Book Description

The emerging field of visual culture poses rough terrain for beginners with its nuanced distinctions and reliance on postmodern theory. Not until An Introduction to Visual Culture has any book attempted to present a comprehensive and accessible approach to this exciting new subject.

Nicholas Mirzoeff begins by defining what visual culture is, and explores how and why visual media--fine art, cinema, the Internet, advertising, performance, photography, television--have become so central to contemporary everyday life. He argues that the visual is replacing the linguistic as our primary means of communicating with each other and of understanding our postmodern world, demonstrating this through powerful examples, from Diana's funeral to the Latina singer Selena, and from the X-Files to Independence Day.

Mirzoeff then examines the importance of race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and the body in visual culture. These various forms of social discourse provide essential tools for reading images and thus define the study of visual culture as an inherently political project. Mirzoeff tackles the difficult subject of the gaze and the "other" and offers the reader a clear synthesis of these concepts.

Lively and provocative, An Introduction to Visual Culture offers an accessible entry to this new way of understanding images. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What's going on?
The life we lead today is very different from the one we grew accustomed to twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Information that took centuries to accumulate can now be sent from Singapore to San Antonio at the click of a button. More and more, our digital culture is depending on non-textual imagery to translate this information into a vast collage of cultural messages. It is the study of these images and the culture that interacts with them that Dr. Nicholas Mirzoeff is concerned with in his book An Introduction to Visual Culture (1999, Publisher: Routledge). Much of Mirzoeff's book is dedicated to examining the expansive manner in which the image is playing a role in the development of our global culture. While in the midst of this examination, the reader will soon find him or herself amazed by what the naked eye can now see. From the creation of the x-ray in 1895 to the Hubble telescope's visualization of distant galaxies, our technology creates a culture that has the capacity to, as Mirzoeff writes, "make visible things that our eyes cannot see." What is more, it is not the images themselves that intrigue Mirzoeff the most; rather, he is interested in the manner in which these images create a new reality. Or, as he puts it, "visual culture does not depend on pictures themselves but the modern tendency to picture or visualize existence." As an example, by simply turning on CNN the audience has the capacity to see images from parts of the globe that may have been unknown to them when they awakened in the morning. Not only that, but now the world can see the travesties that occur in these far away places. In Kosovo, the world was alarmed by video feeds of the very young and the very old being forced from their homes in the name of ethnic cleansing. Twenty years ago, this is something most of the world would have only read about. Depending on someone else to visualize the event as he or she saw fit, the textual relay of the event would have seemed distant or even nonexistent to the person who simply chose to quite reading. Today's images not only make Kosovo very close, they make what's happening there very real. It is up to students of visual culture to decide what kind of impact this visualization will have on the formation of the global community. The most important part of this book, however, is the claim Mirzoeff stakes for "visual culture" in the traditional and monotonous universe of academia. It is true that anything new is a threat to everything old. Knowing this, Mirzoeff guides his reader gently into the theory of "visual culture" by showing how it is both a relevant and necessary study in the afore mentioned digital arena. There are, of course, those who will charge that Mirzoeff's interests are cast too broad and his manner of interpreting them too fluid. To this valid concern, Mirzoeff argues that a fluid interpretive structure is paramount if academia wants to understand the world that lies beyond the gates of the university (like Kosovo). Visual Culture, writes Mirzoeff, "hopes to reach beyond the traditional confines of the university to interact with people's every day lives." In other words, visual culture is an attempt to ask a set of questions entirely alien to the modern university. Mirzoeff proves himself quite capable of setting out these new questions while keeping the avenue wide open for the reader or the "viewer" to answer them.

Superb overview of historical and modern cultural imagery
This is a fascinating reader that will appeal to the novice and academic alike - providing a broad overview of how vision has come to dominate all of our senses. No one way of seeing is ever accepted and this book demonstrates how history and convention has altered the way we look at the world. From perspective in the Renaissance world to sculpture, painting, TV, the internet, to issues of race, gender and sexuality and even to the global visual impact of the death of Princess Diana - this book will inform and open your eyes in ways you couldn't imagine. ... Read more

Book Description

R. Crumb's illustrations have appeared on the covers of albums by Big Brother and the Holding Company, on bootlegged T-shirts, and in several underground newspapers. He is, however, first and foremost, known as the father of underground comics and for work that paved the way for both satirical comics and autobiographical work in the comics medium.

He has been compared favorably to Brueghel, demonized as a misogynist, defended by feminists, and lionized as the subject of Crumb, an award-winning documentary film. Having created such iconic characters as Mr. Natural, Fritz the Cat, and even himself as part of his cartoon universe, R. Crumb (b. 1943) is firmly established as one of the most significant, controversial, and technically gifted cartoonists of the second half of the twentieth century.

R. Crumb: Conversations collects interviews that span the late 1960s to the beginning of the twenty-first century. In these Crumb proves to be iconoclastic, opinionated, and---despite his celebrity---impervious to the commercial moods of the public.

