Reviews (4)

Interesting, but cumbersome language
As a novice painter (hobbyist) with great admiration for the works of the Great Masters, I purchased this as a textbook to help me understand the great works as well as to learn proper technique. Given my "real world" schedule, it would be impossible to get to a proper art class, so this was to be a compromise. It is full of fascinating historical details, but the language used is often so cumbersome it's difficult to follow unless one has either a great deal of concentration, some prior experience with the subject under discussion, or both. The lack of illustrations is also a barrier to using this as a primary textbook. Mayer's book ("The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques") is written in a much clearer style and covers more modern materials as well as those of the greats. In sum, this is a very good book to have in one's library, but if you are looking for a primary text, use Mayer's instead.

Accuracy counts?
The reality is that I would have rated this book as a three had it not already been over rated. As an introduction into the techniques of old masters materials the book may serve as a means of basic knowledge. Admit tingly the book has other attributes but nothing so unique that there is a revealing of information that couldn't be found more complete and satisfied some where else.

Writing as a conservator I don't have the book right in front of me so I'll be general. First and foremost the book doesn't come close to rivaling Mayer's book. I say this because Mayer's book on materials and techniques is far more conclusive and also acknowledging different artists approach materials with certain attitudes. This is leading to my biggest complaint with Doerner's book.

Doerner approaches his subject much more subjectively and with out much flexibility. The real problem with this is that the author is suppose to be acting as a historian and instead lays down guild lines that he considers superior for contemporary artist. I discovered particular errors through out the book; an example is a pigment attributed to Rembrandts use that analysis hasn't found. Doerner also dismisses cotton canvass painting as a serious support while it has in fact been a popular support for four to five hundred years and has shown as much empathy and durability for good paint film as linen. In truth theses little fictions creep up here and there through out the whole book.

Mayer's book offers a much more accurate detail of the actual properties of materials and he isn't so subjective. Mayer's book also provides chemical information on pigments and the newest edition tells when each pigment was introduced. Mayer's book also quotes the regional and historical introduction of most other materials and is there for nearly as informative historically as Doerner's book; certainly much more accurate.

However Doerner's book offers its own perspective and a little bit more detail about materials from the perspective of the past. For this reason I have found some use to use the book as an occasional reference.

I recommend this book as part of any library reference and also as a perspective but not as a conclusive authority on the subject. For any one not familiar with Mayer's book on materials it is far more informative and accurate.

solid bedrock know-how for the painter
While most curriculums today in art schools will have the words conception underlined, there is a desparate need for the craft of painting to be taught. If you do not want to wait until craftsmanship comes back in style and are a painter, than you must have this book. If you are learning how to better understand the painters of yesterday; you must have this book. If you are curious as to how painters such as Vermeer etc could accomplish want they did, this book is for you. Though the language is sometimes formal the information is so fascinating and inclusive it makes for great and enjoyable reading; Painter or just admirer.

The most important artist manual ever written.
Max Doerner lectured art students with the most accurate information ever compiled up to 1932. About 1900 there was a big change in the manufacturing of color, Max was the artist's protector. "Art has abandoned the sound principles of craftsmanship and is therefore lacking in a dependable foundation". Max Doerner 1931

1916, THEORY, The last color-wheel (square) of college record was by Church-Ostwald. It has Yellow, Red, Sea Green and Ult. Blue at the corners. It made way for the new coal-tar colors, all pigments were replaced by there top-tone matching colors. Naples Yellow, Rubins favorite, and artists favorite for two thousand years, was replaced by a mixture of Zinc and Ocher. Pigments were moving from the Iron Age to the Oil Age. Church-Ostwald had no regard for transparency/opacity, or raw pigment content. Only the final dried color. This is the way todays pigment manufactures make colors. Clearly, the artists interests are not at heart.

1886, COLOR,

THE FIRST AND LAST PUBLIC STANDARD OF PIGMENT COLORS FOR ARTISTS As noted by Max Doerner.

A. W, Keim, German. "Deutche Gesellschatf zur Forderung rationeller Malverfahren", The German Society for the Promotion of Rational Methods in Painting. They set up control for the pigments in colors found best by the artists, to guarantee the color's characteristics and ingredients. These are the colors deemed necessary by the artists; 1.White Lead, 2. Zinc White, 3. Cadmium Yellow Light, Medium and Orange. (Cadmium Red wasn't discovered until 1909), 4. Indian Yellow, 5. Naples Yellow Light and Dark, 6. Yellow to Brown, Natural and Burnt Ochers and Sienna, 7. Red Ocher, 8. Iron Oxide colors, 9. Graphite, 10. Alizarin Crimson, Madder Lake, 11. Vermilion, 12. Umbers, 13. Cobalt Blue, Native and Synthetic, 14. Ultramarine Blue, Natural and Synthetic, 15. Paris-Prussian Blue, 16. Oxide of Chromium, Opaque and Transparent Veridian, 17. Green Earth, 18. Ivory Black, 19. Vine Black.

Today we still have no exceptable replacements for the Naples Yellows or Indian Yellow Transparents, Golden or Brown.

Turpentine is the best thinner for oil paints. I don't agree with Mayer's Handbook saying that petroleum distilled paint thinner works for fine artwork. Doerner explained in his 1934 book, The Materials of the Artist, how they are unnatural with paints that absorb oxygen while drying. Being refined from a nondrying petroleum oil, they only evaporate, without absorbing oxygen. Petroleum thinners are good only for cleaning brushes of the trade, not the expensive brushes we use as artists. Petroleum thinner will not dissolve the valuable damar varnish either, as turpentine does so well.

You can see now why this book was suppressed after the wars. It was not in the paint manufactures best interest to let this knowledge get back to the new emerging artists.

