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Hunter S. Thompson, in his drunken, rambling introduction to this volume of paintings and illustrations, calls Ralph Steadman "the Albert Gore of twentieth century art." It's hard to imagine a less apt appellation: Steadman's drawings and paintings are the wild antithesis of the notoriously stiff V.P. His pop art is also the opposite of Warhol's clean lines and soulless imagery; it screams with pain and nightmare power. While Steadman is best known for his illustrations to Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and other works, here his art is given free rein, and works with titles like "Earliest man, full of the sense of his own worth, screaming into the blackness, needing no god but himself..." and "Good time crucifix" combine Steadman's trademark splattered ink and unfolded figures with collage and sloppy airbrush. Although the text may offend those with no sense of irony (Thompson compares Steadman to artist manqué Adolf Hitler; Steadman relates the story of his first bowel movement), the hyperactive visuals are sure to delight even those who've never snorted ether while tripping on pure human adrenochrome. --James DiGiovanna ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Truly Inspirational
Ralph Steadman has proven to be one the most interesting and inventive artists of the late 20th century. He certainly has a cult appeal amongst Hunter Thompson fans, which is how i got turned on to his art. But upon purchasing this book i was truly amazed at how awesome all of his stuff is, this guy is truly inspirational. He has an original style, or at least as original as it gets. His writings and commentaries are funny and interesting as well. The book also has a great intro by Hunter. I'm an artist myself and this book really got my mind and imagination going. Steadman's got such a definitive look and style, which can only be summed up in one word: 'Gonzo'. I love this book and have looked through it many many times. I believe Steadman is one of the best artists living today, and is an inspiration to anyone trying to create something new and different.

Something Wicked in Fear and Loathing
Steadman takes the obscene to the edge with his book "Gonzo: The Art." He recounts his maturation in art from his drawings for Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadant and Depraved" to his own new ideas on what gonzo is. He even shows a portrait of what he thinks Thompsons parents were like, riding on the outside of the desert, maybe around Barstow, in the Big Red Shark. All in all, Steadman is an affront to your senses and will throw your world for a loop. Enjoy the ride!!

Makes people Ralph
This is one of the greatest compendiums of contemporary art I own. It has occupied pride-of-place on my coffee table since two hours after it arrived (had to go through it first), which means every visitor to my home sees it immediately upon sitting down. Reactions have been mixed-nobody disagrees as to Mr. Steadman's talent level, though quite a few have wished that he would choose different subjects to skewer with his warped pen. On the other hand, those who have been introduced to the work of this artist and enjoyed it now have the volume in their own homes. Not for the faint of heart, but rewarding to those who look at things slaunchwise through their own dark mirrors of the soul.

a brilliant sensory experience
Often in the shadow of collaborator Thompson, Steadman here gets to be the star & rightly so even though the good Gonzo doc does show up a few times. He has had other volumes out as well but this seems to be his greatest hits package or something, from various eras. Psychedelic spinning eyeballs, dripping blood, pliticians, decay & newspaper cuttings gloriously meshed together into true revelation. His styles do change & themes do too. He recounts that despite people thinking he was present for the escapades in the great Red Shark in Las Vegas, Ralph says he's never be mad enough to get in a car w/ hunter S. Thompson & also the difference w/ him being English & Hunter being extremely American. Anyway this was on the shelf next to Jean-Michel Basquiat & if anyone's getting art books I would thoroughly recommend both. BAD CRAZINESS!

The Truth
Excellent collection of Steadman artwork. Some biography of Steadman. Mostly color. Contains some songs and writings of Steadman and Hunter S. Thompson. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

Great informative and entertaining book!
As far as I'm concerned, this is a must have 4th book to the Ansel Adams series of The Camera, The Negative and The Print. It is very informative to read about not only the circumstances in which Adams made these black and white photographs, but also some of the technical and even emotional factors.

Great reading for anyone interested in photography (mostly landscapes and medium and large format).

The book and photographs are well printed and seems sturdy.

Superb Case Studies
If you want to learn photography and you would prefer to learn (or supplement your learning) by intensive case study, this is the book for you. Ansel Adams is a master at controlling composition, light and perspective, and he conveys his unique methodology admirably in this book. This book covers much more than his epic landscapes -- there are a lot of still life, portrait and architectural case studies. And he's not just discussing the zone system, but also everything else involved, including packing the right equipment, leaving at the right time, and hunting down the right subject. And above all, patience and persistence. The photos themselves are reproduced with admirable tone, sharpness, and contrast, as they are in all the books in this series. And although there are only forty of them, each case study runs two or three pages in addition to a full page photo. And if you like this, check out Ansel Adams' classic three part intensive introduction to photography, in the same series as this book: The Camera, The Print, and The Negative.

How Did You Make That Photograph, Mr. Adams?
An essential book for all photography fans!

In 1983, Ansel Adams picked 40 of his most memorable and diverse black and white photographs as examples of his work. For each one he wrote a brief essay that described the circumstances of deciding to photograph the subject, how he came to prepare for the photography, his companions, special challenges that occurred along the way, how he selected the composition, tricky light and shadow conditions encountered, technical details of how the image was captured (equipment, film speeds, settings, filters, lenses, etc.), technical details of printing the image, and the surprises he experienced.

In the midst of all this, he shares his philosophy of life, nature, and the art of photography. It's like attending a master class with a genius. Even if you know nothing about photography, this book will open your eyes to new ways of seeing and experiencing the world around you.

For those who love these images, the stories that accompany them will broaden and deepen your appreciation of what Mr. Adams accomplished. If you are not a technically-oriented photographer or fan, realize that only about 20 percent of the material is primarily technical. The technical parts are very interesting, but the rest of the material is even better.