Crumb appears alternately as neurotic, witty, acerbic, gentlemanly, cruel, verbose, and reticent. His persona in comics form (as an unattractive, continually nervous, lecherous, obsessive man) is both confirmed and challenged by the person who emerges from these interviews.

Gathered here are interviews and profiles that span the various periods and events in his life and work, including his early days as a countercultural figure in San Francisco, his verging on a nervous breakdown after the release of the X-rated Fritz the Cat, his editing the groundbreaking comics anthology Weirdo, his move to France in the 1990s, and the resurgence of his popularity when Crumb was released. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent gathering of interviews and profiles
Fans of underground comix art who wish for insights into the counterculture artist and innovator R. Crumb, whose illustrations have received wide distribution both in his own collections and on the faces of records, newspapers, and t-shirts, will find R. Crumb Conversations an excellent gathering of interviews and profiles covering various periods of Crumb's life and works. Comic art jokes, interactions with publishers and the public, and Crumb's influence on the underground comic art world are all revealed in the course of some excellent surveys.

Explains comix with old blues
Freudians should read this book.Crumb has a very modern set of aversions.Instead of doing a pamphlet for Planned Parenthood, he says, "But it's political.I don't know how I feel about all that.It's all so complicated."(p. 68).The topics discussed in this book cover the psychic interior, and the corporate entities have subtle names, as in, "Nevertheless, Last Gasp has gone on to become the second largest underground publisher in the country."[back in 1974, when eight hundred dollars covered printing costs for an underground title] (p. 93).R. CRUMB CONVERSATIONS (2004) has an index (which only has boldface listings for 6 pages showing cartoon characters, and it should've had boldface for Lenore Goldberg on p. 193 and Crumb as character on p. 198) on pages 233-244, and the Chronology on pages xiii-xxii includes such great years as 1993:

"Crumb illustrates INTRODUCING KAFKA.Summer:The last issue of WEIRDO (No. 28) is edited by Aline.June:THE COMPLETE DIRTY LAUNDRY COMICS is published.R. CRUMB SKETCHBOOK, May 1987 to April 1991 is published.Fall:A Crumb wall calendar for 1994 is published.November:R. Crumb Retrospective is shown at Alexander Gallery, New York City.Kitchen Sink issues a Mr. Natural squeeze doll."

Four pages in the index are devoted to Crumb's views and works.For example, on page 235 you can find:

on Fritz the Cat, 120, 212-13; on Fritz the Cat (movie), 12-13, 28, 57-61, 174;

But anyone who is in the part of the index devoted to Crumb's works will notice that Works on page 236 begins with THE ADVENTURES OF FRITZ THE CAT (Cavalier), xvi; and includes eight lines of listings of other Fritz the Cat characters in the second column on page 237, up to "Fritz the Cat Superstar," 174, 213.

Crumb has problems he feels because of his being a celebrity as a result of the documentary movie that was made about his life.`When people asked me if I liked it, I said, "It's a good movie.It completely ruined my life, but it's a good movie!"(Laughs).'(p. 218).I usually feel that Crumb is being most honest when he says things that correspond to my feelings, but my situation has more concerns about sexual harassment in the workplace.Comics is work that takes a tremendous amount of time and energy.I used to subscribe to "Funny Times Magazine" (if you get a subscription and die laughing, it might be my fault, but it's not likely) and see what the more politically observant cartoonists were producing, but I was usually too tired to read each issue.R. CRUMB CONVERSATIONS is more like reading a book.With 18 major selections, mostly interviews, originally published in 1968, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1998, 1999, and 2003 (with an illustration from 1971 on page 11, from 1970 on p. 19, from 1967 "I wish somebody would tell me what `Diddy-Wah-Diddy' means..." on p. 22, from 1968 on p. 25, from 1959 on p. 30, from 1961 on p. 31, from 1972 on p. 32, from 1965 on p. 43, from 1963 on p. 45, a greeting card "I got a German shepherd" from 1967 on p. 46, "Keep on Truckin'..." from 1967 (the hit song "Truckin" by the Grateful Dead was years later, but the idea came from an old blues song) on p. 70, from 1967 on p.86, Whiteman on p. 89, from 1970 on p. 110, from 1985 on p. 124 and p. 139, from 1987 on p. 145, from 1971 on p. 153, from 1967 on p. 173, from 1970 on p. 192, from 1969 on p. 193, from 1982 on p. 198, from 1981 "Excerpts from Boswell's London Journal, 1762-1763," on p. 207, and from 2002 on p. 228), the book does not explain that "Diddie Wah Diddie" was an old song until the final interview conducted by mail in April, 2002.

`I don't spend nearly as much time dwelling on items that I "must have" for my collection as I used to.That said, I recently found an old collector willing to sell me an old bunch of fabulous and rare old 1920s blues records, stuff I've been trying to find for decades, such as Blind Blake's "Diddie Wah Diddie" and Memphis Minnie's "Cherry Ball Blues."They're not cheap, but not top dollar either.'(p. 226).

