2 comments about Florence: The City and Its Architecture.

1. While spending a week in Florence in April, visiting many museums that do not allow interior photographs, I noticed this book in a museum gift shop. I copied the ISBN and purchased from Amazon once I arrived home so I could avoid carting books home and getting a very good price from Amazon. The book is beautiful and provided insight into a city that has evolved over many centuries.



2. Florence: The City And Its Architecture by architect and architectural historian Richard Goy is an astounding, profusely illustrated coffee table book showcasing the architectural majesty of this proud Italian city. Filled from cover to cover with superb color photographs of some of Florence's most eye-catching, stately, and historical treasures of architectural excellence, the extensive and informative text takes the reader on a memorable tour through the city as well as its architectural history. Florence: The City And Its Architecture is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any academic Architectural History collection, and would make a superb choice as a Memorial Acquisition title for public library systems as well.

5 comments about The Old Way of Seeing: How Architecture Lost Its Magic - And How to Get It Back.

1. I have six shelves filled with books on architecture, design, urban planning, and proportion, including several books by Christopher Alexander, Andres Duany, Jim Kunstler, Philip Langdon, Peter Katz, and Jane Holz Kay. This one's my favorite. It's the most accessible and useful. What differentiates it is that it provides abundant photos, with lines overlaying them, that very clearly illustrate the author's point. His writing style is easy and generous. It's been a while since I read it, but I'm pretty sure Hale does not advocate brutal Le Corbusier-inspired design. He might have used one picture to illustrate that these ancient principles can also be used in modern architecture.
   
   Hale focuses on illustrating things like the proportion of individual windows and how their proportion and placement do or do not harmonize with the side of the house they're on. I believe the principles Hale explains perfectly complement those that Andres Duany writes about. The biggest difference is that Duany focuses on design issues at the larger scale of street widths, building heights, and walking distances. I think if Duany added design harmony at the building level, one very coherent, unified theory would be the result.
   
   One take-away of this book for me is this: You're looking at a house or building and something about it pleases you, but you can't put your finger on exactly what. He clearly illustrates what those things are for you, which satisfies your logical left brain. On the other hand, he strongly encourages designers to use their intuitive right brain, which instinctively knows what proportions and details are pleasing in a building. In the end, you design with the right brain by letting it loose to play with form, and then you can fine tune using the regulating lines the left brain loves so much.
   
   Far from advocating the "architect as auteur," Hale reminds us that almost no old houses were built using architects. Ordinary people, like farmers, built things of great beauty just by using the wise right brain to "eyeball" things like proportion, balance, harmony, and placement.



2. I purchased this book on the recommendation of a woodworking magazine writer I have come to respect. Though the book is on architecture I can see how many of the principles apply to furniture making as well. I understand what this author is saying, but sometimes thought that his geometric "hidden" relationships were somewhat stretched. I think I could probably do the same thing with any building if I looked at it long enough. It sometimes felt like a real tough read for me (it certainly helped me go to sleep many nights). Given this book appears out of print and he hefty price I paid for it, I would certainly look elsewhere if you are coming from the same direction I came from on the purchase. An understanding of the golden ratio, shadow lines and looking at some classic pieces (shaker, federal, etc.) will probably yield equal or better benefit to your own furniture design making. Though out of my league, I would stretch to say the same exact thing to an architect.



3. This book is quite good and contains some surprising revelations on why buildings look the way they do. It's an excellent book but can be vague in some areas as the author attempts to convey some very theoretical concepts.



4. Jonathan Hale's book so truly reveals the source of the hidden 'feel' in older buildings as also described by Christopher Alexander in 'A Timeless Way of Building', and which also draws parallels to other aspects of life.

   Hale cites the turning point in society away from the honoring our human 'intuition' to the honoring of 'rational' or 'calculating' thinking which so drastically altered the 'feel' and look of architecture, and he puts this date around 1830. Alexis de Tocqueville also described the 'calculating' way of thinking in America which he encountered after that time..and who is also cited by Hale.

   Truly worth the read, and it will probably change not only the way you look at buildings from now on, but also the way 'calculating' thinking dominates so many aspects of life now. I personally find when I get back into situations where the people and their decisions operate more from the basis of intuition, I feel a lot more human and natural, and no longer feel obliged to say the 'accepted' things which so many of us find ourselves saying, but not really believing. Hale's book has helped me understand why this is, and made me feel more comfortable with being natural and intuitive.




