1 comments about Monhegan: The Artists' Island.

1. Informative, poetic, and visually pleasing story of the island and why it captivated so many outstanding artists and inspired such an incredible variety of wonderful expression.

   Truly a model for the art of special places: how the place inspires art, and how art gives insight into the place.

No comments about Robert Motherwell: The Complete Prints 1940-1991: A Catalogue Raisonne.

No comments about Christine Laffer: Tapestry and Transformation.

4 comments about Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority.

1. Realizing the Impossible is a wonderful, passionately and intelligently compiled collection of art and writing with strong political messages. An anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist persuasion carries from cover to cover and is expressed throughout. Through their work, the featured artists reveal messages and statements and resistance to globalization, state authority and oppression. Interwoven into their social critiques is a common belief that a new world is necessary.
   
   The collection contains three sections: "In Print," "Moving Images and Interventions" and "Theories." Within each of these sections are essays, interviews and art that focus on specific events and people ranging from the Haymarket Riot, radical puppetry, queer art and the politics of space and land reclamation.
   
   The reader is taken all over the world and to generations past as Realizing the Impossible brilliantly educates about global resistance to the rise of corporate power. After reading this book, it's obvious that movements of resistance cross boundaries, cultures, time, and are expressed in many ingenious ways. Prints, photographs, street art, paintings and more go hand in the hand with the text and together they provide powerful statements. The art is beautiful, the writings are poignant and the reader is left with a perfect opportunity to reconsider and evaluate the world context in which we live, and the history behind the radical movements against traditionally dominant world powers.



2. Beautifully illustrated, "Realizing the Impossible" is a fascinating collection of interviews, essays, and artwork celebrating the politics and aesthetics of anti-authoritarian visual arts. From stencil art in Argentina to The Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont to radical video collectives in the US and Mexico, "Realizing the Impossible" documents the creative genius of a broad range of cultural workers utilizing art as an instrument of social change. Among the numerous interviews, I especially enjoyed the ones with the illustrator Clifford Harper and the painter Gee Vaucher, a member of the legendary British anarcho-punk band Crass. Reading this incredible anthology is truly inspirational. It will challenge the way you perceive public space and encourage you to incorporate beauty into your everyday activism. It will also remind you of the enormous power of art to transform human consciousness in a way that political slogans seldom can. By liberating our imaginations and providing visions of a better world, anti-authoritarian artists play a vital role in our movements for peace and social justice. Thank you AK Press for what might easily be your best book yet!



3. Compiled, organized, and co-edited by artist, writer, curator, and activist Josh MacPhee in cooperation with Erik Reuland (sometime editor of the radical political and art zine 'Trouble in Mind'), "Realizing The Impossible: Art Against Authority" is an anthology of commentaries on the relationship of aesthetics and politics in anti-authoritarian social movements which today are principle focused on opposing corporate globalization and its authoritarian governmental enablers. Profusely illustrated throughout with black-and-white images, "Realizing The Impossible" is arranged into the major sectional themes of 'Print'; 'Moving Images and Interventions'; and 'Theories'. This compendium of articles, essays, and writings is especially recommended reading for anarchists, political activists, political science students, and counter-culture enthusiasts. Indeed, "Realizing The Impossible" is a particularly important and timely addition to academic and community library Political Science reference collections.