If you are a serious artist, I urge you to get this book, The Materials of the Artist by Doerner. Compare it to the Mayer's Artists Handbook and see how just information pertaining to new colors is mentioned and the rest of Max's historical work was usurped. Don Jusko ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaimed American documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark (b. 1940) made her first iconic pictures when living in Turkey on a Fulbright Fellowship in the mid-1960s. Her photographs of Bombay brothels, shot in the late 1970s, were published in 1981 in Falkland Road, a book that became legendary and confirmed her status as one of the most prominent and provocative documentary photographers working today.

Mark’s pictures are a celebration of humanity in its most diverse and eccentric forms. Circuses, gypsy camps, children yearning for adulthood, the poor and destitute are some of her recurring themes. Mark has the unique ability to capture gestures and expressions that translate the intense emotions of her subjects. Compassionate but never literal, her pictures can be humorous, tragic, enigmatic, shocking, and oftentimes all of these simultaneously.

This book presents for the first time a selection of the strongest pictures of Mark’s forty-year career, drawing from emblematic series such as "Falkland Road," "Indian Circus," and "Twins," as well as a selection of previously unpublished images. The photographs are accompanied by an introduction by Weston Naef, and an interview with Mark that provides context and behind-the-scene anecdotes. Together Mark’s images and words provide intimate insights into the lives of others, presenting compelling stories of human strength and suffering. ... Read more

Book Description

The subject of John Singer Sargent's most famous painting was twenty-three-year-old New Orleans Creole Virginie Gautreau, who moved to Paris and quickly became the "it girl" of her day. A relative unknown at the time, Sargent won the commission to paint her; the two must have recognized in each other a like-minded hunger for fame.

Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau's portrait generated the attention she craved-but it led to infamy rather than stardom. Sargent had painted one strap of Gautreau's dress dangling from her shoulder, suggesting either the prelude to or the aftermath of sex. Her reputation irreparably damaged, Gautreau retired from public life, destroying all the mirrors in her home.

Drawing on documents from private collections and other previously unexamined materials, and featuring a cast of characters including Oscar Wilde and Richard Wagner, Strapless is a tale of art and celebrity, obsession and betrayal. AUTHORBIO: Deborah Davis is a writer and veteran film executive who has worked as story editor and analyst for Warner Bros., Columbia TriStar, Disney, Miramax, and the William Morris Agency. ... Read more

Book Description

Iconoclastic, generous, inventive, impulsive, sensitive, gregarious, prodigious: these are just some of the words to describe Robert Rauschenberg and the art he has been making now for 50 years. From the age of 38, when he received the grand prize at the Venice Biennale in 1964, Rauschenberg has been a pivotal figure in the art of our time. This revised edition of the classic biography of the artist, first published in 1994, adds 36 new pages to cover the significant moments in the last ten years of his career, including his monumental career retrospective at the Guggenheim in 1997.

With 230 illustrations, 112 in full color, Rauschenberg: Art and Life is a richly impressive and highly readable portrait of the artist. Showing the astonishing dexterity and range of Rauschenberg's art even as an emerging artist; the creation of his now famous combines; his eagerness to bridge art and technology; and the establishment of ROCI (Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange), this is a book, as one reviewer put it, "to grab from a burning house." AUTHOR BIO: Mary Lynn Kotz is the author of the best-selling Upstairs at the White House, Marvella, and A Passion for Equality (with Nick Kotz). She is a contributing editor to ARTnews and has written for many major magazines in her 20-year career as a journalist. She lives in Washington, D.C. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Nice Reproductions
Ansel Adams: Classic Images

This book provides high quality representations of Ansel Adams' photography in examples of 75 of his best images. The text, written by James Alinder along with a preface by John Szarkowski, portrays the story of Adams' life and his philosophy regarding art and existence. The text starts the reader off at his birth and takes you through Adams' childhood and the decisions he makes as he searches for an outlet for his creativity and a strong career path. Having also been a professional pianist, Adams' later discovers his passion for photography and nature, and spends the rest of his life a successful artist and activist.
This book takes you through major events in his life and references prints in the book to give visual examples of his ever-evolving photographic style. I would definitely recommend this book, if not as a successful biography, but as a stage for some beautiful, high quality reproductions of Adams' work.

A fantastic Collection
This collection can be seen at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, through July 7, 2002. This book is the catalogue of the exibition! If you like the book you should see the originals! They will blow you away.

An exquisite collection!
This is a wonderful book filled with breathtaking photographs taken by the late and well-respected Ansel Adams. Each of the photographs contained is a unique masterpiece with a life of its own. Looking at these splendid photographs, one feels drawn right in to the specific location and year. Some of my favorites include, "The Golden Gate Before the Bridge" (1932), "Barn, Cape Cod, Massachusetts" (ca. 1937), "Clearing Storm, Sonoma County Hills, California" (1951) and "Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona" (1942). This book will definitely hold your attention and keep you captivated if not mesmerized. With so many minute and beautiful details in these photographs, it's easy to see why Ansel Adams was one of the most respected and popular photographers of our time. He didn't just take a picture; he ceased moments in time and captured the beauty of the subjects being photographed. This is an excellent book that will make a fine addition to any library. This book would make a great gift for photographers and art connoisseurs alike!

Great Images Reproduced in Tiny Sizes Spoil The Effects
Ansel Adams was very concerned that his work always be reproduced in a high quality way. I fear that he gave too much attention to fidelity of reproduction, and not enough to size of image in the reproduction. This otherwise valuable book is seriously marred by the designer having chosen page and print sizes much too small for Adams' work. I suggest you avoid this book.

I would like to compliment James Alinder on an outstanding biographical essay concerning Adams' life and photographic techniques. This essay will add useful knowledge to anyone who wants to better understand Adams' work and life, and their effects on us all. I would also like to compliment the selection of the images. These are clearly among Adams' best work.