It is easy to find Academy Awards twice in the index, but only because of the Chronology for 1991"April:Crumb's account of his attendance at the previous year's Oscar ceremony is published in `Premiere' magazine."And for 1994"September:CRUMB, Terry Zwigoff's documentary about his longtime friend, premieres at the Toronto Film Festival and goes on to become a hit.Controversially, it is not nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary."About his participation in the movie starring his character, Fritz the Cat, he said, "Me and him [Ralph Bakshi] and my wife went out to lunch.After that I said:I'm going to do something, I'll see you later.And I just skipped and didn't come back for a week.I left him with my wife--it was really a bad mistake.He talked her into signing the contract.I never signed anything.I can't blame her, she had my power of attorney."(pp. 105-06).Crumb is not as rich as he deserves to be.

Robert:They gave me ten thousand dollars.
Al:You haven't got any royalty checks or anything?
Robert:Nah.Ten thousand dollars is what I've gotten from them.You know, I ain't poor.I'm probably upper middle class compared to most people I know.
Al:All these products that have been coming out with Mr. Natural on them and Keep on Truckin', that's really pirate stuff.
Robert:Most of it is. (pp. 69-71).

Back in 1972, it was the most famous cartoonist who was getting the most money."Charles Schulz has the highest salary of anybody in the world."(p. 71). ... Read more

Book Description

High Art is a stunning visual exploration of the creation of the psychadelic poster. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Far out but not Outtasight!!!
First off, fair warning: If you think you might like to own this book then you should buy it now as this is a highly collectable book. Essentially, this is a survey of the 1960's era psychedelic concert/venue poster genre that sprang up in San Francisco before spreading throughout the USA and the world in the form of the 'black light' poster.
The author, a British music promoter who became a poster art aficionado, has done a good job of describing the development and rise of the genre as well as tying it into the overall history of the advertising art poster beginning in the 'Belle Epoque.' Within chapters, he singles out artists and their work and places them in the context of the movement. The national origin of the author is a factor here as it is obvious that the author has personal relationships with and has a more intimate knowledge of the British poster artists and art scene than he has with those of the American scene. Still, he does a more than adequate job covering the domestic American scene. This book weighs a ton because of the excellent, thick, paper stock it is printed on and because the English printer used lavish amounts of eyepopping brightly colored ink in its printing. As a sidenote, there is a fascinating section on acid blotter paper art with accompanying photographs, and a section on collecting psychedelic posters. PLUS, to get one's collection going, new copies of the book include a coupon for a complimentary psychedelic poster from Alan Forbes and the San Francisco Art Lab.
I rate this book only four stars because 1) due to its highly collectible nature, it should have been published in hardback also. 2) The author cites some work by an artist and then fails to picture/identify it. 3) This topic begs for a book at least twice a long as it is.
Still, I am quite certain that any purchaser will be more than happy with it.

Groovy, Dude!
Ah, the nostalgia this book brings back. Not only the beautiful art work, but the musical groups, the "High" Priests and Priestesses of the era - Tim Leary, Grace Slick, etc. I thought it was interesting that this style of Art poster is making a comeback! Check out the last few pages with posters for Soundgarden, Hole, Beastie Boys and TOM JONES!!!
High quality printing and paper. A certificate for a LImited Edition Poster is included.
One of the books authors, Ted Owen, was involved in the music scene of the era. He helped discover groups like The Pretenders, Adam & The Ants and The Cure.
PEACE, BRO(...)
The history of the poster ranges from Euro influences through the concurrent American masters.

AMAZING
takes me back to the day, one of the most unique art book that i have seen for a very long time

High Art: A History of the Psychedelic Poster
A highly informative book with beautiful graphics for those interested in vintage posters of the 60's or graphic arts or typology. Detailed information on the individual artists such as Victor Moscoco, Stanley Mouse, Randy Tuten, and my favorite but more obscure Bonnie MacLean who was a Fillmore staff member responsible for the chalkboard announcements at that venue. Includes American and British Artists. The unique use of color and fonts, which were influenced by the Victorian and Art Nouveau era makes this a must buy for art, graphics, and design students and vintage poster collectors. And if you grew up in the 60's like me, this book is a bit of nostalgia that shows that the art work was really well executed even under the influence....

