Book Description

It's "Business as Usual" in Kruger-land, and the artist's familiar text and found image montages still wallop a stinging punch. Her appropriated photographs and provocative text, with their confrontational graphic nature reminiscent of Dada collage and photomontage, address cultural representations of power, identity, and sexuality in the most charged of visual languages. Though the work collected here was made in the 1980s, it has unfortunatley not lost any of its relevance. Big business still rules the world and money still talks. Haliburton, anyone? Political bribery? Advertising prostitution? Money Talks is the first publication to bring together a thematic grouping of Kruger's work, and the subject chosen couldn't be more apt, not only because of current politics and economic realities, but also because it's the subject Kruger has repeatedly returned to most potently. Paperback, 8 x 12 in. / 60 pgs / 32 b&w. ... Read more

Book Description

A documentation and critical examination of Sol LeWitt's influential Incomplete Open Cubes. ... Read more

Book Description

Rich selection of 47 great drawings by modern Austro-German master; mainly portraits, but also nudes, a self-portrait and other works in pencil, crayon, charcoal and ink. Notable for originality, power and acute psychological penetration. Introduction. Captions.
... Read more

Book Description

One of the first and most famous abstract painters, Wassily Kandinsky created a form in which color and shape have a life of their own. Find out how this complex Russian artist established a truly abstract art. The DK ArtBook series presents both the life and works of each artist within the cultural, social, and political context of their time. To make the books easy to consult, they are divided into three areas -- the life and works of the artist, historical and cultural background, and analysis of major works -- which are identifiable by side bands. Each spread focuses on a specific theme, with an introductory text and several annotated illustrations. Few art history texts contain such abundance of full-color illustrations. The index section is also illustrated and gives background information on key figures and the location of the artist's works. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Book is Worth It!
This book has excellent images on Kandinsky's work beginning with his representational early works to his abstract later works. The color quality of the prints are good and the information is readable - to the point and not overwhelming like many art books can be. I only wish this book was bigger with more examples of his work. ...A good resource for art educators.

The Master On Display
The word "visionary" is so often overused, but Wassily Kandinsky truly was one. Pick up this book and find out why!

Must buy for any modern art lover
This book in few pages can describe Kandinsky so well. The style of Kandisky which reflected the developments and strides physics took in first 2 decades of century is shown in his love of planes and geometry. ... Read more

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Reviews (2)

BEAUTIFUL SELF PORTRAITS OF AN AMAZING WOMAN!
These card's are exquisite and I intend to frame them in a grouping on the wall. This is truly an amazing woman, the life and time's of which would make an interesting film.

Frida Kahlo lived in the times of great upheaval in Mexico. And went thru much pain and suffering, due to illness and a tragic accident. I am readin one of her biography's written by Haden Herrera, and it is great, in that is is based on letter's she wrote to her school chum and boyfriend. ciao yaaah 69

The Life of Frida!
The most wonderful person ever, her life storyhas to be the most inspiring one to any young girls who would like to change their path and get on the right direction to a bright and happy life. I would recommend this book to any one and we all can learn from her struggle life and look at our own. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the leading representatives of Minimalism, Donald Judd's "specific objects," made of steel, wood, aluminum, and Plexiglass, undertook a radical and revolutionary analysis and redefinition of sculpture as it exists in space. Somewhat less familiar are Judd's numerous architectural and furniture designs, works which are closely related in formal terms to his ubiquitous art objects but which much more successfully reflect his concerns with utility. To best understand this aspect of Judd's work, a visit to Marfa, Texas is in order. In 1971, Judd bought an old fort near this small town; by systematically acquiring and transforming more and more local property, he amassed the largest ensemble of contemporary art in the world, with permanent installations of his own work and that of Carl Andre, John Chamberlan, Dan Flavin, and others. "Donald Judd: Architecture" presents drawings, design sketches, ground plans, and photographs of the grounds and architecture of this Minimalist desert oasis, and bears witness to Judd's role as the visionary architect and stage director of his own oeuvre.This book first appeared in 1991, in German. It has been thoroughly revised and expanded for this, its first English edition. "Art and architecture--all the arts--do not have to exist in isolation, as they do now. This fault is very much a key to the present society. Architecture is nearly gone, but it, art, all the arts, in fact all parts of the society, have to be rejoined, and joined more than they have ever been. This would be democratic in a good sense, unlike the present increasing fragmentation into separate but equal categories." --Donald Judd
Edited by Peter Noever, of MAK, Vienna. Essays by Donald Judd, Rudi Fuchs, Brigitte Huck.

