Reviews (2)

Beautiful Book!! A Tribute To The Dark Knight!!!
I just recently received this book,and I can tell you it is well worth having. True, there are definitely some covers that are missing (in my opinion all of Jim Lee's covers should have been here from the Hush series. OUTSTANDING!!!) A beautifully done book to add to your Batman collection. This book does not cover all of Batman's many comic book covers, but this was not to be expected. Instead they point out some of his most daring and bold covers. Batman has had the benefit of being drawn by some of the greatest comic book artist ever. I beleive you will find it truly amazing how each one has their own distinctive style on creating the Dark Knight. So make sure you own this one. You won't be sorry. Hey, maybe they'll make a volume 2.

It's about time, for someone like Batman
Well first, it's Batman; that might be enough reason to buy it, even for the price. (I'm a collector anyway, so what's some bucks?) Anyway, it features a number of cool and "forgotten" covers done over the 65+ years of Batman being in comics. I was even surprised some of the covers of War Games got in, really nice. There are some well-written commentaries too, by artists and editors and the like, and what cover they picked.

The cover of the book itself is great. I thought it was just a hardbound book; it turns out, the dust jacket reveals some more to it. I was in awe when I opened it, well done.

My only rant, not all of the covers I wished to be there was not there. Well, that's how it is. Tec#700 and Strange Apparitons, I think, should've been in the list. Well, all in all if you have the money and would really have something to keep for a number of years, get this. Well, if not, I hope you can browse through it when you get a chance. It would be great.

... Read more

Book Description

The influence of music on the development of abstract and mixed-media visual art forms from the early twentieth century to the present day.

This ground-breaking new book and the exhibition it accompanies trace the history of a revolutionary idea: that fine art should attain the abstract purity of music. Over the past one hundred years some of the most adventurous modern and contemporary artists have explored unorthodox means to invent a kinetic, non-representational art modeled upon pure instrumental music.

Music has inspired some of the most progressive art of our time—from the abstract painting of Wassily Kandinsky and Frantisek Kupka to the mid-century experimental films of Oskar Fischinger and Harry Smith to contemporary installations by Jennifer Steinkamp and Jim Hodges. While early abstract paintings tended to approach music metonymically, the color organs, films, light shows, and installations from the mid-twentieth century to the present day engage a range of perceptual faculties simultaneously to create a plethora of sensations in the viewer.

The most complete examination of this phenomenon to date, Visual Music features ninety major works of art plus related documentation, focusing on abstract and mixed-media art and the connections to musical forms as varied as classical, jazz, and electronic. The book includes three scholarly essays, each discussing a distinct art historical period in depth, and an additional essay by Olivia Mattis that approaches the subject from a musicologist's perspective, as well as a chronology, artist biographies, and a selected bibliography. 250 illustrations, 200 in color.

With contributions by: Kerry Brougher, Hirshhorn; Jeremy Strick, MOCA; Ari Wiseman, MOCA; Judith Zilczer, Hirshhorn. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive, Novel Approach to a History of AbstractArt
VISUAL MUSIC is first and foremost a traveling exhibition currently ensconced in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and as an exhibition it is informative, enlightening, well curated, and a unique way to study the history of Abstract Art from 1900 to 2004. One enters the large multi-roomexperience with a stop in a darkened theater where films dating back to the early part of the 20th century explore pulsating, rhythmic, liquid and explosive images, some in black and white, some in color, some 'illustrating' music from Brahms to Dizzy Gillespie and some in complete silence.The works are by such experimental artists as Oscar Fischinger, Len Lye and Harvey Smith and the films have been restored admirably.

The remainder of the walk through this marriage or courtship of visual images and music includes copious works by Kandinsky, Picabia, Klee, Ciurlionis, Kupka and many others, artists who sought to visualize the effect music has on the intellect and visual/aural 'synaesthesia' as the exhibition repeatedly explains.Some rooms are for framed works, other rooms for video forms of digitalized art in motion, some are simply walls of lines and abstractions and others the idiosyncratic color organs - the true synthesis of visual art and musical performance.The works representing today are from Jennifer Steinkamp in an elegant installation, Cindy Bernard, and Jim Hodges.

Though this is not meant to be a survey of an exhibition, knowing the presentation of this VISUAL MUSIC concept heightens the appreciation of the stunning catalogue that accompanies this show.From the sumptuous design elements to the splendid color reproductions to the scholarly essays, this is a book that is not an easy read but an important one.From Jeremy Strick's cogent introduction to the book through essays on the history of abstraction and the concept of what stimulated artists to relate to music and why, to the significant 'in defense of pure music' essay by Olivia Mattis, this is a magnum opus on abstract art that is unique in every phase.Kudos to the curators from the Hirschhorn (Kerry Brougher, Ari Wiseman) and MOCA's own Jeremy Strick.Grady Harp, May 05. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Best Egyptian-artifact photo book I've seen. Don't miss it.
I don't know about you, but when I get a big photo book, I thumb through the photos first, then go back and look at them individually, and read the text last, if at all -- skim it, usually. So -- the photos here are magnificent! Color printing has gotten pretty close to photographic quality in the last few years, and you won't find better-quality color than in "Egyptian Treasures." Book design (by PB Lovisetti & C. Zanotti) is clean and attractive. Bravo!

The artifacts, all from Cairo's Egyptian Museum, span some 4,000 years -- and for 3,000 years, from the First Dynasty to the Roman conquest, their artistic conventions stayed pretty much the same -- enough so that almost any artwork from this period is, even at a casual glance, obviously 'Egyptian.'