5. The "old way of seeing" is a phrase that architect/author Hale coins that describes an aesthetic sense that cannot be easily categorized in terms like Historic, Modernism, or Post modernism. He builds a thorough argument calling for a combination of design that incorporates universal human fondness for pattern with a designer sense of intuition and play. He argues that such "old way of seeing" has been lost in much by both the designer and the wider public and that today's contemporary architecture and built environment is the result. It's not that Hale is a traditionalist or even a Neo-traditonalist... it's just that he argues that most contemporary architecture (and all design for that matter) deals too much with style and superficial symbols than with basic elements of design such as proportion, balance, and structure. At first this may sound like he is supporting a Modernist view of design, but this is not the case, He has some of his severest criticism of the sterility, blandness and generally lack of delight that results from this"form follows function" paradigm.

   While Hale appreciates Post Modern's return to architecture as delight, he is equally critical of this movement as well, claiming that it focuses almost entirely on effect and status and symbol. He extends this criticism to todays' "Neo-traditonal" planners including Andres Duany and claims they are superficial and obsessed with codes and regulations which tend to deaden the designs.

   The author covers a lot of ground in this subject of architecture, art and design, but it is always interesting reading, with good photos and illustrations, Hale's easy writing style brings to life the issues he talks about, though at times he seems to stretch to make a point. He uses a photo of Audrey Hepburn's face superimposed with lines and diagonals to illustrate the "Golden Section" proportion to the accuracy of 1/1000 of a decimal. I'm tempted to say that some of the points he makes are not particularly objective and are the result of a "You'll see it when you believe it" tendency (like when the believing Catholic sees a miracle of the face of the Virgin Mary in the stains on the side of a building.)

   Overall, though this is a ground-breaking book on architecture and design, perhaps the most significant since Venturi's "Learning from Las Vegas" in the 1970's. It's well worth the time and energy to read. Ideas will spin from it long after one finishes the book. Just don't take every word as gospel.

1 comments about Best in Show: The Dog in Art from the Renaissance to Today.

1. I am an artist who paints animals - wildlife and pet portraits. I bought this book in hopes that I would have, in one volume, fine art images of dogs: to learn from, to get inspiration from.
   
   This book did not disappoint me. WHile it is not by any means a scholarly work - in other words, it contains no real information on the methods, motives or analysis of the works depicted. It is very well illustrated and has light context commentary about the works and the artists who produced them. The number of color plates is generous, the range of illustrations is broad, well produced and includes little known as well as famous works, by masters from western and eastern traditions, from pre-renaissance through modern times.
   
   I recommend this book for anyone who loves dogs - and for artists who are looking for a compilation reference.

5 comments about Eastern Philosophy For Beginners.

1. I appreciate the format this book attempts to use and the audience it is working to reach. It covers a wide range of religious thought and non-religious philosophy, even some minor schools of thought, with an appreciable lack of bias. However, I have a few serious gripes. The first is the massive number of formatting errors and total lack of continuous, fluid formatting. The font is ugly and oftentimes words spill out of their designated boxes and into images. The second is the way attention is paid to minor matters, such as legends and myths surrounding people, and horded when it comes to technical explanations and historical descriptions. This is worst when the author goes on speels about female anatomy and sexuality. He will spend a page describing, in cliché "Oriental" terms such as "jade stalk" and "lush valley" the process of lovemaking, then fail to explain what Taoists believe. These shortcomings were enough to force my decision to find a better introduction to Eastern philosophy, despite having read this entire book through - just in case there was anything worthwhile. There wasn't, unless all books on this subject are so bad.



2. "Eastern Philosophy for Beginners" by Jim Powell [Writers & Readers Publishing, NY, 2000, 181 pages] is a delightful book, commended to beginners interested in learning the basics of eastern philosophy and religion, as well as to experts inclined to enjoy a refreshing new look at the subject. In spite of its unassuming title, the book is quite comprehensive, and charmingly illustrated. The concepts are lucidly presented, along with descriptions of the historical and cultural contexts. Reader's questions are anticipated and answered by way of frequent dialogs between an intrepid learner, "Alice," and her very-much-in-the-know companion, "Caterpillar." The book begins with an introductory orientation, and a fascinating exposition of the philosophies and religions of India, followed by those of China, then those of Japan, and finally of Tibet. The index is thorough. There is a brief bibliography for those desirous of further reading.
   Arthur Hubbard
   Santa Barbara Science Project
   November 2001



3. This book made me aware of how much I do not know about Eastern philosophies and religious systems. For, instance, I had thought that vegetarianism originated with the Hindus. In fact, as Powell points out, the Hindus adopted it from the Jains. This book packs a lot of insight into a deceptively facile genre.



