chronologically his life's work. The commentary describes his methods and his feelings. The photography as always is breathtaking making every page a joy.

If you are not already a fan this book represents a 'best of' summation of his work and makes his other three books a more indepth look at each phase of his working life. So buy this one first. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

The Shakespeare of the Lens
As a young man utterly fascinated by women, I find THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, like many of Hamilton's other books, invaluable - at least as far as the visual content goes. Most of these dozens of girls appear to be in their mid-teens, but one notices not so much their sexuality as their personalities. Thus, one girl has a strong domineering streak, another a maternal aspect, yet another a carefree, fun-loving disposition, and still another an impish and sly character.

The content of THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is bound to elicit some negative reception, but consider that many of these photos show fully clothed models and few are really provocative. In fact, the more provocative photos, such as those from the series at the end showing young lovers roaming the beach and preparing for love, are my least favorite. Also, the introductory essay is embarrassing and many of the quotes liberally interspersed throughout this lengthy book - even those by writers many of us would normally accord respect - are jarring in their comparative lack of subtlety. There can hardly be any more proof of Hamilton's artistry and intentions than his making certain verbal poetic evocations of females and their nature clumsy and unnatural by comparison. So, my advice is get the book and avoid most of the text (Shakespeare is one of the few assets in the writing department here).

I rate this book five stars notwithstanding the reservations noted above. And, although many of these photos have appeared in previous Hamilton volumes, their quantity and variety compensate for this.

Pleasing to the eyes? Yes. Pornographic? Not one bit.
This is definitely the prettiest book I have ever seen. One of the best books to come out of Great Britain ever, and surely one of the world's finest photo-art books. This is not pornographic in any way; those who think it is do not know the true definition of the term. This book is a celebration of youth and beauty as experienced by these young girls. If you appreciate what is truly beautiful in our world, then you will purchase this book. If you don't, you will surely be missing out. The portrait on page eighty-one is worth the price of the book alone.The quotations accompanying the photographs are thought provoking, and, in this reviewer's case, educating---I am now reading Ulysses as a result of this book! So, you may even improve your literary skills as a result of this book. Any way you look at it, this book is a real treasure, and congratulations to David Hamilton on a job well done.

As complex as its subjects
This is possibly the most beautiful set of photo portraits I've ever seen. Like the subjects, though, the beauty has a scary side to it.

There's a lot more to say. The pictures are intense, and more intense as a collection. I'm sure everyone who sees it will have more to say, and everyone will say something different. For that matter, I could discuss this in three or four contradictory ways. This time, I prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves and to let the readers form opinions of their own.

Beautiful Subjects
Physical beauty is something that we have for only a brief period in our lives. It is a temporary stage during our lifespan. Unfortunately, we discourage young women from sharing their physical beauty with others who can appreciate it. It really is quite a shame that we try to enforce modesty. David Hamilton gave us this gift so that we may be able to share his admiration for the young, female physique. I am grateful to the young subjects, who were gracious enough to share their beauty with us.

This is a remarkable book. It is obvious that David Hamilton is very passionate about his subjects. He has taken his appreciation and admiration for young women and shared that enthusiasm with the world. I highly recommend this book.

Barely Misses the Mark
If I could have rated this book 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 stars I would have. It certainly is a beautiful artistic endeavor. However, it fails the mark of perfection because of a few (VERY FEW) photos that are too suggestive for girls of their age, and a few comments by the author that would seem to provoke dangerously misleading thoughts in the minds of young people who might get their hands on this book. As the step-dad of a teenage girl I have experienced first-hand the confusion of an easily inluenced child, who lacks the full capacity to reason and misperceives what she has seen and heard. Too many (pre-teen and teen) children think they are supposed to be sexually active, and there are certainly a few paragraphs, and several photos, in this book that would help contribute to that pattern of thought. Otherwise this is a finely crafted work. Many of the photos are soft, muted, elegant, and almost dream-like, while others are sharp and rich in color and contrast. There are full figure studies and a variety of portraits. Some of the girls look confused, content, generally happy, thrilled, curious, and some disgusted. Unlike similar works by other photographers, the majority of the models do not appear to be emotionless, melancholy, or tormented. There are no portrayals of violence or mishap. The quotes from classic poetry are at times provocative but still tasteful and refreshing, especially if you are one who enjoys traditional Western European poetry. The author/photographer makes several attempts at poetic verse but they do not work so well. I do realize that the entire theme of The Age of Innocence is the psychological tumult experienced by young girls who are approaching womanhood, so the sexual element does have to be "taken with a grain of salt." As an artist and photographer I do highly recommend this book and treasure my own copy, but I strongly suggest caution when selecting an audience to share it with; teenage boys are not a proper audience. Overall this is quite a clean representation of the human form and psychology of young women. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Charming & Amazing
I am so happy I found a book with plentiful Glamour photos. I especially love the Norma Shearer pics and the Rosalind Russell pics (especially the rather gothic cloak pic.) This book is not only insightful about how the pics were done but who Hurrell was. Truly beautiful and a must for any coffee table and/or collector.