8.75 x 11.5 in.
25 color, 84 b/w illustrations
English/German ... Read more

Book Description

Leonardo's writings on painting--among the most remarkable from anyera--were never edited by Leonardo himself into a single coherent book. In thisanthology the authors have edited material not only from his so-called Treatise onPainting but also from his surviving manuscripts and from other primary sources, some ofwhich were here translated for the first time. The resulting volume is an invaluablereference work for art historians as well as for anyone interested in the mind and methodsof one of the world's greatest creative geniuses. ... Read more

Book Description

The quintessential "Renaissance man," Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is still recognized today for his accomplishments in science, architecture, and philosophy, as well as his artistic masterworks. Full-color reproductions and thorough text provide a quick yet solid introduction to this master. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

El personaje más fascinante del Renacimiento.
La serie Basic Art de la Editorial Taschen funciona como introduccion al tema, es una pequeña guia muy ilustrada y condensada para todos aquellos que viven sin tiempo para leer un trabajo mas profundo o solo desea comensar a entender sobre la vida y obra de su pintor favorito, asi que el libro es pequeño pero vale la pena darle una ojeada.

En esta edicion en ESPAÑOL sobre la vida y obra de Leonardo Da Vinci (el personaje más fascinante del Renacimiento)la cual esta en el formato de pasta dura(hardcover) nos enseña las primeras obras del gran maestro del Renacimiento, una cronologia de su vida y muchas ilustraciones de sus pinturas mas conocidas como tambien las que no son parte de un tour y estan en colecciones privadas, es una obra bellisima no es la obra definitiva ya que hay trabajos mucho mas completo sobre su vida e influencia pero si es un buen comienso para entender al famoso y controversial Da Vinci. 96 paginas totalmente ilustrada a color con muchos detalles de pintura y bosetos del pintor asi como sus dotes en otras ramas como la musica la escultura y las ciencias pero esta obra es dedicada por completo a su pintura.Muy recomendado.

Low quality painting reproductions
Though the book is printed nicely on a good paper, the painting and drawing reproductions are of a very poor quality. Thy are too dark and do not show the dark details at all. Additionally the colors are distorted by a brownish (sepia) hue. The dark painting reproductions are so bad that only the basic elements are visible. All the details are gone. It pertains The Virgin of the Rocks on p. 28 and 31, Portrait of a Young Man on p. 48, The Last Supper on p. 53 as well as Burlington House Cartoon (too dark cartoon) on p. 60. Other reproductions may also be affected, but I did not have anything to compare them with. The Last Supper is additionally divided between two pages with the connection going thru the Christ's face and center of the painting sunk in the groove between pages. Rest of the book is O.K. What rest [sic!]?

Simple but sophistocated
If you don't know much about art but know what you like, this might be the sort of book for you. Leonardo's life is described in this basic biography, focusing on his famous works of art (finished and unfinished) and on his supporting works as well (sketches, architectural and mechanical ideas). The book is printed on glossy high grade magazine paper with color illustrations on almost every page. It brings the artist and his works to the reader in a presentation that caters to those who enjoy have an appriciation, though not an expertise, for art. ... Read more

Book Description

Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is one of the most famous documentary photographers of all time. In 1935, tired of studio portraiture, she began working for the Farm Security Administration and created many of the images that define the Depression in the popular imagination.