Anyway, if you're over 12, and have been to any fair-size art or archaeological museum, you've seen some mummies, coffins and statues, probably some jewelry and woodwork too -- not to mention pictures of the Pyramids and King Tut's gold. But, unless you've been to dozens of Egyptian collections, you've never seen the range of first-rate art displayed here -- unless, of course, you've already been to Cairo. Makes me want to go out & buy a ticket to Egypt. Some of this stuff is just astonishing. The jewelry is (often) 'Art-Deco', not by coincidence, since much of this material was unearthed in the early 20th century. And if you've only seen the knock-offs, wait til you see the originals! There are wall-paintings that, if they didn't have papyrus plants, you'd think were Chinese. And the little painted wood-carvings, with marvelous scenes from everyday life -- and with colors so bright, they could have been your grandmother's, instead of being 4,000 years old. There's a lot to be said for using the desert for cemeteries....

The text is by 16 (or so) specialists, and ranges from pretty good to instant eye-glaze. You don't buy this kind of book for the text. Fortunately, the photo captions are uniformly good. Complaints: no map, and no index! C'mon, folks -- we don't all know where Tanis is, or Zagazig. And we might want to find out, later, who Muhammad Ali (1769-1849) *really*was....

10 stars is the correct rating !
This book presents the collection of Egyptian antiquities located in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo; each featured object is accompanied by a short description and a photograph. The photographs, never before published, were expressly made for the book by internationally acclaimed photographer Araldo De Luca. The numerous essays were written by international contributors, among which are Francesco Tiradritti, Christiane Ziegler, Zahi Hawass, Jean Yoyotte and Anna Maria Donadoni Roveri; they cover topics such as Egyptian art, history, the Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamun. Art lovers will thoroughly enjoy this beautiful and informative guide, now available in many languages.

One of Egypt's greatest collection without a doubt.
The artifacts are arranged from earliest to latest, which creates a greater understanding of the arts and their progression. The arts themselves are mostly jewelry, coffins, statues, and painted carvings. There are many other objects like beds, chairs, etc. A discription of the objects is listed with it's use, material properties, aerchaeological founder, and a story behind each item.

Amazing Book
This is definitely a cheaper way of seeing the museum in Cairo! When I went to Egypt last fall, we spent an afternoon in the museum. People could spend days in there and see new things. It is so packed full of artifacts that we could only stand to be in there for a few hours. Our brains could only absorb so much! This book is a good way to go back and learn about all of the things that we saw.
The pictures are large and unbelievably clear. I would recommend this book to everyone! Of course, I would also recommend a trip to Cairo...

EGYPTIAN TREASURES FROM THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO
IF YOU WANT TO VISIT THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO BUT FIND IT INCONVENIENT TO GET THERE THIS IS THE SECOND BEST WAY TO VIEW THE OBJECTS. THE COLOR PRINTS ARE AS GOOD AS CAN BE PRINTED AND THE DETAIL IN DESCRIPTION IS VERY HELPFUL. I HAVE A LIBRARY AND THIS IS THE BEST AND MOST DETAILED BOOK I HAVE SEEN IN YEARS WRITTEN ON ARTIFACTS FOUND IN EGYPT. 5 STARS !!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I love this book!
This book was so fun for me as a first-time mother. The illustrations are gorgeous and classic and the poetry was beautiful - made me cry! My little boy is now 3 and I just realized we still have 2 more years of this book left. I will be sad when it's over. I highly recommend this! I was even going to buy it for my current pregnancy, but thought maybe I should start anew for the new baby (although I can't imagine finding a better baby book).

The best I've found
The Boston MFA Baby Book is a classy one. It is appropriate for children without being mawkish, has a space for each accomplishment I wanted to record, and even considers adopted children. If you are tired of the cartoon-themed books I would purchase this one; exactly what I wanted.

I was charmed by this book!
As I was perusing the bookstore looking for the perfect baby book, I had in mind the type of book my mother had bought for me 33 years ago. As soon as I flipped through this book, I knew it was the one. The pictures, typeset, and nursery rhymes give the book an antique feel but the covered, three-ring binder feature makes it easy to use.

A Baby Book For You
This book is everything a baby book should be: beautifully illustrated, perfect in size and design (the pages are fastened in a multi-ringed binder), and full of wonderful categories. Unlike some books, which focus on the mother's memories and call upon her to speak for the father, this publication permits both parents to share their thoughts with their child. Finally, the cover is simple, and contains no author's name (just like an old-fashioned baby book). After all, aren't the authors who are important for such a book the parents and child? ... Read more