I'm very happy to have this book in my library
Once upon a time, I was reading Empire magazine and suddenly I saw a promotion of The book Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits. The cover picture was very impressive. I didn't know George Hurrell before. As soon as I saw the picture, I decided to buy this book. So, after buying it and see the pictures inside, I just said: Wow! What a photographer he was. He's a genius. His works are magnificent. Great use of light and remarkable composition are the typical of his works. Definitly he's a master in the art of photography. You can find many fabulouse black & white photoes of your beloved actors and actresses in 30s and 40s as well as an interesting and useful biography of Hurrell. If you love cinema you won't regret after buying it. Your library misses this book.

GORGEOUS
This book is just filled with gorgeous photographs, in a beautifully dramatic and romantic style that is often missing in the photographs taken in more recent times. A wonderful book for photographers looking for a little inspiration, or those who have had a surfeit of the modern, photojournalistic approach to portraiture. Look at the light, the composition, and the drama! As photographers, we've shown these images to prospective bridal clients, who thought they only wanted "candids" taken at their wedding - "very few posed images" - who summarily changed their minds about "stuffy posed photography." Many of our portrait clients, who came to sessions loathing the idea of having to pose for the camera have found themselves having so much fun they don't want to stop when we've introduced some of the more dramatic poses similar to those used by Hurrell in a session. This book is also a bonanza for movie buffs - to see images of a young Joan Crawford, BEFORE retouching, freckles and all, and then to see the results of Hurrell's handiwork, is fun for fans -and his techniques impress those of us who do this for a living.

Luminous and informative
I am not too familiar with the Golden Age of Hollywood, but I am entranced by the pictures of stars like Jean Harlow. Hurrell was a master of portraiture, using light in the most effective way possible.

My favorite pictures are of Harlow, Crawford, and Dietrich. I took a black and white photography course in college, so I deeply appreciate the virtuoso style of Hurrell. I am equally impressed with the information the author included about how these pictures were taken. This book doubles as a nice "coffee table" book and an instructional manual.

For book every Portrait Photographers Library
A wonderfully written book which follows Hurrells life before, during and after Hollywood's golden years. Hurrell's huge ego dealing with Hollywood's huge egos make for great reading. His genius behind the camera is represented in the beautiful photographs printed throughout the book. As a person who enjoys reading biographies, I feel this book would appeal not just to photographers, but to Hollywood history buffs as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This lavish but manageable book is the catalog for one of the most successful van Gogh exhibitions ever (at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through January 3, 1999, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from January 17, 1999, to April 4, 1999). Judging from the haunting, beautifully reproduced paintings and drawings in the book--which range from the iconic to the rarely seen--it is easy to see why hordes of people keep pressing through overcrowded galleries to get a glimpse of the originals. The ones here are all from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, where most of Vincent's work resides.

Author Richard Kendall does a heroic job of writing van Gogh's tortured story one more time. Few artists have analyzed their own work with the clarity and insight Vincent brought to his. And Kendall relies heavily on Vincent's letters to his brother Theo, giving the reader broad access to the ultimate expert, the painter himself. The wealth of color plates is intoxicating--70 paintings, including The Potato Eaters and other early, gloomy works, a dozen self-portraits, Almond Blossom, Wheatfield with Crows, Butterflies and Poppies, The Bedroom, The Zouave, and The Courtesan (van Gogh's take on a Japanese geisha in full regalia).

It seems trivial to further praise the book's designers for holding it to only 150 pages, but the length makes an important difference. This is a volume that fits comfortably on the lap, to be perused and enjoyed at close range, for hours if you want, and not just displayed in unwieldy glory on a coffee table. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (6)

the most original artist of his time
Vincent van Gogh is the artist who I feel I relate to most on a personal level. His demons are my demons. His yearning to some day find "the right girl" is my yearning. His spiritual faith in God is my spiritual faith. His weaknesses are my weaknesses. His strengths are my strengths. I'm very fond of van Gogh. He made many mistakes, including getting involved in a doomed love affair with a prostitute, or how he cut off his earlobe in a fit of anguish. Well, okay, I identify with him but that's something I've never been tempted to do haha. Vincent was a troubled and tormented and deeply under-appreciated artist in his day, only managing to sell one or two paintings in his life. Now he is among the very most popular. His works sell for many millions, even minor works.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

A GREAT JOURNEY WITH VAN GOGH
One of the best pieces that I ever read explaining paintings along the different periods which were passed by Van Gogh. Also, it gives a complete ride through his life and personality.

