Reviews (1)

GREAT! (except for the design)
WOW. This is a real work of research. The amount of detail and care that has gone into this study of Warhol's early paintings is not to be believed. The editors have compiled a completely staggering amount of information about each work shown here--and who knew there were so many original paintings?

My only complaint is the book's design, which doesn't seem to have anything to do with Warhol's own aesthetic. The pictures are beautiful, but the words are tough on the eyes--the table of contents is especially awful. This is really a shame, because you can see pictures of Warhol paintings in lots of places. I don't know where you'd find all this wonderful data, though. (Put it on CD-ROM!)

It's definitely an expensive book, but unmatched, as far as I can tell, in its field. Bravo! ... Read more

Book Description

"Male Desire entertains, stimulates, seduces, enlightens: it is the perfect art history course, slide after delicious slide, with piquant, smart commentary." -Wayne Koestenbaum

Examining the history of homoeroticism in American art, Male Desire surveys how the male body has been portrayed for the last century and a half. From the academic-style paintings of Thomas Eakins in the 19th century to Félix González-Torres's conceptual works in the "age of AIDS," this fascinating book by the well-known art historian Jonathan Weinberg highlights specific artists while illuminating the artistic and cultural contexts in which they worked.

Accompanying Weinberg's engaging text are 170 compelling images of the male physique by such artists as George Bellows, Marsden Hartley, Paul Cadmus, Andy Warhol, and Robert Mapplethorpe, works that address the theme of the homoerotic in vivid and often contentious ways. While they range widely in style and content, these artworks all share a quality of excess in the way they represent the male figure. Sexy, beautiful, edgy, and thought provoking, this important book is a must-have for every art-book collection, as well as the library of every gay man.

AUTHOR BIO: Jonathan Weinberg, Ph.D., is a painter and art historian. He is a recipient of a 2002 Guggenheim Fellowship and is currently a fellow of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. His paintings are in many important collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Weinberg lives in Connecticut. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For generations, Thomas Eakins--whose famous paintings include "The Gross Clinic" and "The Champion Single Sculls"--has been regarded as a 19th-century American hero. In Eakins Revealed: The Secret Life of an American Artist, art historian Henry Adams offers a radically different view that allows us to better understand "the intensity and emotional desperation of Eakins' art." Eakins' brush with scandal--he was dismissed from his teaching post at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1886 for removing the loincloth from a male model posing for a class of women students--is generally described by admiring art historians as a brave attempt to modernize stuffy old rules. Adams reveals that the artist was a life-long exhibitionist who appears to have preyed on vulnerable young women. Drawing on the Bregler papers, a cache of revealing documents from Eakins' studio that surfaced in the mid-1980s, Adams describes a man whose sense of masculine identity was thwarted by a deep identification with his mentally ill mother and an inability to please his father. Reviewing the major Eakins studies, beginning with the landmark monograph by Lloyd Goodrich, Adams finds that many aspects of the artist's life were suppressed to establish him as an all-American hero.

Adams presents his case with the mesmerizing power of a star attorney-at-law, painting a detailed picture of the artist's troubled personal life before launching into correspondences between the life and the art. Although readers may question some of Adams' interpretations--whether of Freudian theory or the emotional effect of a specific painting--the author's direct, probing style makes Eakins Revealed as riveting as a courtroom drama. In his concluding arguments, Adams proposes that the subjects of Eakins' late portraits, almost uniformly pensive and hollow-eyed, are in fact multiple versions of the brooding artist himself. Ultimately, the author's new assessments endow Eakins' work with an anxiety about the body and gender roles--issues that preoccupy many artists of our own time. Readers new to Eakins may be disappointed to find only small, black-and-white reproductions of the works in this book, and a few of the works discussed (such as "Crucifixion") are not illustrated at all. But skeptical specialists will be pleased to see that Adams includes copious (and often fascinating) notes and a full bibliography. —-Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a very strange book
I have long been fascinated by Thomas Eakins's life and career.Over the years I have enjoyed Lloyd Goodrich's two volume biography and Elizabeth Johns's book about his art.This book by Adams has left me thoroughly confused.

Twisted Freudian Interpretation of An American Icon
If a reader were to believe the many ludicrous claims that Adams makes about Thomas Eakins, one would think that the artist was homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, and a pedophile, exhibitionist, voyeur, sadist, and masochist; and further, that he practiced incest and bestiality (all of which, Adams suggests, was driven by a desire to posses his own mother).Take your pick!Adams covers all the bases. Eakins is not so much "revealed" in this book as he is "concealed."He seems to ignore altogether, what to my mind, are the most fascinating things about this remarkable man: that he studied logarithms for fun, that science, not art, was his first love, that he was conversant in five languages, and that he found beauty where others saw ugliness.Among the more humorous assertions that Adams makes about Eakins is that the artist painted while sitting on the floor (he used an easel), that he shot his sister's cat for fun (Adams conveniently leaves out the fact that Eakins' father ordered him to do so because the animal was rabid), and that he painted clergymen because they wore dresses, which supposedly reminded Eakins of outfits his dead mother wore.After reading this dreadful book I came to actually like it as a study of how inbred (dare I say incestuous?) that some members of our academic community have become.Even if you are convinced, or want to believe that Abraham Lincoln was homosexual, you will still have difficulty making the creative leaps necessary to take this book seriously.

