1 comments about How to Look at Outsider Art.

1. Lyle Rexer has opened a door for me when it comes to "outsider art." Because I am new to the genre of Art Brut, my inexperience didn't recognize the possibility that the two terms would not refer to the same thing. Outsider Art and Art Brut (or raw art) are terms one hears used interchangeably despite the fact that they are not identical concepts. The keepers of Art Brut history would define the term as art produced by the historically disenfranchised artist - criminals, children and psychotics - with the primary spotlight illuminating the latter. Outsider art, on the other hand, seems to refer to un-taught or self-taught artistic activity that has become increasingly familiar over the last 4 to 6 decades.
   Rexer does an admirable job representing both systems of expression but it is clear that his sentiments lay firmly embedded in the Art Brut base camp.
   
   The question How to Look at Outsider Art answers for is the very one the title promises to investigate. Rexer is succinct:
   
   How is it possible to appreciate art that is apparently without precedent? How can we understand objects that are unlike anything we have seen - and in some cases strike us as deeply disturbing? (70)
   
   Because our animal-brains sort millions of pieces of information every minute it is necessary that some portions of the onslaught be sorted using different methods. Some information is routed to the discard pile if it poses no threat or garners no curiosity - the typical noise-making of one's house or work environment for example. Some information is processed via a central nervous system reflex arc - the system that saves us from having to conceptualize, interpret and act in situations that mean the difference between safety, injury and survival (i.e.: take your hand off the hot stove before you burn yourself; move away from the person swinging the machete; and so on). The information that is left needs our active attention. This is where art can trip us up.
   
   Human beings are visual-capture animals meaning that we use our sight as the primary interpretive tool while conducting our daily business. As such we are rapid processers and we have thousands of pre-made mental boxes that information is routed into in order to make our experience of living tolerable. When we come across something that our minds cannot decipher immediately we are forced to stop, to step outside the paradigms we've habitualized and make new neural connections. Rexer teaches the reader ways to do just that when viewing Outsider Art and, as a consequence, all art really. Because moving away from our comfortable definitions and assumptions is difficult Rexer offers "general guidelines for `interrogating' the works." (70).
   
   Rexer suggests that when we observe outsider art we should ask some basic questions:
   * What type of art are we viewing - wood work, painting, mixed media?
   * What kinds of materials are used? How do they effect what you see and feel?
   * What kind of imagery is used in the piece? Is there a purpose or a meaning for you as the observer?
   * Is there an appropriate rubric you are comfortable comparing the work to?
   * Is the piece unusual or stereotypical in terms of what's common at the time, in the genre and/or in the history of the genre?
   * How does the artwork compare to other works by the same artist?
   * Is it able to stand alone as an independent work? Does it provide its own definitions or leave them to the observer to determine?
   * Do you know anything about the artist that could inform your opinion of the work further?
   * What assumptions have you made about the art or artist? (75)
   
   The beauty of these questions, of course, is that they are valid stepping off places for looking at any kind of art. The importance here is that so many of us schlep around to galleries and museums and don't have a clue what to think or ask or feel. It would be convenient to be spontaneously inspired to immediate understanding by every piece of artwork one saw but hardly valuable in the scheme of things. Because Outsider Art and/or Art Brut is likely to demand more or demand different things from its observers these questions give us something to anchor our understanding in - a way to process that feels natural and, thereby, places it into the category of familiar so that we spend less time starring with mouths hung open in confusion and more time starring with mouths hung open in awe or delight.

1 comments about Anarchy and Art: From the Paris Commune to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

1. Activist and art critic Allan Antliff presents Anarchy and Art: From the Paris Commune to the Fall of the Berlin Wall, a thoughtful philosophical discussion of art's potential as a conduit to carry messages of revolution and meaningful social change. Focusing on critical moments since the nineteenth century when artists, poets, philosophers, and critics have dared to speak their voice concerning pivotal events, Anarchy and Art complements its text with a number of black-and-white illustrations and a few color plates of provocative works. Anarchy and Art is not a politically neutral examination, reflecting the author's leftist tendencies and commitment to activism, yet its core message about the role of art as a media that can sway hearts and minds resounds fervently in the mind of the reader.

5 comments about 3-D Human Modeling and Animation, Second Edition.

1. For starters the cover pix was not done by Rattner and further more is not posed, rather it was - (tell me if I'm wrong) - modeled in place. There used to be a web page that covered the first chapters of this book, I guess it was taken down because it was hurting sales.
   As was mentioned it skips edge loops and other important aspect of CG sculpting. The book is chocked full of bad anatomy and techniques, it goes about modeling in a shoddy and disorganized way, that will start the beginner off on the wrong foot. You will save money and get a better start using the Joan of Arc tutorial that is available for free on the web.



2. Think this book is very good written. Specially useful for people who wanna fast introduction to 3D-modeling.
   
   Everything starts from simple and goes to very difficult models. Author simply wanna give a reader the most simple explanation of everything.
   How, what to use, how else you can do it...
   
   Think very nice book... it a bit reminds a lessons in school. Every small part of book - is one lesson. But at the same time it's not boring lessons, so think this book have pretty much right for existing.