A Quality Work!!
I have this book and I am so glad ,I discovered it. I am, a painter,and have always been influenced by Van Goghs work. However most of the books I own do not have very good quality , printing .This book however is excellent! It is very close to , standing in front of the original painting. I would recomend this book to anyone that loves Van Gogh. I am so proud to make this book a part of my art library. Get it while you can!!

Didn't see the exhibit? Read the book!
The next best thing if you weren't able to make it to this record-breaking exhibition in Washington and Los Angeles. This book, an overview of the exhibition, is an extremely thorough and interesting overview of the 70 works on display. But it's more than that. I was very impressed with Richard Kendall's commentary in the book. Not only is this a comprehensive and thoughtful look at the "Van Gogh's Van Goghs" exhibition, it's also an excellent look at Van Gogh's life and career--period. I might have expected this--this major exhibition was superb and this catalogue is a worthy companion. Exhibition or not, this book is first-rate.

brillant
Interest in Van Gogh heightened with Hollywood movie with Kirk Douglas an Hollywood actor. My mother has a wood painting of sunflowers (l6) and she asked that we research this for her, it has numerous local newspaper clippings taped to the back, which raises even more questions. It is signed Vincent? I saw a one man narrative of Van Gogh's life depicted by his brother Theo, Actor: Jim Jarrett called Vincent. It was much informative of the letters Vincent wrote to Theo. . This enlightened one as to Vincent's odd behavior. Vincent the man. Mr.Kendall, if possible please cooresponde back. My sister is also in contact with you. Thank you for reading this message and any redirect would be appreciated. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An Absolutely Inspiring Book
A truly beautiful book, with rich photographs and nice summaries. Inspiring to the last page - and particularly useful for igniting one's creative juices. A small note to the Amazon reviewer: Andy Goldsworthy was born in England in 1956. He lives in Penpont, Scotland, but is English - not Scottish.

Astonishing natural art
In "Stone," as in his other books, Andy Goldsworthy takes the natural play of a child--fooling around with sticks, leaves, water, stones, mud, and more--and elevates it to something above and beyond its natural status. He uses his adult design skills to create great manmade beauty from existing natural beauty. He never falls over the line into obvious, coy, or precious art--he simply lets nature be what it is with a tiny little bit of rearranging on his part.

The results are never short of astonishing. Witness the sharp-edged rocks against which Goldsworthy has "glued" (with plain water) the leaves of brilliantly red Japanese maples, thereby making the edges look almost bloodied (p. 76). Witness the delicate, calligraphic tracery Goldsworthy stitched up by pinning together rush after rush after rush with thorns and then hanging these on a gallery wall so that it appears that either Calder or Matisse have wandered in and scribbled elegantly on the walls (p. 83). Witness the balanced oval boulders Goldsworthy lays in a curvaceous line from beach to the sea, and see how they roll and disappear from view as the tide comes crashing in (p. 101). These are but three of the many visual astonishments Goldsworthy shares in this book. The book is a never-ending source of delight and admiration for the feverish workings of one of 20th-century art's most creative minds.

breathtaking simple beauty of nature & imagination
Andy Goldsworthy's art is so inspiring. In this book, the art pieces focus on, as the title says, stone. It's unbelievable. He just unveils so much magic in the world with his brilliant thinking. "Otherworldly" is surely the word to describe how much of the art in this book feels. I keep thinking it couldn't possibly be this planet, but I suppose it's not even a planet anymore; it's the mind of the artist. Time also plays a significant role in this art. He builds pieces with the intent to photograph it when the day moves & the light hits it a certain way. Or he builds things that the incoming tide tears apart. In a piece I love in this book, he gathered ice from a lake & put it on the shade side of a rock. The ice gradually melted & was shed. I wish I could have listened & watched. Something that adds so wonderfully to this book's beauty made from such simple natural materials is that he also accompanies photographs with very Haiku-like, very poetic, short descriptions of the art pieces & how they existed in time & in the act of his making them.

ingenious natural art
Of this book, my mother said, "I can't understand artwork that's not meant to last." I replied, "That's the whole point." The beauty of Goldworthy's artistry is in its impermanence -- the sand sculptures will be washed out with the tide, the leaves will be carried away in a river current, the cairns will fall...and part of the artist's charm is that he never harms the landscape. In time, his art will vanish and so will his footprints... Nature leaves us constant gifts, and it's up to us to see them, digest their beauty -- and accept wholeheartedly that it may not be here in a few minutes, days, or weeks. A wonderful book that provides insight into the nature of art -- time -- and the physical world.