Mr. Adams did draw the line at one point though. "Absent from these pages [is] a statement of what the photograph 'means.'" His reason: "Only the print contains the artist's meaning and message." In other words, the work should speak to you for itself.

He does point out some limits to his essays that you should keep in mind. He often doesn't remember when he made a particular photograph. Friends would remind him that a certain print was published in a certain publication in 1934 and he had dated it as 1936 elsewhere. He also did not keep notes of how he made the image after the negative was developed. So all of the technical notes and dates are probably off a little. That's all right in many cases. You are not a historian, and you are probably not going to use glass plates. Modern equipment is much different from what Adams used, so you will be making major adjustments anyway.

His style of photography was one adventure after another. You'll be climbing with him through snow-clad forests in freezing weather, and suddenly he's down to his last exposure. Which filter should he use?

In fact, in many cases, Adams was gambling on how the image would turn out because he would not get a second chance. It's like reading a detective story, in which the story begins with a flashback sequence of how the mystery ends, like Sunset Boulevard, because the finished image is there is its duotone beauty.

In other cases, the experiences of Edward Weston helped him avoid mistakes. As a result, you get to see his delightful, dramatic images of dunes in Death Valley.

As usual, the Little, Brown pages are often too small for the images. Despite my annoyance at this limitation, I did not grade the book down since the essays are so wonderful (of more than five-star interest) and are the real reason for reading and examining this book.

I would suggest that you read The American Wilderness before reading this book. That will give you a context for understanding what Mr. Adams is talking about in these essays. The essays assume a certain level of familiarity with the people, philosophies, and locations involved. The American Wilderness can provide that background for you.

After you have swum in these wonderful stories, I suggest that you write an essay about something you have done that contains high drama and meaning. Then share that essay with someone who would appreciate know the whole story. How can others learn as rapidly and as well as possible if your experiences (successful and unsuccessful) are lost?

Keep your mind open for opportunity! It's all around you!

One word... Inspiring!
Forget "...every photographers library..." This should be in every library. It's one of the ten best books I've ever read. Yes, I'm an amateur photographer but this book is way deeper and of so much more value than just knowing which f-stop he used.

This is a beautifully illustrated book of short stories chronicling the adventures of a master as he passionately pursues his craft. It's a love story with nature. If this book doesn't inspire you to climb a mountain or to sit beside a stream for a few hours, I don't know what will. If it also inspires you to photograph your little corner of creation, there's plenty of insight in these pages as well.

Technically Helpful and Entertaining to Read
This book is an inspiration for all of us whose photos don't look like they were taken by Ansel Adams. It shows the painstaking effort that went into some of his great photographs, and the sheer luck that captured others.

The technical descriptions are very interesting and helpful for anyone who wonders how such great prints were made. The more personal stories behind finding the images really give you a sense of what it means to make great photographs. Add in Ansel Adams' personal feelings about the art of photography and you've got a book every photographer should read. ... Read more

Book Description

A magisterial presentation of all the works of Barnett Newman, along with fascinating new insights into his artistic achievement

Barnett Newman (1905–1970), one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, has captivated critics, scholars, and the general public for decades. This highly anticipated catalogue raisonné presents Newman’s entire oeuvre—paintings, drawings, sculpture, graphics, an architectural model, lost and unfinished works, and ephemera—in one stunning and definitive volume. Featured elements include color reproductions of unparalleled quality; extensive provenance, exhibition, and publication histories; and a listing of the contents of the artist’s library at the time of his death.

In addition to the catalogue raisonné prepared by Heidi Colsman-Freyberger, the book offers revelatory essays on the artist, his career, and his working methods and features fascinating photographs of Newman, his studios, and his installations. Richard Shiff draws on new documentation to explain why Newman chose to create abstract art, how he achieved “fullness” in his paintings, and how his works exemplify the social functions of an artist. Carol C. Mancusi-Ungaro reveals extraordinary details about Newman’s studio practice and materials and techniques, information not available to the public before because Newman only allowed his wife to observe him at work. Mancusi-Ungaro also discusses the fate of works that were damaged while traveling to exhibitions or by vandals.

Produced and designed to the highest possible standards, this magnificent catalogue raisonné is a critical purchase for anyone interested in twentieth-century art.

Richard Shiff is Effie Marie Cain Regents Chair in Art and Director of the Center for the Study of Modernism at the University of Texas; Carol C. Mancusi-Ungaro is Director of Conservation at the Whitney Museum of American Art; and Heidi Colsman-Freyberger is an independent scholar, researcher, and bibliographer.
... Read more

Book Description

Born in the final weeks of World War II--in what Germans who wished to erase it from collective memory called Year Zero--Anselm Kiefer has long sought to come to grips with his country's Nazi past. This monograph traces his development as an artist through four blocks of work which reflect the most important currents in his complex oeuvre. Moving chronologically from microcosm to macrocosm, from the intimate spaces of "Attic Images" in the 70s through the vaster "Stone Halls" of the early 80s and the archaic-looking clay architectures he created in the 90s, Kiefer's pictorial spaces climaxed in the endless universes of "Images of the Cosmos and Constellations," painted at the close of the century. With the monumental "Sunflower Paintings," the progression was complete and he returned to earth. Also included are photographs by Thomas Flechtner which document the greenhouses, underground corridor systems, and installations realized by Kiefer at his studio estate in Barjac since 1993. I think vertically, and Fascism was one vertical plane. Yet I see all these strata. I tell stories in my works in order to show what lies behind the story. I make a hole and I go through it. --Anselm Kiefer
Essay by Markus Bruderlin.
11 x 13 in.
62 color illustrations ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A high-quality gallery book
Anselm Kiefer: The Seven Heavenly Palaces 1973-2001 is a truly impressive volume showcasing Anselm Kiefer's paintings in full color. An essay by Christoph Ransmayr and contributions by three others offer insightful commentary on the period pieces, but the principle focus of Anselm Kiefer: The Seven Heavenly Palaces 1973-2001 is upon the art itself. Enthusiastically recommended for personal, art school, and community library art reference and history collections, Anselm Kiefer: The Seven Heavenly Palaces 1973-2001 is a high-quality gallery book filled with earthy architectural paintings and resounding emotion and spirit. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A mammoth achievement
Not much more to add to what's already been said. This is a big investment of space as well as money, but I'm glad I have it, I've never seen an art book that compares, for Leonardo or any artist for that matter. Absolutely beautiful.