Riddled with Errors
This book is so riddled with errors and exaggerations that it is a wonder why Oxford University Press would publish it. ... Read more

Book Description

560 pps., 475+ color illus; 50+ black and whites; bibliography.A history of the styles of California Art from the time of the first explorers to the present day.See quotes from reviews cited in current listing of book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Quotes from reviews appearing in journals
"Moure is the dean of California art historians... Here is her magnum opus. There is no single volume that even approaches this work in scope, depth and scholarship. Every high school, college and university in the State needs this book. Every serious collector of California art, the humanities and material culture needs this book." West Coast Peddler, Sept. 1999, p. 60

"California Art fills a vast cultural void in art history that has created a general lack of awareness concerning the development of art in this region. It may well be instrumental in changing long-held notions in New York that characterize California as an artistic backwater. In covering such a broad topic, author Nancy Dustin Wall Moure has taken on a daunting task, and has risen to the occasion..." Artweek, July/Aug., 1999, pp. 26-7.

"this volume is the authoritative record of left coast visual history...Miraculously...Moure has...recognized the underdogs of the realm with objectivity and democracy, including members of the school of Mexican barrio muralism." Juxtapoz, January/February, 1999.

"A de rigueur purchase for West Coast libraries and larger collections nationwide." Library Journal, February 1999.

"Her prose is serviceable and clear, the breadth of information impressive." San Diego Union-Tribune, Friday, Dec. 11, 1998, p. E-3.

Winner of Special Mention, George Wittenborn Memorial Book Award, 1999, ARLIS/NA, Art Libraries Society of North America. ... Read more

Book Description

Among the most popular and ubiquitous sculptures in nineteenth-century America were the ship's figurehead and the cigar-store Indian. The vast majority of these engaging human figures were created by shipcarvers-highly skilled artists celebrated for their masterful figureheads but who collectively made tens of thousands of shop figures as well, from fanciful representations of American Indians to firemen, baseball players, and fashionable women.

Shaped by nineteenth-century Anglo-American values, this artwork reflects the tenor of the times, including racial and gender stereotyping, America's emerging popular culture, and the birth of modern advertising techniques.

The Shipcarvers' Art is the first book to assess the artistry and history of these two closely related genres in a single volume. Richly illustrated and elegantly written, it reveals the intertwining of art, commerce, and shipcarving in nineteenth-century America. On March 22, 1856, for example, only four months after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Hiawatha was first published, the clipper Minehaha was launched at an East Boston shipyard. Its figurehead depicted a renowned English actress in her role as Hiawatha's wife, Minehaha. Central to the festivities surrounding the event were poet, actress, and shipbuilder--and a fictional image of the Native American.

Ralph Sessions not only highlights the work of shipcarvers throughout the eastern United States and Canada but also presents new information on carving workshops in New York City, America's key shipbuilding center from around 1820 until after the Civil War.

Just as they were vanishing from the bows of ships and city streets around the turn of the twentieth century, figureheads and shop figures began to experience renewed interest as museum pieces and collector's items. Representing a milestone in scholarship on the subject, The Shipcarvers' Art magnificently brings them alive once more for art lovers of the twenty-first century.

Reviews (1)

Welcome addition to the canon
I collect figures. I have read the books that are used for reference. I have seen the exhibit that was chaperoned by Mr. Sessions (Sandwich,MA., NYC,NY & Baltimore,MD). I am a student of the art he describes! I was impressed by his scholarship, his easy east coast art scene style of writing, his photography/graphics, his hommage to Ms. Sanburn, Mr. Pendergast & Mr. Fried (I knew him). This is not a picture atlas. This is not a coffee table book. I would have liked to seen/read more especially regarding the social relevance of color race &c.(the folly of the time theirs & ours) but this is another matter! I RECOMMEND this book to all who treasure american sculpture.The vulgar artist is finally getting his place(WELL DONE Mr Sessions! What is next?). ... Read more

Book Description

Creating Their Own Image marks the first comprehensive history of African-American women artists, from slavery to the present day. Using an analysis of stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans in western art and culture as a springboard, Lisa E. Farrington here richly details hundreds of important works--many of which deliberately challenge these same identity myths, of the carnal Jezebel, the asexual Mammy, the imperious Matriarch--in crafting a portrait of artistic creativity unprecedented in its scope and ambition. In these lavishly illustrated pages, some of which feature images never before published, we learn of the efforts of Elizabeth Keckley, fashion designer to Mary Todd Lincoln; the acclaimed sculptor Edmonia Lewis, internationally renowned for her neoclassical works in marble; and the artist Nancy Elizabeth Prophet and her innovative teaching techniques. We meet Laura Wheeler Waring who portrayed women of color as members of a socially elite class in stark contrast to the prevalent images of compliant maids, impoverished malcontents, and exotics "others" that proliferated in the inter-war period.We read of the painter Barbara Jones-Hogu's collaboration on the famed Wall of Respect, even as we view a rare photograph of Hogu in the process of painting the mural. Farrington expertly guides us through the fertile period of the Harlem Renaissance and the "New Negro Movement," which produced an entirely new crop of artists who consciously imbued their work with a social and political agenda, and through the tumultuous, explosive years of the civil rights movement. Drawing on revealing interviews with numerous contemporary artists, such as Betye Saar, Faith Ringgold, Nanette Carter, Camille Billops, Xenobia Bailey, and many others, the second half of Creating Their Own Image probes more recent stylistic developments, such as abstraction, conceptualism, and post-modernism, never losing sight of the struggles and challenges that have consistently influenced this body of work. Weaving together an expansive collection of artists, styles, and periods, Farrington argues that for centuries African-American women artists have created an alternative vision of how women of color can, are, and might be represented in American culture.From utilitarian objects such as quilts and baskets to a wide array of fine arts, Creating Their Own Image serves up compelling evidence of the fundamental human need to convey one's life, one's emotions, one's experiences, on a canvas of one's own making. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