Goldworthy's art is an unfailing source of wonder, delight!
This book is a revelation! Goldsworthy's conceptual art never fails to stir a sense of wonder and delight. As I paged through Stone, which is filled with beautiful photographs of Goldworthy's work, not only installed in museums, but in the natural settings which harbor some of his best (and most ephemeral) works, I was constantly calling friends over to see. The freshness and astonishing beauty of Goldworthy's work is evident on every page. All who love the beauties of art and nature should see this book. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The best photo-art book ever. Period.
Okay, so this book contains pictures of girls under 18 in the nude. Try to look at the bigger picture. That would be all that is beautiful in our world, and David hamilton has tried to fit as much as he can in one place. Many before him have tried, none have succeeded as he has. the pictures of countrysides, seascapes and Italian villas all join together with the aforemetioned images to create a perfect symmetry of beauty. This book is well worth its price, and then some.

Absolutely stunning!!
This is 'THE' Hamilton book to own! I have never seen anything so beautiful and classical as this before. Hamilton is a true master artist and this book shows the depths to which he explores his art. As one other reader said, when you see the pages of this book unfold before you, you feel as if you are entering a classical landscape of beauty and enchantment. The subject matter (young girls) is a heated topic, however the way Hamilton photographs each subject is a tribute to the eye of a master. There is nothing obscene or pornographic in the pages of this book. This is pure and innocent beauty from a period in life where everything is confusing and magical. The goal of any great photographer should be to show us the world we don't see, to show us what we have all around us but never stop to notice. Hamilton is a great photographer and his landscapes and nudes show us the erotic and mystical in our world.

Buy this book. It is worth every penny.

NO NO NO
I agree with another reviewer that said it isn't right to take young girls and pose them in unnatural and erotic positions so that we may "say" that we want to enjoy their "beauty." I didn't see one photo (albeit I didn't search through the whole book) of naked boys posed in such a way. If youthful nudity is so beautiful, why aren't both sexes recognized? I suspect that this artist isn't interested in male "beauty." I felt that these girls were all exploited by the artist (and every person that buys this book).

(...)

Interesting Collection of his Work
The book has photos spanning David Hamilton's career as well as a bit of an auto-biographical essay of his life and how he got into photographing beautiful young models.

The pictures include nude models as well as subjects like flowers, landscapes, and personal photos.

My complaints about the book is that the pictures are usually too small to be appreciated and the quality of the post-production is not top class. Though there are many nice photos, it does not justify the work of the photographer.

Nonetheless Hamilton's books are hard to find and always go out of print. Overall, it is worth buying.

BEAUTIFUL!!!
This book is a masterpiece! Everything about it is just plain beautiful. I can't believe that Hamilton ever had problems with these incredible pictures that he has taken. And that takes us back to what is art? and what is pornography? It seems that in this country, people tend to believe that if a girl is under the age of 18 and nude, it is pornography. Hamilton has proved them wrong. If it is legal for familys, which do in a lot of cases include young girls and teenage girls, to go to nudist colonies or be naturists, where they are nude three fourths of the time, why is it not right for someone to capture this beautiful lifestyle on film?

The female body, at any age is a very beautiful thing, and not many people will let themselves admit this. I find it especially beautiful when the girls are at the brink of womanhood, and there bodies are changing. Why is it so hard to find this stunning for people???

You will find portraits of everything in this book, from swimming, to sleeping, to just plain stand up posing for the camera. Also, this book includes other works of Hamilton. Works like nature etc.

In one word, this book is Beautiful, and so is Hamilton, for doing something that very few people can do. That is to realize that there is natural beauty in everyone, and he photographed it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good introduction to his more complicated works
This was the first book of his that I bought. It is very well done like all the rest. It is a good book to get your "feet wet" and to decide if you want to go any further into his work. I liked it very much, and recommend it as an introduction. ... Read more

Book Description

More than any other artist, Edward Hopper (1882-1967) made the unique visual landscape of the American city his own. In his works, all-night diners, motel rooms, and deserted, after-hours offices are sparsely populated with isolated, brooding figures. While never directly narrative, his restrained and carefully handled oils and watercolors have a timeless, universal quality that has long struck a chord with a huge international audience.