High Art: A History of the Psychedelic Poster
Wow! This book was definitely written by a couple of aging hippies. The posters are great, the authors are enthusiatic, and you get a real insight into the doped out atmosphere of the late 1960's. ... Read more

Book Description

Tim White’s paintings give shape to the fantastic, to the might-have-been and what-still-could-happen. With its frequently optimistic tone and obsessive attention to detail, White’s art offers a convincing landscape of the imagi-nation. “A collection of White’s vivid commercial works spanning a decade....the captivating paintings that transport the viewer from the outwardly familiar to the alien skies.” —Publishers Weekly.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worlds Indeed!
A creative mind will soak in the images within this book. Tim White's art covers a massive variety of fantasy and science fiction ideas. The paintings are bold and vibrant. they catch the eye and force you to examine each one in detail. This is an excellent book for a collector or for anyone who simply enjoys creative artwork. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sideshows sprung up alongside traveling circuses across the United States in the mid 19th Century after the railway system linked both coasts, and they fully flourished in rural areas after the turn of the century. With their inexpensive promises of lurid delights, fantastic feats, and horrific "monstrosities," they were part magic show, part raunchy B-movie, and part wunderkammer, all in one. The barker and music might draw a customer close, but a well-executed banner might make or break an act. Firms sprang up across the country to handle demand, and the works are often astounding and lurid combinations of text and image. These works stand as one of the more fascinating cross-pollinations of illustration, signage and self-taught / vernacular art in American history. They’re also very un-PC and strangely beautiful. As with all modern advertising, the promise of the images rarely lived up to their accompanying pitches; the "Alligator Girl" just suffered from a dreadful skin condition, while the "Feejee Mermaid" was, you guessed it, not really a mermaid. The accompanying essays are all terse, fascinating, and tackle different aspects of the sideshow arts, the color illustrations plentiful and crisp. Even the most casual fan of tattooing knows that having Don "Ed" Hardy write an essay is a major coup. In the introductory essay, Lisa Stone and Randy Johnson rightly connect the lurid works to creations by margin-walking artists such as Ed Paschke, Karl Wirsum, and Joel-Peter Witkin. The photos of banners on location, as they looked back in the day, are especially interesting. While not the first or most definitive sampling of this work, it is easily the best.--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Book Description

Color illustrations about old fashioned spanking, with a contemporary twist. The artist is entranced with women's tantalizing shapes and smooth skin, wild eyes, and desperate conflicts; he places them in highly-charged, erotic adventures. * small, vibrant tableaux -- storyboards for wild erotic films * luscious secret world of bad behavior and sweet revenge * striking, alluring images of sultry women With expert craftsmanship and dramatic realism, the artist seamlessly meshes pen, brush and a wicked imagination. These are elegant, modern erotic artworks. With the specially constructed padded binding, this book is sure to provide hours of fun for its readers. ... Read more

Book Description

Thomas Marecki, aka Marok, groundbreaking mastermind of the extremely successful Schizophrenic! and Lodown_engineering, unlocks his personal archive with its wealth of illustrations, photographs, ideas, and drafts.

Free of commercial constraint this low-priced, compact volume is a radical source book and well of inspiration, complemented by a 7" single with Viennese genius Patrick Pulsinger.

Book Description

This second volume contains all new material that delves deeply into the mind of this most talented and disturbed individual! James' ability to create all-new levels of hideous beasties and sultry beauty puts him on the fast track to fantasy art supremacy. Fables, myths, legends, nightmares - it's all open for Ryman's bizarre and amazing interpretations! ... Read more

Book Description

This delightful book presents hundreds of entertaining caricatures of celebrities from popular American periodicals in the first half of the twentieth century. Employing a vivid new type of portraiture based on modern design and a preoccupation with personality-based fame, master caricaturists filled the pages of newspapers and magazines with renderings of Mae West, George Gershwin, the Marx Brothers, Babe Ruth, Mussolini, and other personalities of their times. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A STUNNING OVERVIEW OF 20TH CENTURY CARICATURES
This is the best single overview of 20th Century American caricature I have ever seen. The quality of the reproductions is outstanding and a good many of the items herein are not available in other books. The book's cutoff point appears to be the Fifties; it would have been nice to have had some more recent examples by artists such as Edward Sorel, but perhaps the newer people are adequately covered in other books. Anyone interested in caricature cannot do without this book. ... Read more

Book Description

"In the beginning, there was the Word. On the streets and in the yards, the word was the Name. And the name was everything. It was persona and place, form and content, truth and fiction. The name was an act of self-invention, a pure visual manifestation, through alter ego, alias, and nom de plume, of personal expressions in the public realm. The name was a line and the line begat the Mark. Then, in the great style wars toward the end of the second millennium, medium, meaning, and message were joined in a golden era where the name became the source and signifier of Style. And when the name became wild style, the word was Dondi."

-- from the Foreword

The dominance of the graffiti aesthetic in contemporary culture is undeniable. But how did an art form spawned in the train yards of 1970s New York achieve the ubiquity it now enjoys at every level of the mass-media landscape? There are many answers to the question, but one major factor is indisputable: Dondi White.

Coming of age in hardscrabble East New York in the early 1970s, Dondi White unknowingly began the process of introducing a whole new artistic dialect into the cacophony of the American art scene. His train pieces painted from roughly 1977 to 1982 stand as some of the most influential works ever committed to Transit Authority steel. Writing with legendary partners such as DURO, NOC 167, KID 56, KEL 139, and FUZZ ONE, Dondi created some of graffiti art's most enduring iconography. His pieces just don't stop -- and neither do the aliases. From the badass Mr. Whites to the cocky, self-satisfied Busses, from the nasty Pres to the perfect, vicious Rolls, Dondi straight killed it, again and again. Works like Children of the Grave Part 2 and Mr White + Bev remain benchmark pieces for graffiti aficionados the world over.