Amazon.com

At once heartbreaking and inspiring, this remarkable art book seeks to document what was lost when 15,000 objects at Baghdad's Iraq Museum were lost in the 2003 war and the ongoing art destruction. Treasures like the beautiful carved-ivory Mona Lisa of Nimrud survived ten centuries, only to fall victim to chaos and looters, some sent by international art dealers. The scholar authors show that the loss isn't local, it's everybody's. Iraq saw the birth of cities, epic verse, and codified religion; the lions guarding the New York Public Library are esthetic descendants of the smashed terracotta masterpieces of Baghdad. The book is a quickie history course, with 190 handsome color illustrations. Editorially, it's a bit rushed and confusing. But look: these aren't ivory-tower scholars, they're heroes putting themselves on the line to save humanity’s legacy. One had to be rescued from kidnappers with the help of Muqtada al-Sadr. Part of what you pay for the book goes to reconstruct the museum, and the book itself constitutes a kind of virtual museum preserving some works that are lost, and some that will be relocated, in part because it exists. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"My goodness, were there that many vases?"
I remember Secretary Rumsfeld getting a laugh when he tried putting the looting of Baghdad in proper perspective. "The images you are seeing on television you are seeing over, and over, and over," he said, "and it's the same picture of some person walking out of some building with a vase, and you see it twenty times, and you think, 'My goodness, were there that many vases? Is it possible that there were that many vases in the whole country?'" Well, this book shouts out from the audience, "Yup!" and in doing so, puts a new face on the war in Iraq, and tells a story as ironic and poignant as what we saw in the Iraqi soccer team at the Olympics last summer. Here the team is a group of experts -- a kind of dream team of Iraqis, Americans, Italians and Brits -- each taking a turn as an expert witness in the most talked about art heist in history. Unlike most of the reporting at the time, this book doesn't presume you already know your Ancient Near Eastern and Islamic history. Ralph Solecki takes us to the very beginning and recalls his prehistoric discoveries in Northern Iraq, where we have possibly the earliest known evidence of human compassion. Harriet Crawford's coverage of the dawn of civilization brings the dawning realization that ancient Mesopotamia is a lot closer to life today than we thought. Paul Collins presents an account of the amazing developments in Sumer, illustrated with some of the most beloved pieces from the Iraq Museum. All right, the Iraqis invented human emotion, agriculture, cities, empires -- what else? Robert Biggs adds writing and literature, using macro lens close-ups and a cuneiform comparison chart. And if you wonder why a quarter million people in America call themselves Assyrians, you'll certainly know after reading Julian Reade's chapter about these great achievers 2500 years ago. The East-meets-West story, starting with Alexander the Great, is vividly told by Elisabetta Fino. After seeing news photos of the mosque in Samarra vandalized, reading Alastair Northedge's piece on Islamic architecture was a form of grief counseling for me. Now as I watch daily footage of car bombings in Baghdad, I think of Vincenzo Strika's review of Baghdad through the ages, and put my hope in his last line: "Baghdad, for all its tumult and suffering, has the potential to become again, as it was in the Middle Ages, the cultural bridge between East and West." Other parts of the book use the museum building itself or specific artifacts as a point of departure: the essential "A Museum is Born" by Lamia Al-Gailani Werr and the exquisite "Small Treasures of the Iraq Museum" by Fiorella Strika. When I first opened the book, I skipped through it reading the double-page spreads here and there by Diana McDonald, and that made me want to read everything else. It was strong stuff for me to read kidnapping survivor Micah Garen's words on universal ideas - heroism, friendship, and our fear of death - drawing a comparison between the quest of Gilgamesh and the purpose of archaeology. Garen and his partner, Marie-Helene Carleton, remind us that we are all Gilgamesh, and archaeologists are our genius scribes. This elegant invitation to preserve our historical memory is echoed throughout the book, in most urgent terms by Selma Al-Radi, by Angela Schuster and Zainab Bahrani, by William and Milbry Polk, by Usam Ghaidan and Anna Paolini, and by the tireless Iraqi archaeologist, Donny George. All of these contributors are within two degrees of separation from everyone else in the cultural heritage community that reacted to the looting of the Iraq Museum. Although they are distinguished writers individually -- worthy of their own Listmania List -- this is a fine ensemble piece. Of course, the real stars of the book are the antiquities themselves, the figurines, bas reliefs, stelae and other vocabulary-building artifacts, along with, yes, the vases. The 190 color pictures on heavy paper make this a compact coffee-table book, but not too heavy to read in bed as well. University archaeology departments would be nuts not to make this required reading for new students. I can't think of a book that will more directly engage and motivate the newcomer, and possibly spark a thousand careers as luminous as those referenced in its pages. The book itself is an example of how people can work together across borders, across cultures and civilizations, clash or no clash. Many of these writers were first responders, rushing in to protect fragile human knowledge, and in the process modeling for the rest of us what we most need these days in Iraq: charity, hope and faith.

Much needed book on the looting of Mesopotamian treasures
I found this to be an excellent volume that opens with the looting of the Iraq Museum at the beginning of the war and develops into an elegant and expert history of Mesopotamia spanning 60,000 years. Although the looting has been covered in newspapers and magazines, this is the only attempt to my knowledge to bring the topic to mainstream readers in book form. Archaeological sites throughout Iraq are still being looted daily, and a percentage of the royalties earned by this title will go to Iraq's State Board of Antiquities to help bring awareness and policing to the illicit trade in antiquities as well as help the Museum function again. The authors of each chapter comprise a formidable cadre of international archaeologists who have worked in Iraq sometimes for decades, and bring here the many voices needed to describe the long and fascinating history of Mesopotamia. The editors, Milbry Polk and Angela Schuster, really have done a fantastic job and have brought us a much needed book.

Beautifully designed and expertly written, this is a must for lovers of history and those with an interest in the cultural background of Iraq. Highly recommended.

Not much that relates to the book's title
I pre-ordered this book and waited about a month or two for it to arrive.I was deeply disappointed when it came.Unfortunately, this book is not what it promises.

Very little of the book, perhaps a dozen or so pages (and this assessment is 'liberal') can actually be said to deal with the actual looting of the museum and there is little here that has not been fairly widely reported in the press.