From paintings made in Paris in the early 1900s to iconic views of Manhattan created more than 60 years later, this book examines Hopper's work in the context of both American and European painting from the turn of the 20th century to the 1960s. The influence that film and other forms of popular culture had on Hopper is explored here for the first time. Published to accompany a major retrospective exhibition at Tate Modern in London, this stunning book is the definitive work on this quintessentially American artist. AUTHOR BIO: Sheena Wagstaff is director of exhibitions at Tate Modern, London. Peter Wollen is professor of film, television, and digital media at UCLA and a filmmaker, critic, and scholar. David Anfam has published widely on American art. Brian O'Doherty is an artist and critic and the author of American Masters: The Voice and the Myth in Modern Art. Margaret Iverson is professor in the department of art history and theory at the University of Essex, England. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An amazing journey through Heaven on Earth.
This book is absolutely brimming with gorgeous pictures. I bought it the minute I finished looking at it for the first time four years ago. All photographs are tastefully done and convey a sense of wonder at what God has put here on this earth for us all to enjoy. You absolutely have to have this book!!!! It is stunning!!!!!

How to make a boring picture
Pretty amazing -- David Hamilton takes some pictures of some very attractive subjects, in extremely attractive backgrounds, with extremely expensive equipment, and manages to make them look worse than the worst of my holiday photos. Boring, self-conscious... basically, not worth a look. If you like the subject matter, I highly recommend Jock Sturges (for some very laid-back, pretty pictures) or Sally Mann (for some slightly more disturbing overtones.) But skip Hamilton, he's a waste of paper

Rehash of trite commercial images
This collection of Hamilton's work contains bland landscape photography that would fit the formulas of the Sierra Club desk calender; bland images of young girls in the same poses we've seen dozens of times in his other work, saying nothing new and with all the personality of a jeans ad; and self-conscious photos of some Beautiful People that look like they were intended for ads in a fashion magazine. Of course, none of this should be surprising considering that most of Hamilton's work is blatantly commercial and self-indulgent, but some of his earlier books -- Sisters, Private Collection, and so on -- contained genuinely unique, well-composed, and evocative pictures. (Age of Innocence was as boring to me as this book.) The only images that worked for me in Place in the Sun were the photos of flowers, which are very pretty. Seeing one photo of a "native" couple titled "The Noble Savage," and another of a young woman holding handfuls of fruit at crotch level titled "The Fruits of Love" (or something similar) gave me a laugh. For some reason, Hamilton has never gotten over his addiction to silly quotes and captions that cheapen his images. I would certainly prefer that he let them speak for themselves, but then the viewer might have a chance to experience his own response to them, rather than being directed by Hamilton to Hamilton's own narcissistic fantasy.

The "Perfect" Hamilton book for your coffee table!
David Hamilton is perhaps the most talented photographer in the world... This volume is proof. While his other US releases, "The Age of Innocence" and "Twenty-Five Years of an Artist" focus almost entirely upon his obsession with nude girls between the ages of 12-18, "A Place in the Sun" incorporates the beauty of a young girl into the larger, greater beauty of the tropics; Making the beauty of her nude physical form into just one part of the whole of the surrounding beauty of the water, the sky, the beach, and the flora and fauna of the environment of which she is a part. This book is a true journey into fantasy! The topless girl standing on the beach looking out to sea on page 44, the single cloud over the Bali sea on page 104, the peaceful young goddess sleeping in the hammock on page 46... These pictures alone would be with the price.

This is THE most beautiful photography book I have ever seen, and far less controversial than his other US releases... Buy this book. It will one day be a collectors item.