4. This book gave me some good ideas for my Religious Studies paper. Actually, it gave me more good ideas than the books assigned by my professor! Also, the many illustrations, especially the 19th century engravings, made me feel as if I was walking through ancient India and China. My favorite section was "The Incredible Lightness of Beijing."

   The books approaches Asian Religions historically, with the major focus being on India and China.

   This is a fine, clearly written and insightful book.




5. I liked this book because it will push almost everyone's buttons. First of all, Indians don't like to hear that their Vedic culture had its origins outside of India. Powell shows that it did. Hindus don't like to admit that vegetarianism came from outside of Hinduism. Powell shows that it came from Jainism. As an aside, Powell's contention that the Hindu Goddesses such as Saraswati are not central in Hindu theology is correct. The Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are central. Powell's point is that before the patriarchal Aryan influence, India may have had a form of Goddess worship in which a Goddess was central, as in some other cultures. They are not central, however, in Hinduism. Although there is much attention given to Goddess worship in India, it is nevertheless a culture, as Powell points out, in which widows were expected to jump into the funeral fire to join their deceased husbands. Some of these husbands were rajas and some of them had hundreds or even thousands of wives. If Goddess worship were central in India would women need to prove their purity and sanctity by burning themselves to death in their husbands funeral pyres?

   Powell is irreverent and informative. His approach is mainly historico-comical. However, he leaves most of the humor up to the illustrator and focuses instead on systematically presenting rather complex ideas. Furthermore, the illustrations imply that the entire narrative (in the form of a conversation between the Hookah-Smlking Caterpillar and Alice in Worderland) is just a pipe dream--that any representation of the Orient--including this one--is fated to be just a representation--not the Orient.

No comments about From Periphery To Center: Art Museum Education in the 21st Century.

No comments about Frameworks for Modern Art (Art of the Twentieth Century).

3 comments about Unlikely Pairs (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures).

1. . . . OR, rigid ideas about ART. Bob Raczka's cover 'pair' is amusing and colorful: the thundering Niagara opposite Bingham's fur traders as they edge toward the brink (?) on a deceptively calm Missouri River. It may well be my favorite double spread but among the next pages are "soap bubbles" and the pairing of Kandinsky's "several circles" that come close.
   
   Van Gogh's "pair of boots" - is a little-known masterpiece and the pairing may be apt (what legs!) but how can we Not think of the boots displayed on our National Mall to memorialize the soldiers killed in the war against Iraq?
   
   Each of Raczka's "pairs" is compelling, and the titles of the books in his Art Adventures Series for children are well-chosen for catching the eyes of parents & educators. We ALL hope to stir the imaginations of cildren. and need to be encouraged by creative artists like Bob Raczka. Lerner Books deserves praise for publishing great art education titles through their recent acquisition Millbrook Press.
   
   And YES, Reviewer mcHaiku's imagination has begun pairing other works of ART. The Chagall windows at Chicago's Art Institute come to mind when viewing "the scream" and my mind leaps ahead to other favorites: Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894), Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), Tsugohau Foujita (1886-1968), Diego Rivera (1886-1957), Charles Burchfield (1893-1967), Wanda Gag (1893-1946).
   
   What exciting adventures Bob Raczka has started us on! Don't be 'fenced in' . . . miss none of his titles.



2. Bob Raczka has written several interesting books about art for children. "More Than Meets the Eye: Seeing Art With All Five Senses" encouraged children to experience art through their mouths, ears, noses and fingertips. This meant tasting Thiebaud's "Cakes," hearing Tanner's "The Banjo Lesson," smelling Wyeth's "Portrait of a Pig," feeling Rivera's "The Tortilla Maker," and seeing Close's "Self-Portrait." "No One Saw: Ordinary Things Through the Eyes of an Artist" celebrated the artistic vision of modern artists from Renoir to Kandinsky. Young readers were introduced to individual artists and the special way in which they see the world.
   
   In "Unlikely Pairs: Fun with Famous Works of Art," Raczka provides a way of looking at works of art that is quite different from what you would find in a museum. Their works are usually displayed by the artist, movement, or time period (although an exhibition might provide a more thematic approach). In this challenging book, Raczka puts together 26 famous works of art by dividing them into 13 "unlikely pairs." The pairings are "unlikely" because the artists come from completely different ears or at least represent completely different styles. The assumption is that when you see two very different pieces of art side-by-side that your mind will automatically start making connections between them. To be clear, Raczka does not tell his readers, whether they are young or old, what to think. He merely provides the opportunity for them to do so.
   
