Book Description

This book brings together a representative selection of RobertMotherwell's writings about art, public lectures, essays, interviews, andletters. Motherwell's writing was invaluable in articulating the intent of theNew York School of American artistsPollock, de Kooning, Gottlieb, Kline,Baziotes, Still, Gorkyduring a period when their work was often reviled for itsdeparture from traditional representation. Motherwell was not only the primarytheorist of abstract expressionism but also one of its major exponents. Asfounder of the Documents of Modern Art series (later renamed The Documents ofTwentieth-Century Art), he gathered the writings of modern artists to give thema voice at a time when very few people understood their theories or work. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

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

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

A lot of it is drawn from his public writings and speeches but a lot is fairly personal in nature, taken from his journals.

It's well annotated and useful if you're interested in the abstract movement. ... Read more

Book Description

Eunice Lipton was a fledging art historian when she first became intrigued by Victorine Meurent, the nineteenth-century model who appeared in Edouard Manet's most famous paintings, only to vanish from history in a haze of degrading hearsay. But had this bold and spirited beauty really descended into prostitution, drunkenness, and early death--or did her life, hidden from history, take a different course altogether? Eunice Lipton's search for the answer combines the suspense of a detective story with the revelatory power of art, peeling off layers of lies to reveal startling truths about Victorine Meurent--and about Lipton herself. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Disappointing
Being an avid admirer of Manet and of the paintings in which Victorine Meurent appeared, I was happy to see a book about her. Finally, I would be able to learn something of her and her life! I learned that she was a Lesbian and died in 1927 and not as a destitute alcoholic as written in some rather sketchy histories of her. but that is all I learned. The book is actually more about the author and her trying to make peace with her past and her mother than anything else. If you want to learn about Victorine, you must find another book. If you want to know about Eunice Lipton, this is the book for you. Also very few facts in the book; the author puts Victorine in some situations and conversations, but these are all imaginary. Definitely would not recommend. Author was self-indulgent and apparently not very concerned with her subject.

Dissapointing
Lipton seems reluctant to deal with the facts she can recover. Instead, she prefers to create a fiction which is more of a projection of her own neurosis than anything which is supported by her sources. All the primary sources agree that Victorine Meurent was a destitute alcoholic for some time before she dies, but Lipton prefers to imagine her as a proto-feminist heroine. She seems so blinded by her own prejudice that she can only lash out at anyone who presents her with information which paints Victorine in less than favorable colors. For a more balanced view of the same material, find a copy of Otto Freiderich's Olympia: Manet and the Paris of his Times.

An inspiring story with a reward at the end.
This book is more autobiography than the "art history mystery" I had expected, but it's an engaging story, and well worth reading. When the missing diary, or some such document, which will tell all about the real life story of Victorine Muerant fails to materialize, a fictional version is inserted in chapters. I was dissappointed by this because it gives more weight to the story Ms Lipton invented and hoped to prove, than to the facts she worked so hard to reveal. The research is tedious and discouraging, and the results will not rock the art history world. The true reward for the author is not the tidbits of information she aquires about her subject, but in her own growth both as a blossoming writer and a woman. Her finest writing is in the descriptions of the things she knows best and experiences first-hand: the great food in Paris, her past life, her present feelings, her beliefs and self-realization. It's encouraging that Ms Lipton has chosen now to be a writer, and not an art historian, and I will look forward to her next effort.

A book that makes you want to give up and start living!
Alias Olympia is a personal biography of Eunice Lipton's search for Victorine Meurent, the woman who modled for Manet's Olympia. Not only does this book inspire one to go out and look for the truth they believe in their heart to be true, but it also provides hope for those who believe that one person can still make a difference. Lipton's journey through history provides a longing yet frustrating ride through a world geared souly for men. By the end of this book I was in love and I wanted to spit at the same time. It is motivating; a look at the purpose of our lives and how we may be fulfilled. With this book in hand I feel like I could set out and discover anything I set my mind to. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two entirely disparate aspects of our present zeitgeist--the embrace ofmulticultural complexity in place of its former suppression, and the currentelision of landscape design with "real" sculpture and art--might seem to be asadolescent as our own postmodern age. Both, however, were fully embodied in thework of the great Japanese-American Isamu Noguchi (1904-88), which as early asthe 1930s was finding reconciliation in cultural rootlessness, and eroding theline between landscape and sculpture. Ana Maria Torres's handsome, erudite, andbroad-ranging study of Noguchi's public works drives these two points home.Complete with a wealth of black-and-white photographs of both his completedworks and models of his unrealized ones, the book prompts us to consider fromnew angles some of the unique accomplishments of this very enterprising artistwho incorporated elements of ancient outdoor sites into exterior work thatprovided an uncannily fitting complement to the very midcentury-modernarchitecture that it was commissioned to accompany.