Its main value is arguably that the majority of the chapters (i.e. the overwhelming portion of the book) offer a fairly good introduction to the periods of the history of what is now geographicaally caled Iraq. That being said, there are many better introductions to the subject.

The credentials of the editor seem to have a bit of 'spin' to them.I cannot comment on eveything the publishers blurb says in order to establish her authority, but I would point out the following.Theflyleaf and publishers description tells us that the editor of the volume, Angela A. M. Shuster is the "editor of the award-winning preservation magazine 'Icon' and the 'Explorers Journal'."Icon is actually the quarterly report, in magazine format, of the World Monuments Fund, a New York based non-profit organization.The 'Explorers Journal', is the publication of the exclusive Explorers Club, also based in NY.These are hardly newstand publications, nor are they academic publications either.Disingenuous?You be the judge....

'Archaeology', which she is a Contributing Editor to, can at least be found at you some newsstands.This is the 'popular' publication of the American Institute of Archaeology, as opposed to their academic, peer-reviewed journal, called The American Jounal of Archaeology.I cannot comment on the rest of her bio.

This book, in my opinion is mostly just "packaging" and "promotion".If a portion of the proceeds (as a sticker on the cover claims) were not promised to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq, I would be on my way to the post office to return it.I certainly cannot recommend it, even for the lay reader. ... Read more

Book Description

This new volume by the authors of the highly acclaimed Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet presents over 200 full-color Tibetan tangka paintings from the collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin.The works span the 12th through the 20th centuries and the full spectrum of Tibetan artistic schools.This important contribution to the understanding of Tibetan art provides analysis of each painting in terms of iconography, religious meaning, style, regional lineage, and sources.An essay by David Jackson discusses the paintings of the Kagyupa school in the Rubin collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive tour of Tibetan thangka art
This is a big, heavy book, beautifully illustrated and authoritatively written. I am finding it a boon in my research on Tibetan art, for it covers most every subject, style, and region of Tibet. My copy came from the library--wish I could afford to buy it!

Vivid and generous
This book is a companion volume to the same authors' "Wisdom and Compassion", which came out a few years ago. Both are sponsored by the Tibet House in New York and both have the same layout, typography, and approach. As far as I can see there are no duplications between them, though both books are quite large. People who loved that book, as I did, will definitely want this one too, since it is basically more of the wonderful same.

This volume focusses on one vast private collection of Tibetan painting. There are two hundred featured paintings, all shown in full-page reproductions, many with full-page details as well, showing the detail of the tiny figures in the backgrounds which are half of the fun of these pictures. There is some repetition from the first book in the text, but this book goes into more detail about who the figures are and what they are doing.

If there is a prize for quality of reproductions in an art book this book should win it. Every shot is beautiful -- nothing too dark, everything evenly lit. It is impossible, of course, to reproduce the soft powdery glow of the Tibetan pigments on silk, so the pictures look different here than they did in the museum. The printing process necessarily gives them a gloss that the originals don't have. That said, the book is still a beautiful object in its own right. Exactly THAT rosy pink next to exactly THAT acid orange next to exactly THAT slate blue are what make these paintings engrossing from the first minute, even before you get down to work and figure out what's going on in them.

If you want a gift for the budding Buddhist in your family, or if you want to start with only one giant volume on Tibetan art, I would advise you to start with the first book, "Wisdom and Compassion", for the simple reason that it includes sculpture as well as painting, and those little gold demons and tiny brass Buddhas are not to be missed. Real fans, though, and anyone serious about learning all they can about Tibetan art, will want both. Also people like me -- that is: gluttons for color.

The number of pages given above is wrong -- there are 512 pages. And please note that this price is NOT expensive for such a book. (Are all those movie stars who have their picture taken with the Dalai Lama bankrolling this book somehow? If so, we should forgive them all those horrible movies.) It is wise to preserve all the beauty in this book; it is compassionate to sell it so inexpensively. ... Read more

Book Description

J.M.W. Turner, James McNeill Whistler, and Claude Monet created some of the most poetic landscapes of the 19th century. This beautiful book, which accompanies a major traveling exhibition, follows the three artists from the Thames to the Seine to the Venetian lagoon and is the first to explore the relationships among their works.

Friends, collaborators, and rivals, Monet and Whistler adopted and built on themes first developed by Turner, including the creation of a series of views of the same landscape under different lighting and climatic conditions. Their attempts to imitate in oil the effects that Turner had achieved in watercolor and pastel transformed their style and would prove to be highly influential. In addition, they were inspired by Turner to seek beauty in the modern urban environment. In doing so, they created visionary works that contributed to Impressionism and Symbolism, and remain among the most beloved landscapes of the 19th century. ... Read more

Book Description

From the gothic fantasies of Amy Brown to Myrea Pettit’s gentle, playful creatures, this breathtaking collection of superbly reproduced paintings celebrates the finest in fairy art. Each illustrator has chosen his or her favorite pieces, and all the artists reveal their inspiration, preferred techniques, and working methods. Every medium is repre-sented in images by Jasmine Becket, Linda Biggs, James Browne, Ryu Takeuchi, Paulina Stuckey, Linda Ravenscroft, and others.
... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Art of Faery
What a beautiful enjoyable book. A really magical treat. Lots of eye-candy. Very interesting bio's on the artists. And even more surprising is the added information in the back of the book with the artists own web sites. If you are a fan of fantasy or fairies this is the book for you. Lots of wings to see!

brings forth wonder and joy
Naomi de Bruyn
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Linear Reflections - THE Review Site
http://www.linearreflections.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Art of Faery, The
David Riche
2003 Paper Tiger

I have been intrigued by the world of Faery since I was a child, and I am happy to say that the passion has only increased as I've aged and the doorways have opened a little wider into the realms of reality.

