No comments about Ethics And the Visual Arts.

No comments about Laocoon: An Essay upon the Limits of Painting and Poetry.

1 comments about Blaine Fontana: Sedimental Promises (Upper Playground).

1. Blaine does killer work. But the photography is bad, so it doesn't do the work the full justice it deserves.
   
   Buy it anyway. Just don't pay more than $20 for it.

No comments about Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate about the Benefits of the Arts.

No comments about Curiosity and Enlightenment: Collectors and Collections from the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century.

3 comments about Art of Tibet (World of Art).

1. The beautiful and complex art of Tibet accepts many stylistic influences from other countries, including India (Pala, and later even the Mughal Empire), Nepal, Kashmir, and of course, China. Iconographically, it draws on the incredibly complicated Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhist pantheon, in which innumerable gods, originally from Hindu India, are first recycled through the esoteric doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism, then redoubled to add their Tibet-specific divine consorts and guardians, and finally redoubled again to add all the monks, lamas, arhats, founders, and followers of each of four major monastic (teaching) orders and their many sub-lineages.

   Fortunately, we have Fisher's book to help guide us and start to make sense of it all. The author begins with an overview of the Tibetan pantheon - Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Protectors, revered humans - and goes on to review the major forms of expression in architecture, painting, and sculpture. These are followed by a chronological survey of the art of Tibet, from the 11th to the 19th centuries. The book contains 180 illustrations, half of which are in color. Many of the black-and-white photographs depict wonderful objects which, sadly, have not survived into the present day.

   Because there is so much detail in Tibetan painting, the small format of the illustrations (page size 6" x 8") can be a disadvantage. Another caution is that a book this size (200 pages) can't possibly answer all the questions that even a beginner might have. Within its size limitations, however, the author has done a good job of illustrating and discussing the essentials of this art; the book is a real bargain at the price. I used it as a quick "refresher" before seeing the "Himalayas" exhibit (2003, Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC), and in general I think the book would be helpful and enjoyable to just about anyone who is looking for an introduction or review of the art of Tibet.




2. This book abounds with solid, logically presented information, free of art-speak and subjective judgments. Every place referenced in the text is shown on the comprehensive map which is undistorted by page joinery, lying flat when the book is opened. Discussions of materials and techniques are understandable. Every artistic expression of the Tibetan culture available to collections is covered. Tibetan history is integrated easily into the text as is Buddhist thought. Buddhism is placed historically and culturally in relation to indigenous influences and neighboring cultures, past and present. Traditions and schools are presented clearly and thoughtfully. For an introduction to Tibetan art, this is THE book. It is a supporting text, a springboard to better understanding the exhibition books.



3. My main disappointment with this book is that "Art of Tibet" really turns out to mean "Buddhist Art of Tibet". Perhaps one page is spent addressing the art and culture of Tibet prior to the introduction of Buddhism. This is a very brief survey book good to have as a reference for the most well-known pieces but not able to stand alone if you need more detail. I would recommend it as an introductory book, and advise seeking others if the topic interests you.

No comments about Artisans in Early Imperial China.

5 comments about The Artist's Guide to New Markets: Opportunities to Show and Sell Art Beyond Galleries.

1. If you are so disconnected from the world that this book is helpful to you then you are probably too far gone already.
   
   Did you know that there are things out there called Art Fairs? No? Then there's a whole chapter telling you that there is! Of course all the chapter does is tell you to buy the leading art fair magazine. No joke!
   
   Does hearing that you should find a way to make potential buyers feel like their lives will be enriched by your art fill you with ideas? If so then you've got a whole chapter beating that very notion to death. You think I'm kidding?
   
   If those things seem novel to you, here's another: It's called the internet and you can find out everything in this book and more, including actual working links and contact information, for a lot less money.
   
   Sorry, this book is not very good. There is just absolutely nothing new in it and it's told in such a demeaning/upbeat style that will have all but the most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed gnashing their teeth. If it isn't a gallery then this book considers it "new" and wastes no amounts of usefulness giving it a gloss-over.



2. I started reading this book and did not put it down until it was done. Although some info is outdated, it is an excellent read.



3. ...it would stop them from having access to the most valuable ideas to helping anyone from progressing as a serious artist, and leave more room for ME to advance!!!!
   I thought I was an ideas person, and knew most of the ways of getting my art 'out there' but this book is jam packed with viable options of all imaginable venues and opportunities, as well as spelling out specific contacts and how to go about it all.
   From the moment I opened the book, I was highlighting, jotting down ideas, and revitalised in my enthusiasm to succeed with my art. I intend to read, re-read, and then read again this book. It will become my artist 'bible'.
   It encouraged me to put effort into submitting work to a hospital where it will now be viewed by thousands of people, and other exciting projects are now being explored.
   A HUGE thank you to Peggy for writing this book and being so generous with her first-hand knowledge sharing. I certainly learnt SO much from it, and would have to recommend it to any artist who wishes to progress in the art world (even though I wish they don't buy it, so that I can have all the opportunities to myself!).



4. Keep this on your bookshelf to get your mind jumpstarted re: where to show your work. It's a great guide to be read cover-to-cover or just occasionally flipping through. The suggestions of how and where can be easily answered if you're wondering how to get started in showing your work. It's like someone is there to hold your hand when you're worried or to cheer you on when you're excited.