Here, more than 75 projects are presented and considered; they are divided intoseven chapters (each of which focuses on a subsection of Noguchi's vast output,including playgrounds; "earthworks"; gardens, plazas, and parks; memorials;fountains; interiors; and public sculptures) and engrossingly narrated byTorres. Each chapter is kick-started by a Noguchi excerpt about the work inquestion. The thematic organization of the book means that we keep bouncing backto the 1930s just when we are familiarizing ourselves with the projects andartistic preoccupations of Noguchi's final decade. But that format alsounderscores how his style and ambitions evolved in a uniquely personal manner,even as they seem to reflect perfectly the spirit of their particular age.

The exciting work that is included here is almost too vast and varied to besummarized, although a small sampling of highlights might include Noguchi'sgardens for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, for which he convinced architectsMarcel Breuer, Pier Luigi Nervi, and Bernard Zehrfuss to relocate a mobile ofAlexander Calder in order for him to expand on his own ideas (needless to saythat Calder was not pleased); the famous sunken garden for Yale University'sBeinecke Library, with its three bold marble sculptures--of a pyramid, a ring,and a cube--and marble paving work that was inspired by that of Michelangelo'sPiazza del Campidoglio, which Noguchi adored; the massive pylon water fountainand sprawling circular plaza that he designed for downtown Detroit from 1971-79,much to the delight of legendary mayor Coleman Young, who prompted him to designa subterranean amphitheater just beneath it for the city's annual EthnicalFestival; and, three years before his death, the garden of the Domon Ken Museumof Photography in Sakata, Japan: an enclosed court of water that runs over fourstone terraces, with a single granite pillar rising up near the center--surelyone of the most serenely beautiful vistas in modern architecture, even asreproduced here (as are all of the photos, somewhat unfortunately) in laconicblack and white.

There is some less monumental work here that fascinates and delights, too,including the boldly biomorphic and drop-dead mod undulating ceilings thatNoguchi designed for St. Louis's American Stove Company building (1948) andRockefeller Center's Time-Life Building (1947, now shamefully destroyed), pluspotentially terrific unrealized work, such as plans that he devised in the 1960s(with beloved collaborator Louis Kahn) for a playground for New York's RiversidePark.

There is one thing that this very satisfying retrospective makes clear aboutNoguchi: instead of letting the contradictions of his own ancestry undermine hiswork, he used them to his advantage in a way that--for all of the diverse globalinfluences of his oeuvre--struck this reviewer as quite distinctly andresourcefully American. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Illuminating a visionary but in black-and-white
Noguchi is, unfortunately, not as well known by the public as the major artist that he was. This book does a good job of showing the relationship between conception and execution of his major public spaces and public sculptures (the intention of the book), but a full understanding of Noguchi requires seeing his other works, such as his furniture and stage designs. The major drawback of the book is that the illustrations are entirely in black and white. While Noguchi's works were primarily about shape and their relationships and distribution through space, it would have been nice to see the photographs of the finished spaces and sculptures in color to get a better sense of their ambience. This book is appropriate for sculptors, environmental artists, architects, larger public libraries, and libraries in academic institutions with art programs that include instructors open to a broad range of ideas in art. A good complement to this book would be Bruce Altshuler's "Isamu Noguchi" (Modern Masters, Vol 16), 1995. ... Read more