   For example, the cover shows Andy Warhol's "Do-It-Yourself-Landscape" on the left side page and Jean-Frederic Bazille's "Self-Portrait" on the right. The two paintings were done 97 years apart and the reason they are paired is that Bazille is shown hoping a paintbrush and palette while Warhol's painting is incomplete (numbers 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 16 remain to be done). The other pairings are equally humorous, from Jan Vermeer's "The Guitar Player" providing the music for Keith Haring's dancing figures in "Untitled," to Frans Hals' "Young Man Holding a Skull" freaking out Edvard Munch's "The Scream."
   
   Not all of the artworks are paintings. Emile-Antoine Bourdelle's "Herakles Archer" takes aim at Jasper Johns' "Target with Four Faces," while Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker" contemplates Paul Klee's "Large Chess Board." Okay, I am going to stop now because there are only thirteen of these and since the humor comes from the visual juxtaposition describing them spoils the fun. One pair works vertically rather than horizontally. The back of the book tells readers a little bit about each author next to a thumbnail reproduction of their artwork that appears in the book.
   
   The only problem with this book is that there are only 13 such pairs because these only whet your appetite for more of the same. I want to share these with my Introduction to Humanities course, and think it would be fun (and instructive, but not necessarily in that order), to have students put together their own such combinations for the class. I am sure that art teachers or anybody dealing with students with regards to art could do the same thing. I bet that right now you are thinking up your own combinations, like Renoir's "Bathers" and da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." See how easy it is to come up with combinations that can readily produce a smile?



3. This book is so great! I love this book, I love this author. The author, Bob Raczka, juxtaposes two completely different art works to create hilarious scenes. For example, there is a paint-by-numbers type of painting next to a painting of an artist standing and looking in the direction of the page with the paint-by-numbers, holding his paint palette. In another combination, there is a painting of a waterfall. Next to that, you will see a painting of a few men in a small canoe paddling straight towards the falls. I shared this book with a group of complaining and disenchanted fourth graders and it made every single one of them smile and laugh. Success.

No comments about Study Guide for Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Volume II (Chapters 19-34), 12th.

2 comments about The Truth in Painting.

1. A reading of Adami's reading of Derrida's Glas. Fantastic book. Recommended to those who want a new view of painting, art, and history in general.



2. Derrida has a very complicated way of writing : it is not easy avoiding metaphors, the verb to be, the 'I'. Especially when the subject is art, beacause it is exactly the realm of the aesthetic, the subjective, the presence. This, I think, is one of his most difficult texts.
   This book sets to investigate the multiple questions that develop in the presence of Cezanne's proposal : Cezanne's aim is to tell the truth in painting.
   What is the relation between truth anda beauty, language and image, philosophy and art? Derrida investigates those in two large chapters called 'Parergon' and 'Van Gogh boots'.

3 comments about Thomas Eakins.

1. This book is gorgeous! The essays provide a variety of perspectives on Eakins work. A must have for every fan of Eakins paintings.



2. I'm a rower in high school on the west coast, and you don't really hear much about rowing over here, since it's mostly an east coast sport. So when my history teacher started going over Thomas Eakins and showed a clip about him from a documentary with some examples of his rowing paintings, my attention was immediately captures. I decided to do my term paper on him, but I expected it to be a long and tedious process, judging from the book I got from the library (which looked plain, boring, and old), so I put it off 'till the last minute. I just picked up the book an hour ago for the first time and just got online to see if they had any copies of it ..., since it proved to be well-written and interesting (so you don't space out so much in the middle of paragraphs like I tend to), and because it led me to think about things that are important parts of learning and art and life, but nobody ever talks about. This book proved to be insightful and fascinating, and after only one chapter, I'm hooked on the subject! And to think I was dreading reading it!



3. Anecdotes abound in reference to Thomas Eakins American painter, watercolorist, draftsman, photographer, and sculptor. He is remembered for relaxing after painting by working calculus problems, and shocking friends with stories of his nude models.

   A skilled portraitist he painted Walt Whitman. The poet said of his likeness, "I never knew of but one artist, and that's Tom Eakins, who could resist the temptation to see what they think ought to be rather than what is."

   Whitman's opinion aside, Eakins (1844 - 1916) is recognized as one of the premier American artists to appear following the Civil War. He traveled to Paris for training, and later chose to apply Beaux-Arts techniques to distinctly American subjects. His fondness for athletics is found in his noted scenes of sailing, fishing, and boxing.

   He is equally remembered for his then controversial paintings of surgeons at work, and remains a key figure in American art. This beautiful volume is apt affirmation of Eakins the artist.

   - Gail Cooke