Beautiful girls in the nude
This book contains a variety of beautiful pictures of various things, from deserted beaches, to storm-encroached seas, to even a mule! It also has some excellent photos of young girls, some of which are extraordinary in their perfection of beauty and their playful attitude toward life. I would say there are 10 to 20 photos of beautiful girls in this book. They are well worth the asking price of the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lust and Trust: Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin is one of this decade's most influential photographers. She is very much a part of the world that she photographed and therefore she has unlimited access to her subjects. There is no sense of exploitation even though these people, who are on the margins of society, are often caught off guard in private moments. Her work is raw and snapshot esthetic--a recurring theme is that the subjects never quite belong and are lost and lonely in what can often be a bleak and hostile urban environment. She shares with us quite eloquently a form of diary; one can relate so much of their own lives, fears, desires, and pain. She put it best: "I used to think that i could never lose anyone if i photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much i've lost." ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Understanding the Two- Dimensional Picture Plane
This work helps to clarify the importance of Hans Hofmann's works and why he is considered one of the most important art teachers of the 20th century. This work is especially important to any artist wanting to become the best they can become in their field. The ideas presented by Hofmann can take a lifetime to "master", but well worth the effort. His ideas are more than just "theory", they are a basic understanding of how to enliven a flat pictorial space and how to infuse oneself in one's work. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Hughes, who has stunned us with comprehensive works on subjects as sweeping and complex as the history of Australia (The Fatal Shore), the modern art movement (The Shock of the New), the nature of American art (American Visions), and the nature of America itself as seen through its art (The Culture of Complaint), now turns his renowned critical eye to one of art history’s most compelling, enigmatic, and important figures, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. With characteristic critical fervor and sure-eyed insight, Hughes brings us the story of an artist whose life and work bridged the transition from the eighteenth-century reign of the old masters to the early days of the nineteenth-century moderns.

With his salient passion for the artist and the art, Hughes brings Goya vividly to life through dazzling analysis of a vast breadth of his work. Building upon the historical evidence that exists, Hughes tracks Goya’s development, as man and artist, without missing a beat, from the early works commissioned by the Church, through his long, productive, and tempestuous career at court, to the darkly sinister and cryptic work he did at the end of his life.
In a work that is at once interpretive biography and cultural epic, Hughes grounds Goya firmly in the context of his time, taking us on a wild romp through Spanish history; from the brutality and easy violence of street life to the fiery terrors of the Holy Inquisition to the grave realities of war, Hughes shows us in vibrant detail the cultural forces that shaped Goya’s work.

Underlying the exhaustive, critical analysis and the rich historical background is Hughes’s own intimately personal relationship to his subject. This is a book informed not only by lifelong love and study, but by his own recent experiences of mortality and death. As such this is a uniquely moving and human book; with the same relentless and fearless intelligence he has brought to every subject he has ever tackled, Hughes here transcends biography to bring us a rich and fiercely brave book about art and life, love and rage, impotence and death. This is one genius writing at full capacity about another—and the result is truly spectacular. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Riveting Characterizations of Goya's Work!
Until about 12 years ago, I thought of Goya as a minor artist who had done few memorable works. Then, I happened to stumble upon a major exhibition of Goya's etchings and aquatints at a Rennes museum in Brittany. I was astonished and compelled by what I saw. Most of the exhibit focused on a theme of antiwar and I wanted to know more. Many people have told me since that it's hard to find good books about Goya's etchings and aquatints. So I picked up this volume hoping to fill the void. My expectations with regard to the etchings and aquatints were more than fulfilled. Thank you, Mr. Hughes.

The book offered me much more. It has very good coverage of all Goya's work and what is known about his personal life. Mr. Hughes also has a wonderful ability to describe a work of art in a way that helps you see it in its historical context . . . rather than just in terms of today. From those perspectives, I became equally enthused about Goya's Caprichos and came to understand more about bullfighting and witches than I ever would have otherwise.

The book has a personal touch to it that is compelling. Mr. Hughes suffered a horrible accident before starting this book and had a lengthy recovery before he could begin the work. All of that frustration seems to have energized him to make the book come to life more than one would have ever thought possible.

The book does have three flaws that you should be aware of before beginning. First, the reproductions are usually quite small. If Mr. Hughes hadn't pointed out the tiny details in many cases, no reader would have been able to discern those details from looking at the pages here. Second, you will probably learn more than you ever wanted to know about the Spanish Bourbons for whom Goya was the court painter. There is such as thing as too much historical context. Third, Mr. Hughes like to make unnecessary digs at historical figures that seem gratuitously related to the work here. For example, Ernest Hemingway is characterized as having modeled his style after a woman writer and therefore cannot write appropriately about bull fights.

But if you want to find lots of reasons to enjoy Goya, this is your book.

Good viewing!

The pictures help move this book along
I enjoyed Hughes's style and his illumination of Spanish history was quite intertesting, but I left the book feeling like I knew very little about Goya personally. I did, however, feel as though I really knew Goya's painting quite well and that's really the point isn't it?

Overall, a great primer, but not a fantastic biography.