Without equal; without hyperbole....
Some books are good. Some are great. This one is profound! This is a prodigious quantity of Da Vinci's works in mostly large format and astonishing color. The subtleties found in his technique, his drawing materials, the toning due to age, are all given an immediacy and a life-like quality that is rarely achieved in reproduction. The drawings and studies are particularly interesting and appealing because of this. One is left in awe both by Da Vinci's work and Taschen's bold efforts in printing this monumental book. Taschen, always a good choice for art books both for their quality and extraordinary price advantage, has with the production of this book, added significantly to the literature on Da Vinci that is available to the average consumer. In all honesty, I don't know how they can produce and sell this book for less than $500. Its overall dimensions must be seen to be believed, weighing in at about 22 pounds! Start re-enforcing your bookshelves now. This is a proud addition to any library.

A Magnificent Addition to the Library on Leonardo Da Vinci
LEONARDO DA VINCI: THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS is a mammoth undertaking in concept and the product of this undertaking is physically mammoth! The very large, heavy tome sets out to explore the history of one of the greatest minds, artists, thinkers, and seers of all time and in doing so we are presented with all of the paintings down to the brushstroke, all of the drawings which include notes and paper quality, and the many writings of this giant of a man. Frank Zollner is an entertaining writer as well as a fine scholar. The facts are all (mostly) here and they are related in an enormously readable fashion. No dry data crunching here, just elegant prose that accompanies more visuals than you could ever imagine.

The three parts of the book are presented with equal importance: Part One is Da Vinci's life and his place in the historic and retrospective setting and contains many of his writings. Part Two is the catalogue raissone for the paintings, both those well known and extant and some images of paintings that no longer exist. Part Three is devoted to the fascinating drawings of just about every subject imaginable. Each is presented with grace, a touch of humor, and a sense of profound respect.

Other books on Da Vinci may boast better/more correct color reproduction and choices of cropping and layout, but for the sheer splendor of this great artist's output and influence on the world of art, religion, sociology and science, this book is going to be the benchmark for years to come. A magnificent book for your table and a particularly elegant gift for your friends!

A Glorious Complilation Of The Master's Work!
Leonardo Da Vinci epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. He possessed one of the greatest minds of all times. Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, Da Vinci personified creative genius and had an immeasurable effect on modern culture. This compilation of his work, probably the most complete collection ever made, is spectacular. The reproductions are riveting.

Taschen has reproduced here Leonardo Da Vinci's 34 paintings in glorious color. The paper quality is excellent as is the binding. From "The Last Supper" to the "Mona Lisa," the paintings' details, even Da Vinci's brushstrokes, are clearly visible and exquisite. This 700 page book measures 22" X 17" when open and many of the artist's masterworks are shown with full page or double page details.

Frank Zollner biographical text is beautifully written and the book's first ten chapters explore Da Vinci's life, with excerpts from his letters, contracts and diaries. His painting are also discussed and interpreted here. A complete catalogue of Leonardo's paintings is included in Part II. Da Vinci's extraordinary talent as a draftsman is documented in the six hundred and sixty-three drawings which are presented in Part III. The drawings are arranged by categories, i.e., figures, anatomy, architecture, etc. Johannes Nathan's has written excellent commentary on Da Vinci's drawings and the artist's sensitive lines, both fine and bold, are truly a feast for the eyes.

"Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings" is one of the most visually stunning books I have ever seen. This was a "must have/must own" item for me, and I have spent many leisurely hours reading, perusing and enjoying this phenomenal collection. I can't think of a better gift for anyone who admires this master's works. This is a very rare and special book.
JANA

Hold on to your books on the paintings!
I was literally aghast when I opened this giant, lavish production to see page after page of the paintings bound right down the center and into the spine of the book. I can't imagine what the publisher was thinking. Tashen books are never really good books, but could they really exercise such poor judgement when using such a large amount of resources?

On the positive side, the drawings are excellently reproduced and are rarely split. Fortunately, they constitute the vast majority of the book. However, the book should be purchased for the drawings only. The treatment of the paintings is offensive. So much for a comprehensive source on Leonardo. Hold on to those books on the paintings, when you buy this one! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Beautiful, must-have book!
Yet another wonderful example of Rien's work. This is a large book, great for coffee table display, or just to enjoy. It is filled to the brim with Rien's wonderful artwork and writings, there is no doubt that this is a man who loves and respects all life he sees. His drawings of the ark as well are fantastic! Children and adults alike will love this book. Wonderful price on it here as well.

A wonderful book-beautiful to see, fun to read.
Pages of beautiful art work adorn every page. The artist uses color in a very flashy dramatic style while capturing the feeling of the animals he is depicting. The story is from the Bible with wonderful comments from the artist on his views and feelings of the Ark. The writting is handled just as artisticly. The text of the story is included but the artist comments are full of wit and humor

Most Magnificent Artistry-Great for Men
If you appreciate Art and desire a unique reading experience, this volumn will not only satisfy your senses, but bring to life the miracle of Noah's Ark. I purchased a copy, used, it arrived beautifully and will be a birthday gift for my brother=in-law, who is a advid sportsman. Now my husband wants a copy for our library.