Book Description

Edouard Manet was one of the first artists who can truly be called "modern," combining a highly individual and fresh vision with tremendous technical virtuosity. Together with the sumptuous color plates, the text by Manet specialist Pierre Courthion offers an unforgettable view of the glories of this artist's work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clas Oldenberg / An Anthology
I could not wait to get my hands on this book as Oldenberg (to me) is one of the great Contemporary Masters. To say the least it wasn't a dissapointment. It is "The" Bible of Oldenberg. I would reccomend this Anthology to anyone that has any interest whatsoever in the Building Blocks of Contemporaty Art. ... Read more

Book Description

This classic ground-breaking volume--the first to consider Georgia O'Keeffe's works on paper--explores the medium of watercolor, charcoal, pencil, and pastel. O'Keeffe's earliest mature works, which led to her first New York exhibitions and initial acclaim, were works on paper. These works can be viewed in the larger context of O'Keeffe's career as an artist. They move from stylized, flat patterning of the early charcoals through the rhapsodic organic forms and fresh uses of color in the water colors to the tighter, more focused compositions of the later pastels, charcoals, and pencil drawings. Finally, the works on paper of the 1960s and 1970s are characterized by an extreme simplification and almost decorative flatness. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

minor works by a major artist
Art critic E.M. Benson is quoted in the introduction of this book saying "I never saw an O'Keeffe that reminded me of anything but O'Keeffe", and the pieces selected for this book, though most of them are minor, early works, are an indication of how her talent would develop, with her unique vision and terrific sense of color.
As is stated in Barbara Haskell's text, they "provide valuable insight into the origins of her vocabulary and basic approach to art".

The illustrations include eleven watercolors reproduced in black and white, from 1916-1934, a monotype from 1917, twentyfour color plates of watercolors from 1915-1922, and ten pieces from later years, mostly pastels and drawings, from 1925-1977.
With good quality paper and fine color reproduction in a semi-gloss finish, this is recommended for art students, as it is always interesting to see the promise of early works, and die-hard O'Keefe fans. ... Read more

Book Description

Eadweard Muybridge, one of the great pioneer-innovators of the 19th century, is a familiar figure to students of art history, photography, and cinema. Best known for the photographs of horses and other animals in motion that he made in the 1870s and '80s, Muybridge was the first person to use photography to freeze rapid action for analysis and study. He devised a method for photographing episodes of behavior using a series of cameras, producing some of the most famous sequential photographs ever made. These pictures, the first successful photographs of rapidly moving subjects, revolutionized expectations of what photography could reveal about the natural world, and ultimately led to the invention of the motion picture in the mid-1890s.Time Stands Still is the catalogue that accompanies a major exhibition celebrating Muybridge's fascinating work. Though the instantaneous photography movement stands as a crucial event in the progression of photography to motion pictures, this exhibition represents the first major organized treatment of the subject. Opening in spring 2003 at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University and touring through 2004, it combines an examination of the artist's career in motion photography with a survey of early attempts to photograph moving subjects. Guest curator Phillip Prodger is the primary author of the catalogue, but the book also includes a valuable essay covering cinema's earliest experiments by Tom Gunning, an acknowledged expert on early film from the University of Chicago. The exhibition will display Muybridge's zoopraxiscope and other equipment, drawings, ephemera, and photographs made from the invention of photography in the 1830s to the end of Muybridge's career, which culminated with the publication of his encyclopedic work, Animal Locomotion, in 1887. The photographs and objects are drawn largely from the collection of the Cantor Center and are supplemented with a selection of stop-action photographs from other private and public collections. Among those represented will be the work of Talbot, Rejlander, Maray, Eakins, Edison, the Lumiere Freres, and others. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An explosive and innovative photographic history
I have been drawn to the photographs of Eadweard Muybride since childhood -- the jumping horses, running goats etc. have always fascinated me -- but here the author does much better than simply repeat these incredible photographs. He tells you what happened before Muybridge came on the scene; the incredible struggles and sneaky tricks used to make pictures that looked like motion frozen in time. The book is very easy to read - serious, but written in a breezy style that is very accessible. I would recommend this for any history of photography or cinema student. It goes into depth about things that have really never been studied before. Very provocative, highly educational, and very entertaining. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The French artist Édouard Manet was delighted when a client who purchased his painting of a bunch of asparagus paid more than the asking price. So he sent a special thank-you--a tiny image of a single pale spear of the prized vegetable. These and other lushly painted still lifes of flowers, fruits, and other foodstuffs, isolated or in groups, form one of the most beguiling aspects of Manet's output from the 1860s through the early '80s. Manet: The Still-Life Paintings, the catalog for the exhibition at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland, through April 22, 2001, serves as a pleasant introduction to the intimate late work of the great 19th-century realist. With 106 color reproductions, including close-up details of brushwork, the modestly scaled volume makes for a satisfying browse. The most deliciously unexpected treats are the luminous watercolors of fruit, nuts, or flowers that Manet interwove with his personal correspondence.