In the 1980s, partially through his collaborations with noted photographers Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper, Dondi White's work entered the rarefied world of fine art. In making the transition from subway car to canvas, Dondi retained his unfaltering sense of letter form and balance, and his paintings remain a testament to the clarity of his aesthetic. Dondi's canvases were subsequently shown in galleries from New York to Amsterdam to Tokyo and beyond, influencing a new generation of young artists and introducing an indigenous American art form to the rest of the world.

Dondi White: Style Master General presents the life and work of a seminal -- yet heretofore overlooked -- American artist whose work has resonated on every level of our popular culture. Filled with rare photographs, original sketches, unpublished interview materials, and testimony from some of Dondi's closest cohorts, here, finally, is the full story. At the time of his death in 1998, Dondi had seen the majority of his work destroyed -- scraped off, painted over, or chemically removed from the steel upon which it thrived. Within these pages, however, it still speaks volumes.

Reviews (9)

Excellent Tribute to a Great Artist
Zephyr has done a great job compiling this book and I highly recommend it. Try and get it from your local bookshop and you can see just how slick it is before you purchase.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BROOKLYN...
In a nutshell, "Dondi White Style Master General", is an excellent retrospective on the life of the great Dondi White. Bar-none, one of the illest artist to wield a can of spray paint; Dondi's work was highly influential and propelled him to great heights. From his stomping grounds in East NY, Brooklyn to the Boogie-Down Bronx, Dondi's subway pieces were some of NY's most exciting and arguably the best. One of a handful of early graffiti artists to successfully make the transition from subway to gallery, Dondi's unique pieces were well received at home and abroad. Longtime friend Zephyr and (Dondi's) brother Mike White do a fantastic job of covering Dondi's incredible body of work. The reader is given great insight into the life n' times of an extremely humble and incredibly gifted man. Dondi's untimely and mysterious demise left the graff community and artworld deeply saddened, but his work and spirit will forever live on. --James "Koe" Rodriguez

Excellent Book
great pics from sketch to finish. great text intermixed. cover to cover a great book.

This book is a MUST !!!!!!
If you are an inspiring writer or just interested in graffiti this book is a must. Dondi White is one of the most influential writers, looking at his pieces you will see the source for many styles regarding letter forms and fills. This book is in a word "fresh". Even if New York Flavor isn't you're taste, anyone interested in graffiti should vibe off this. Get it!!!!

Finally, a writer writes!
The graffiti movement has far too long relied on professional journalists to document its history. It's always the same story with elaborate social theories and catchphrases that those who were there (subway writers)find laughable. Zephyr's book is a tribute to a dear friend, a great artist and is one of the best books to date on graffiti.No art school phonies or gallery fakes in this one. A book by a real graffiti artist about a real graffiti artist. ... Read more

Book Description

The grave, sensuous, and infinitely varied arts of India have long been admired in the West. This engaging book tells the story clearly and vividly from the first, still mysterious, beginnings in the Indus valley, through the great masterpieces of Buddhist and Hindu art to the coming of Islam, the eclectic culture of the Mughal court, and the golden age of miniature painting. Much of Indian art is immediately accessible to the outsider, but much is also enigmatic, needing interpretation and guidance before it can be enjoyed in depth: the strange pantheon of the Hindu gods, the subtle insights of Buddhist mysticism, or the complex symbolism of the miniatures. For this edition, the late Professor Craven thoroughly revised the text and incorporated works by contemporary artists, linking their achievements to the traditions of Indian art. A new glossary and time line are also included. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent
I agree with the other reviewers. I also like the the high quality of the reproductions.

Excellent overview/explanation of Indian Art.
This is an excellent overview of Indian art for beginners. It takes you through the major periods and styles, and concisely explains why each artistic/architectural development is significant.

I think,it's the best book for beginners i have seen.
I have just start reading this book & it's very interesting,useful & a very good helper for beginners.At the same time it is a very good referance book.Some topics in this book are real nice & helpful for eg.The Mauryan period,South India,Islamic India & Jain,Rajasthani & Pahari painting.This famous book provides the widest available range of illustrated topics on art in all it's aspects.But there is something in this book which is still missing & i can not find out that what is missing?still it's a very good book for the beginners like me & i love to take refarences from this book & to use it as a course book in fine art in my college.That's only what i can say about this lovely,useful & great book.And i like to say thanks to the authur of this book that is ROY C. CRAVEN for writing such a lovely & useful book for all the art lovers. ... Read more

Book Description

Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano began his career with exceptional design work on fan-favorite anime such as Gatchaman/G-Force and Time Bokan and popular graphic novels Sandman: The Dream Hunters and Wolverine & Elektra: The Redeemer, but it wasn't until he turned his attention to the medium of printmaking that his artistic genius began to flower.  Drawing from influences as diverse as Art Nouveau and Art Deco traditions, American comics, Japanese ukiyo-e, and traditional fantasy illustration, Amano's prints capture a breathtaking world -- sometimes whimsical, sometimes luxurious, and sometimes terrifying. 