A very inspiring book.
I have purchased three of these books for myself and friends. I am awed by the beautiful artwork and the wonderful way Mr. Poortvliet told the entire biblical history of Noah. It is wonderful to just pour over the illustrations and little side comments throughout this book. Just Wonderful!!!

Hierloom quality, to be passed down through the generations.
I was introduced to this wonderful book a few years ago by our pastor. I was awestruck by the wonderful illustrations. The text is very interesting and thought provoking, leading me to an even deeper amazement of God's incredible creation. I have purchased this book for our family and will be giving it as a gift to my 2 sons when they marry and/or have children. I am an avid book reader and of all the books I have, this ranks second only to the Bible. I recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

These biographies of the great quattrocento artists have long been considered among the most important of contemporary sources on Italian Renaissance art.Vasari, who invented the term "Renaissance," was the first to outline the influential theory of Renaissance art that traces a progression through Giotto,Brunelleschi, and finally the titanic figures of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael.This new translation, specially commisioned for the World's Classics series, contains thirty-six of the most important lives and is fully annotated. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Better than many Modern Art History Books
If you were to read a modern art history book of the high Renaissance, chances are the author of the book drew at least some of his information from this book written by Giorgio Vasari. Giorgio Vasari was an Italian Renaissance artist who also wrote about the various artists of his time. A contemporary of Michangelo, Georgi Vasari's book reads like a Who's Who of Renaissance artists. For a book more than four hundred years old, the style is amazingly modern and interesting.
Vasari has an artist's eye for critiquing another artist's work. His writing style is not boring, whereas many would be reduced to general descriptions like "beautiful" and "amateurish", he dissects the artist's work between strong and weak points, pigments and flesh tones or landscapes vs. portraits or the use of light and perspective. He states the reason why some art or one artist is renowned and others ignored. His judgments have generally stood the test of time. Vasari also weaves in some interesting tidbits and anecdotes of the Artist's life. I found this book more interesting than many modern day Art History books.

Necessary for art historians and college students
Vasari's prose is effusive but easy to follow because it says the same things over and over about each artist. If you have any interest in the Italian artists this book is a crucial and reliable source of information. Artists lives with an emphasis on their contemporaries and their development are lavishly detailed in this book. It's a crucial source for a college-level art history report. Art historians respect Vasari's analyses of the artists' lives.

Vasari LOVES the High Renaissance artists, especially Michelangelo and Raphael, so you'll find that those chapters are especially long and informative. At times the praise of these artists, and others of the Renaissance, seems exaggerated and excessive. But you get the general gist of things, and find yourself itching to see the paintings that he tells stories about after you read about each artist.

Some hard work, ultimately worth it.
Slogging a little bit, because it's difficult to read even interesting prose descriptions of paintings and also painfully aware that I lacked a lot of the technical understanding of what he was discussing-- my history of art knowledge has huge holes in it. I turned frequently to the Internet to find the paintings Vasari was discussing and that helped a great deal.

I read the George Bull translation and it felt really clunky, although it's a plus that the footnotes are at the bottom of the pages rather than at the rear of the book. If I'm going to go on to read Volume 2 then I have to say that I'd choose another translator.

I knew in an intellectual way that a lot of the Renaissance was about reclaiming lost arts and sciences, but reading Vasari gave me a much better gut level feel about that really meant about the development of the arts. Connects real people to the history lesson, albeit in a gossipy and occasionally too-flowery way.

In the Land of the Blind . . .
This is badly-written, badly-structured, gossipy, confused, misleading, and in too many places downright dishonest. Nevertheless it remians our main source of biographical information on the great artists of the Renaissance and Mannerist periods.

Most of these geniuses were considered so unimportant in their own lifetimes that the details of their lives weren't thought worthy to be recorded. It is telling therefore that it was Vasari, himself a rather vainglorious and self-important artist, who first conceived the notion of setting down the minutae of his own class. Unfortunately he was more a man of the brush than the pen and used his biographical duties to settle a few old scores and to pass on rumor and gossip.

Of course, the very ineptitude with which this work is written gives it an extra appeal in our own dumbed down age, but compared to great biographers of the past, like Plutarch, this is clearly inferior goods. Unfortunately, it's all we have to go on for most of the artists here. If it's a great work, it's a great work solely by default.

'In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.'

Absolutely fascinating
I read this book in preparation for an upcoming trip to Florence. I am a big Michelangelo fan to begin with, and the idea of reading something written by a contemporary and aficionado of his was intriguing. I was well rewarded for my interests.

Vasari clearly idolized Michelangeo and Raphael. That is apparent, but as he did for every other artist's Life he covered, the level of personal detail and anecdotes is invaluable for someone like me looking for the story behind the artists. Artists from each phase of the Renaissance are covered with detail of both their personal and artistic lives. I can say I learned so much from each chapter that I will surely be taking this book with me for reference when I am in Florence.

One caveat, I think it would be helpful to have a book with photographs of the works Vasari discusses. Unless you are already up to speed on the major Renaissance works, it is more helpful to visualize them with the assistance of Vasari's descriptions. I found myself running to the internet often to see what he had been talking about.