These days you'll find all you could desire on faeries, from literature to music, to incredible artwork as artists of all kinds capture their dreams and visions with the medium of their choice.

"The Art of Faery" is an incredible collection of beauty and wonder from around the world that David has brought together in one spectacular volume of artwork. It is all captured within the covers of this colorful edition, from the gothic visions to the cherubic, the variety to be found is seemingly endless, and has been comprised of all mediums: watercolor, ink, oil, and pastel.

The works of twenty-two incredible artists can be found in this collection including that of the "Godfather of Faery" Brian Froud. In fact, you'll find a delightful introduction complete with illustrations by Brian. One of his passages really stuck in my mind, "This book is a catalogue of fairy art for the 21st century.

In its pages you will find artists from different countries and backgrounds, yet all have the common bond of being guides to the realms of Faery. They attempt to reveal the normally unseen. They illuminate the dark inner recesses of nature and our relationship with it. And in so doing they reveal the radiance of Faery."

Not only can the viewer enjoy numerous takes on the realm of Faery, but a great deal can be learned about art itself. Each of these artists has chosen their own favourite pieces, those that best represent their work, and in addition, have shared techniques, working methods, designs, and of course, their inspirations. They indeed are the gatekeepers to a special realm, one that is finding its way out of hiding and back into the limelight.

David Delamare's works really stood out for me. For the most part he works with acrylics, and the results are so realistically fantastical that you feel you could reach out and touch the subjects. It is no wonder that "A Little Night Music" was chosen to adorn the cover of this wonderful book. The faery maiden blows delicately on a wooden flute under the light of a full moon, her iridescent wings aglow amongst the leaves of the grape vine where she sits. It is a gorgeous piece, as are his other chosen works.

The work of Jessica Galbreth is what led me to this treasure in the first place. Jessica blends a touch of Goth with a hint of magic, and her faery folk have a dangerous yet heady air about them. Her watercolors are incredible; the fey folk stand out. If they were real, you just know they'd get you into trouble, but they're so beautiful you couldn't avoid them.

My favourite work of Jessica's is "Titania" a rendering of the Queen of the Faeries, who beckons us from the edge of the woods. This was created in 2002, and is a gorgeous and warm piece that adds to the flames of creative thought.

Perhaps my favourite of all is "Celeste" a watercolor and gouache by Kim Turner. I was blown away by the resemblance to Liv Tyler's elven character of Arwen in the movie "Lord of the Rings." An overall ethereal feel is captured by this piece, a beautiful spirit of the night with these huge luminous eyes that reach out to the viewer. Kim claims she wanted to "render the essence of a faerie only ever seen flitting across dark moors beneath the light of a blue moon." I think she managed with this piece, it is truly enchanting.

Whether you are a lover of the faery realm and all of its possibilities, or a lover of fantastic artwork, this book is a must have for any collection. It captures the magic and possibilities that lay in wait in the shadows of our imaginations, and brings forth wonder and joy.

[Naomi de Bruyn]

A Splendor of Magic
Captured within these pages (112 to be exact) that make up "The Art Of Faery" are some of the most gorgeous fantasy drawings I've ever seen, all compiled in one nicely put-together book. There's your typical painters who bring life into the myth of these two-winged creatures, such as Amy Brown, Brian Froud and, one of my favorites, David Delamare ("A Little Night Music" is presented on the cover) but there's also many new discoveries to be had and, for me, I was personally delighted to unearth the Gothic works of Jessica Galbreth and Jacqueline Collen-Tarrolly. There's a section for each artist (some longer than others) with a little background history as well as a couple of their pieces (hand-selected), the techniques they use and the inspirations behind many of their ideas, which is interesting to read about. Also available in the back of this fine collection is a picture of everyone represented (it's cool to be able to see what they look like) alongside their web address so you can find out more about specifics featured here.

I strongly believe that any lover of the fae will appreciate this wonderful anthology... I mean, how could you not?

wow!
wow! this book is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!I love it! I really enjoy how artist quotes and mini biographies are added to this book. The pictures are all wonderful and I particularly enjoy knowing what art media was used to create these masterpieces. thank you so much for the wonderful book and the fast shipping!

Amazing
This book is just amazing and is well worth the price and much more. You wont be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description

The National Gallery of Art in our nation's capital houses one of the foremost collections of European and American painting in the world, covering more than seven centuries of art-from Byzantine to contemporary-and numbering more than 3,000 works. This sumptuous volume gathers together some of the greatest art in the world, nearly 400 masterworks of the collection, from Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci to Jackson Pollock's magisterial Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) .

The model for this volume is John Walker's National Gallery of Art, Washington (1984), hailed in its time as a landmark publication. The new book features stunning reproductions and enlightening commentary by John Hand for a new selection of works, including acquisitions of the past 20 years by artists such as Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Newman, Rothko, and Van Gogh. Shown together with the masterpieces from the Gallery's core collections-by Botticelli, Corot, Giotto, Goya, Homer, Manet, Picasso, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Van Eyck, Vermeer, and many others-the entire group testifies to the growth and remarkable quality of the nation's art collection. AUTHOR BIO: John Oliver Hand is curator of northern Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art. Earl A. Powell III is the director of the National Gallery of Art. ... Read more

Book Description

In The Gallery Management Manual Zella Jackson teaches you management as it relates to successful sales programs. Zella stresses that successful sales management in a gallery setting involves the administration of three essential elements - Personnel, Planning and Persistence. They are the keys to increased sales and profits. Planning, Personnel and Persistence are factors applicable to private dealers, small galleries, and multilocation dealers. Complete with sample forms and scripts, this manual is an essential reference work for gallery directors and sales managers. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

All of her books are like this one... useless
As a gallery owner, I was unimpressed by the quantity and more importantly the quality of information included in this book. I have ordered and read all of her books and unfortunately it just isn't worth the price, time or effort.