Amano: The Complete Prints showcases hundreds of these captivating works, comprising an impressive, comprehensive look at one of the art world's visionary talents.  Art scholar and critic Unno Hiroshi contributes an insightful message on Amano,  the genesis of this style, and his place in the panoply of art history.  Also included is a brief timeline noting the high points of the artist's career.

Reviews (3)

The best Graphic book ever
Take a journey to Amano's book. A book full of bizarre, beautiful, and stunning works. He is undoubtly the best contemporary printmaker.

Visions of Grace
Yoshitaka Amano has played an active part in Japanese illustration from 60's to present times. He has lived through Anime, game design, illustration, and now printmaking - demonstrating at each stopping point a variety of imagination that has had an impact far beyond his own successes in Japanese visual art..

In the U.S. he is best known for Vampire Hunter D, the conceptual design behind the Final Fantasy series, and several recent collaborations with Neil Gaiman. But as this book quickly reveals, Yoshitaka has great power as a pure illustrator and artist. His roots are in Art Nouveau and the psychedelic styling of the 1960's, but he combines this with a mastery of Japanese traditional styles to produce a variety of effects and images.

This is a focused collection of just his prints, both those done for graphic novels and anime, as well as completely independent work. There are 192 pages page sized illustration followed by a large illustrated catalog of the rest of his print output. A final commentary by Hiroshi Unno completes the work. The most notable missing work is from the Final Fantasy series, none of which ever appeared as prints. However, the originality of what is included far outweighs any regrets about any unfortunate gaps.

A word of warning. Collections of Yoshitaka's work have a tendency to go out of print and disappear irretrievably. I have lived to rue not making several purchases when I had the opportunity. If you would like a representative collection of what made Yoshitaka Amano one of Japan's most formidable illustrators, this is a good selection at a very digestible price, with no sacrifice of quality. To have more at present, means searching out work that is out of print. Seize the opportunity.

Amano fans, REJOICE!
This is packed with Amano's prints obviously, they are all richly colored on matte paper. It's just beautiful! It includes his prints from some of Final Fantasy games, Vampire Hunter D, and many other projects he has worked on.

It's just fantastic - so don't pay $80 for Hiten or Biten, when many of the same prints are in this volume! Which is excellent paperback quality also. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Art of Shag: Bottomless Cocktail by Shag
This is a wonderful book with the art of Josh Agle (SHAG). It is a nice sampling of various types of his body of work. A great coffee table book. I highly recommend it to any SHAG fan or fan of 50's and 60's looking art! ... Read more

Book Description

Ron English is a culture jammer and well-known pop painter. A seminal figure in the subvertising, or culture jamming movement, in which artists and activists subvert an existing advertisement to send out their own message or encourage free thought, English has pirated over a thousand billboards over the last twenty years, replacing existing advertisements with his own hand-painted ""subvertisements."" His paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, from Japan to Europe to the former Soviet Union; and included in prominent collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Paris and the Whitney Museum in New York. Ron has designed murals for the Guggenheim Children's Fund and created an anti-drug campaign for the United Nations' International Drug Control Program in Kazakhstan. His art has been featured in such feature films as Breakfast of Champions and Basketcase II. This year, his art will be featured on the cover of the new release by The Dandy Warhols. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

English speaks my language
This glossy, colorful book collects Ron English's great works and accomplishments, spanning his 20 years of using and twisting pop art to subvert itself, popular culture, and commercialistic overkill. Although a painter, street artist, and musician, English is best known for his hilarious - and sometimes dangerous - billboard work, whereby he would covertly paint over hundreds of billboards to convey an ironic, social point, sometimes done so well that the original doesn't appear altered. One of his thoughtful pranks was to paint a close-up of Charles Manson in the style of Mac's "Think Different" ads, to point out Mac's tasteless use of geniuses and great humanitarians to sell their products. Big Tobacco is another common victim of English's talent and wit, and his Joe Camel spoofs are more effective and affective than any government-funded anti-tobacco advertisement.

Ron English's work successfully addresses the Disneyification of America, the blatant commercialism of pop art, the uncontested corporate (and irresponsible) intrusion into people's lives, and the nonstop barrage of advertising that forces itself upon us everywhere we turn. His works throw a stick into the cogs, jamming popular culture for just a moment, so that for the split second you take in his work, you can actually "think different."

WHAT A PICTURE
A VISUAL EXTRAVAGANZA.I COULDN'T BELEIVE HOW MANY WAYS RON ENGLISH CAN SCREW WITH YOUR HEAD. A GREAT BOOK

A golden opportunity!!
Ron English is masterfully twisted. I own four original pieces of his work which are the gems of my art collection. His work reminds me of Salvadore Dali's work with more raw talent added. You will enjoy this book.