5K stars, susan is incredible makes great tattoo's
i love her. i have never been so mesmerized by
an artist before. sure georgia o'keeffe, and more
but susan just because my favorite artist in the
past 4 yrs. i have several tattoos from the
goddess cards on my arms, which are connected.
i hope someone else writes a book about her
life, etc. ...

A must-have for any Susan Seddon Boulet afficionado
I've purchased several S.S.B. books in the past because I love her work, but I was frustrated with these books because they were exclusively picture books that revealed nothing about the artist herself or the life she was living.

I was also frustrated by their lack of artistic documentation found in the other S.S.B. books. I wanted to know so much more about Boulet and what inspired the images I was seeing (not to mention the dimensions and what -medium- and technique was being used to create them) and how they progressed over time.

This book -finally- provides all that, and then some. It's well written and beautifully printed with page after page of brilliantly colored and detailed pictures of Boulet's work.
This book ties these fantastic pictures of her work to the storyline of her life so that you can easily follow the progression and draw associations from what was going on in Boulet's life to what was going on with her art.

The reader gets to experience all the phases of Boulet's journey, watching her style and confidence unfold over the years, through her experiments with printmaking to the serendipitous ink spill that led to a crucial stylistic element emerging in her work.

The book never wavers, never flinches away from the reality of the story, even when it wanders into the sad and dark territory of Boulet's eventual decline from breast cancer.
The reader is allowed to explore with the artist the darker territory of the end of her life and view the transcendent imagery that manifested as a result.

There are a few small "irritations" that this book does indulge in, the prevalence for discussing pieces wildly out of order for example, or the fact that Susan's son was mentioned once or twice and then utterly forgotten as a major element in her life (even though she wrote extensively about how important motherhood was to her as a theme). But overall, I have to say that these idiosyncrasies are easy to forgive in light of the richness of the overall feast.

Everyone to whom I've shown this book, who is at all a fan of S.S.B's, has purchased their own copy and I can't leave it out on the table without people snatching it up and poring over it - I think that says it all.

A Comprehensive Review of the Artist and her Unique Talent
Susan Seddon Boulet - A Retrospective, by Michael Babock, beautifully recounts the life of an internationally-known Bay Area artist, while a well-chosen selection of her paintings and sketches documents the many changes in her style, her use of new techniques and materials and, ultimately,her inner struggle with the concepts of life, death and resurrection as she courageously battles the cancer that ultimately claimed her life in April of 1997.

Boulet, whose body of work numbers in excess of 3,000 pieces painted from 1970 through 1996, began to draw and paint at a very early age. In the 1970's, after her husband died, she began to blossom as an artist, and her work in the 1980's and 90's reflects her growing confidence in her own very personal vision and style.

Boulet was a consummate master at painting multiple layers and levels of detail that only reveal themselves as one looks at a painting over and over again. From the painting "Dreams", with its rich panoply of animals, fishes, and architectural details, to Penelope, with its dark overlay of emotion and reflection, the body of work chosen by the writer to reflect Susan the "person" is a wonderful companion to the thoughtful prose of the text.

Pomegranate Press, the publisher of the Retrospective, allows the author full license to capture Susan fully, as artist, visionary, personal friend, humorist and story-teller. This book, with its emphasis on portraying Boulet's magical touch at bringing the mundane and the spritual into proximity as they relect the human condition as well as the universal "inner landscape", will inspire and comfort those who knew and loved her, and those who loved - and love- her work.

Those who have only seen reproductions of her work through the many calendars and notecards that have been available for years through Pomegranate Press, will be thrilled by the clear, color-accurate reproductions in this book. A "must have" for all the lovers of the magical paintings of Susan Boulet.

One of the best unknown artists of our times
Having just received this book today I haven't had time to read it closely. All I can say in regards to my first look through this book though is "WOW!" I'd rate it far higher than a five-star if that were an option.

Having been a Susan Seddon Boulet fan for a few years, since discovering her calendars published by Pomegranate, I have eagerly awaited new books about her life and artwork. Out of all of them, which are all wonderful, this one is by far the best.

The book is a biography of Susan Seddon Boulet's life from her childhood to her death in 1997. It is much more than that, though. It is filled with full color pictures of her wonderful, fascinating artwork. It also includes excerpts from her journals and diaries and gives the reader a beautiful account of who she was.

Who was she? She is a visionary artist. Her artwork is dreamy and fairy-tale-like in many respects, but that doesn't mean it isn't bold and daring. Her artwork is something you have to experience to believe. It is powerful. It makes you want to know the mind, the person, the soul behind it. This book has it. ... Read more

Book Description

"Textile Designs is a dazzling, informative fabric encyclopedia ofarchival beauty. It is a necessary tool for the fashion industry, schools, and libraries."