Other artists in this series include: Eugene Atget, Mathew Brady, Wynn Bullock, Julia Margaret Cameron, Joan Fontcuberta, David Goldblatt, Nan Goldin, Graciela Iturbide, Andre Kertesz, Mary Ellen Mark, Joel Meyerowitz, Boris Mikhailov, Lisette Model, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Eadweard Muybridge, Eugene Richards, W. Eugene Smith, Shomei Tomatsu, Joel-Peter Witkin ... Read more

Book Description

Frida Kahlo's stormy relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera and how it affected her work is the subject of this fascinating study.Generously illustrated with works by both artists as well as contemporary photographs, this volume sheds new light on the life and imagery of one of the twentieth century's greatest women artists. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Errors, Typos - Poor quality - Photo selection good.
I'm baffled that a book can be published with so many typos and gross errors. Frida's name is even misspelled "Kahalo" in one place. It states her tragic accident happened on "17 December 1925" which it did not (it was September) and it says this twice. On the very next page it shows her diary entries discussing her pain from the injuries, the entries are dated October 1925 and on. I mean it's really distracting and totally unacceptable. Sentences were incomplete and you are left rereading and looking for the rest of the statement. Some of the sentences just didn't make any sense. I ended up reading with a pencil in hand to make corrections. As for the actual bio info, I agree it's interesting, but Frida and Diego were unquestionably fascinating people even in poorly written text. Thankfully I checked this out from our public library. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone. Get another bio from a different publisher. One that is reputable, responsible and does good work. I give it two stars for photo selection.

Does Life imitate Art?
This book provides better than average insight into lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. While people are now eagerly awaiting the Fall 2002 Selma Hayek movie on Frida, this book does provide some background into the world of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. If you are unfamilar with these artists this book would be a good place to start.

Not the best, Not the worst
The photographs include some not seen in the many other books on Kahlo, which is the primary strength of this book. However, it seems that some of the facts are drawn from the March biography of Rivera - which is at best questionable - and at worst Rivera's mythical reinterpretation of his own life. The unusual grammar and typographical errors are somewhat distracting at times. Overall, however, it provides a nice overview of the important points in the Kahlo-Rivera relationship. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Beginning with his first published print in 1963, Jacob Lawrence produced a body of prints that is both highly dramatic and intensely personal.This new edition of Jacob Lawrence: Thirty Years of Prints (1963-1993) includes 19 new prints produced by Lawrence since 1993, including 7 from the Toussaint L'Ouverture series. The book includes an essay by Patricia Hills.

In his graphic work, as in his paintings, Lawrence turned to the lessons of history and to his own experience. From depictions of civil rights confrontations to scenes of daily life, these images present a vision of a common struggle toward unity and equality, a universal struggle seated in the depths of the human consciousness. ... Read more

Book Description

The man who enshrined a Hoover vacuum cleaner, who suspended a basketball in a fish tank half filled with water, who created a life-size polychromed wooden replica of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles, who transferred his sex life with his then-wife, Italian porn star Ilona Staller (aka Cicciolina), onto canvas, and who made a monumental topiary sculpture in the shape of a puppy, is here given a mini-retrospective in the form of a book. Jeff Koons: Pictures 1980-2002 focuses primarily on the formation and development of Koons's paintings, but, given that he considers his early sculptures to be "three-dimensional paintings," this limit need hardly be considered medium-restrictive. Thomas Kellein's extended interview provides a walloping good tale told by the artist himself. In it, Koons remembers his childhood drawing lessons, his first sale (his father had a decorating business and showroom where he would display and sell his 11-year-old son's art), his experiences at art school, his courtship with ex-wife Cicciolina (they fell in love after he hired her to make his Made in Heaven series), and how the birth of his son inspired his Celebration series, all the while sharing his philosophies on art. Organized chronologically and with an extended biography and bibliography, Pictures presents each of the main works from Koons's painting series from 1980 to the present.
The moral aspect in my work has always been so important. I am always trying--that's my ability--to be as moral as possible.
I am really convinced that you cannot create art. You can't. You can create culture, and if you create art, it will be about the purity of the idea. The initial intuition is to make that gesture. There you don't get caught in aesthetics. You don't believe in anything that has a value other than that gesture. --Jeff Koons

Essay and Interview by Thomas Kellein.

Hardcover, 6.75 x 9.5 in.,120 pages, 45 color illustrations ... Read more