Kick back and relax with this very easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable guide to some of the Renaissance's finest artists. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Henri Cartier-Bresson spent four decades traveling the world as a photojournalistin search of what he called "the decisive moment"--the instant when visual harmony and human significance coalesce. Published in honor of his 95th birthday, Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image & The World is a handsome volume that reproduces more than 600 photographs, film stills, and drawings and includes essays by art, photography, and film experts. Trained as a painter in his native France, Cartier-Bresson began his photography career during a trip to the Ivory Coast in 1931. After shooting his way through Europe, Mexico and the U.S., he became an assistant to filmmaker Jean Renoir and directed documentaries in support of the Spanish Civil War. Imprisoned by the Germans during World War II, he escaped to document the liberation of Paris. More than a quarter-century of magazine photography followed—-including vivid glimpses of modern life in India, China and the Soviet Union—-before he put aside his camera in favor of his sketchbook. Cartier-Bresson's ability to capture peak moments resulted in unforgettable single photographs, like that of a woman in a group of former concentration camp prisoners who suddenly recognizes her Gestapo informer and reaches out to hit her. His constant watchfulness led to images that capture fleeting emotion—-lust, pride, despair, expectation, glee—-on the faces of people going about their daily lives in grim cities, sleepy villages, and vast landscapes. Shaped by compassion and a self-effacing absence of personal judgment, these photographs reflect a worldview no longer fashionable but forever relevant to human understanding. —Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very well-done Cartier-Bresson retrospective
I am a big fan of Cartier-Bresson's photography, so this review could be considered a little biased. This is a great book -- lots of Cartier-Bresson's photos (all my favourites, and there are many), well-printed, with just enough text to add some substance to the book without overwhelming the images. There are even a bunch of photos of Cartier-Bresson at the end for those who are curious what he looks like. A few of his sketches/paintings and some information on his films are also included, which may interest some. The only downside is the book weighs a ton, and is an awkward size that doesn't fit in my bookcase. ;-) Highly recommended.

Henri Cartier-Bresson: the Man, the Image & the World
"I have never been interested in photography," asserts the greatest image-maker in the history of the medium, and he put his camera away, thirty years ago, in order to focus on drawing, his first love. Perhaps Cartier-Bresson was more interested in the act of seeing than recording an image on film, but this massive portfolio of images from the 1930s through the early 1970s shows his mastery of composition, his fusion of candor and humanity, and his gift for capturing the decisive moment. It's superbly produced, and every architect will delight in his brilliant sense of shadow and light, and his interweaving of figures and buildings-notably in the opening spread of the church of San Francisco in Ranchos de Taos. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

A superb comprehensive collection of HCB's photography
This title is in my opinion by far the best, most comprehensive single book on the works of Henri Cartier-Bresson ever published, or ever likely to be published. The selection of photographs is huge and they are printed superbly on very heavy fine art paper. The accompanying essays provide a very useful insight into Henri Cartier-Bresson's approach to photography, in particular into his concept of the "decisive moment". The sections on his life provide further substance to the book and raise it well above the level of a coffee table publication. My only (very slight) reservation is that because of the huge number of photographs included, not all could be printed at full-page size and several of my favourites are reproduced a little small. However, the title in its present form is already the heaviest in my collection by a considerable margin and to make it any thicker would have made it too difficult to manage. This title is great value for a fine art book of such quality - if you have any interest in HCB at all, get it!

An essential for every photographer's collection
"Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, the Image and the World: A Retrospective by Peter Galassi, Robert Delpire" is an essential purchase for anyone with more than a passing interest in photography.

As the images and essays in this retrospective of HCB's work make clear, Cartier-Bresson invented 35 mm photography as a visual form. What studying, or even browsing through this massive collection makes clear is that despite being known as a "photographer," Cartier-Bresson is not being disengeuous when he eschews that descriptive: he is not a photographer; he is an artist whose primary tool for about 50 years was a camera. But he wasn't "taking pictures," he was creating art, and happened to use a camera to do it.

A careful examination of this collection of images leaves one with the impression is that the reason HCB has had such an enormous impact on the history of photography in many different forms - including "street photography," "photojournalism," and "documentary photography," is the fact that he is one of the great artists of the 20th century.

Even if you think you know all Cartier-Bresson's work; even if you own all the books in which most of these photos originally appeared over the past 50 years, "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, the Image and the World: A Retrospective" is a book worth owning because of the overview it provides, and because of the insightfulness of several of the essays included. ... Read more

Book Description

The Camera, together with The Negative and The Print, comprise The Ansel Adams Photography Series, a legendary triad of books about photographic technique that has become the most influential "how-to" series on photography ever written. The first edition of this series was completed in the 1950s. Adams completely revised and updated it just a few years before his death, making it his last word on the technical mastery of his medium. Three generations of photographers have learned how to approach the artistic possibilities of their art form through this seminal series. Now available in paperback, it remains as vital today as when it was first published.

The Camera covers 35 mm, medium format, and large-format view cameras and offers detailed advice on camera components such as lenses, shutters, and light meters. Adams' concepts of "visualization" and "image management" are the philosophical cornerstones of the book. Extensively illustrated with photographs by Adams as well as instructive line drawings, this classic manual belongs on every serious photographer's bookshelf. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Wanna learn to take pictures, start here.
Einstein wrote a book for lay people to explain the theory of relativity. I've read it twice, and I stilldon't know what Albert's talking about. Ansel Adams wrotethree books on photography, The Camera, The Negative, and The Print, for lay people to explain how to takegood photographs. I've read 'em all, and at least I know what Ansel's talking about, even if I can't take photographs like his yet (gimme fifty years of practice). Whether you like Adams' style or not, in technique, he is to photography what Einstein is to physics: a single authoritative master who's work can be relied upon.Of the three books, _The Negative_ is the most important;but if you are just getting started, the Camera iswhere to begin.

A brilliant introduction to the camera
Ansel Adams is indeed one of the most highly regarded photographers ever, and in this first of three instructional books, he reveals much of the foundational wisdom that he gathered over a lifetime taking pictures. The focus of this book is the camera and deals with all types and formats of film cameras and techniques for using them to take wonderful photos.

This book is one of the most common and cherished textbooks used in beginning photography but is indispensable for any interested in better understanding camera arts.