Disappointing
I'd been looking forward to receiving this book. It's expensive - especially when having to pay shipping, handling and VAT outside of the US - so perhaps I was expecting too much.
But the tone is patronising and the information extremely repetitive. Even some of the "useful forms" are duplicated.
The most essential aspects of gallery management are glossed over, or not mentioned at all, and in addition the text is filled with typographical errors.
The book seemed so promising: the chapter headings are logical and appear to offer meaty, meaningful advice - what a pity to find instead that it's all rather vague.

Great Sales Management Tools!
The Gallery Management Manual is a solid book of tools that will help anyone get the most out of their sales team and client dossiers. The author is a well known industry expert in this area. I am continually impressed with how often she is quoted in Art Business News, Art Expressions and other trade journals on this very subject,"how to effectively manage your sales staff and client files."

The Gallery Mangement Manual
I routinely receive letters in response to my four books but this one stands out. It is from a new gallery owner from Switzerland (English is her second language):

Dear Zella,

I was very pleased to meet you at this year's Art Expo New York. Last year I ordered your very intersting and useful books about selling art, building up collectors, and managing a gallery. I learned a lot from your books and I still do.

Thank you for all your precious suggestions! Please let me know as soon as you plan a trip to Switzerland. I could even offer you my gallery for presentations of "The Art of Selling Art" or "The Art of Managing an Art Gallery" and invite interested people.

Best regards,

Lucilla Hermann, Owner Kunstgalerie Artrivm Goethestr. 11 8712 Stafa, Switzerland Tel: 01 796 39 90 Fax: 01 796 39 91

Solid Material For Managing Your Sales Staff
It was good to see you at this year's Art Expo in New York. I wanted to write to thank you for your work over the years and to share with you the story of how much your books helped me during the early part of my career in the art business. Although I have been the Director of Retail for Martin Lawrence Galleries as well as owned my own world wide art publishing and management company (SPS Art), I began my career as an entry level art consultant on the floor of a gallery in 1985.

Two events led to me becoming a top selling art consultant and eventually to me taking the role of top executive and successful business owner. The first was an eye-opening experience with a big-spending client who forced me to fast-forward into my profession. The second event was the discovery of your books.

Imagine my excitement to see all of the ideas (and more) that I had formulated on my own in black and white. It was so refreshing to know that what I had stumbled upon was actually a tried and true method. Not to mention that your writings helped fill in the blanks of much of what was missing. The sharpening of what I had already devised and the added information contained within the covers of your book helped turn me into one of the top producers at the company and, moreover helped me make the decision to stick with what is often a trying career in an often frustrating industry. It was discovering treasure.

After all this time, I still recognize your art texts as the only ones that exist in the business and when asked by gallery owners for a recommendation for their staffs or by a person just joining the business for the best reference and training materials, I never hesitate and tell them to order your books.

I want to thank you for helping at least this beginner find his way in the big bad world of selling art professionally.

Daniel Crosby SPS Art & Art of the Game Galleries ... Read more

Book Description

Foreword by Manuel J. Borja-Villel.
11.75 x 12.5 in.
1283 illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring the latest work by emerging and established American artists, the 2004 Biennial Exhibition accompanies the Whitney Museum of American Art's signature survey of contemporary American art. This biennial is organized by a team of three Whitney curators: Chrissie Iles, Shamim M. Momin, and Debra Singer.

More than 100 artists and collaborative teams are included in the exhibition, which explores the idea of an intergenerational conversation reflecting a number of overlapping trends: an engagement with the art, popular culture, and politics of the late 1960s and early 1970s; the construction of fantastic worlds, uncanny spaces, and new narrative forms; and paintings, drawings, and handmade films that show an obsessive working of line, surface, and image. The Biennial is consistently one of the most exciting exhibitions of contemporary art in the United States; as always, it will garner attention around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Walking backwards into the future...
This large catalogue is a beautifully produced publication -- bound with a fuzzy gray cover and silver lettering -- accompanied by a boxed set of contributions (bumper stickers, large postcards, celluloid strips, artist's books, single- and double-folded posters, etc.) designed by each of the artist-participants. No doubt a published work destined to become an item of "reflective nostalgia" for the discerning bibliophile in the not too distant future. I'd suggest you order a copy while you can...