4. On receiving Realizing the Impossible, I was immediately reminded of Walter Benjamin's 'The Author as Producer'. Taking consideration of art, literature and print newspaper, Benjamin contends that a revolution occurs in such mediums only when there is a reformulation in both form and content. This reformulation Realizing the Impossible accomplishes to an outstanding degree. The eye looking over its pages is confronted not only with a distinctly anarchist analysis of art-something not achieved in a systematic way since Herbert Read's work on poetry and children's drawings-but also with a wholly 'anarchic' design. Text and image merge and collide with the promise of insurrectionary potentialities. Footnotes jut from left and right; things are not where they are 'expected' to be. Chapters blur and speak to each other. Headings slope, text moves vertically. Realizing the Impossible is indeed a wonderfully designed book, fully practicing the ideals of anarchy.
   Apart from an excellent design, Realizing the Impossible undoubtedly provides a challenging, inspiring, and well-needed account of art's relationship to anarchism. The long history of this relationship is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. This is so, for much of this history is unknown or even forgotten. For those who seek an understanding of the history of anarchist art, Realizing the Impossible provides an excellent overview, with more specific discussions of indivdual artists: Clifford Harper, Flavio Constantini.
   Contemporary anarchist art movements are a feature of the second section of the book, covering topics such as anarchist film interventions in Scandinavia, print art in Indonesia, and puppet-making across Europe and North America. These sections prove illuminating because of the countless interviews with people actually involved in these art movements. Indeed, all of the books published by AK Press demonstrate a willingness to let actual people speak, as opposed to academics cloistered away in the realm of 'pure' theory.
   Theory is though not lacking from Realising the Impossible, but it is accessible without being condescending. David Graeber's article on the 'twilight of Vanguardism' is a definite highlight. These chapters do indeed proffer the lineaments of new theories of anarchist art.
   In all, Realizing the Impossible is a marvellous work that opens up the possibility of conceiving of an art that both opposes authority but also the elitist authority of art as a distinct sphere. This text contributes to realizing the potential that had always been contained, but is so often repressed, within art: the perception of a different world opened onto the promise of a total revaluation of existence.

2 comments about Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting.

1. This book is a treasure! For children, and adults too, it's a charming, authentic view into the world of John Singer Sargent: the artistic genius. (Sargent's work inspires me, as an artist, on a daily basis.) Hugh Brewster has succeeded in making the story natural and real...the voice of young Kate is convincing. Beautifully designed by Gordon Sibley, it is a perfect gift book for art lovers of all ages. As an illustrator, I have had the pleasure of working with both Hugh and Gord on a number of books for children, including the award-winning 'Polar The Titanic Bear', and more recently 'African Princess'. Congratulations on creating another winner!



2. The book is well written and magical. It is now my daughter's favourite book and it has become one of her " must-read" before bed. The storyline is interesting and well thought out. What a great way to introduce our young generation to art and history.

5 comments about The New Typography (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism).

1. This is a nice handbook for creating stark minimal layouts but the dogmatic, unwavering theory of 'objective' design is best taken with a grain of salt. Reading this reminds me of when I took painting with Modernist painter Guido Molinari and everyone around me ended painting squares out of fear of retribution. But even with his strict approach, I don't think he would have quoted a text that says "The more primitive a people, the more extravagantly they use ornamentation ... To insist on decoration is to put yourself on the same level as an Indian." While this book has some great tips on reducing clutter and improving readability, reading the 'ideals of Modern Man' stuff is like sitting through a fire and brimstone sermon. Nice diagrams.



2. Typographic history, at least. This book was first published in 1928, and seems to have been the founding manifesto of the "Swiss school" of typography. This is a must-read for all serious students of type, and for a few others as well.

   First, the messages for typographers. The book itself is part of that message: sanserif body text, bright white paper, and geometric red and black graphics. Tschichold uses a few conventions that I quite like. Footnotes are indicated inline and at the end of the page by a heavy black mark. At first, it looked like a blot on the gray of the body type. After seeing it a few times, though, I realized that the heavy mark was very helpful for recovering my place in the reading after my eyes moved away to read the footnote. Emphasis is shown with heavy rules in the outer margins around text, much the way I mark books myself. My only complaint about the book as a whole has to do with indistinct paragraph breaks - there is clue from indentation or line spacing, so it is actually possible to miss a pragraph break altogether.

   The second half of the book shows a number of examples, good, bad, and (today) historically interesting. Almost all examples are bold red and black - the first two colors to be used up in most sets of crayons. It is easy to forget that these examples were often designed for letterpress, since photocompostion barely existed as we understand the term. Despite Tschichold's passion for modernity, the style now looks as dated as Bauhaus, streamlined locomotives, and Art Deco.