Truly a masterpiece
Just like his photos, this book is a classic. It explains the fundamentals quite clearly, with intuitive diagram and real pictures. Its coverage on view camera is extremely valuable. Although not many people use view camera these days, that chapter is an eye-openner for appreciating some of the best pictures ever taken by Ansel and other classic photographers. Its coverage on the basic principles are very thourough too. A must read for every serious photographer.

Classic
A must have for all those wanting to expand their understanding of cameras in the process of making beautiful fine prints

Great series
This whole series (The Camera, The Negative, & The Print) are highly recommended for anyone seriously interested in learning more about photography and improving their skills. If you're not interested in that, then the books are probably still worth adding to your collection just to see all of Adams's stunning images. ... Read more

Book Description

Edelen Wille's Vintage Poster Book: Favorite Nursery Rhymes will bring you back to the wonder of innocence and the simplicity of childhood with its beautiful children's nursery rhyme images.Inside this poster book, you'll find 12 brightly colored nursery rhyme illustrations at 11 x 14 (standard frame size), reproduced on vintage poster-weight paper, with pull-away binding providing a clean edge.Either matted or framed as is, these classic rhymes will brighten any room in the house or bring wonder and delight to any child's nursery.With such classic rhymes as Queen of Hearts, Wee Willie Winkie, Rub-A-Dub-Dub and Mistress Mary, these timeless reproductions are sure to be enjoyed by all ages for many years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Beautiful!!
This is a truly stunning collection of images.Great for a new baby gift, perfect for framing.The quality of the prints is excellent, and the pictures are sweet without being sappy.They work for decorating a baby's room for boy or girl (or both---I gave them as a gift for a boy/girl set of twins).

Perfect Unique Gift Idea
I have purchased several of these books for gifts.Every person I have given it to has loved it!The posters are wonderful and are an easy addition to any nursery.

great gift
I bought this book as a gift for a friend with a new baby.She loved it so much that it is now my standard new baby gift.The posters can be framed and the look and feel is jst great.

I was impressed!
Love this book of posters!! We are decorating our nursery in a nursery rhyme theme. I chose this book because of its vintage style. I was impressed when I received it. The poster pages are very thick and sturdy, similar to a very thick wall paper. We plan to frame them without glass, because they are textured as if they are already on canvas. ... Read more

Book Description

"Inspired by folk, pre-Columbian, and Cubist art, Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) illuminates the beauty and mystery of his homeland with a vibrant palette and an extraordinary imagination in this stunning monograph.Unlike the clearly nationalistic paintings by contemporaries such as Diego Rivera, Jos Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Tamayo's art encompasses mythical beasts, tropical fruits, Mexican folklore, and the whole of the human experience. The influence of his three homes -- Mexico, Paris, and New York -- is evident in his luminous color, sophisticated compositions, and inventive exploration of Mexican identity. However, Tamayo did not become extremely well known in the United States until after an exhibition of his work at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., in 1978, followed by a major retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in 1979.The popularity of Mexican art has grown enormously in the last decade; Tamayo's work has commanded impressive prices at auction and is now in a number of important international collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Lavishly illustrated with more than 230 images, including oil paintings, drawings, personal photographs, and other memorabilia, Tamayo explores the myths, legends, and dreams of one of Mexico's most revered artists.More than 230 illustrations and photographs" ... Read more

Reviews (2)

u dont get it
every other review of this book has dumbfounded me. they dont get the concept of the book at all. i hear all the negative reviews, but for the wrong reasons, the book is brilliant and the best klimt out there and here's why. It's a window into the genius's mind, we get to see all of his sketches to each corresponding piece. for any real artist it's a jewel of composition, type design, and beautiful ideas. the people who want books of the famous pieces, are the same people who like the force fed music the radio stations give them and the women who wear broaches on sunday when they go for the annual museum outing (no offence grandma) . welcome to thinking for yourself. and finding out how gustav klimt thinks. good book....

Incomplete illustrations
I fell in love with Klimt after a trip to Vienna. This book was the first I purchased in hopes of taking some of his work with me, but I was sorely disappointed. Little of his most recognized work is included. Although the information was good, the illustrations were lacking. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Another Man's Treasure
Such a tragedy for a talented fellow like Basquiat to succumb to the temptations of drugs at such an early age. His paintings are so raw and fresh. I feel as though he used canvasses as giant doodle pads which he displayed to the world. Many of our own doodle pads (next to our phones, on our office desks, etc.) end up in the [bin] but Basquiat's ended up in the galleries and museums of the world. Some think of his work as [bad] but I view it as a treasure. Fine art, cartoons, grafitti and doodling...the best things in life. This book is the best collection I've seen of his work. The reproductions are well done and the essays are enlightening. For the art afficianado, this book needs to join the collection.

Basquiat at its Best
If you are looking for a wonderful combination of Basquiat's work and biography, this is the book to own. This book is full of many beautiful color plates of his work, as well as the story of his short, successful, but tragic life as an artist who had his brief moment in the sun before succumbing to the drugs.

FAST FORGET TUPA KNOWS
I am not convinced that this is the BEST Jean Michel Basquiat retrospective catalogue to date...but the work selected for this publication is certainly consistently better than most others published before or after this one. Basquiats peak of productivity was from1981-83 and much of that work is catalogued here..But the dissapointment is that many of his last works (circa 1988) will not be found here....but in the more extensive Basquiat catalogue published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.
There are also a few images here that will make you wonder why they were selected and some of the text seems to over emphesize  
the fact that Basquiat died of a DRUG OVERDOSE.
You can skip the text or consider it ....it's the work that counts in the end!