Adams' technique used the very stark light of dawn and dusk to create vivid detail that echoed across the image from figure to figure. The result was to help the eye capture the connectedness of nature, the oneness of creation. So when the details become too small, it is like rubbing out whole chapters in a book. I was very disappointed in the publishing decision for this book's page size. In fact, only one of my favorite images still held most of its power for me in these large postcard sizes, Moon with Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960.

Without Mr. Alinder's essay, I would have graded this book as a two star effort.

Some of the lesser works which have less fine detail still show well. Here were my favorites of this small-sized collection:

Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, Utah, 1958

Monlith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, 1927

Winnowing Grain, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1928

Rock and Grass, Moraine Lake, Sequoia National Park, 1982

Georgia O'Keefe and Orville Cox, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1937

Mormon Temple, Manti, Utah, 1948

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941

White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Monument Valley, 1958

Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach, California, 1967

Sand Dunes, Oceano, California, 1950

If you are like me and love Ansel Adams' work, I suggest you look into Ansel Adams, The American Wilderness, which does feature large enough reproductions.

Sometimes we learn more from mistakes than from successes. Where are your efforts being undertaken on too small a scale to be fully effective? What can you do to change that?

Enjoy the beauty of nature in its full scale brilliance (outdoors and in larger-sized photographic books)!

Ansel Adams: Classic Images
You could not ask for more. His most wonderful collection. A must see for any Ansel Adams fan. You will wish for all to hang in your own home. Only you can share with all your friends and family too. ... Read more

Book Description

Out of the fantasies that enriched an often reclusive life, the enigmaticAmerican artist Joseph Cornell (1903–1972) created a world of enchantment with hisfamed shadow boxes and collages. Using common objects such as cordial glasses,marbles, and mirrors, Cornell beckons us into a realm vivid with half-remembereddreams, at once magical and tantalizingly, nostalgically "home." His work reminds us ofthe strangeness of the familiar, the odd familiarity of the strange, and the finalmysteriousness of the world we thought we knew.

The respected art historian Diane Waldman probes the elusive imagery that marksCornell's work. Interviews with Cornell and his family and access to the artist's lettersand papers inform her text. With Cornell's popularity soaring, this richly illustratedbook—one of the few to cover his entire career—will be essential reading. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Primer On Cornell and His Work
Finally, a beautiful, comprehensive book about Joseph Cornell and his work. Diane Waldman knew Cornell intimately ever since she was an art student (and through doing gallery shows for him), and this affinity shows; this is ultimately a book of love and tribute to a friend.

The biographical material is excellent. Most fascinating segments deal with Cornell's stranger sides, such as when at his brother Robert's funeral, Joseph put a sheet over his head and laughed, creeping everyone out, and explained it was only a side joke that Robert would have understood. Cornell was terribly timid in front of women (particularly the ones he fancied) and had a complete dependence on his mother (he died months after she did). Waldman probes these and other significant personal issues (such as his association with Surrealism, and how the younger artists that have passed through him have influenced his work) and examines how they factored in Cornell's art. The book is generous with illustrations - Waldman supports her points with not only Cornell's work, but with other artists that were influential to him.

However, it is the lonely and telling poetry of Cornell's work that is the heart of this book. The boxes that Waldman chooses to include are presented intelligently, and beautifully. The innocence and nostalgia of each box is lovingly portrayed. The Medici series - Cornell's especially heartbreakingly beautiful and mysteriously passionate work - is presented perfectly by Waldman with thoughtful commentary and context, capturing in full its yearning and ardor. Waldman has given us a book that speaks eloquently about why Cornell is an artists people will remember for generations hereafter. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (22)

A BIBLE FOR THE ORIGINAL THINKER
I read this book once a year because it puts the world in perspective for me. I don't really love his paintings and I think the "scene" he created was fun but as far as writing goes....Andy Warhol is really surprisingly wonderful . He is humorous but also hits a nerve about superficial things that makes you look at it all in a new way. He is sweet and manipulative and original and naive and incredibly ahead of his time and these are wonderful qualities for a writer. Enjoy the multiple Marilyn paintings and the involvement with the Velvet Underground but take him seriously as a writer because I still believe he is unsurpassed.

From A to B and back again!!
THE Philosophy of Andy Warhol is intensly funny, witty, and real. Andy tells of daily acounts with many super stars and various B's and it just goes to show you that Andy Warhol is a true master mind. This book is true..simple..and as real as you can get. Read it and realize, think, know and understand that you are reading HIS philosophy...it all makes very much sense...if your Andy Warhol.

Andy Aspie?
Since Warhol's death a condition known as Asperger's Syndrome has come to light. It's named after an Austrian doctor who discovered it in a group of his patients in 1940's. Due to the outbreak of WW2, his research papers remained untranslated, that is, until quite recently. In brief, Asperger's Syndrome can be seen as one of the less severe forms of Autism. Both conditions share many of the same manifestations; an individuals impairment of verbal/social skills, a sensitivity to sensory overload and a comfort found in repetitive actions. Many Aspies are visual problem solvers. Is it possible that Warhol was an Aspie? If this sounds interesting to you, try reading this book along with Elijah's Cup by Valerie Paradiz and see the strong parallels between the two.

A Philosophy
Andy Warhol is the famous alchemist of reality, forming the most trite, everyday ideas and images and altering them into genuine thought and innovation. On many levels, this book is just a collection of autobiographical text, commenting on people and places within Warhol's social olympia. But after the gossip and celebrity status is digested, the reader is endowed with a substantial, original outlook on sex, money, art, and many other of life's components. It's a fabulous read, with the 'tastiness' of a Vonnegut and packed with irresistably sarcastic humor. This book is a step above an autobiography. It is the essence of Warhol's addictive personality and a journey into the mind of a wonderfully eccentric human being. You don't have to be an art buff or culture addict to enjoy Warhol's genius in this book.