   The first half of the book is for typographers, but also for any modern student of polemic. Not many people have strong feelings about typography, so the ranting can be considered by itself. Tschichold's style is based on "the spirit of our age" somehow revealed to him alone, and on Germanic philosophical absolutes. It is ironic that, during the cultural purges of pre-WWII Germany, Tschichold was among those rounded up for politically incorrect artwork - another absolute in conflict with his own.

   Happily, Tschichold was able to emigrate to Switzerland before war broke out. He had a long and influential career, and later regretted the strident excesses of youth that this book captures.

   This is useful as a guide to typographic style, but beginners will probably get more from modern texts. It gives a very informative view of the DIN standards for paper and business correspondence. Most of all, however, it captures a time and a mentality that no longer exist, but that guided one strong school of typographic practice for over 80 years.




3. As other reviewers have written before me, this book surely has an historical value to it. It allows the reader to have a quick glance to a particular historical moment of typography in pre-WWII Germany, written in a Marxist tone. Also, the layout of the book is a beauty in itself, with its glossy paper and sans-serif Futura font. But that is pretty much it, unless you want to read it because you are a student in History of Typography. Do not expect to learn basic or advanced typographic elements here. If you want that, read "The Elements of Typographic Style" by Robert Bringhurst instead.



4. I'll confess I was expecting something more contemporary when bought this book. If you're not carefull the title will fool you. "New" in this case means early 20th century. Tschichold, as I came to learn, is one of the great names in typeface design. This book is reissued as his classic rant/manifesto on graphic design and type.
   
   Tschichold makes strong statements on what constitutes good typography, even going so far as to make philosophic natural law arguments in favor of san serif type. Serif fonts, particularly black letter styles, are the enemy. You have to take a historical leap in order to understand Tschichold's sour view of black letter. To us, black letter is a period typeface appearing outside pubs of the "Ye Olde Ale House" variety (or alternately to tattoo your back with gang symbols). But to Tschichold, black letter type was the Times New Roman of the day, plastered over every document and sign around. He argues correctly (in self-righteous, quasi-Marxist tones) about the unintelligibility of black letter type. He champions san serif styles, such as Futura.
   
   Strictly speaking, Tschichold's arguments aren't of much practical use to contemporary designers now that the scourge of black letter has fallen aside and Helvetica/Arial rules the world, but I enjoyed the reproductions of Tschichold's own Weimar Republic era work. It reminds me of the possibility of using a strictly typographic solution to a design problem. I think if you were ever a fan of Emigre's type and design philosophy, you'll find things to like about this book.



5. Este libro introduce en el estudio de las nuevas tipografias que surgen a principio de siglo en Alemania. Si bien el traductor reconoce que el autor esta equivocado en algunas de sus apreciaciones (tengan en cuenta que se escribio a principios de siglo) no deja de ser una forma de comprender los cambios mentales que surgen de las tipografias, y como estas interactuan con la sociedad.

3 comments about Tattoos from Paradise: Traditional Polynesian Patterns.

1. This is an excellent book as a historical reference for Polynesian Tattooing. It offers no new ideas or artwork but combines the historical information from previously published books. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Polynesian tattooing as not the definitive, but a good reference. It focuses a lot on Maori Tattooing and less on other cultures but that may be due to the fact that the Ta Moko had more documentation or illustrations that this author could use to fill his book. This is also a good reference into Polynesian culture because it documents that historically the Tatau was not a fad, or in anyway a negative, rebellious action in Polynesia. Ta Tatau was interwoven into the culture and life as a positive art form historically and today.



2. At a time when there is a cultural rage for "tribal tattooing," there is a scarcity of materials on Polynesian tattooing. This book finally addresses that need. The book contains many historical photographs of examples of 7 different polynesian culture's uses of tattoo. Brief summaries examine each area's history and methods for tattooing. The book is very attractively done. Recommended for anyone serious about tattooing.



3. It i great to know there are books like this that are out that can help the younger polynesian generation learn about their ansetries art and culture.