5. Great Book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. This book looks like a do it yourself art promotion book. This book gives me hope and confidence outside the gallery realm. Some of these are markets I never even heard of and list many references. Page 45 on corporations is a really inspirational section and even lists some. The book even talks about marketing to public transit systems which is where I work. I recommend this book to any artist who wants to sell their work. This is one of the best art marketing books I ever read.

2 comments about Unrecounted (New Directions Paperbook).

1. UNRECOUNTED is a collaborative work by the deceased and sorely missed WG Sebald and his life long artist friend Jan Peter Tripp. Together they blocked 33 poems and 33 lithographs on apposing pages that were meant to create a sense of communication. In Sebald's words "The longer I look at the pictures of Jan Peter Tripp, the better I understand that behind the illusions of the surface, a dread-inspiring depth is concealed. It is the metaphysical lining of reality, so to speak."
   
   As a devoted reader of all of Sebald's output I was eagerly looking forward to yet another posthumous document from this astonishingly fine writer. What is in this handsome volume is not really 'poetry' but rather brief haiku-like musings. Not that they aren't lovely, it is just that they are not up to the challenging standards of his novels. Still one is left with a satisfied feeling having read this (sideways printed) book of thoughts. The art of Tripp is stunning - eyes of famous writers and thinkers. In the end, in Sebald's own critical self examination, these works are "time lost, the pain of remembering, and the figure of death". As such, they gain more meaning. Grady Harp, September 05



2. My first thought was that Sebald (1944-2001) might have been a great novelist but he wasn't too good as a poet. And my second thought was that the good people at New Directions are really milking his posthumous fame to try to sell this puzzling "keepsake," as they call it, for $22.95, when it is so manifestly inferior to his other books. But luckily I kept the book on top of my desk for awhile and presently found myself returning to it again and again, trying to puzzle out what made it different than other books of poetry I had read. These "micropoems," as the translator calls them, do creep under your skin.
   
   Here's one:
   
   The house
   
   in the night
   through the windows
   the flickering light of
   flames
   
   That's it! As New Directions lays them out, these lines are all centered a la Michael McClure (it's hard to tell if Sebald planned this effect.) By the way the translator (Michael Hamburger) must be British and I wonder what a good US translator could have done with the German of these poems which the editor has supplied as an appendix for our eluctation at the back of the book. They are so short you could copy them all out on your lunch hour, but they gain weight and resonance by their placement next to the lithographs that inspired them-33 portraits by Sebald's best friend Jan-Peter Tripp) of people's eyes. (A lot of the poetry is about questions of seeing, perception, realization, etc) I thought I recognized some of the faces and I was right in one case only. The eyes are mostly those of famous artists (Francis Bacon, rembrandt, Jasper Johns, Barnett Newman) and writers (Capote, Borges, Burroughs) and some of the juxtapositions attain a transparency as luminous as ice water. But you don't find out whose eyes they are until the end, so the volume has the aspect of a parlor game to it. By the way, check out page 74. It says those are the eyes of Proust, but they look like Rex Harrison to me!
   
   So you're reading these haiku and puzzling over whose eyes are whose and before you know it, you are swept away into the land of the Unerzahlt for the ride of a lifetime.

5 comments about The Envelope Mill: Recycle Magazines into Beautifully Crafted Envelopes/Book and Templates.

1. I was excited to get this book as I love to recycle stuff and make new stuff. But when I got the book in the mail (which even used, I paid over 20 dollars for including shipping) it was missing the clear templates. And of course, without the templates, you can not use the book. The seller who I purchased it from did not mention the missing templates in the item description and I assumed that if it wasn't mentioned, everything would be there as expected. That is the problem with these large warehouse-type online stores; they have so much inventory and most of the time, they don't even know when a product doesnt have everything it should have in order to sell it. I am waiting feedback from the seller in regards to a refund but I'm now going to have to eat the cost to send it back, which is money out of my pocket. The book is great in theory and I can't wait to try it WHEN I can get a copy of the book WITH the templates. I'm now going to have to try other sellers and make sure to check and double check that when I repurchase that it DOES have the templates. If you are interested in the book, I would encourage you to do the same.



2. The subject of this book is how to create envelopes from printed materials using the plastic templates included in the back of the book. They were missing from the book I received. If the advertisement for the book had stated the templates were missing I would not have purchased this book, because without them the book is useless.



3. I received this book as a gift, and it is one of my favorites. HOWEVER - could someone please explain why a book issued in
   1995 at a cost of $19.95 is currently priced from $44.00 to $50.00??



4. I just noticed that they are wanting over $40 for this book. I like this book BUT it is just a beginner book on this subject and not worth $40. The book has envelope templates but you can get templates FREE on the net. Otherwise this book is just "eye candy". If you saw Ms. Harvey on HGTV then you pretty much saw what is in her book.
   
   So unless you can get it for $15 or under I'd say skip it.



5. This is an ok book. If you have envelope templates already then I'd say pass on this book because the text isn't that novel. There just isn't much to it......select a page from a magazine, plop the template down, draw around the shape of the template, cut it out and glue it up. Voila. I'm actually surprised the author was able to turn this topic into a book. It does have a few unique ideas like using special scissors like the deckle edge to cut out the envelope shape. It might be a good book for someone just starting to play around with templates and making envelopes. I was just looking for something for more advanced mail art.