Interesting
Andy Warhol managed and chose to live by his own prespective of life.. he set his boundaries and people respected it..

try reading Elijah's cup first.. then you'll understand Andy Warhol more.. the book is interesting,and helps you understand his art work. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Mexico in the early 1920s, a growing, collective social consciousness gave rise to a revolutionary furor focused on liberating the country's workers from harsh conditions and poverty. In 1921, Mexican artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros were all commissioned by the government to create educational paintings on the walls of public buildings. After that initial experience, they devoted themselves almost exclusively to painting these large-scale murals--forming the foundation of a movement that would last 50 years. The muralists' work took up the themes of society and revolution. Often the paintings depicted historical vignettes like the story of Cuernavaca and Morelos crossing the barranca, or Mexico's ancient Indians. They satirized contemporary society, created ideal visions of peaceful families, and built up dark, imposing industrial cityscapes then leveled them by depicting the debauchery and death of the capitalist industrialists.

The paintings themselves reflect diverse artistic influences--surrealism, cubism, and illustration, most notable among them.Their bold colors and strong imagery practically bound out of the 150 color plates in this book. Mexican muralist and scholar Desmond Rochfort lucidly traces the development of the movement to place the work in context and provides a solid history of each of the artists' social and artistic influences. This is an excellent overview of work that should appeal both to fans of the individual artists and Mexican art in general. --Jordana Moskowitz ... Read more

Reviews (4)

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I OWN!!
This is definitely one of the best books out there for anyone interested in Mexican art. Few books can inspire as much as this one, especially for people from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco. It's loaded with many pictures and chronicles the lives of these three muralistas and has in depth coverage of specific murals, i especially enjoyed the coverage on "History of Mexico" mural by Diego Rivera. This book is definitely worth the price and a great addition to any collection. Orale!

A Masterpiece!!
Rarely have I been as moved and inspired by an art book.

The work of Orozco, Diego and Siqueiros is required study for art students and art enthusiasts.

Thank you Dr. Rochfort for presenting their magnificent work within your brilliant historical analysis.

best outlook on the murilists of mexico and their beliefs
Shows a great variety of each artists pieces and movements through out their career.

very informative
outstanding full of historical views ... Read more

Book Description

The Negative is the second volume in the acclaimed and highly influential The Ansel Adams Photography Series. This second volume is anchored by a detailed discussion of Adams' Zone System and his seminal concept of visualization. It presents detailed discussion of artificial and natural light, film and exposure, and darkroom equipment and techniques. Numerous examples of Adams' work clarify the principles discussed. Handsomely illustrated with photographs by Adams as well as instructive line drawings, this classic manual can dramatically improve your photography. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Excellent Book for any Serious B&W Photographer
Ansel Adams reviews the characteristics and limitations of the B&W negative. It is very comprehensive and describes both exposure and processing techniques. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about B&W photography.

The complex negative
I was really interested in getting to the bottom of how Adams has developed his Zone system for exposure control. My photography instructor had alluded to it's complexities. The book explains a huge range of technical details and the thinking behind them really clearly.

For those of us shooting in 35mm some of the lessons cannot be put into practice directly because pushing or pulling is limited to whole rolls of film rather than individual frames. However the insights are really valuable.

I recommend it.

Great
After read this book,my B&W photograph expose have imporve dramatically,before that,I just using average meter to optain exposure.good book

Lessons from the Master in Technique
Simply put: The best out there.

Make sure of a few things:
a)you are an advanced amateur
b)you love B&W
and it woundn't hurt if
c)you can do your own B&W work.

Wonderfully written, if you have the talent this book could make the difference

The Negative is all Positive
This is the book I turn to for the heavy duty technical data on the most important aspects of photography, but guess what? This is probably one of the most readable and easy to digest technical books on photography you are ever likely to read or need. Adams has a way of making mysterious worlds within Photography accessable. I will admit though that this book is not for the absolute beginner, though having said that those who want to stretch a little could find much that is of use without having too much knowledge off the mark.

When I looked at the three books of this series, The Camera, The Negative and the Print, I waded into each wanting to choose only the best one from the series. I quickly realised that neither of the other two had what The Negative had and I have subsequently realised that this was by far the best choice for me. The negative deals with Visualization and image values, Light and Film, Exposure, The Zone System, Filters and Pre-Exposure, Natural Light, Artifical Light, Darkroom processes, Dark Room equiptment and procedures and value control in processing.

This book is an absolute must for intermediate photographers who have mastered the basics and want to take a step up into the world of greater control over their imaging with an eye to developing and processing their own film and prints. Everything you need to know about getting your images right before you even hit the shutter is in this book, all you need to do now is accentuate the positive by going and buying The NEGATIVE! ... Read more

Book Description

Jackson Pollock is widely considered the most challenging and influential American artist of the 20th century. In his revolutionary paintings of the late 1940s, he dripped paint into complex webs of interlacing lines, rhythmically punctuated by pools of color. With their allover composition, apparent abstraction, and spontaneous but controlled paint handling, these powerful works announced the emergence of Abstract Expressionism. This sumptuously illustrated book offers a fresh overview of his achievement, reinterpreted for a new generation and features a complete visual record of the artist's work, including over 200 color reproductions of paintings, drawings, and prints, enhanced by life-sized details, foldouts, and documentary photographs. An essay by Kirk Varnedoe explores Pollock's life, the mythology that so quickly grew up around him as the prototypical "action painter", and the different critical schools that have tried to lay claim to his legacy. Pepe Karmel offers new insight into Pollock's famous "drip" technique, as revealed by an intensive, computer-assisted study of photographs and films of Pollock at work. This volume was published to accompany the first major survey of the artist's careersince 1967, held in 1998 at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Edited and with Essays by Kirk Varnedoe and Pepe Karmel
Foreword by Glenn D. Lowry. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

THIS BOOK OFFERS GREAT INSIGHT INTO POLLOCK'S ARTISTIC MIND
________________________________________________________________________________________________

I purchased this book when it first came out and refer back to it often. A person could spend hours at a time pouring over the plates and fold-out pictures (pun intended). Not only does this particular book provide the best collection of absolutely superb quality Jackson Pollock reproductions that I'm aware of, but the narrative is extremely well written and essential to understanding many things regarding Pollock's thought process and artistic technique.