—Women's Wear Daily

"An iconography of textile motifs and a vocabulary of pattern. . . . Highlyrecommended." —Choice

Never before have printed textiles been celebrated in a book of this magnitude. Now inpaperback, Textile Designs is the indispensable sourcebook for the colorful patternedmaterials that have been used in fashion and interiors for the past 200 years. Organizednot chronologically or geographically but by motif—Floral, Geometric, Conversational,Ethnic, and Art Movements and Period Styles—this bible of textile design presents astunning cross-section of the materials of everyday life: printed calicos and cottons,flowered cretonnes and chintzes, polka-dot silks and foulards. With its informative textand pattern names provided not only in English but also in French, German, Italian,Spanish, and Japanese, this is a must-have for everyone interested in color and pattern. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

textile designs
hi my name is Cevahir I am studying Cyprus International university. My departmen is fashion and textile design. I need this book(textile designers) I want buy it so I wonder how much can I take and how can I take
thanks

Textile Designs: Two Hundred Years...
This book is crammed with designs in every conceivable category. It is a must for anyone studying textile or surface design.

THE ONE WHO KNOWS THE VALUE OF ARTS
I AM HAPPY THAT THE COST OF SUCH VALUABLE BOOK IS REASONABLE AND MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN GET A BENEFIT OF THAT. NABEEL NIMRI.

Magic Carpet Ride
TEXTILE DESIGNS provides the reader with more than just a visual smorgasbord. That alone would warrant owning this beautiful book. The depicted designs, limned clearly is vibrant color, can be returned to again and again for both inspiration and delectation. In addition, the accompanying commentary deeply impresses me with its scholarliness. The book is scholarly in the sense of reflecting much research and thoughtful distillation of material. It is also witty, trenchant, and amusing in the manner in which facts are presented. And facts there are aplenty. Tracking the history of textile design carries us through the spread of French, British, Dutch and Russian colonialism. It takes us on a tour of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Leaf through the book on a randon basis, and you will find nuggets of information that throw light on subjects as disparate as the origin of the myth of the cornucopia; the relative cost of a fine paisley shawl in early nineteenth England (as much as a London townhouse); or the connections between the slave trade and the textile industries of France and England. Indeed, reading this book is like taking a ride on a magic textile-design carpet, darting and swooping from one aspect of the human story to another...but maintaining a unique perspective based on a deep appreciation of the link between decorative design and its cultural and historical context. This book is a must-buy not only for those who seek aesthetic visual delights, but for individuals who are intrigued by the web of socio-economic connections generated by the textile industry during the past two centuries.

I highly recommend this product.
I designed and printed my own engagement announcements and wedding invitations using patterns from TEXTILE DESIGNS DIGITAL: FLORAL. They came out beautifully!! Not only did it save printing costs, but it was a lot of fun for my fiance and I to create them together. We have also used the CD-ROM designs to make note cards, birthday greetings, post cards, and gift wrap paper, resulting in many compliments. I highly recommend this product. It contains many beautiful patterns. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Did the clothes make Jackie, or did Jackie make the clothes? Decide for yourself: Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years is a stunning catalog of some of Jacqueline Kennedy's most important dresses as worn during her years as first lady of the United States. As visually sleek and elegant as Mrs. Kennedy herself, the book offers a beautiful analysis of the stunning, simple outfits that typified the Jackie style and brought a breath of sleek modernity to the White House after the somewhat frumpy fussiness of previous first lady Bess Truman. Released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Kennedy's "emergence" as a style icon, the book presents an eclectic selection of suits, evening dresses, daywear, and accessories from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum collection. Divided into cities where each item was first worn, the gowns, suits, and dresses are first presented alone in a full-page color photo. Each is then accompanied by various photos of Jackie wearing the item and detailed design notes, history, and anecdotes behind the outfit.

These photos give a wonderful context to the clothes, and it's clear that Jackie's carriage and persona injected life into these garments--which sometimes appear markedly different from what one might deduce as each item's "personality" when simply viewing it alone. For example, a pale cream embroidered silk Givenchy evening gown looks dull and somewhat dowdy when seen alone, but the accompanying photograph of Jackie wearing it while cuddling a newborn John Kennedy Jr. transforms the dress into something feminine and timeless. Or a very simple, innocently pretty pink shantung evening gown by Guy Douvier becomes arrestingly sexy when she wears it with nothing but white gloves and a Palm Beach tan. Contextualizing and interpreting Kennedy's style is an important part of this book. Featured are essays on Jackie and her effect on the world of style by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., Kennedy friend Rachel Lambert Mellon, and the book's author and Vogue editor at large, Hamish Bowles. Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years accompanies an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. --Marisa Lencioni, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Jacqueline Chic
This is a "must have" book for anyone who loves the beauty, style and grace of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, fashion and history. The beautiful fashion photography with insightful essays showcases the former First Lady as one of the 20th century's fashion icons. Her clothing, simple and modern, yet classically elegant, created by major designers of the time such as Oleg Cassini and Givenchy, reflects her visionary fashion savvy. This book will make you ask do clothes make a person, or does the inner soul and outer beauty of a person, such as the former First Lady, make the clothes?

