No comments about Chinese Festivals: Power and Delicacy in a Majestic Art/Chinese New Year Paintings (Arts of China).

3 comments about Max Beckmann.

1. Max Beckmann edited by Sean Rainbird, published by Tate Publishing in conjunction with the Centre Georges Pompidou and the MoMA. ISBN 0870702416 clothbound, ISBN 0870702426 Paperbound. 296pp, 11.5"x9.75" (29x25cm). - Check these details as Amazon sometimes get their cross-listings for other editions wrong.
   
   The dust-jacket flap describes this as "the first comprehensive English language catalogue on the artist published since ... 1984. It contains new research by German, British and American scholars." The book comprises thirteen essays, including several by practising artists; it concludes with an extensive and detailed Chronology, a Select Bibliography, List of Works and an Index.
   
   The many essays make fascinating reading, some deal with more general subjects or a period in the Beckmann's development including the difficult times of his exile; others discuss perhaps a specific work. There are extensive Notes for each essay. It illustrated profusely throughout in full colour (174 illustrations), including many of the drawings; the images are of a good size with many full page or larger. In addition there are 40 black and white illustrations which include examples of the work of other artists, a few of Beckmann's drawings, and many photographs of the artist. The illustrations run with the text and appear on or close to the page upon which they are discussed, this rule appears at time to be followed so closely that some works appear more than once.
   
   It is a very well produced book; the illustrations are of high quality and reveal the texture of the paint surface and the colours are rich and bold. It is a worthy book providing a broad coverage of the artist, his work and his life.



2. intelligent text and many illustrations, sadly however, none are in color. Beckmann deserves more.



3. This book is the catalogue for the largest Beckmann exhibition ever held, in 2003,at the Centre Pompidou, the Tate Gallery and the Moma. All the masterpieces of this great artist are illustrated and explained, following a clear chronology and putting them in the historical and social context in which they were created. High-quality texts (especially the analysis of Beckmann's influence on contemporary artists like P.Guston)make this an indispensable work. Highly recommended.

2 comments about Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art (Yale Publications in the History of Art).

1. If you are going to judge the actions of the people in this book with your own personal biases, I recommend you put the book down. Coming from the USA, immediate the thought of Genital Mutilation puts me in disgust, but I put it into perspective with the beautiful culture of the Mende. As in Western/developed societies where people do what is the norm, it is the same the world over, even though norms are different. From what I've learned, the general opinion used to be that African cultures had no aesthetics, because they do not completely mimic popular US trends, etc. The author made this book in an attempt to prove to the Western influenced societies that African cultures do have standards of beauty and acceptance.



2. I understand that this book was written in the late seventies, but still, trying to rationalize one of the central rituals of the Mende culture, the forced, surgical removal of the clitoris of teen and pre-teen girls as a pre-requisite of their entering the adult community, is horrifying. Did the author perhaps get too much sun as she was doing her field work for her Ph.d from Yale in this community? How can she not condemn this aspect of female life in Sierra Leone's tribal communities, and seem to condone,or ignore, this most extraordinarily monstrous practice around which the whole society is organized. Perhaps the book is an interesting study of standards of feminine beauty in in a west african community, but to me, as a woman, I just couldn't get past the fact that this miserable ritual is at the heart of their society. The book is well written and full of interesting and exotic information, and is worth reading if only to raise your blood pressure, be you male or female, as to the sorry state of women in the world even in this, the year 2000.

1 comments about The Herman Miller Collection: The 1955/1956 Catalog (Schiffer Book for Collectors and Designers).

1. This book may be the most important Herman Miller reference sorce out there. It out lines, with origanal catalog photos, what most collectors consider the most important design period ever.

No comments about Thinking About Music: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Music.

1 comments about Maine in America: American Art at The Farnsworth Art Museum.

1. In it's fifty years of existence the Farnsworth Art Museum has focused on acquiring a collection of art that represents the history of art and artists in Maine. This 256 page book is an excellent survery of their holdings from the early paintings of J Jonathan Fisher to the realist paintings of Neil Welliver.

   There is a one page review of each of 84 artists followed by one to three color plates of their works held by the Farnsworth. The biographical sketch of each artist is concise and accurately describes how the artist fits into not only art in Maine but art in America from the 18th century to the present.

   I love Maine art and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it.

No comments about Tolkien's Middle-Earth and Monsters Postcard Book: A Book of 40 Postcards.

2 comments about Fantasy Clip Art: Everything You Need to Create Your Own Professional-Looking Fantasy Artwork.

1. I was going to buy this book when I saw it in a local bookstore. I decided against it, however, when I read the highly restrictive license the authors/publishers placed the book and CD under.
   
   Basically, I'm prohibited from using any derivative works I create with this book for any reason, any time, without paying royalties. So, if I really like the look of the _arm_ of one of the characters in the book and attach it to a character of my own creation in one frame in my 30 page, 180-frame comic, I'm screwed.
   
   Other clip art books (e.g., Dover) wisely note that the clip art is for actual use, and as long as I don't try to sell their clip art in a clip art book (thereby competing directly), or make a derivative work that is mostly their stuff, they allow me free use of the art I purchase. Unfortunately, Crossley (or his publisher) doesn't understand the purpose of clip art books, and sadly places his "valuable" intellectual property safely out of my reach in any practical way.
   
   Thanks, but no thanks.



2. This book provides a wealth of top-quality fantasy art resources which can be used for all sorts of creative projects - including board, card and even video games. It's a really attractive book to own, with top quality color printing throughout. If you know your way around Photoshop, but don't have the talent to create artwork for yourself then this book is a complete gold mine.

1 comments about Health Hazards Manual for Artists: Fifth Revised and Augmented Edition.

1. This book is great for anyone that works in a studio. It makes you really think about your health and there are plenty of things in here that I wouldn't have normally thought about.

1 comments about Auguste Rodin (Lives of the Artists series).

1. "Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be. But a great artist-a master-and that is what Auguste Rodin was-can look at an old woman, protray her exactly as she is...and force the viewer to see the pretty girl she used to be...and more than that, he can make anyone with the sensitivity of an armadillo, or even you, see that this lovely young girl is still alive, not old and ugly at all, but simply prisoned inside her ruined body. He can make you feel the quiet, endless tragedy that there was never a girl born who ever grew older than eighteen in her heart...no matter what the merciless hours have done to her. Look at her, Ben. Growing old doesn't matter to you and me; we were never meant to be admired-but it does to them."
   
   -Robert A. Heinlein "Stranger in a Strange Land"