Pepe Karmel's chapter imparticular, in which he analyzes Hans Namuth's photographs, is nothing less than brilliant detective work. I found it fascinating to find that underlying the lacy layers of at least one of Pollock's drip paintings are figurative images which he made within a narrative context. Although the complete details of this "narrative" may never be fully known, Pepe speculates that Pollock may have been acting out the destruction of some of his inward demons by first physically acknowledging and creating them and then systematically covering them within the confines of the finished painting. I'll leave it to you to get the book and both read and see for yourself all of the findings which include the deciphering of some of the figures and their meanings. With this discovery, the creation of the painting involved (Number 27, 1950) becomes not only a very strenuous and at once both spontaneous and preplanned action - but a true "ritual." Was he destroying these figures or merely absorbing them into a larger and more complex environment? We'll probably never know all the details. I wonder if Pollock would have disclosed answers to these questions had he been confronted with them during his life? Perhaps this would have been too personal. But maybe he did confide the details of what he was doing to someone and another good researcher might come across a total revelation in a hidden diary someday. I'm sure this is just wishful thinking on my part, but how I love a good mystery!

simply the best
This breathtaking catalogue is simply the best single volume available on Jackson Pollock, and this is primarily--but not only--because of the number and quality of the reproductions it offers. Almost every one of the dozen or so Pollock books in my library contains a painting not available in the others, but this book collects and beautifully photographs the greatest number and variety of his canvases--outside of a catalogue raisonee.

As the other reviewers state, there are many generously-sized fold-out pages here, and the crispness and resolution of these big reprints and of the more modest pages are simply amazing. To take two essential examples, this book's reprints of "One: Number 31, 1950" and "Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952" are astoundingly clear, better than any of the many other versions I've seen in art books, even in Ellen Landau's large-format survey, a book which also includes gatefolds.

(Another reviewer, by the by, states that "Lucifer" is not available in any other book, which is not true. Among other places, it appears in Landau, in Elizabeth's Frank's concise volume, and as the sole color reproduction in the book for the 1965 MOMA retrospective. Anyway, it gets terrific treatment here.)

Another invaluable inclusion in this book is a great number of full-sized detail photos of the canvases. For example, on a page adjacent to "Lucifer" and "Autumn Rhythm" and "Full Fathom Five," we see another photo of just one small section of that same painting but in 1-to-1 scale; these details reveal much of the dynamic, kinetic, urgent quality of these works, their encrustations of sand, glass, pennies, paint caps--traits which even this book could otherwise never offer a livingroom Pollock-viewer.

Further, having seen the exhibit in January of 1999, I can attest to the generally excellent fidelity of the color-balance. (Curiously, no one seems to be able to capture "Autumn Rhythm"'s grey-teal passages in a book, but if you were at this show or have viewed the painting at the Met you've seen them.)

The accompanying articles are excellent. Kirk Varnedoe overviews of Pollock's life, artistic aims, his accomplishments, all illustrated with family and archival photographs and drawing on Pollock quotations. Pepe Karmel uses the extensive photographic and film record of Pollock painting to analyze Pollock's physical movements. Most wonderful are Karmel's computer reconstructions of early states of the painting "Autumn Rythm," based on Hans Namuth's photos of Pollock at work.

In sum, this book gives the finest, fullest offering of both Pollock's life and art.

Best Reproductions and Most Complete
I picked this book up at the MOMA Pollock retrospective a couple years ago and have used it extensively. Having seen many of the paintings in this book firsthand, I can say that these are some of the best reproductions offerred in book form on Pollock's work. Another plus is that several paintings are printed on fold-out pages, so that the work doesn't cross the book's seam. So many of his paintings are extremely wide that this makes a lot of sense (otherwise, there would be hardly any resolution in the height dimension).

If you're interested in Pollock and need to refer to the reproductions, I absolutely recommend this book above all others out there.

Pollock Without the Boring Mythologizing
Excellent companion piece to the MOMA show (which traveled to London's Tate) goes beyond all other Pollock explorations. A "must" for students of modern American art as well as those just wanting to get a better understanding of what Pollock was REALLY DOING.

Large format features fold-out reproductions of breathtakingly high quality. Among these, incredibly, are paintings not found in any other published sources. (The incomparable Lucifer (1947) is one such work).

The text is scholarly but readable, and although there is a considerable amount of it, each open page of writing offers at least a couple relevant and highly interesting photos or other illustrations. The many large color plates would certainly make a gorgeous and impressive coffee table book for anyone who doesn't choose to read it.

Kirk Varnedoe writes definitively about Pollock's mercurial life & career. Varnedoe's nearly 75 pages of biographical analysis are a welcome alternative to the kind of misguided mythologizing about Pollock that has for a long time colored the artist as an overrated art "star."

Pepe Karmel's contribution to this book is an amazing analysis of Pollock's painting process through an exhaustive examination of the famous films and photographs of Pollock at work. This was a fascinating, ground-breaking part of the exhibition, and is equally wonderful in the book.

Well worth the price.