MOST EXCELLENT
Excellent EVERYTHING!!!
A must for jackie AND caroline fans...i figure she did a lot for this and chose some GREAT photos...esp. the last one, in my humble opinion.
THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY!!!
I LOVE IT!!! and was shocked when i actually saw it after the few not-so appreciative reviews.
TOP SHELF BOOK/TOMB.
THANKS to everyone who was behind putting this out. As my grandmother would say about such a great book, "It lifts you up." (she said that about the Sotheby's Auction catalog of JBKO's Estate.
THANKS and LOVE TO ALL!!!

Quality, Youth, Beauty, Style and Culture in the White House
Caution: If you like looking at lots of photographs of early 1960s designer dresses, you will probably like this book. Otherwise, this is probably not the right book for you.

During the presidential election of 1960, Ms. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy made an immense impression on American society. At 31, she was a dramatic contrast with the vice president's wife, Ms. Patricia Nixon, and recent first ladies (Ms. Mame Eisenhower, Ms. Bess Truman, and Ms. Eleanor Roosevelt). She was much younger than these women, was pregnant with her son, John, and seemed like someone who came from another world. Ms. Kennedy was highly cultured, interested in the fine arts, attractive in a way that showed up well in photographs and on television, and wore gorgeous clothes of the sort usually only seen in the best fashion magazines.

Once in the White House, her differences from other first ladies became more apparent. A major effort to redecorate the White House with authentic pieces ensued, Lafayette Square's appearance was conserved, entertaining began to feature people from the world of fine arts, the Rose Garden was redesigned, and the clothes she wore became even more magnificent. A great deal of the sense of Camelot certainly came from Ms. Kennedy.

I was disappointed in the book. For someone who had such a wide and important influence on America, the book barely seemed to scratch the surface. It is almost as though a decision had been made to create a book about her dresses on state occasions, and to mention and show all of the other influences she had as little as possible.

This book minimally and partially captures the impact she had on our national consciousness. The best essay is found in the foreword by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. who provides a good overview of the influence of Ms. Kennedy (as described above) and her husband, the president, more broadly on the arts (including efforts that helped lead to the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and providing a temple from Egypt to the Metropolitan Museum in New York). Most of the book is visually devoted to her clothing during state occasions, with notes about those who created the clothes. A typical section has color photographs of the clothing on mannequins, Ms. Kennedy wearing the clothes at an event, and a black-and-white image of how she appeared in the context of the whole event.

The clothing captures what was called at the time, the Jackie look. Most of the dresses are by Oleg Cassini, Givenchy, Chez Ninon, and Gustave Tassell. There are also lots of examples of her hats (often pillboxes by Halston). The outfits are usually as simple and conservative as possible in solid colors, made special by perhaps one elegant bow or sash. Unfortunately, these sections have little material about Ms. Kennedy's views on these apparel, designs for the clothing, or thoughts about how to coordinate them with shoes and accessories.

What was most impressive to me was the success with which she selected outfits that fit in with the nations she was visiting. In France, the elegance of Givenchy enveloped her. In India, bright pastel shades made her look like part of the jungle flora. I'm sure the host nations were delighted to see their specialness magnified in her efforts to be an attractively dressed guest.

But these clothes are unremarkable without Ms. Kennedy. Like a well-known fashion model, she enhanced the clothes enormously with her youth, vitality, personality, and trim figure. So, for me, the book's real value was in seeing the many photographs of Ms. Kennedy. I especially liked the candid photographs, either talking with guests or playing with her children.

How can we recapture a sense of uniquely American style and good taste in ways that will bring approval?

What are the ways that the president and first spouse should set a good example for the rest of us?

An elegant blast from the past!
When I took this tome out of its mailer & began to turn its pages, I suddenly remembered my own set of formal white cotton gloves - long since discarded - so reverential was the aura emanating from this glossy artbook.

Jacqueline Kennedy kept it simple - most of her clothes were in solid colors with only huge buttons, cockades or discreet stylized bows, scarves, shawls or frogs for detail. In the Travel Chapter we see the simplicity of her wardrobe & her passion for colors.

Combining original & new photographs, this volume presents images we have rarely seen, as well as photos that have become a part of our national consciouness. The final one of the President & First Lady together in the open touring auto needs no words - we all know what happened next.

Certainly a treasure of memories - where we were, what we wore, what we wished we could wear. I never realized how Mrs. Kennedy acquired her wardrobe assuming, incorrectly, that she always wore top-of-the-line haute couture - when in actuality she wore "knock-offs", sometimes chosen by her mother-in-law.

For anyone who cannot make the pilgrimage to the 40th Anniversary Exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York & who craves visions of those much-mimicked fashions of yesteryear.