Earlier in Manet's career, still-life images played a supporting role in figure paintings. Author George Mauner, professor emeritus of art history at Pennsylvania State University, guides the reader to observe such details as the cherry falling in midair in Young Man w ith Cherries. This fascination with instantaneous effects would culminate 11 years later in the smoking rifles of the Mexican troops in The Execution of Emperor Maximilian. Manet, of course, was well aware of the tradition of still life as an invocation of the senses and as a reminder of the fleeting nature of sensual pleasure (and life itself). Mauner explains how this art-historical knowledge offers clues to some of the artist's more enigmatic paintings. The quote-heavy, name-dropping style of fellow essayist Henri Loyrette seems less attuned to a general reader's interests. But the book's most grievous sin is one of omission: the failure to include even the briefest biographical outline of Manet's life and work. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Exhibition, Disappointing Catalogue
I journeyed to the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore to see the exhibition. "MANET - The Still Life Paintings" which is on view until April 22, 2001. The show was previously at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. It is a lovely, intimate show. The majority of these gorgeous still lifes of fruits, vegetables and flowers were painted in the last three years of Manet's life. Unfortunately, the catalogue does not begin to do these beautful oil paintings and watercolors justice. The book's colorplates are of unsatisfactory quality and fail to capture the sumptuousness of these touching works of art. The book measures just shy of 9 inches by 9 inches, too small to get any partial enjoyment after seeing the exhibition. The text does not advance art scholarship. Not worth the price.

Small but magnificent book
The beautifully reproduced paintings. with some detail shots, in this potent package remind us that Manet truly is the 'father of modernism.' The still lifes of fruit alone would make this book a must have for any art book lover. His peaches, lemons, strawberries and plums are so full of longing, sadness, bliss and sheer beauty that they stop you in your tracks. I don't know how else to say it: Manet was an artist of cosmic proportions. The transcenant nature of the work juxtaposed against the audacious technique rightfully set Manet at the forefront of the western cannon. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Get into the head of Mary Ellen Mark
This book uses a Q&A format in an interview with Mary Ellen Mark and the Smithsonian asks all the right questions. They start out with how she got started, what it takes to put a photo essay together, if she uses assistants and if art directors have a say over what she does.

My only complaint about this is how short it is. But in these 62 pages the first half gives you what it takes to start in making great pictures and the second half shows you some of Mark's awesome work.

As a student of photojournalism looking to do similar work, this is a valuable resource.

Por los ojos de Mary Ellen Mark y a traves del ensayo!
Un excelente libro con soberbias imágenes de Mary Ellen Mark, edicion bien cuidada y papel de excelente calidad viene a ser la base para emprender un viaje por los ojos de esta gran fotógrafa documental a traves del Ensayo Fotografico, venga pues no dejen de darle una mirada de cerca! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Even One Helmut Newton photograph...
is worth a thousand words. He just has that magic!

very big pants
Helmut newton. yuk! just another glossy athena, teenage poster loving fantasty's of an old man who should know better. How he ever managed to worm this tat into the art world i will never know. The equilvent of man holding kitten. yuk! avoid avoid avoid

Female Dominance in Sexual Symbolism
"My women are always victorious." -- Helmut Newton

This collection of Helmut Newton's work casts a special focus on his harder edge images of women as sexually domineering and manipulative. Among the fetishes and voyeuristic images are some wonderful portraits of women, as well. The book is an interesting study in how strongly the personality of the model can be injected into a portrait, especially by the objects chosen, the setting, and the way clothes are worn. The essays do an excellent job of developing your understanding of his methods.