Very good overview of the MoMA exhibition
Having just taken in the MoMA show, I was very satisfied with the Pollock catalog. Very nice job reproducing the works (a difficult task in the printing of art catalogs!) Many fold-outs assist in conveying the size of Pollock's larger works. Large, full-bleed detail shots add a nice touch, complimenting the entire painting. While I'm not thrilled with the cover design, the interior is well-written, well-presented, and well-worth reading. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

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

Book Description

Volume 3 of three-volume set includes studies of horses, domestic and wild animals, and birds in remarkable stopped-action photographs by pioneering master photographer. Also includes the original prospectus and a catalogue of plates for the entire work. Essential for artists, animators, photographers, cinematographers, anyone interested in the mechanics of people in motion.
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Amazon.com

Only a generation after Lewis and Clark's expedition, the artist and naturalist John James Audubon captured his contemporaries' imaginations with his illustrations in Birds of America. John James Audubon in the West celebrates a lesser-known work, Quadrupeds of North America, which is the focus of a traveling exhibition organized by the Buffalo Bill Historical Center of Cody, Wyoming. Audubon's Quadrupeds presented colored lithographs far superior to the outline engravings that normally illustrated encyclopedias and scientific volumes of his day. They have the same liveliness and sense of movement as the bird illustrations; background landscapes are small masterpieces in themselves; imaginative settings add a theatricality to many pictures, such as a tawny weasel at the throat of a farmyard chicken or a cougar with his kill; and details like the fur of squirrels and wolves are very fine. Audubon's research included a six-month field trip up the Missouri in 1843 that resulted in the discovery of several new species, including North America's only native ferret, the black-footed ferret--though the project was more important as art than as science. The 180 illustrations in John James Audubon in the West include the most successful of the animal pictures, preparatory sketches, and comparative material such as contemporary Western landscapes. Four essays by Audubon scholars analyze the artist's style, his Missouri journey, scientific collaborations, and the technical and commercial context for the publication of Quadrupeds. While his birds will always overshadow his work on mammals, John James Audubon in the West introduces an important pioneering study and a fascinating piece of American history. --John Stevenson ... Read more

Book Description

Agnes Martin has spent every morning for the past 40 years working in her New Mexico studio, producing square abstract paintings that consist of graphite horizontal lines across fields of white, gray, or pale colors. Though her work superficially belongs to the history of Minimalism, Martin considers her paintings the abstract expression of positive inner states of existence. Published on the occasion of her 90th birthday, this catalogue presents the iconic serenity and elegant geometry of her canvasses from the past decade, in a format complimentary to Martin's own immutable aesthetic.
Essay by Ned Rifkin.

8.5 x 9 in.
50 color, 10 b/willustrations ... Read more

Book Description

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 exceptionally charming limited edition. The Blue Box is done up like a handsome book, complete with a leather-bound spine and a bas-relief frontispiece that plays the painting-of-a window-within-a-window trick. Inside is a stash of goodies, each arranged in a separate portfolio. The first contains three original etchings by Magritte, numbered and signed and stamped by the Magritte estate; next is a five-piece full-size reproduction on canvas of The Eternally Obvious, a woman split into as many parts; and last are eight reproductions each of the gouaches The Pig's Beer and Horse Preserve, printed on adhesive paper and meant to be stuck on to bottles just like the originals were. Also included is the hardback edition of Magritte, the catalogue for the Jeu de Paume exhibit (published by D.A.P. in spring 2003). Edited by Daniel Abadie.~Essays by Renilde Hammacher, Michel Butor, Patrick Roegiers, Jean Roudaut, Bernard Noël and Jean-Michel Goutier. Slipcased, 12 x 14.5 in./304 pgs / 291 color 70 BW0 duotone 12 3 B&W etchings, 5 canvas, 4 adhesive color prints~ Item D20365 ... Read more

Amazon.com

As 3 million readers can attest, Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine trilogy is the world's most original epistolary novel. It contains (physically contains) the correspondence of Londoner Griffin Moss and Sabine Strohem of the Sicmon Islands in the South Pacific--colorful postcards and letters in envelopes pasted into the book, which the reader must open and read. In his gloriously illustrated autobiography The Artful Dodger, Bantock explains the allure of opening letters: it's "a sort of cross between Christmas and sex." And when the letters illuminate somebody else's mysterious love affair, it's all the more delicious.

Griffin and Sabine really are mysterious, and it's tricky to piece together their story from the fanciful, surrealistic bits the text, maps, stamps, and pictures provide. That's why fans will be ravenous to read Bantock's charmingly straightforward memoir, which lets us in on all kinds of secrets about his symbols and visual sources. Winged figures always signify transition, he says, "whether on a monkey, an angel, or a devil." Sabine's Sicmon Islands home derives from the English expression "sick as a parrot," which connects with the parrot on the first book's cover and expresses Griffin's ailing English soul--what he needs is a sensual, elusive Sabine to get his blood up. Both characters are warring parts of Bantock's own psyche.

You don't need to know a thing about them to revel in this book. It's spellbinding in its own right, partly for the artless narrative, but mostly for the hundreds of pictures and the fascinating intricacy of Bantock's creative process. Sabine done in ghostly charcoal and gold dust is exquisite, no matter who she might be. It's a bit spooky to learn that a 1970s French stamp Bantock bought from his local shop to go with one of Sabine's postcards turns out to have been classified as "Type Sabine" by the French Philatelic Society. It was taken from a David painting of the Sabine women, and was meant to symbolize "union"--the central theme of Bantock's trilogy.