Historical criticism at its finest
This book is the best to be written about Goya, placing him squarely in the modern arena, debunking most of the silly and trivial myths surrounding his life, and educating the public on one of the true masters. Hughes build-up is slow but thorough. The novice and art-historian alike are given a full historical context for Goya and his work. Hughes' payoff is a far better understanding of artist's life than any other writer as of yet has captured. With less obvious material than other biographers (letters, diaries, etc.), Hughes does a splendid job of re-piecing the cultural and political climate of Spain during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Even if you disagree with him at points and find his critique a bit stuffy, you can never argue with his passion for Goya's art or the research put into the book. His eye for detail and relentless pursuit of background material, make the author's style almost incomparable; because his points are made so plainly and lucidly, he conveys an appreciation of art that few critics can match. This book seeks to educate and entertain, succeeding on both levels. I highly recommend Goya to anyone interested in Modern or European art of the last 300 years.

Masterfully written, completely engaging
As a contemporary art historian, I've always been deeply influenced by critics, but I've also always had a passion for 19th century art. While I've sometimes found Hughes' past writings to be a bit acerbic at times (though always passionate), this is without question a wonderful book which clearly contains not only Hughes' rich efforts at research as well as a passionate love for his subject. Striking in its lucidity, emotional in its descriptions not only of the paintings but the context within which Goya worked, and even generous in its praise to other art historian to whom it is indebted, it is a book I cannot recommend highly enough.

The Penultimate Artist Biography
Throughout history we have examples of biographers so committed to the works of their artist subject that the reporting of the writer seems like the visual becoming oral. Such is the case of James Lord and Giacometti, David Sylvester and Francis Bacon, and now Robert Hughes and Jose de Goya y Lucientes. Hughes new publication entitled simply GOYA is the zenith work in the line of brilliant art history writing, books that include 'The Shock of the New' and 'American Visions' as well as definitive books on artists Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud. His knowledge is both technically sophisticated and psychologically sound and he is a gifted writer in about any métier.

But there is something more to this book than biography. Goya has been important to Hughes throughout his life: his first art purchase as student in Australia was one of the etchings of Goya's 'Capricho' series. It wasn't until 1999, when Hughes came close to meeting death from an accident, was in a coma, then gradually recovered through a long series of debilitating therapies, that Hughes was able to overcome his writer's block and actually set about to write the biography of the artist who had become his obsession for years. Hughes admits that it was probably this experience coupled with a vision of Goya himself that made him truly comprehend and incorporate Goya's life of reactionary to the Church, to the absurdity and viciousness of War, to the Inquisition, and to the social injustices he observed. And the interesting parallel of course is that Goya suffered physically not only due to complete deafness, but also to undiagnosed maladies that made his life a trial but did not stop his painting.

Hughes writing style is urbane and conversational, informed and witty, impeccably researched and yet related as though the reader were sitting at the feet of an old longtime acquaintance of Goya. He obviously is in awe of Goya's works, allows him the court portraits and tapestries that Goya endured for money, and makes it a point to examine each painting with fine scrutiny - finding every self portrait of the artist in paintings most other scholars have missed. Rather that writing the life of Goya from his birth chronologically through to his death and epilogue, Hughes examines a life that is inevitably destined to paint the darkness of the Black Paintings and the Caprichos with frequent asides, a style that creates incredible energy in the telling of the life of this amazing artist. Example: In 1980 Goya applied to a "proper institution" - the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and his entrance exam was a painting entitled "Crucified Christ". Hughes: "It is without much doubt the worst painting he ever did. How could a man who would emerge, some thirty years later, as the most powerful reporter of human anguish in all of Western art have produced this soapy piece of bondieuserie? The ladylike body, unmarked by torment; the absence of any kind of empathy with what real bodies underwent in the course of flogging and crucifixion; the enervated "correctness" of pose - all this combines to convey a sort of sickly, moaning piety that, if it were not for the relative liveliness of the paint and its impeccable provenance, would make you doubt it was by Goya at all." These are not damning critical flagellations: these are the responses of a writer who knows his subject well.

This richly illustrated volume (one only wishes the plates were larger) is well designed to keep pace with history, psychology, and a world timeline and it should be in the libraries of students, artists, art lovers, and scholars. In a line of important books, GOYA is most assuredly the finest product of the gifted Hughes' mind and pen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ... Read more

Book Description

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) holds an assured place in the history of art as one of the greatest masters of the wood-block print.This volume offers an excellent overview of the accomplished artist who, together with Hokusai, was the leading creator of landscape imagery in Japanese printmaking.