Exceptional Catalogue
This is by far the best catalogue of Basquiat's work as it was shown at the Whitney. By far, this book superseed others as it relates to quality and quantity of plates. Strongly recomend.

basquiat comes to life in vivid color
Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. I was first captivated by his works that were used in conjunction with Mya Angelou's poem Life Don't Frigten Me None. I was entranced by his art! I looked all over for a book that would give me a retrospective of his art. I found it. This book is wonderful. Great color great art work. Check it out. You'll Dig it too. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Major Reviewers Rave About Guberman's "Stella"
San Francisco Chronicle: "Guberman's affable style and his fund of New York art world reminiscences and gossip make the book fascinating to anyone interested in the hurly-burly of 20th century American art." Kenneth Baker, January 28, 1966

The Atlanta Journal/Constitution: " This book is much more about the making of the art than the making of the life, although the main events of the latter are recounted quite interestingly..... Few artist biographies have told us this much about the process behind what the casual viewer notices--literally behind it.....Guberman captures something of Stella's restless spirit in his telling of the tale." Jerry Cullum, February 11, 1996

New York Times Book Review: "He (Mr. Guberman) is at his best when he addresses the art directly, as in his explanations of the relatively complicated working techniques that Mr. Stella used to make his irregular frames and surfaces or serious sculptural depth." Ted Loos, May 5, 1996 ... Read more

Book Description

30 years after its publication Marshall McLuhan's The Medium is the Massage remains his most entertaining, provocative, and piquant book. With every technological and social "advance" McLuhan's proclamation that "the media work us over completely" becomes more evident and plain. In his words, 'so pervasive are they in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, or unaltered'.

McLuhan's remarkable observation that "societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication" is undoubtedly more relevant today than ever before. With the rise of the internet and the explosion of the digital revolution there has never been a better time to revisit Marshall McLuhan. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

BOOMERANGE FOR THE BABY BOOMERS
McLuhan reads the tea leaves of modern society circa 1965, and predicts that the Baby Boomers will lead the charge into the new age. Quoting Dylan: "Because something is happening/And you don't know what it is/Do you Mr. Jones?" He does not anticipate the Boomers becoming Mr. Jones; but he does predict a constant return to the past with each leap forward in technology; hence the return to the late Sixties of the Boomers children.

The book is a distillation of all his major ideas, and presented in WEB style format created by Quentin Fiore in 1965. Several pages are printed so that they can only be read by holding them up to a mirror, thereby illustrating his idea about the limited ability of print to offer multiple points of view effectively. He chides Jules Vern for predicting television only in the 29th century; but he, on the other hand, may have predicted the changes too soon. Nonetheless, he reads as current as last months Wired, and offers a means of contracting the effects of the media bombardment we Boomers suffer each day of our electronic lives ... awareness.

Snap this one up while you can!
Okay, so McLuhan is offbeat, a bit random in his organization, and has been dead for 16 years. This book, however, represents McLuhan's unique insight. It creates a text in the purest sense of the word. Pictures and words are used to drive home his point--one must read both the words and the images. In short, it is a good introduction to McLuhan's insight. Be forewarned: this will be the beginning of a relationship with this man's work

...now where's the album?
Love this book. It's quirky and odd, non-linear and abstract, perfectly representing our world today. It's difficult yet ultimately accessible though we never really quite know what he's talking about though, oddly enough, some days the stuff that didn't make sense becomes a beacon of light some time later.

But where's the album? Hello, all you who hold intellectual copyrights on his stuff! Please re-issue this in more modern mediums.

I have a copy of his LP from the 1960s and it is fascinating and remarkable and also ahead of its time. The sampling and meandering drifting beats found in techno/electronica music today hearkens back to this LP. When is it going to be re-issued? The world is waiting and is truly missing out!

Dated '60s relic, but still interesting
Hey, man, this McLuhan cat tells it like it is, you know... this book is what he calls a "collide-oscope"... I thought that was a funny word... it's got all these cool pictures of stuff and every so often there's, like, these words you gotta read... but it's still fun, you know... it's kinda like channel-surfing where you go from C-Span to MTV and back to C-Span and back to MTV... I read it in under an hour...

Anyhow, this McLuhan guy, he was a professor of English literature somewhere in Canada... but he was still a pretty hip guy because--dig this--he thought the written word was dying out... I'm serious, it's far out, man!... he says we've been living in this, like, word-dominated culture for the last 3,000 or whatever years... but we're entering an "electric" culture, what with all these high-tech things we've invented... like the Internet, but there was no Internet back in 1967... that's when the book came out... so maybe that made him kind of psychic?...

But anyhow, I got a little confused because McLuhan says word-culture is visual-oriented... which he says means real logical and linne, lynne, lennyer, linear... but, like, they told me back in college that verbal thinking comes from the LEFT brain hemisphere (which is the real rational-like part)... and visual thinking is RIGHT hemisphere (which is the kinda NOT rational part)... so it's like he's putting two ideas together that don't fit... or something...

Also--dig this--McLuhan is real into watching teevee... he says here, "Television demands participation and involvement in depth of the whole being."... can you believe some egghead college professor saying that?... what kind of teevee did they have up in Canada back then?... I don't wanna knock this McLuhan guy, but I don't put all this "whole being" jazz into watching teevee, you know?... I just kinda sit there on the couch...

Anyhow, there's lots of pictures... I just thought it was pretty cool, you know?... I think...

I Get Goosebumps...
I get goosebumps just thinking about reviewing this book wherein McLuhan coins the term "the global village." On the internet, 33 years after this book was published, McLuhan had the insight and perspicacity to see just how electronics will be changing us. He's more of an electronical anthropologist here.

The flash of the book has worn off some by now and the graphics, the photos and creative layout of the pages seems to be more of a period piece. Still, because this brief book portrays so many key concepts that currently fill us now. We do not notice the power of the media until we are someplace that does not have it. Like a fish out of the water, we take for granted the influence of the technology around us; we assume that they have been with us forever and we never slow down to challenge these concepts. So, thank God for McLuhan's book.