Whitney Catalogue
The 2004 Whitney Biennial Exhibition continues through May 30 in New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave., and includes film and video screenings, performances staged in the museum and off-site, as well as outdoor projects displayed in Central Park. A catalogue, which comes with a box of limited-edition works by every artist in the exhibition. ... Read more

Book Description

Tattoos are no longer unusual or uncommon; they are now an undeniable element of mainstream style and fashion. But tattoos are expensive and, more importantly, permanent; so choosing an image is a very big decision. Here to help is 500 Tattoo Designs, a vast reference library of popular tattoos. Neatly organized by theme, the clearly executed line drawings cover every conceivable subject area - historical and traditional to modern, from tribal imagery of native American Indians, Japanese and Chinese characters, arcane hieroglyphics to gothic skulls, Celtic amulets, and more. The book also features body positioning hints for specific designs, a discussion of color dynamics, and notes on health and safety. Whether you want to show off your design or conceal it, this book is packed with hundreds of possibilities. ... Read more

Book Description

Published to accompany a major international touring exhibition, this stunning, lavishly illustrated book is the first global examination of the Arts and Crafts Movement, one of the most far-reaching and influential design movements of modern times. Emerging in Britain in the late 19th century and quickly adapted in America and Europe, the movement has given us some of the most recognizable and popular architecture, art, and decorative arts ever created, including work by Gustav Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Crane, C.F.A Voysey, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Josef Hoffmann, and Georg Jensen. Today, Arts and Crafts furniture, textiles, glassware, metalwork, and other objects remain widely admired and avidly collected.

With beautiful photographs and authoritative texts written by a team of experts, this is the first major study to cover such a wide geographical range and to present the Japanese Mingei (folkcraft) movement within the international context of Arts and Crafts. Additional chapters on photography, architecture, and gardens contribute to a wider understanding of this much-loved style. AUTHOR BIO: Karen Livingstone is a research fellow at the V&A. She contributed to Design and the Decorative Arts: Britain 1500-1900. Linda Parry is an expert on William Morris. She curated the highly successful V&A exhibition on William Morris in 1995 and edited the accompanying Abrams book, William Morris. Parry is deputy keeper of the Furniture, Textiles and Fashion Department at the V&A. ... Read more

Book Description

The greatest cultural accomplishments in history have never been the result of the brainstorms of marketing men, corporate focus groups, or any homogenized methods; they have always happened organically. More often than not, these manifestations have been the result of a few like-minded people coming together to create something new and original for no other purpose than a common love of doing it. In the 1990s, a loose-knit group of American artists and creators, many just out of their teens, began their careers in just such a way. Influenced by the popular underground youth subcultures of the day, such as skateboarding, graffiti, street fashion, and independent music, artists like Shepard Fairey, Mark Gonzales, Spike Jonze, Margaret Kilgallen, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, Phil Frost, Chris Johanson, Harmony Korine, and Ed Templeton began to create art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Many had no formal training and almost no conception of the inner workings of the art world. They learned their crafts through practice, trial and error, and good old-fashioned innovation. Not since the Beat Generation have we seen a group of creative individuals with such a unified aesthetic sense and varied cultural facets. The world of art has been greatly affected by their accomplishments as have the worlds of fashion, music, literature, film, and, ironically, athletics. Over the years, the group has matured, and many have become more establishment-oriented; but no matter, their independent spirit has remained steadfast.
Beautiful Losers is a retrospective celebration of this spirit, with hundreds of artworks by over two dozen artists, from precursors like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Larry Clark, to more recent adherents Ryan McGinniss, KAWS, and Geoff McFetridge. Work in all conceivable mediums is included, plus reproductions of reams of ephemera. The accompanying essays are contributed by a half-dozen writers who have championed these beautiful losers from the start.

Edited by Aaron Rose andChristian Strike.~Essays by Alex Baker,Thom Collins, Jeffrey Deitch, Rene deGuzman, Carlo McCormick and Jocko Weyland.

Paperback, 8.5 x 11 in./272 pgs / 200 color and 200 b & w. ... Read more

Book Description

Among the most important private art collections ever created were those of Imperial Russia. Catherine the Great, guided by Voltaire, amassed treasures on a Herculean scale, laying the basis for what is today the Russian State Hermitage. Favorite courtiers built palaces of unprecedented magnificence in St. Petersburg and Moscow for their vast collections of paintings, antiquities, and decorative arts. In a lively and anecdotal text, Oleg Neverov reassembles these now-legendary private collections-which, after the 1917 Revolution, were dispersed among the Hermitage, Pushkin, and Tretiakov museums, sold to foreign museums, or spirited abroad.

Represented here are works that once belonged to such famed aristocratic families as the Stroganovs and Yussupovs; to the merchant princes Mamontov and Tenischeva; and to the legendary Morozov and Schukin families, the largest purchasers of the early works of Picasso, Matisse, and Braque. Here, portraits of the collectors, period photography, and architectural drawings and watercolors, along with beautiful reproductions of the artworks and texts drawn from the latest research in Russian archives, bring this long-gone era and its treasures back to life. AUTHOR BIO: Oleg Neverov, a Russian art historian, is the keeper of the department of antiquities, Russian State Hermitage. He is the author of catalogues, monographs, and nearly 200 articles. Mikhail Piotrovsky is director of the Russian State Hermitage. Nicholas Romanov is head of the former imperial family. ... Read more

Book Description

Florist Marcel Wolterinck uses flowers and other flora as canvas and sculptural material in a breathtakingly creative fashion that very much rivals artists working in more ''traditional'' media. This volume presents an amazing project by Wolterinck, in which the artist transformed the official residence of the Dutch ambassador in Washington D.C., arranging the 43 varieties of tulips there into magnificent floral creations, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the cultivation of the tulip. Wolterinck's pieces coexisted in exquisite harmony with the neoclassical architecture and stately ambiance of the residence. "Wolterinck" documents this project in sumptuous full-color reproductions, examining both the flowers and their surroundings from various perspectives and levels. A tribute to the four-century Dutch tradition of artistry in gardens and flower arrangements, the artistic vision of Wolterinck, and to the incomparable beauty of the tulip itself, "Wolterinck" is a truly gorgeous book.
Hardcover, 215 pages, 13 x 13 inches, 184 color illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stunning!
This book is terrific, I find it inspirational. His rich expressiveness moulds forms into new shapes, creating new images, giving them new meanings. I highly recommend this book and I would think anyone who loves flowers would enjoy this book. Just so beautiful & remarkable!