Before going further, please be aware that these images contain much female nudity in sexual situations and one male nude. If these images were in a motion picture, some would undoubtedly go beyond an "R" rating. Many of these images are not appropriate for children, in my view.

Many people think of Helmut Newton as a fashion photographer. These images focus instead on the timelessness of the female personality and role in "overcoming the other." "The clothes . . . only have one purpose: to insufficiently conceal the long, slender female bodies . . . [which] lack innocence." In each case, the women are "defiant."

I found his more playful images, rather than his darker side, the most rewarding. I especially liked "Sie Kommon" where the same scene is done first as dressed and then as naked. It is a stunning set of facing pages. In many other images, he appears in the photograph while taking it. Yet in other cases, the model is juxtaposed against a background object that creates a moderately sexual joke.

I graded the book down one star for overrepresenting the sexual dominance theme at the expense of Newton's other styles, since this is a "best of" book by its title. The sexual dominance images are often highly repetitive, and sometimes not particularly appealing in any way -- even as abstract compositions.

Here are my favorites in the book:

British "Vogue", London 1967 (images 3 and 4)

Tan Giudirelli for Mic-Mac, Paris 1970

French "Vogue", Paris 1975

"Sie Kommon", Dressed and Naked 1981

Jodie Foster, Hollywood 1987 (jacket cover image)

Leni Riefenstahl, near Munich 1992

Big Nude II, Paris 1980

Study for Voyeurism, Los Angeles 1989

Helmut Berger, Beverly Hills 1984

Skull and diamond necklace, Paris 1979

Andy Warhol, Paris 1974

Crocodile eating ballerina, Wuppertai 1983

After you enjoy this book, think about what you believe about women that makes these images work or not work well for you. Where do you detect "truth" and where does the image seem "made up" to you? In particular, is life this sexually tinted?

Then imagine how you would have to change these photographs in order to create feelings of love, peace, and progress. How would you benefit or not benefit from such images as compared to these?

Should the person describing the world have an agenda, or a slant . . . or simply seek to reveal the underlying overall truth that is already there?

Which one of these (if any) is Newton doing?

Overcome your stalled thinking that what you see is literally what it seems to be. This book will help you with that.

Wow...
Don't believe the nay sayers. These are stunning photos and shoots of the so called "big nudes", the celebrities and the notorious from the fifties to the eighties. A pictorial history like no other, drenched in helmut newton's decadent/art-nouveau style, it has jaw dropping scenarios with beautiful models. Like I said elsewhere, Leibowitz, Ritts, Scavullo, helmut newton. They will open your senses...

The Best of...?
The title "Best of..." reminds me of something cheezy in the audio world, but in this case as well as this book. I can't believe Helmut Newton would agree to publish this kind of quality (or lack of). This book looks like earlier works that were hacked from the cut or an porfolio deemed unworthy for professional world. Sorry, "The Best of..." just isn't. ... Read more

Book Description

"Just as Leonardo da Vinci studied the recesses of the human body and dissected cadavers, I try to dissect souls." said Edvard Munch (1863-1944). Norway's greatest artist and tortured genius.In this groundbreaking new study, Munch's own soul is laid bare through the first English translation and analysis of diaries, literary sketches, and letters, presented together with his most artistic works. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

If you want to know Munch
I could not put this book down and when I finished, I felt as though I finally had some insight into Munch as a person as well as an artist. If you would like to have a better understanding of both the man and his paintings this book is for you. ... Read more

Book Description

A picture of a pipe is not really a pipe, and a daylight-filled sky can shine over a streetlamp-lit townhouse, and a painting of a window inside a painting of a sitting room can be the window in that sitting room, and a room-sized rock can gaze out of that room at the sea, and, of course, a man is a suit can have a green apple for a face. At least, that is, in the world of Magritte. And who wouldn't want to believe in that world, or at least take pleasure in the ability to recognize parts of it in our own? One of the most charming and beloved of the surrealists, René Magritte took a light, witty paintbrush and created a world both familiar and not--but always recognizable in our dreams. His plays on semiotics, identity, the idea of woman, the possibilities inherent in objects, and the idea that everything was not necessarily what it seemed--or what it was supposed to be--are celebrated here in an intelligent retrospective monograph, featuring more than 150 paintings, sculptures, objects, and works on paper. The organization of this catalogue paints Magritte as an innovator, and an artist who has had significant influence on contemporary creators. Accompanying essays, including an introduction by Alain Robbe-Grillet, inventor of the nouveau roman, consider Magritte's influence on modern and contemporary art. Magritte's relationships with his surrealist contemporaries Louis Scutenaire and André Breton, and the art dealers Edward James and Alexandre Iolas, are each revealed through individual art historical texts and a selection of unpublished letters. An illustrated chronology is included as well. This catalogue is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris.
My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question "What does that mean?" It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable. --René Magritte