There is plenty besides his greatest hit to delight the eye here. The book cover illustrations are arresting, particularly for Peter Ackroyd's bio Chatterton (though his depiction of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land is drably silly). His pop-up books of Jabberwocky and The Egyptian Jukebox (a series of drawers full of museum-like objects that tell the tale of a mad millionaire's travels) are brilliant. Bantock's gift for collage does honor to his idol, Joseph Cornell, without being derivative. His wildly improbable life story proves that fate shares his enthusiasm for flights of fancy. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A pleasant collection
If you like Nick Bantock's work, you'll probably like this. It's not exhaustive, but a good collection of his work from 1970s art school through the publication date. That includes illustrations for book covers, some of which I almost remember from the original books. It includes illustrations from unpublished children's books, material not found elsewhere.

Of course, it includes extracts from Griffin and Sabine. Those may be my favorites - I think there is material here that extends the G&S story, but was never in the original books. It also covers The Venetian's Wife and Museum at Purgatory, both of which I enjoyed. There isn't enough from any of the books to spoil them for the first-time reader, though. This is a summary of Bantock's work, not a complete catalog.

There is some biographical information here, mostly covering his career from college through book publication. I was a little put off by parts of it, though. Bantock has certainly been successful as an illustrator, and rightly takes pride in that accomplishment. His pride tends towards smugness, though, not something the reader needs to see.

Still, it's a good coffee table book. It's easy to thumb through, and has material that was not already presented in his other books. It would have been even better with a bit more artwork, or at least a bit less self-congratulatory text.

Thoroughly enjoying to read and view!
After reading and loving Bantock's Griffin & Sabine trilogy I stumbled upon this book. I was thrilled to learn background information straight from the author. I loved the trilogy but was left curious about the author and the works of art themselves. I enjoyed seeing his work develop over time and found it interesting to read about how he got started in his professional art career. I also appreciate his candid comments about the publishing industry and that he shared some negative opinions of his work with us-it shows he is not arrogant or an egomaniac!

I loved that the images are laid out chronologically. This book contains a lot of previously published work but that is fine with me-how else would he discuss his works if we could not look at them while reading about them?!? I liked reading what led him to begin working on a certain project or what drew him to continue working with a medium (i.e. designing his own stamps). I liked hearing where he gathers pieces to use in his collages and how he puts his collages together. After reading this book I have an even deeper appreciation for his books and artwork.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this cover-to-cover and delighting in his gorgeous artwork. It is truly inspirational. As a person who is naturally better at writing than making art, I envy Bantock's ability to make such beautiful and thoughtful artwork!

Ok, I know that
everyone else LOVED this book. I liked it as well. But I do have his other adult books so many of the illustrations are redundant to me. Also, I find him a bit smug and self-important at times. Most of the illustrations are extremely beautiful, but I disliked the children's books artwork, it seemed to me as if a different, more immature (in the sense of mastery of the craft) artist did those. I would have liked to see more paintings that had not been already published, as this book seems a rehash of his same old stuff.

Fun and engaging work for fans
Autobiography written in a very relaxed, informal, and fun style. Excellent use of samples of his work from various times in his career as a great counterpoint to the text. Absolutely recommend this for people who are already fans of his work, and I also recommend it for people who like to learn about the creative process, how a particular artist develops their style and what their inspirations are.

A Marvel
I have always been a fan of Nick Bantock. BUt they true beauty of this book is the following: You get to view his art work and the transitions they go through from his college days on. Further he writes all about his art work at the certain time, and why he did what he did. etc... It is an upclose and personal view of this shiny artist. I was very inspired by this book as I ma an artist as well. A MUST GET ... Read more

Book Description

Marc Chagall is one of the 20th century's favorite artists, known and admired for his rich palette, his inventive approach, his accessible subjects, and the deep traditions behind his work. Combining fantasy, spirituality, and nostalgia with a distinctive modern painting style, Chagall's canvases are infused with a joyous, dreamlike simplicity. Even as styles shifted from Cubism to Suprematism to Surrealism, his work remained individual and idiosyncratic-sometimes harming his art world reputation, but never his popular appeal.

Marc Chagall is the first full-scale survey of the artist's work in almost 20 years. The lush color reproductions include some 60 paintings and 80 works on paper. An introductory essay by Jean-Michel Foray contextualizes the Russian-born artist's work, while a heavily illustrated chronology of Chagall's life-put together by his granddaughter and Jakov Bruk-details the many stages of his career. The work is organized into four sections, each with an introduction by Foray, to help make sense of his prodigious oeuvre. The beautifully designed volume accompanies a major retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. ... Read more

Book Description

Lenore Tawney (b.1907) is recognized as one of the leading fiber artists of the twentieth century, who helped transform weaving into a new form of visual art. From the 1960s on, she also created whimsical and ingenious postcard collages. Tawney's dynamic cards were sent through the mail to friends and family members and arrived in excellent condition, testimonial to the postal workers' appreciation of the artist's gifts. The postcards subtly develop a range of themes, including childhood, femininity, and spirituality. Every collage is embedded with personal references; each card displays a weave of communicative patterns: ornamented words, postmarks, stamps, inscriptions, addresses, printed texts, in turn amusing, satirical, beautiful, and metaphorical.

Lenore Tawney-Signs on the Wind features over 80 stunning color reproductions of her postcard collages, along with a warm and insightful introduction by Holland Cotter, New York Times Art Critic. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Museum Piece
I first spied this book at the Brooklyn Museum, but I hesitated to buy it. After much pondering, I leapt and haven't regretted jumping in. Lenore Tawney is a marvelous artist, and these personal postcards are an exceptional form of communication. Each is an affirmation of Ms. Tawney's artistic talent and a tribute to the friendships she created on her personal path. I shall treasure this book.

Lenore Tawney in Miniature
This is a wonderful collection of Lenore Tawney's postcard collages. For artists of assemblage, mixed media collage, or digitally generated images it presents Tawney's intimate, poetic, elegant approach to artmaking. Good for inspiration or technical purposes. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique series of paintings takes the viewer on a graphic, visionary journey through the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual anatomy of the self. From anatomically correct rendering of the body systems, Grey moves to the spiritual/energetic systems with such images as "Universal Mind Lattice," envisioning the sacred and esoteric symbolism of the body and the forces that define its living field of energy.