I've recommended this book to my students and it's fun to see how they read it (because it's so short) and open up to some of the concepts about the media's power. It's as if they had known it all along, but needed McLuhan's book to come along and draw it out of them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A popular painter who claims to hate traveling has written a "travel book" illustrated with his own brightly colored landscapes. What's that all about?Wolf Kahn's America: An Artist's Travels is actually a record of the pleasant American locales Kahn has visited over the past forty-odd years in order to teach a workshop, attend an exhibition of his work or fulfill a commission from a wealthy patron. A refugee from Nazi Germany, born in 1927, he understandably prefers the comforts of home to the anxieties of travel. Yet he finds visual inspiration everywhere he goes, even in a restaurant parking lot overlooking a marsh. Kahn gracefully interweaves studio shop talk about color with brief observations about specific landscapes and the inevitable mishaps of travel. The book includes 100 full-color reproductions of his gentle, quasi-abstract renderings of barns and dunes, woods and shorelines, sunsets and snowy fields. The painting sites range from Maine to Florida, with excursions to Yosemite and New Mexico, but Kahn's high-keyed colors and favored compositional devices vary only slightly. Although he studied with Hans Hofmann and writes of friendships with other major American painters, his own work has a prettified quality at odds with his peers. One of the challenges of landscape painting, he writes, is to find locales "where comfort and subject coincide." Kahn's most self-revealing moment occurs when he asks Fairfield Porter why he painted a gas tank in the foreground of a Maine landscape. Porter replies that the tank was in his field of vision and he doesn't want to "censor" landscape. Kahn writes that he respects this point of view, but "I certainly would have kept the gas tank out." —-Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wolf Kahn at his finest.
Having had the privilege of meeting, painting and listening to Wolf Kahn in person this book, without a doubt, is the next best thing. This new book is Wolf Kahn at his finest as artist, teacher and storyteller. What a rare blessing to have the artist pen his own history for us to enjoy. The work and words are inspiring. There is a treasure trove of experience to glean for the artist, art lover and laymen. The format is enjoyable, similar to, "Wolf Kahn Pastels". If you want "how it is" first hand, I strongly recommend this new book. Sincerely Tom Szewc ... Read more

Book Description

Herb Ritts is one of the most notorious and successful photographers working today. The Los Angeles-based imagemaker has created portfolios for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and other magazines, done movie ads and music videos, and worked with fashion-world clients such as Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani. This sumptuous catalogue, published to accompany an exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris, includes an interview with Herb Ritts. One hundred photographs, some previously unpublished, exemplify the rigorous, disconcerting work of one of the most remarkable photographers of the contemporary art, fashion, and entertainment worlds. Herb Ritts's subjects include Antonio Banderas, Sandra Bernhard, Louise Bourgeois,Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Francesco Clemente, Joseph Fiennes, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Gibson, Keith Haring, Stephen Hawking, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, B. B. King, Roy Lichtenstein, Ewan MacGregor, Nelson Mandela, Edward Norton, Robert Rauschenberg, Christopher Reeve, and Tina Turner. 94 duotone photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Beautiful book. Great to own in memory of Herb Ritts.
Herb Ritts passed away on Dec 26 at the age of 50 from complications of pneumonia.

This book is a fabulous collection of his work (at a reasonable price). This book is a collection of black and white photographs by the fabulous fashion photographer.

The photographs are well printed and luscious. Herb Ritts' photographs will be sadly missed.

Beautiful coffee table book & conversation piece
I received this book as a gift. I can't tell you how many times at a party or get-together at our home someone has picked this up, and then it has become the topic of conversation. The book gets passed around the entire night because everyone wants to look at it, and once someone starts flipping through the pages they simply can't put it down because they want to look at every image. Several of the photos are of celebrities, but they are somewhat disguised. Example: Cindy Crawford made up as a man. It is fun to do a "double take" as you try to guess who some of the subjects are. As always, Herb Ritts' images are masterpieces. This was a wonderful gift.

A Mixed Bag of Photographs
This catalogue of the retrospective of Ritts' work in the mid 90's at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by its very nature has a lot of photographs that are included in previous volumes: many of the nudes, the African photos, the series called Duo and "celebrity portraits." Unlike many celebrity photographers, Ritts was able to create photographs that rarely if ever are duplicates of either his or other artists' work. You get a good sense of that from looking at all of the small copies of all the photos published at the end of this volume. That is no small accomplishment. Many of the nudes and/or erotic photographs have been around for so long and reproduced so often that they have almost become cliches. For example, the series of "Fred With Tires." These show up in calendars, refrigerator magnets, posters ad nauseam. The nine photographs of Bill T. Jones, one of which graces the cover of this hefty volume, should be called "Eunuch, I-IX." The poor man has been castrated by the stroke of an airbrush. I assume we are politically rather than anatomically correct here. This show was clearly no repetition of the Mapplethorpe Exhibit in Cincinnati!

Celebrity photographs are often just that. They are interesting only if you know the model. A fine portrait photographer can shoot someone we do not know and make that person interesting to us. Many though certainly not all of Ritts' photos rise to that level. For that reason, he will always be revered as an artist. I would put the photos of Whoopi Goldberg, William Burroughs and Mike Ovitz in that category, to name three. Even if we did not know who these people are, Ritts makes us want to know them. Proof of this, at least for me, is that I was mesmerized by the photo of Ovitz and didn't have the slightest idea initially of who he was. These photographs are intriguing and draw the viewer in. Finally, for my money, the three incomparable shots of Eunice Kennedy Shriver are simply the best portraits in the book. The first time I leafed through this volume, these fantastic shots jumped out at me.

I treasure my signed copy of another of Ritts' books. I'm sorry that he will never take another photograph.