Essays by Jean Roudaut, Patrick Roegiers, Daniel Abadie, Jean-Michel Goutier, Bernard Noël, Sarah Whitefeld and Renilde Hammacher.
Introduction Alain Robbe-Grillet.

Hardcover, 8.5 x 10.5 in., 272 pages, 220 color & 30 b/willustrations ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A good collection showing a range of photo types.
This book is LARGE! Very large. It is approximately 12" square, like a vinyl LP record, and comes in a tough card outer sleeve or box, thus keeping the actual book itself free from damage. I don't know exactly how much it weighs, but I suspect that it must be 3-4 Kg, so if you order it warn your postman! The images are all B&W.

It is also large in terms of content, there being some 600-odd images presented. There is an intoxicating range of photographs spreading over many years of Mapplethorpe's work and many genres. I have always found his flower portraits the most inspiring and they are here in plenty although regrettably none in colour. Obviously there also the formal portraits, the pictures of large male genitalia, pictures of Patti Smith (who is she, anyway?), a large number of self portraits, and many others.

This is NOT a book of sex images although there are few that are 'close to the mark', rather a collection of more of Mapplethorpe's more artistic ventures. Of all, I was much struck by the simple (polaroid) image of a young man on page 25, simple called "Untitled, 1974".

There is a superb essay by Arthur C. Danto explaining much of the controversy surrounding this photographer, along with a very full catalogue of Mapplethorpe's work, his books, exhibitions, and a bibliography of those who have written about or included his works.

Very good value for money if you are a fan.

a well-rounded group
Admitting that I've never seen any of Mapplethorpe's work up close and personal I'll none the less say that the prints are beautiful. The huge format gives the photos plenty of room to breathe, as is sometimes a problem in art books. I spent a good while seeking a collection that included all of his favorite subject matter, both the pretty and the disturbing, and this one didn't disappoint. If you are too weak of stomach for some of the admittedly harsh erotic stuff (which includes mostly that of the "homo-" variety) then buy a collection of his flowers and women, but all of his work makes much more sense in context.

Worth the expense but a bit disappointing
While this handsome, exceptionally made collection of Mapplethorpe photography is certainly worth its cost, the editors have done a disservice to the artist by eliminating the framing effects Mapplethorpe created to off-set his own work, and thus sometimes robbing individual images of their ultimately intended impact. Worse still, these particular reproductions generally eliminate the sepia, blue-ish, or silvery tones of the original works and consequently misrepresent the artist's intent. Those who are established admires of Mapplethorpe will be impressed by this book; those who have not previously seen his work, however, will probably wonder what all the artistic fuss was about.

Respectful treatment of a great artist
A stunning monograph on one of America's greatest artists beautifully produced and bound by Random House. Classical form with revolutionary subject matter (eg, MAN IN POLYESTER SUIT,1980), whether a simple portrait of ROY COHN, or BRUCE CHATWIN, or a series on LISA LYON or the luminous, exquisite portrait of FRANCESCA THYSSEY 1981, or COCK 1982, or EGGPLANT, 1985, light and shadow (he appears to have worked exclusively in black and white)and composition are masterful and reveal Mr Mapplethorpe as a visionary artist. Athur C. Danto provides a useful and insightful analysis of Mr Mapplethorpe's contribution to the art, including the feminist perspective on his work as well as consideration of the problematic area of the use of children as subjects. A rewarding legacy of a great artist at a very reasonable price.