Includes essays on the significance of Grey's work by Ken Wilber, the eminent transpersonal psychologist, and by the noted New York art critic, Carlo McCormick. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Expect a transcendent visionary experience
This book is a masterpiece. The artist, Alex Grey, has created visions of mystical spiritual beauty-- visions captured and inscribed on the pages of this book.

I don't know of any artist whose work is more frequently included in slides shows and books about mind body healing, consciousness and spirituality.

Just this week, Newsweek did a cover story on neurotheology-- the study of the neurology of spiritual experiences, and two of Alex Grey's works of art were prominently featured in the magazine.

Grey paints with the detail and precision of a medical illustrator-- but one on mescaline. The images are both beautiful and shimmering with energies-- the kind of energies which connect human souls and spirits together, which connect the whole universe together.

I met Alex Grey while attending the Omega Arts week. He was teaching a course on visionary art-- expressing the sacred visually. It is to his credit that he is a popular teacher of this unique approach-- expressing the visionary and spiritual through art. It's amazing to see the great work he inspires in his students too.

Once you see this book, you'll probably need to buy more copies-- as gifts. But first, start off by buying one for yourself as a real treat.

There are several sequences of art in here. Plans are under way for the primary sequence's original works to be assembled into a kind of "temple" or special building which will house them. Grey has designed the whole building. You can learn more about it under the web site which is spelled out by his name then dot com.

Not for everyone, just those with eyes in their souls
Alex Grey is quite probably the greatest artist alive today.

With that said, back to the book at hand. Sacred Mirrors is probably the book most people who want to get an idea of Grey's art should buy first. I find it slightly more accessible than Transfigurations, and it does not demand any knowledge of Grey's previous work. For those unfamiliar with his work, he paints almost all of the systems of the body in a transparent fashion, layered on top of each other. In his paintings you will see bones, nerves, blood vessels, chakras, and auras all at once. It can be overwhelming, but careful study of the paintings can make you see ordinary processes like kissing in a whole new way. And if you keep looking deeply at his paintings, things will keep revealing themselves. He also paints deities, from Avalokiteshvara to Jesus, with loving detail. This is definitely a great coffee-table book (and so much more!) for anyone interested in how transcendental theories of energy would manifest themselves visually. Grey's book also makes delightful entertainment for any kind of trip. Overall a sound buy for almost anyone who gets that feeling, sometimes, that there may be things going on in our physical reality that we just can't percieve. Grey can see them, and he has shared them with us.

Sacred Mirrors: the visionary art of Alex Grey...
in paperback, contains the following:

Acknowledgements: Ditto

Preface: Written by Allyson and Alex Grey. To paraphrase to entice you, - "...we silumtaneously shared the same psychedelic vision: an experience of the "Universal Mind Latice". ...seemed as if the real material world was an illusionary veil, now withdrawn, and the energetic scaffolding of causation and creation. Mentions Abraham Maslow, and his theory of biological need of transcendence in human beings, and that it contains the healing force...

In the Eye of the Artist: Art and Perrenial philosophy:
This section is written by Ken Wilber, and is fairly self-explanatory.

Through Darkness to Light: the Art path of Alex Grey:
Section written by Carlo McCormick, focusing on Alex's disturbing yet fascinating pre-body/mind/spirit artwork that takes a break from Middle-Eastern philosophy and thought and focuses on the physical mutilation of corpses and what not. Allthough not for the faint of heart, it is essential for the interested onlooker to establish why he creates such mesmerizing pieces later in his career...very significant, not very attractive to most anyone.

The Sacred Mirrors: By Alex Grey, this section patiently molds his vision for his audience in the creation of his phenomenal series "Sacred Mirrors", his definitive work on body mind and spirit, and the seperation of each.

SACRED MIRRORS: the Plates. All plates are exihibited in full-color, with no breaks to define each independently(which would have been nice). There are tiny captions that give the titles and date produced, and the medium.

I feel that writing my own opinion on this genuine piece of "New Age" art history(why must we categorically define our artwork of past present and future?) is misguided. But I will do this: the book itself is a good representation, and the only representation of Grey's vision. It contains good commentary from well noted psychologists and art critics alike, that traces the path of Grey's spiritual and artistic journey. So the writing itself I give a 5 out of 5 and the art quality I give a 5. I recieved this book today in paperback, along with "Visions". Allthough the copy in Visions is hardback, the paperback is exactly the same. If you purchase both like I did, I suggest extracting your Sacred Mirrors pics from your paperback, framing them, and posting them in respectable positions. Keep the hardback for authenticity, but definitely still get both. They're well worth your pesos, hombre.

Sacred Mirrors:the visionary art of Alex Grey...
I feel that writing my own opinion on this genuine piece of "New Age" art history(why must we categorically define our artwork of past present and future?) is misguided. But I will do this: the book itself is a good representation, and the only representation of Grey's vision. It contains good commentary from well noted psychologists and art critics alike, that traces the path of Grey's spiritual and artistic journey. So the writing itself I give a 5 out of 5 and the art quality I give a 5. I recieved this book today in paperback, along with "Visions". Allthough the copy in Visions is hardback, the paperback is exactly the same. If you purchase both like I did, I suggest extracting your Sacred Mirrors pics from your paperback, framing them, and posting them in respectable positions. Keep the hardback for authenticity, but definitely still get both. They're well worth your pesos, hombre.

Gratitude
Although I have had this book for many years, I still pick it up in wonder and awe. As a teacher of anatomy and a lover of beauty I would recommend this book to anyone. If I could say one thing to Mr. Grey, it would be "thank you". ... Read more