If Hokusai is recognized for his bold compositions and clearly defined forms, Hiroshige is the master of the passing moment - the artist of mist, snow, and rain.The immense popularity of Hiroshige's prints meant that they were continually reprinted, wearing down the woodblocks.For this book, every effort has been made to reproduce only the finest early impressions.Each plate is provided with a commentary by Matthi Forrer who, in an introductory essay, examines Hiroshige's life and work, assessing his place in Japanese art and making important revisions to the generally accepted chronology of his oeuvre.Other essays draw attention to aspects of Hiroshige's life and work which have often been overlooked and place Hiroshige and his art in their social and political context.This volume also includes maps, a chronology, a glossary and a bibliography. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Superlative Art Book about Superlative Artist.
Quick, stop reading this review and buy this Hardcover book in New or Like New condition now, while you can. For, this is one of the greastest modern so-called 'coffee table' art books that I have come across. Too often these days one finds that such art books which should be large, lushly produced, lovingly put together and brilliantly written are unfortunately done with punk production values resulting in poor reproductions on cheap looking paper stock and accompanied by unedifying, often stultifying essays. Not this one. As I said above it is one of the most impressive art books that I have come across in twenty years of buying them. It is printed and bound in Germany which in itself is commendable and noteworthy because it is quite expensive to produce a book there. I am so glad they did because, as good as they are, Italy and Hong Kong, two places commonly used for producing today's art books, just don't do as good a job as Prestel has done in Germany. This book was originally produced to accompany an exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts during 1997. As such, it commanded a skilled and erudite staff of authors to craft both an accurate history and an illuminating commentary of the artist and his art. They are: Matthi Forrer, author of a similar book on Hokusai; Suzuki Juzo, the author of the standard monograph on Hiroshige; and Henry Smith a Professor of Japanese History at Columbia U. You will come back to this book many times over the years because there is so darned much information to absorb, visually and intellectually and because the publisher's top notch production values have accurately captured the spirit and beauty of Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints. This is the sort of book that will be actively sought out by art book collectors in years to come. This is why I say, buy it now, while you can at such a low price. You won't be sorry.

Amazing
I have no experience with art at all, but from my point of view this book is a jewl. Printings are so beautiful and relaxing, and they are numerous in this book. Also the book is well organized with explanations about the paintings.

A wonderful collection of Hiroshige's work.
Buy this book for the reproductions if nothing else. If you have seen good Hiroshige prints in their original condition, you know how much is usually lost in most reproductions. This book gets you about as close to the real thing as you are likely to find. The colors are magnificent.

The must-have book for those wishing to understand Hiroshige
A very comprehensive catalogue of Hiroshige's greatest prints. The book also includes some prints that are more obscure, as well as preparatory sketches and several printing blocks. Attractive as a coffee-table style hardback for those with a passing interest in Ukiyoe, it also is a must-have for those devotees wishing to understand the art of Japan's great landscape print artist.

one of the most beautiful art books in print
I fell in love with this book immediately. It's the greens, the blues and the reds in Hiroshige's prints that did it. In this book, the reproductions actually did justice to his works. Many of his works are so incredibly lovely that all I could think was, "This is so gorgeous!" I don't want to sound gushing, but if I do, I really can't help it. The prints are GORGEOUS, especially the ones with snow. The text accompanying each print is satisfactory, but if you buy this book, you won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Devil's Playground
The Devil's Playground presents a major collection of photographs by Nan Goldin. Since the 1970s Nan Goldin has consistently created photographs which are intimate and compelling - they tell personal stories of relationships, friendships and identity, but simultaneously chronicle different eras and the passage of time." "This book features a significant body of new work by Goldin, most of which is previously unpublished, including photographs from series such as Still on Earth (1997-2001), 57 Days (2000) and Elements (1995-2003). Laid out in sequences by Goldin herself, like a diary, the material is both courageously candid and affirmative. The photographs are grouped into themed chapters and between these are interspersed poems, lyrics and texts - some of which have been specially written for this book - by prominent writers such as Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, E. E. Cummings, Cookie Mueller and Richard Price. The Devil's Playground is the most important book to be published on Goldin's work to-date. It brings to light the source of Goldin's inspiration and her life as a prominent contemporary artist

Devil's Playground
No other word for it except MAGNIFICENT!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hamilton and his failed attempt to be a movie director.
Based on The songs of Bilitis, a beautiful poetry book by Pierre Löuys (about a greek girl who falls in love with another girl) and French Impressionism (Renoir, Degas, etc) David Hamilton tried to translate his photo work to a movie. But a bad screen-play that left no trace of the original, a very pretentious musical score p