Disgusting and disturbing
How can anyone like this stuff? It's disgusting and disturbing? If you wan't close up pictures of male body parts, this if for you! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The title of fashion designer Gianni Versace's new book references his diverse clientele, who not only wear his clothing but also impact his designs: rock & roll queens Tina Turner and Madonna, fashion princesses Kate and Naomi, design lords Lagerfeld and Armani, and even the real deal, Diana, Princess of Wales. Photos of these and other fashion mavens, both in and out of Versace clothing, are interspersed with images of royalty throughout history, such as Queen Victoria, Empress Catherine of Russia, and a young Queen Elizabeth. The aesthetic juxtaposition of history and modernity, depicted in black-and-white photographs and colorful artwork, echoes the energy of the fashion world and captures the influential style of its inhabitants. The royalties from the sale of Rock and Royalty will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Gianni Versace, a Fashion Genuis
Gianni Versace was a designer who loved to push the envelope. His clothes were a mixture of extremes: sexy, sleazy, colorful, tacky, and elegant. One adjective you'd never find in a sentence with the word Versace is "boring." His clothes commanded--and often got--attention, which is why he was such a favorite among celebrities such as Madonna, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Courtney Love, Prince, Jon Bon Jovi and even Princess Diana. This book is a fabulous, eye-opening collection of vivid photographs of models and rock stars in Versace: from Prince to the members of British boy band Take That. Some outfits are more releaving than others, but they're all unmistakably Versace. Diana herself is also included in the book, along with a few words of praise for the designer. Tragically, Versace was murdered in the summer of 1997, but his spirit and influence live on. This book comes highly recommended. Drop it on your coffeetable, and your guests won't want to put it down.

excellent!
A must have book for all Versace fans.

A note from Maureen Farquhar
Fantastic photography in another large book from Versace. This book captures the 'rock chic' glamourama which the late Versace excelled at creating. The association between 'Rock and Roll', and art is full indulged here creating a empirical illusion to the Versace dynasty. The glossy presentation of the images also adds to an overall feeling of luxury. The only reason I have not given this book the top rating is for its inclusion of Elton John - who makes me sick. So what if its expensive, luxuries like this don't come cheap. ciao,

Maureen Farquhar (maureenfarquhar@yahoo.com)

Rock and Royality - Versace
This book gives a look into the classic, Calabrian influenced, luxury of Versace. This volume serves as a record of the pure decadant genius of this mega Italian talent.

Great, glamourous book!
For all of you who loves Gianni Versace clothes and really admire what he had done to the world of fashion I recommend you to have this incredible book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A flawed history of a fascinating time.
Paris during the reign of Louis Napoleon was a fascinating period, and its figures were larger than life: Napoleon, Eugenie, Berlioz, Wagner, Hugo, Zola, Manet, Monet and the "great horizontals". Americans, English, Germans, Italians and Russians went to Paris for culture, art and, let's face it, a little bit of sex. Unfortunately, this period needs a first-rate historian and Otto Friedrich is not that. You read "Olympia" in spite of the writer, as the history of a fascinating time and the men and women who made it great. ... Read more

Book Description

This lavishly illustrated book presents the full spectrum of Alphonse Mucha`s works, from his innovative posters and decorative panels to his architectural designs, jewelry, sculpture, photographs, books, and interiors. The authors discuss Mucha`s years in Paris, his iconography of Sarah Bernhardt, his service to the Czech government, his distinctive style that became nearly synonymous with turn-of-the-century French Art Nouveau, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Superb book!
I saw this book at Borders and requested it from the library since I couldn't afford to buy it that day. It is an amazingly beautiful book with so many pictures. I love art books with lots of pictures, and this has many in colour as well as black and white. I recommend this book very highly. If you are a fan of art nouveau, Mucha, or just appreciate beauty, you will love this book.

Stunning Material And A Subject Well-Served
This large and very handsome book, which presents itself as the catalogue for a 1998 exhibition, is a beautifully and intelligently presented anthology of the artist's very diverse career, capturing drawings and paintings, sculpture, posters, illustrations, decorative panels, and even jewelry design; the work of a master, all in excellent reproduction. Mucha was a fascinating man and an artist of considerable magnitude, and as the title claims, his work is the spirit of Art Nouveau, though no such label should limit the amazing body of achievment found here. I haven't collected other books of his work yet, but surely this volume will remain definitive for some time.