5 comments about The Great Funk: Falling Apart and Coming Together (on a Shag Rug) in the Seventies.

1. The author provides a good oversight of the 70's, with respect to fashion, music, attitude, politics, crime--pretty much all of life's bulletpoints. A pretty decent book. Written in a textbook style.



2. This book reads as a very interesting dissection of the 1970's and offers some interesting insights into what made the 70's so memorable. The book does a great job of rehashing many of the memorable snippets of the decade like shag carpeting and pet rocks. It also does a decent job of profiling some of the significant political crisis of the era like Watergate, the Oil Shock and the Hostage Crisis.
   
   Still it fails to a large degree because it is so disjointed and doesn't try to tie together all it's various stories into one piece. It's all over the place and is just a jumble of 1970s snapshots. So it's a fun read but don't expect a deeper understanding of the 1970s from it.



3. Memories are very personal things. We see snapshots in our brains of where we were, how we felt, how others looked, and what we saw and heard. For those of us who were going to school, getting married, finding a job, and just surviving the 70's, our memories of the times are very self-centered.
   
   Along comes Thomas Hine to put it into context. Joined by great, embarrassing photos of the times, Hine's social commentary explains much of what we remember. A lot more happened in the 70s than bad hair, awful colors, and ridiculous outfits. That macramed plant hanger? Everyone had plants hanging around, because they provided insulation from the impersonal world of work. If we didn't have plants, it was because we didn't think we could commit to keeping them alive. Thus the Pet Rock. Yet as silly as that now seems, the Pet Rock represents a time of single adults living alone. It was in the 70s that generations split up. Grandma, Mom and Daughter started living in three separate homes, a phenomenon which continues today. The now ubiquitous pantsuit is also from the 70s, as women entered the workforce in droves. Research on solar panels began during that time of gas shortages. The demise of job security came as Baby Boomers entered the workforce with five applicants for every job.
   
   Sure, we remember peasant shirts, leisure suits, maxiskirts, and green and gold appliances. I still have the red-copper colored crockpot wedding present. But it wasn't until I read The Great Funk that the episodic memories in my brain began to blend into a picture of the decade I became an adult. Thanks, Thomas Hine.



4. Toward the end of Thomas Hine's terrific new book, "The Great Funk", he reminds us that even after 225 pages of historical remembrances about the Seventies, this was a truly awful decade. For those of us who came of age then, Hine's offering is a cheerful, if whimsical look back...for others who were not alive at the time, this may be the best (and only) chance to get to know it.
   
   "The Great Funk" is such a pleasure to read because it has a Seventies' "look" about it. Stylized with photos that have no uniformed place, this is a book mostly about culture. The "funk" part certainly involved our leaders at the time who gave us no hope or inspiration....the conniving Richard Nixon, the likeable but ineffectual Gerald Ford and the negative, pessimistic Jimmy Carter. No wonder Hine marks the end of the decade with the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in early 1981. While it can be said that the decade was an outgrowth of the Sixties and led in some ways into the mechanized Eighties, the Seventies was a time that's hard to pigeonhole or even characterize as much more than a mishmash of clashing culture. And yet, through it all, the author has captured whatever essence those years had with a distinct clarity. I highly recommend "The Great Funk"...it may just cheer you into reality.



5. I thought I knew something about the 1970s, but I was wrong--reading The Great Funk made me realize how much I was missing, and it was a lot! Hine's book brings it all to life--and the illustrations are fabulous! Where did he find them? A really significant contribution to the cultural history of the USA, but also wildly enjoyable!
   
   Rob Iorillo
   Sonoma, California

No comments about Snyder's Medieval Art.

1 comments about Ceramics and Print (Ceramics Handbooks).

1. Paul Scott Takes you through the historical and contemporary uses of print and clay. Very little has been written about the unusual marriage between print and clay. The book is written in an easy to follow dialogue that explains the processes involved and includes many color photographs. I recommend the book to anyone interested ceramics and imagery.