Brava Popaganda!
Having been a protégé of Ron English during the early years of his career, I am thrilled to read a comprehensive telling of his accomplishments. From his early surealistic photography tableau to illegal billboards to his brilliant current work, Ron English's art always puts his message in your face. Ron English is the ringmaster of a circus of eager zealots who will do practically anything to participate in his creative events. It is a fascinating phenomenon to observe - and even more inspiring to participate! Well written and researched, this volume gives insight into the artist's personal and creative processes. The extensive visuals and photos help tell the story of a great artist's career. Where will Ron English go from here? You should definitely tune in to find out more. ... Read more

Book Description

This richly illustrated book provides an innovative reinterpretation of the Cultural Revolution through the medium of the poster-a major component of popular print culture in China. Using thirty full color and just as many black and white reproductions of posters from the University of Westminster collection, an eminent group of scholars explores the discursive power of visual artforms in Chinese public life. The contributors provide an interdisciplinary analysis of political art produced for a Chinese audience. At the same time, they acknowledge the importance of subjectivity in elucidating important cultural facets of a significant revolutionary period. Readers interested in Chinese cultural or political history, popular culture, and art history will find this a unique and perceptive work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent color photography, comprehensive overview
As one of the muralists shown in this book, I feel very honored to have been included. The content of this book and intent of the author Robin Dunitz ranks up with any textbook of art history. California has always been home to artists who dare to dream and a public who appreciates those artists. The book is full of color reproductions on every page, includes the history of murals, and has interviews and observations by some very incredible artists who paint large, colorful, and thought provoking images. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in art outdoors. ... Read more

Book Description

The 1960s was a revolutionary time not only in action and spirit but also in fashion. Filled with color photos, this book looks at 1960s youth culture through the hippest clothes of the day. Author Samantha Bleikorn covers everything from Day-Glo to daisies, with special emphasis on the miniskirt and go-go boots. Top models and actresses, from Twiggy to Stefanie Powers, display the most outrageous styles of the time. ... Read more

Book Description

Fun, contemporary and visually stunning, Naked Vinyl is guaranteed to act as a conversation piece, it lovingly brings together more than one hundred of the best album covers from that unique sub-genre of the music industry—the bachelor album. The collection focuses on the development of the "vinyl nude" from the adult-oriented eroticism of the fifties to the brash exhibitionism of the seventies. Listings of artists, musicians, producers, lyricists and photographers accompany the cover art to create a sexy, stylish and contemporary collection of beautiful, sometimes tawdry, vinyl nudes.

The genre of record cover art holds a visual interest all its own. It holds appeal for record collectors and music enthusiasts, design and photography enthusiasts, and anyone with an eye for color, style, or beauty. Naked Vinyl features classic album cover art that brings together music, art and eroticism, displaying their playful character shamelessly to the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

very nice representation of a lost art form
Face it...in the 50s & 60s, record covers sold most LPs, NOT the music. The cooler the cover, the better chance you had of selling a schlock recording. Sexy models were always in vogue, yet NUDE models were usually reserved for third party labels, bargain basement recordings and risque comedy LPs. There are a BUNCH of covers reproduced here, most of them were limited released and single pressings. This is true manna for the record collector and a great conversation piece for the average reader. Not much text but tons of full color covers featuring REAL (not enhanced or anorectic) models. Lots of topless nudity, so you may want to keep this one on the top shelf.

Naked but not naughty.
The back cover of this paperback has a line that says 'A stunning collection of more than 100 nude album covers' If only that were true, well the 100 bit is true! Most of them are low budget stock shots bought by small record labels for their LP covers. Mainstream record companies were too conservative to use such blatant selling techniques. None of the covers are of any photographic or design interest (and most of the music on these LPs was produced by session musicians and is of no particular interest either).

The hundred plus covers are presented one to a page with some copy on the adjacent page, this is rather overgenerous for the text because there is really nothing to say about the covers so the author's repeat bits of the clichéd copy from the back covers. I think the (mildly) most interesting covers are the ones produced for the American bachelor market during the fifties and sixties, these are now so ancient and of such awfulness that they take on a curiosity of their own.

I think it is only worth getting this book if you are interested in a very sub-genre of commercial art or maybe you'll want to own the only book that will ever be published about the subject. Worth checking out though is 'Vixens of Vinyl' by Benjamin Darling, a nicely produced little book (six by six inches) of LP covers that feature females but not nudes. These covers are from major labels so at least you'll see some decent photography and design. ... Read more

Book Description

Dorian Cleavenger's work is the new state-of-the-art in fantasy illustration, as his pieces now fetch art gallery prices. Power and beauty never merged so perfectly on one canvas before! This oversized volume contains a fresh selection of full color masterworks, and is brilliantly reproduced in this deluxe package. The book features 128 pages of stunning color on supreme heavy-weight coated stock, ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A collection of fantasy and gothic horror art
Those who like the fantasy art of Olivia de Berardinis may have a taste for Dorian Cleavenger, who goes into areas of bondage and demonic vampiric horror. However, his work touches on themes (fantasy, mechanization, vampires) that remind one of Sorayama and Giger as well as de Berardinis. The first few pages dwell on the mecha theme (Geiger and Sorayama), though the mecha stuff isn't as glossy as that of Sorayama. That's because Cleavenger's preferred medium is acrylic paint.