Best of the Best Mucha books you can find
I have been looking for the picture "Lottery of the National Unity for Southwestern Moravia in Brno" ever since I saw the original this past summer in Prague, where the Mucha museum is located. If you have never heard of this picture, perhaps you can understand how MANY Mucha drawings, paintings, watercoulors and pastels are in here, to find such an obscure one. Not only does it have his known art, such as the 4 seasons, Laurel and Ivy, etc; But is also has his political art, THE ENTIRETY OF THE SLAV EPIC (Which is amazing), and many of his interior designs. How critics ever said Mucha wasn't one of the great masters of pen and ink, eludes me. This is one of the best books, and with Amazon's savings, it's even better. :)

I'm tempted to steal the copy at my university's library
This book is excellent. I just wanted to say that I was pleased that his paintings were also included as well as all of his poster illustrations that Mucha is more famous for. So far this is the only Mucha book I've found that includes the "Slav Epic" series of paintings.

One of the most complete books of Mucha
By far, this is the best Alphonse Mucha reference book that is currently being published. There are others out there that have ALL of his works in one volume but they are now out of print. Not only is this rich in text about the artist and his life but it is a catalogue for one of the largest Mucha exhibits to travel throughout the US. Because it is a catalogue of an exhibit, it does not have every single one of his works. BUT it does have complete sets - the Four Stars, the Flowers, the Muses, etc. One of the best aspects of this books is that it also has his sculptures, jewelry, and studies of his Slavic pieces. Many of the Mucha books out there (which I still recommend) do not always have a complete look into the variety of his works. This book does.

I was lucky enough to see this exhibit in Reno - and it was just beautiful. To see the works in person is just breathtaking. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The artwork in The Symbolist Prints of Edvard Munch is sobeautifully reproduced that one might be tempted to tear out pages, frame them and hangthem on the wall. Munch's work, which constitutes some of the 20th century's greatestprintmaking, is presented through the lens of an extraordinary private collection thatincludes almost every one of his prints along with alternate versions and early sketches.Elizabeth Prelinger's essays provide background on Munch's life, printmakingtechniques, and the development of his symbolist aesthetic. An exciting element of thebook is an evocative essay by renowned critic, Peter Schjeldahl, who, in inimitable style,likens Munch's effect on the viewer to that of listening to the early work of a favoriterock-star. Published on the occasion of an exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in early1997, this book provides excellent documentation of an artist whose work remains vitalmore than fifty years after his death. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Print and the Darkness
He was bound determined not to paint people reading and women knitting, but instead to show people who breathed emotions into his darkly suggestive prints. "Death in the sickroom" showed family members at the ages when they were painted, not when his sister Sophie died; it expressed unity in grief as one of death's longlasting effects by seemingly overlapping planes flowing together across bleakly empty areas, starkly B&W contrasts, and stiffly posed mourners frozen in misery. "The mirror" heads of a disembodied man and woman was his first woodcut to give up the Japanese method of printing each color with a separate woodblock; instead, he jigsawed blocks into pieces according to compositional design, linked each piece with a different color, and put everything back together into a multicolored print. He considered his "Sick child II" his most important print: his first color lithograph, it focused on the diseased upper chest and the head in profile facing right against a large pillow in order to gaze with tragically meditative resignation into the flatly patterned looming void on the far right. However, his "Scream" became the most compelling image for the late twentieth century: it expressed terror before the universe by powerfully decorative lines reverberating through the starkly opposed black lines and bleakly white voids of pulsing land and sky. Elizabeth Prelinger and Michael Parke-Taylor have applied reader-friendly illustrations and text to their catalog of the Vivian and David Campbell exhibition. Their SYMBOLIST PRINTS OF EDVARD MUNCH goes down good with PROGRESSIVE PRINTMAKERS by Warrington Colescott and Arthur Hove, PRINTS AND PRINTMAKING by Antony Griffiths, EDVARD MUNCH by Josef Paul Hodin, and THE PRINT IN THE WESTERN WORLD by Linda C Hults. ... Read more