An unexpected pleasure
After reading some of the reviews for this book stating it was dull and offered nothing of particular interest except alot of talk about A line dresses and cuts on the bias, I was apprehensive about wasting so much money on it.However having bought nearly every book published on Mrs Onassis I went ahead and ordered it anyway.Upon opening it I was pleasantly surprised. It was well set out,interesting and with many fine photos I had not seen, to illustrate the somewhat dry text.But the most facinating aspect of this book is to actually see what these dresses looked like in colour....after seeing numerous black and white photos of the Kennedy reception at the Elysee Palace and to hear the pink straw dress worn by Mrs kennedy described, it was mesmerizing to actually see it...no wonder she was described as radiant....and the most amazing thing is that Mrs kennedy dresses were sometimes even more interesting when viewed from the back...the intricate drapery and patterns.The photo of her in a backless sundress on the Italian Riveria is a revelation as it was worn in 1962 and was so ahead of its time...this book shows that Jacqueline kennedy had true style and is worthy of the mantle of fashion icon even though she would probably want to be remembered for her more substancial contributions.A very worthwhile addition to any devotee's library ... Read more

Book Description

In the late 1920s, conservative policies were the norm among traditional museums--that is, until three progressive patrons of the arts decided to establish an institution devoted exclusively to modern art. When The Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1929, its first director, Alfred H. Barr, Jr., dedicated it to helping people understand and enjoy the new visual arts of the time, his hope was that this new institution would offer New York " perhaps the greatest museum of modern art in the world." The public responded with enthusiasm--and has continued to do so over the history of the Museum's extraordinary development: from an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing, MoMA's collection has grown to include over 100,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design objects; 19,000 films and four million film stills; and 160,000 books, artists' books, and periodicals.

Published on the occasion of the Museum's 75th birthday and the opening of its new building, Art in Our Time:A History of MoMA, is a picture book of historical photographs and archival documents, many of which have never before been published. Included are images of the various Museum buildings and gardens, from its original home in the Heckscher Building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, to its present location in Yoshio Taniguchi's complex on 53rd Street; installation shots of major exhibitions and important events at the Museum, and photographs of curatorial staff and Museum officials whose discerning policies helped shape our understanding of modern art. Documents include excerpts from letters, invitations, and other archival material that tell the story of The Museum of Modern Art from its beginnings to the present. The book is divided into eight sections starting with documentation of the, modern art scene in New York prior to the Museum's opening; and then offering a chronology that covers the museum's 75-year history in seven parts divided into 10- to 15-year increments. Edited by Harriet Schoenholz Bee and Michelle Elligott.

Foreword by Glenn Lowry. Hardcover, 9.5 x 10.75 in. / 240 pgs / 300 color and 300 duotones. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Amazon.com

Since the publication of its first issue in 1992, Ray Gun has set the perimeters of the cutting edge in publishing. Abandoning such conventions as headlines, columns, and even page numbers, the alternative rock-and-roll magazine created a chaotic, abstract style that broke all the rules, clearing the way for a slew of fringe magazines devoted as much to style as to substance. This self-consciously hip, unconventional approach soon emerged on album covers, concert posters, and MTV, signaling the birth of a bona fide movement. The same irreverent approach to production is applied to Ray Gun: Out of Control, forcing you to wade through a maze of random graphics and typefaces to unearth the articles and essays. The search is half the fun, though, as the pieces are enough to capture your interest, even against the backdrop of so much graphic noise. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ray gun - out of control
this book is a collection of spreads from the early years of raygun and other magazines whose art direction was lead by david carson. there is a lot of controversy surrounding carson's work, and carson as a graphic designer. i find the work visually stimulating and closer to art than most design i've encountered. i personally admire the intuitive beauty of this book and have spent countless hours looking at it. while i do not recomend carson's other books i do recomend this one.

Collection on the shelf
This book is for the Raygun collectors who admires clever typographic layout. A collector's item.

out of gas
As the elite of contemporary typograhpy will tell you, Art Director David Carsons was neither type designer nor graphic designer, but instead adept collector of typefaces and free favors from young talent. This book is an attempt, on the eve of the sellout of the Ray Gun Empire, to solidify the merit of a magazine built on 2 things: hype, and the desire of the design community and its afficionados to find a voice for the explosion of creativity ignited by the early macintosh design pioneers and their disciple, Ed Fella,while, initially at least, disregarding the need for relevant indie music reporting. Don't buy it.

Out of Control pushes the envelope
Use this book for ideas that will stun and amaze your staid audience whether it be in print or on the Web. I look at it as one giant idea book - it pushes the limit of type and design and gives us a new art form

A magazine picture book?
"Out of Control?" I don't get it. Is this a picture book, or a book that is supposed to honor the magazine? Magazines are about content and design, but here all we get is design. Now, I like design, I like it a lot, and hope to one day get into magazine desiggn, but this book seems to undermine what the magazine should be about. Design vs. Content. How well does the design and presentation relate to the article? I have no idea from looking at this. This is a picture book. From looking at this from a distance (which you are apparently supposed to do) Ray Gun is a nicely laid out and designed magazine. But what's it about? I love design, but I don't give a damn about a publication about information (no matter hhow good the design) if I can't have access to that information. As far as I'm concerned, this collection should showcase and celebrate the representation of information. IAs I've said, I enjoy the design and designers, but Ray Gun was started as a great means of maing the aarticles fun to read...lure the reader in with the design and hook 'em with the words. This may or may not have worked, but the intention was there. No matter how much of a design magazine this is, Ray Gun is the bible of mushc ansstyle, not a graphic design monthly. I think that this collection is a slap in the face to the people who wrote the articles in the mag. Buy "Out of Control" if you want a picture book, but if you want to get any idea at all about what the actual magazine is about, bo to the periodicals section and pick it up. ... Read more

Book Description

A graphic genius of phantasmagorical originality, Lee Brown Coyes pictures are the visual expression not only of his own emotional turbulence, but also the turbulence of his times. ARTS UNKNOWN is the first biography/art book on Coye (-), a uniquely macabre and eccentric artist, and it will surprise many people unaware of his fine art, non-genre book illustrations, cartoons, and sculpture credentials. ... Read more

Book Description

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) is arguably the most iconic figure in twentieth century art, an enigmatic personality who not only altered the definition of art itself but also in his wake left a vast and staggeringly complex record of his activities. Warhol’s archive consists not only of his artworks but also 1,500 cardboard boxes, flat files, and trunks filled with source material, memorabilia, correspondence, and junk mail. When the catalogue raisonné is complete, it will constitute an indisputable record of the artist’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures — some 15,000 works produced by the artist between 1948 and 1987, the year of his death.

