1 comments about Steel Canvas: The Art of American Arms.

1. Having been a serrious engraver for just over a year now, I have amassed several books on engraving: mainly the "standards" for engravers: several of the Dover series of patterns, James L. Meek, Nimschke, etc. This has some of the finest and sharpest photos of engraving I have seen. And this book is cheap compaired to many of the others. Just plain beautiful. And --- worth every penny

3 comments about A Guide to Zuni Fetishes & Carvings, Volume II: The Materials & The Carvers.

1. This is a book that collectors should have. As a beginner, I did not find it as interesting as the first volume. But it is well worth the money. If you could only have volume one or two, I would say get the first. But because they are both such inexpensive book, you should have both around. They are both well indexed. I found information about every carver that I was looking for listed in the index of either this or the first book.



2. In this valuable sequel to Volume I, McManus provides additional information and understanding of this unique art. There is no one better qualified to discuss these wonderful creations and their contemporary carvers. The author does so in a fashion that will fascinate and educate both the novice and experienced collector. One can only hope that McManus will continue with this exceptional series.



3. This handy little volume packs a lot in its pages. If you have been collecting and want to move beyond the "oh isn't this pretty" stage and know more about the pieces you have and the ones you are selecting, this is the volume for you. McManis clearly and concisely discusses the wide range of materials used in carving (from pipestone and turquoise to jet and glass) and the main carving families. The volume is filled with pictures that are modern (not recycled 70s and 80s photos as in some other books) and gloriously clear. This book is a companion to McManis' A Guide to Zuni Fetishes: Volume I: The Animals and the Carvers and the two work well together. Those new to fetishes (and collector's interested in a solid reference text) will want volume I to complete their education on this wonderful art form.

1 comments about And Grace Will Lead Me Home: The Jerry Evenrud Collection of Images of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

1. And Grace Will Lead Me Home is the title of a book of pictures and accompanying essays on the subject of the Prodigal Son.
   
   The book begins with a synopsis of how the Jerry Evenrud Collection came to be, and how it came to its present home at Luther Seminary.
   
   -- You are then reintroduced to the Parable of the Prodigal Son through a delightful essay by Sarah Henrich.
   
   -- Wilson Yates talks about the parable in art and culture.
   
   -- The majority of the book is the images themselves with essays by Robert M. Brusic.
   
   The works of art span almost five centuries of art history and come from cultures around the world. Brusic comments on them with readable and interesting writing. He helps the reader to see with new eyes both the story and the art that celebrates it. I found that there was very little repetition in the author's essays, but each is a compete gem in itself. The book concludes with a taste of some of the other references to the Prodigal Son in music, writing and sculpture.
   
   This book is a delight to the eye and the mind. It will be a great addition to anyone's collection. The images are varied and challenging; the essays are educated without being heavy or preachy. The only drawback was that I was left with a desire to see more of the collection than could possibly be fitted between the covers of a book.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A whole new "take" on the Prodigal Son.

2 comments about Bessie Pease Gutmann: Over Fifty Years of Published Art (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I have enjoyed this book very much. Mrs Gutmann was a master of capturing the beauty and charm or her subjects. Everytime I go through it I learn more.



2. This work, credited to Karen Choppa, makes for a nice appendix to Dr. Victor J. Christie's biography of Mrs. Gutmann titled, "Bessie Pease Gutmann - Her Life and Works." Although many of the unique works illustrating this book are quite alluring and an absolute treat to the Gutmann enthusiast, very little new information is shed within its text. In fact, the author straddles the bounds of plagiarism in repeating much of Dr. Christie's text without ever giving him the least bit of credit. As for the image context itself, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to its order of presentation, as though the emphasis was placed on meeting a deadline as opposed to presenting an arrangement based on theme or events. As a supplement to Dr. Christie's original biography, this work is a must for the Gutmann collector if only for the images themselves. As a source of unique information on one of America's foremost illustrators of the first half of this century, it is a sad disappointment.

1 comments about Telepathy.

1. Why does Johnston seem to prefer such images as sleep and telepathy? What is he attempting to get to? I really want him to be doing something big, that's why I am asking...
   
   I already have Alice Notley's "Disobedience" on the brain, so maybe I'm making comparisons between Notley and Johnston which simply don't hold, but I don't think so. The first line of Johnston's series-poem "Vacation" tells us that
   I had not minded distance, not
   traveling,
   and my gut reaction is to think that he's going to attempt to take the reader there, and I immediately began to think he was going to start talking not only about his past, but the past in a larger way. I knew he was going to begin to attempt something similar to what Notley is doing with the Lascaux image. Do I detect pre-lapsarian sentiment? I think I do, and I think he wants to say we have a past which is revealed by the poet, if he/she would only search for them, in other words, a place where
   words
   may cede their place for passages.
   since I myself am working on something in the way of a longer piece I now tend to critique how many writers I see lay something out, especially in a longer poem that is clearly segmented or has well-defined parts. I think that helps me decide what I would do when I see what another writer has done. But, I digress.
   Attempting as I am to look at his book as a whole(this may be in error), I get all the way to the end of "Telepathy" and get to the St. Denis portion - which to my mind could almost be its own poem, or a more present piece or proper part on its own. I wonder, is he attempting to ascribe a belief system to this quest for origins? The truth is that I think metaphysical poetry as in Donne, Herbert etc. is pretty dated. I want to see an example of someone who is taking the metaphysical poetry idea and making it modern - or even postmodern. The yearning we have to know our connection with the cosmos isn't gone, and so it is still quite valid to see that expressed - in my mind at least.
   
   I have unapologetically read into this book, it's only fair to tell you that, and then say - take that or leave it...
   Troy R. McGee, Jr.

No comments about The Faberg¿ Menagerie.

1 comments about Fraktur: Folk Art and Family (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. The Earnests have given us a very readable and gloriously illustrated book with attention to all the recognized fraktur types and many of the most desirable artists. This survey will delight anyone who has an interest in folk art.

1 comments about Beneath The Gated Sky (Beyond the Veil of Stars).

1. Beneath the Gated Sky is a wonderfully conceived and joyously written followup to the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Beyond the Veil of Stars.

   In this outing, Reed seems to concentrate more on the character of Porsche. I found Porsche to be a rather one-dimensional, predictable character in Beyond the Veil of Stars. In this book, however, a great deal is told from Porsche's point of view. As such we get a greater glimpse into her psyche, which makes for a much more rewarding read.

   Perhaps Robert Reed's greatest strength as an author is his ability to introduce stunning scientific ideas while still maintaining believable situations and believable, likeable characters. Beneath the Gated Sky is no exception. Reed expands greatly upon the ideas first put forth in Beyond the Veil of Stars. To go into any detail about his extensions would be to take away the thrill of discovery, so suffice it to say that Beyond the Veil of Stars is just the tip of the iceberg.

No comments about The Pleasures of Antiquity: British Collections of Greece of Rome (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis).

1 comments about Racing Art and Memorabilia: A Celebration of the Turf.

1. This is a beautiful book for anyone who is a racing fan. It has color photos of artwork and memorabilia surrounding racing. Would make a great gift for a horseracing person. Very informative and well written.