Models include Alley bagget, Melissa Wolfe, Glorianne Gilbert, Kate Moss (yes, that Kate Moss) and one of Olivia's favourites, Julie Strain, who is the winged cover girl astride a giant robot in a piece titled "The Bonecrusher."

Some of the artwork might be of appeal to black metal fans, especially fans of groups with dark artwork like Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. On one entitled "Bloodbath," a nude woman arches back in ecstasy while blood pours from a stone gargoyle's mouth atop her throat. Purgatori III has a winged horned babe with her arms and legs astride a skulled cross. "The Reaper" is a platinum blonde woman with flowing locks, glowing blank whites for eyes, wielding a scythe and with a snake wrapped around her body. However, for something really gruesome, there's one of Heather Tennant, portraying a woman with quite a piercing fetish, with some of her pins on fire.

There are some pictures of Vampirella, yes, she of the long black hair, white collar and red ribbons placed strategically over her breasts. An interpretation of Arthurian legend is "The Lady of the Lake," where model Claudia Christian is holding Excalibur but with a skimpy outfit that one usually doesn't get in mentally envisioning that personage.

Warrior women also feature, some of which resemble Vallejo/Bell material of exotic armour and beasts. Innocent-looking girls also come out, particularly in the mermaid drawings. However, one erotic one entitled "Sea Food" might as well be subtitled "Octopi Just Want To Have Fun."

Given this newcomer who published his first book of material in 2001, we may see the heir to Olivia in this talented man. So, anyone who likes Olivia but wants something a bit on the spicy and gothic side, check this out!

The New Works and Visions of Dorian Cleavenger,volume two
An astoundingly refreshing and entirely new approach to fantasy art,with sensual illustrations bordering on the erotic, yet each with imaginative and creative situations and costuming portrayed in a manner never before seen in any book by any artist. A vertible feast for the senses. Technically Dorian's art is superb, with excellent lighting, perspective and creatively imaginative scenarios. His representations of the female form and features lack the exaggerated depictions of most fantasy artists, bringing such a degree of realism into his realms of fantasy that women can project their own personas into his images and his worlds.....women of strength, weakness, determination and helplessness, of melancholy and joy. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves worlds of challenge combined with fine art. ... Read more

Book Description

Incredibly rich treasury of authentic copyright-free designs adapted from artifacts of the Harappa culture, coins and pottery from South India, Ajanta and Bagh murals, Muslim monuments, Buddhist temples, textiles from Gujarat, Punjab, other regions, masks and tribal arts, much more. Immediately usable material or great resource for design inspiration. Introduction. Notes.
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Reviews (11)

great book, though some of the drawings are low quality
My family all love arts and design, and over the years this book has become dog eared because we have turned to it so many times for inspiration for everything from easter egg painting to cake decorating to holiday gift certificates. Some of the designs are quite low quality, it's true - they are much more useful for inspiration than for copying a design straight out of the book. I love it, and I think every household should have one - but that's just me. If you are looking for a glossy commentary and showcase of indian design, this is not the book for you.

great book, though some of the drawings are low quality
my family all love arts and design, and over the years this book has become dog eared because we have turned to it so many times for inspiration for everything from easter egg painting to cake decorating to holiday gift certificates. some of the desings are quite low quality, it's true - they are much more useful for inspiration than for copying a design straight out of the book. I love it, and I think every household should have one - but that's just me. If you are looking for a glossy commentary and showcase of indian design, this is not the book for you.

Poor qulity drawings
I was looking forward to getting this book as I am unable to find quality books on Indian designs and motifs. Being from India, and really interested in beautiful Indian art from a very young age, I have even contemplated writing a book using my own collection of designs.

I was very disappointed when I got this book. 5000 designs sounds like a lot of work but a lot of the designs are not even worth using... the quality of drawing is so poor - it is an embarassment! There is even repetition of same designs on different pages. I would have forgiven that but the author seems more focused on making the number of designs large rather than actually making them legible qaulity. Moreover what really annoys me is the fact that he offers hardly any explanation to the source of the various designs he has used.

Overall very poor book... i wouldn't recomment it to anybody except that there are not that many books out there on Indian designs.

great for Mehndi
My husband finds great inspiration in this book for his Mehndi art. (temporary tattoos.)While not all 5000 are great for our use, it's still a great book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to work with henna.

Great Collection of Drawings
This book has a great collection of drawings from various geogrraphies of India. They are all small in size and most of them are simple to draw or practice. I bought this book for my daughter who loves to sketch. She really enjoys spending time recreating some of the designs. Ajit Mookerjee did a nice job of compiling all these designs into one book. ... Read more