Volume 2 documents the artist’s paintings, sculpture, and installations made between 1964 and 1969, the important period known as "The Factory Years," when Warhol began to acquire Pop Art fame as well as a cadre of collaborators and hangers-on — all of which made "The Factory" into one of the most mythologized artist’s studios ever, and Warhol’s work at this time emblematic of his career. This volume documents 23 series and more than 1,400 individual works, including the well-known series Thirteen Most Wanted Men, the box sculptures, approximately 300 works in the Jackie series, and the 1964 and 1964–65 Flowers series, among others. As in Volume 1, Volume 2 includes a fascinating collection of source material — in particular rare studio photographs taken by Billy Name-Linich, who became the Factory’s first de facto photographic historian.

In this volume editors Georg Frei and Neil Printz focus on Warhol’s serial production, analyzing the evolution of Warhol’s working methods and the growing relationship between Warhol’s exhibitions and his studio production. They establish a chronology for the works of this period, many of which have been difficult to locate and date due to their seriality. Their text provides both a compelling overview and unparalleled detail of an endlessly fascinating life and career.

The project is co-sponsored by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York and Thomas Ammann Fine Art in Zurich. ... Read more

Book Description

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

Gerhard Richter's abstractions are profound and beautiful, though perplexing. After all these years, they still present a curious challenge: what, exactly, are they? RICHTER 858 explores this question by focusing on one suite of extraordinary pictures painted in 1999, soon after his return to work after a silence caused by a stroke. Both investigation and celebration, this book brings together image, music and text in a uniquely compelling way: contributors include the great guitarist and composer Bill Frisell, two sharp-eyed critics, and a baker's dozen of prominent, award-winning poets. Housed in an aluminum slipcase, this lavish, oversized volume features the largest, most sumptuous, and most accurate reproductions of any Richter work. The eight paintings of the suite are shown at more than half-scale, and also, quite untraditionally, presented unbound on heavy paper in a pocket at the back of the book--allowing readers to mix, match, and re-present the work for themselves outside the confines of the printed volume. Forty details from the paintings are also reproduced in large-format, accompanied by the poems and texts. These brilliant passages--rich in incident and intervention, and ranging from the coolly sublime to the loudly riotous--make fascinating pictures in their own right. Additionally, a double gatefold opens to show all eight paintings in panoramic view. In essence, RICHTER 858 presents an elegant, if raucous, meeting ground for our most important contemporary artist and a diverse chorus of American music, poetry, and criticism.

Includes poetry by Richard Howard, Jorie Graham, Robert Hass, Ann Lauterbach, Dean Young, Brenda Hillman, James McManus, Michael Palmer, Connie Deanovich, David Breskin, Paul Hoover, Edward Hirsch andW.S. Di Piero.

Edited by David Breskin.
Essays by Dave Hickey and Klaus Kertess.
An Audio CD of music by Bill Frisell.

Aluminum slipcase with white, black and red corrugated box and music CD, 120 pages, 68 color

Publisher: The Shifting Foundation in association with SFMOMA ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A plethora of pleasures
You don't have to be an afficionado of contemporary poetry, or an art lover, to appreciate the many delights housed within the aluminum slip case of this work. But if you happen to be either, or both, this book is a must.

The "book" has, in this case, evolved well beyond the concept of an art tome. The joining of music, poetry and lovingly accurate reproductions under one cover makes the circumnavigation of this opus is a particularly rich eexperience. Which is not to say that listening to the music , or dipping into one poem, is not an entirely satisfying moment by itself.

Be prepared, however: this gesamtwerk is big, and will not fit into an ordinary bookcase! The paintings being reproduced to scale has dictated the extra large format, but the extraordinarily accurate pictorial results are worth the extra weight.

Just when you thought realism was dead
This is a gorgeous book by a man who in the future will be credited with debunking all the art critics who since the 1950s have been shouting to themselves that Realism is dead, or the ones that still shout "painting is dead." Gerhard Richter breaks all the rules of "being an artist." He has worked in a variety of styles, refusing to produce a "style" as often artists are supposed to do. In his ealy photorealistic -paintings Richter copied ordinary, found images onto canvas, but gave them an indistinct appearance. Again, by working directly from photographs, he manages to debunk all the criticism that such techniques often bring. This subversive realism is now more evident than ever, in these later, almost fuzzy works that still manage to knock the visual senses as if shouting: "Long Live Painting - Long Live Realism!"