Stunning! ! !
This book is terrific! His rich expressiveness moulds forms into new shapes, creating new images, giving them new meanings. I would think anyone who loves flowers would enjoy this book. Just so beautiful and remarkable. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

With a new theme and format for each issue, "Visionaire" stretches the imagination and boundaries of what an art and fashion publication can be. For "Visionaire #35: Man," "Visionaire" joins forces with world-renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino. Testino-who has been responsible for numerous advertising campaigns including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein-will focus his camera on men and cull talent from around the world to contribute to an issue of "Visionaire" devoted exclusively to the masculine world. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another "make-a-buck" issue...
I too was disappointed in this issue of Visionaire like many others. It seems Visionaire has had an "up and down" quality issue as of late. Some issues are as elaborate as can be, others are like this issue, a cheaply bound paperback magazine in a cheap plastic sleeve.

Given, the technical printing quality of the pictures and the pages with typography are very well done, but somehow there seems to be something lacking. I think this issue is somewhat better than #29 the "woman" issue, but not by much. Similar thing here, lots of pics of sexy guys, with some old guys thrown in and an obligatory section on the penis. The "pop-up" diagram of the male anatomy was pretty cool though, one of the redeaming features of this issue. The old ads for men's products were a nice touch, wish there was more of that kind of content.

I would think Mario Testino would have a bigger vision of this subject I'm sure he must be very interested in, but this doesn't have the breadth and scope of the "Chic" issue.

This isn't the worst issue to date, but it's not a must have either.

Classy-But Not What I Expected!
I was really excited about getting this new book by Mario Testino, one of my favorite photographers, but was truly disappointed when it arrived. Yes, it's a very classy publication, and comes in a unique & different pink slipcover, but not being familiar with Visionaire's previous publications, I expected a paperback book of high quality, however, what I got was a magazine. Yes, it is numbered in a limited edition of 6000 but it's not even signed by the photographer.

Mario Testino is one of my favorite photographers who has previous published many wonderful books. Mario's advertising campaigns are world-renowned. There are a lot of great images in this magazine, but I would have been so much more satisfied if Mario had published a hardcover book of his "Man" images instead, and included an extensive selection of his work. If you're a fan of Mario Testino's photography, have collected Visionaire issues before, and have a high-income budget, then you should add this to your collection. I know I'd rather stick to "Mondo Uomo" or "L'uomo Hommes Vogue" myself!

Visionaire has lost its magic
I have been a fan of Visionaire since issue 23 directed by Karl Lagerfeld and at that time the issues were fabulous and worth the price. Well that time has gone and now it is really not worth it anymore. This issue comes in a plastic sleeve and is a simple paper book. There's really nothing special about this item. When i heard that Mario Testino was the force behind this issue i thought it would be like his first issue, no. 22 chic. Well it is quite the opposite! Don't buy this item at bookstores but try to get it for less at auction sites. ... Read more

Book Description

Jack Vettriano’s rise to fame has been meteoric. His painting, “The Singing Butler,” recently sold for a record $1,350,000. This sumptuous volume showcases more than 30 new pieces, some unseen earlier work, plus the best of his paintings published in Lovers and Other Strangers and Fallen Angels. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

1000 Chairs
It is a great coffee table book that covers almost 200 years of chair design. As with many other books in the Taschen series, it is written in English, German, and French on each page. The book begins with an introduction about the form and function that must be included in chair design. After this, there is a picture of the chair, a description, the designer's name, the year, and some other miscellaneous information. Many of the designers are architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi i Cornet. It is very inspirational to interior and industrial designers and architects. This is a great book just to skim through.

Needs to include more Dunbar and Edward Wormley
Very good overview.. wish they would have spent more time on mid-century modern leaders like Edward Wormley of Dunbar fame.

Those in the know -- seek out Wormley for a clear viewpoint on the essence of modern design.

Turn up the stereo and pass me a martini...

Great Book
This book has pictures of 1000 different kinds of chairs and is a great resource. It has adequate information about Eames chairs which have become known worldwide. It has many other kinds of chairs including some very exotic chairs.

1000 chairs
Read through this book, let me know how great is the designer is. In fact, i'm not so familar to the chair. i started to learn how to appreciate those design.

a small book with big content
This is a very informative reference book on chairs. The introduction summarises succinctly the significance of chairs in our day to day life. It's not only something that we could sit on. The book is conveyed in 3 different languages, illustrated with mixtures of colour & B&W pictures. Biographies of the designers & manufacturers' information come in rather handy indeed. Brief descriptions of chairs are useful at times but then again, I'm finding the descriptions too brief for my full understanding. If the book is too technical, this would turn off general public who merely want to have a general overview on designer or lifestyle chairs. The book was published in 1997 & needless to say, more new chairs would have come out by now. Then again, I'm not complaining considering that almost all modern classics chairs are included. I think it's quite risky to try to squeeze too much information into one book. Having said that, this book deserves a spot on my coffee-table for being a well presented book (as we expect of Taschen) & as a good talking point. ... Read more