A Feast for Eyes and Ears
I've only recently become acquainted with the range of Gerhard Richter's work, but the series of eight abstract paintings which are being celebrated here are enough to justify his reputation for me, and the sheer richness and resolution of their presentation in this book is of a standard I've never come across anywhere. Elegant, sensuous and gorgeous, this is more than a 'typical' art book in manners large and small; includes insightful essays by writers like Dave Hickey, poetry, and a CD by Bill Frisell with a string trio that's a lot more quirky and edgy than his recent stuff, in a good way (no banjos). The book's editor, David Breskin, has done an amazing job - the aluminum slipcase is a pretty sharp touch, too.

Much more than another coffee table book
Unfortunately I haven't yet made it to SFMOMA to see the Gerhard Richter exhibit. However, my much anticipated copy of Richter 858 arrived in the mail today, and to say that it didn't disappoint is an understatement. I had initially been a little wary about getting it. It comes with an aluminum slipcase and poetry and an audio CD with music composed by the brilliant Bill Frisell, and while some might find this sort of presentation lush, I, being somewhat of a purist, was afraid these inclusions would be nothing more than bells and whistles-basically a lot of noise to give voice to a suite of paintings that, according to any good Kantian, should be able to stand on its own. Boy was I wrong. People who know me know that I don't like fuss, but even the worry about scratching the aluminum slipcase, or maneuvering the book's awkward size and bulk, or the guilt for not using gloves to turn these impeccably produced pages, couldn't dampen the sheer transport I felt as I drunk in art and text and Bill's passionate and daring compositions with equal abandon. I've been reluctant to embrace anything multimedia, but Richter 858 may have just pushed me into the 21st century. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most recognizable of American artists, and one of America's most innovative printmakers, Jim Dine has created a multidisciplinary oeuvre tied together by his continued use and reinvention of familiar imagery. Hearts, bathrobes, skulls, tools, the Crommelynck gate, Venus de Milo, self-portraits, plants, and flowers--Dine infuses these personal metaphors with new meanings and continually depicts them in novel and diverse contexts. Over time, some of these motifs have become recognized as clearly symbolic: the bathrobe figures as a self-portrait, the heart as a symbol of his love for wife Nancy. And also over time, Dine has added new images to his iconic repertory. Mountains, ancient Greco-Roman sculpture, owls, hands, trees, apes, Pinocchio, and ravens figure prominently in the prints he has made since 1985. This catalogue raisonne fully documents Dine's evolving imagery and technical experimentation from the late 80s through the millennium, including his limited-edition illustrated books, and establishes his absolute maturity as an artist. A glossary of printmaking terms, a selected print exhibition history and bibilography, and a discussion of his poetry and literary leanings make this catalog complete.
By Elizabeth Carpenter with an essay by Joseph Ruzicka. Foreword by Richard Campbell and Evan M. Maurer.

9.5 x 12 in.
400 color illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Mark Hampton, long regarded as the "First Decorator" for his work on the White House for former president George Bush, was one of America's most prominent interior decorators. His clients included Estée Lauder, the Saul Steinbergs, the Mike Wallaces, and the Henry Kissingers, to name only a few. For the people who knew him well, his reputation as a decorator was surpassed by his generosity as a friend. In his lifetime, Hampton painted hundreds of watercolors as gifts for the people who were closest to him. Mark Hampton: The Art of Friendship, by his widow, Duane Hampton, is a collection of 140 watercolors that reveal his wit, affection, and sophistication.

Reviews (1)

Another Classic Mark Hampton Book
For those of us who love the wonderful watercolors of the late Mark Hampton, this book is essential. The watercolors in this book are of a very personal nature, whether interiors, architectural, or otherwise. I am pleased to own this book, and I will enjoy it as I do with the other two Mark Hampton books. Note that the price is somewhat steep (...), but given the way the other two books sell on the resale market for many times their list price, a good investment. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover creative communities, fresh air, and ideal getaways.

Whether you're looking for a great place to buy a painting on a weekend road trip or an inspiring and beautiful community in which to start a new life, The 100 Best Art Towns in America puts you on the right track. New Mexico author John Villani details all you need to know—from a town's lifestyle to interesting places to dine and must-do art festivals—written from the perspective of the nation's top arts travel writer.The communities profiled in this fourth edition of The 100 Best Art Towns in America range in size from under 1,000 to nearly 100,000 in population, but all have one thing in common: a strong sense of support for the visual arts, performing arts, and music. These communities are at the vanguard of an important national trend that's leading to the revitalization of smaller communities through arts-driven economic development.

Essentials include:

• Visual arts venues
• Performing arts & events
• Wining & dining
• Accommodations
• Population

Reviews (1)

I prefer the 3rd Edition
I bought this edition because I so much enjoyed it's predecessor.I can not tell you how many trips I planned around the information found in the former guide and was anxious for this updated release.Unfortunately, the author decided to terminate the system to rate the towns.This was one aspect of the prior edition that I loved - why should I research these towns when it could be done for me!I had no problem visiting town #89 because I new what to expect in relation to the other locations.Many trips were planned going from town #89 to town #45 then finishing at a top #10.My anticipation building as each town was visited - although never being disappointed.Now all the towns are a jumble not giving me an idea of which are worthwhile.I also miss the easy to read town description and specific listings at the end of each selection: bookstores / galleries not to miss / public radio channels and food markets.I am sure this information is still noted, but now I have to look for it while before it was separately listed.I have already decided after spending just an hour with this book to donate it to my local library.Good thing I didn't throw away my 3rd edition. ... Read more