3. All Modelling concerns with this book aside, the biggest problem I have with 3-D Human Modeling and Animation is simply that the author's models are terrible examples of the human form.
   Not very impressive. If you see this book - just skip to the human face blend shapes section and see what I mean: ugly, anatomically incorrect shapes. This problem permiates through the whole publication. Don't let the cover image fool you (not the authors.)
   
   If you are new to character/organic modelling, I do not recommend this book. If your'e a little more experienced, there's a few chapters here that inspire especially later in the book. I found the reference section on hair shader variations quite handy.



4. It is friendly and understandable. I needed to model a human character using Maya without my instructor being there with me. So I totally did it using the book. It made everything to go smooth and FORWARD.



5. If you want to learn how to model the human form, I defitnely won't recommend this book. I bought this book as a newbie modeller. But it didn't help me a bit. I learned more from reading about modeling and topology on diferent forums. And now I can say that about 90% of Peter Ratner's modeling theories are plain incorrect. He doesn't even mention edge loops. Even if it is mentioned because I missed it, still edge loops is a term that should have been mentioned 10 times or more on every page. It is one of the very pillars of modeling theory. Instead Peter Ratner tells us to extrude a polygon, cut it a few times and move the vertices around until you get the nose shape, or the ear shape or whatever. My grandmother could have told me that for free.
   Anyway, the second half of the book was helpful though. But I must say that the second half (that's about animation and lighting and texturing) is standard knowledge that is explained far better in other books. The CD has a few nice artwork on it. Nothing I could have downloaded from various sites on my own. What could have been more useful was tutorials on how the authors of those images made those images.
   If you are a beginner, skip this one! There are better books like "Stop starring", all the books from the [DIGITAL:] series from the top of my head.

5 comments about Famous Jewelry Collectors.

1. as a collector and wearer of gem stone jewelry, this book caught my attention. the photographs of the collectors and their jewels did not disappint. i would recommend this to any serious jewelry lover.



2. ...for everybody who loves great jewellery.
   
   The books provides both, interesting information about jewellery and gorgeous pictures. It shows the treasure chests of collectors from the aristocracy, society as well as from stars of the stage (both movie and opera). Although I'm particularly interested in noble jewels, it's the mix of collections in this book I really appreciate.
   
   It's always a pleasure to read and look. My book hasn't found yet the way to the bookshelf - it's still right to my hand on the table...



3. I really enjoyed this book, the images are crisp and the text is fascinating. The people in this book live for their jewels and many of them, particularly the Duchess of Windsor, had impeccable taste. Some of the pieces are just stunning, and the background on the collectors is most interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in beautiful jewelry.



4. This book is wonderfull, the jewelry is wonderfull. It renews my faith that at one time people with money DID have some taste. This book is well worth the money spent.



5. An entertaining book with memorable personalities and their world famous baubles. The section on socialities and the nobility is fun to read; especially countess Mona von Bismarck. The incredible story of Poor Little Rich Girl, Barbara Hutton and socialite Daisy Fellowes (she must have been an incredible woman, reading her self-improvement on her nose!). Some of the gems are world famous, like the bejewelled menagerie of the Duchess of Windsor, her cats, her flamingo, her tiger lorgnette etc. All in all, a fun book to read, but not only for lovers of jewellery, but also for people who are interested in royalty, fashion and high society. In short, a nice coffeetable book!

3 comments about Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design.

1. I love this book. It is super visual and has so many crazy textiles and designs. This book is great for inspiration for design.



2. This book was not at all what was expected...
   It almost has no purpose.



3. TECHNO TEXTILES: REVOLUTIONARY FABRICS FOR FASHION AND DESIGN will prove an exciting pick for any designer or artist working in fabrics. Here are features of new textiles developed from carbon, steel and even glass: materials which protect wearers from the environment or offer new versatility traditional fabrics can't match. Accompanying color photos of fabrics in use are discussions of changing trends in fabric construction, design and style - an outstanding display of images in a top-rated title juxtaposing art and functional style. Very highly recommended.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch

4 comments about Incredible Pulps: A Gallery of Fiction Magazine Art (Graphic Art).

1. COVERS OF PULP MAGAZINES ARE ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO BEHOLD.BUT FRANK M. ROBINSON'S "THE INCREDIBLE PULPS,A Gallery of Fiction Magazine Art" ,PUBLISHED BY COLLECTORS PRESS,INC. HAS ITS SHORTCOMINGS.ITS SIZE,FOR INSTANCE.THE BOOK IS TOO SMALL.COVERS OF A FEW OF THE GREAT PULP MAGAZINES ARE MISSING ( 'WEIRD TALES','STRANGE TALES, 'ASTOUNDING STORIES',FOR INSTANCE ).AND WORST OF ALL:CLASSIC COVERS BY FRANK R.PAUL ,ONE OF THE ICONS OF SCIENCE FICTION ILLUSTRATION,ARE NOT IDENTIFIED.FOR EXAMPLE:ON PAGES 16 (COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),17( IDEM),23(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES'),24(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'& 'AIR WONDER STORIES),25(COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES QUARTERLY'),27(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),28(COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),29(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES'),35(IDEM), 36(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),and 55(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES).ALSO, THE GREAT EARLE K. BERGEY IS NOT IDENTIFIED ON PAGE 42 (COVER FOR 'STARTLING STORIES').LAWRENCE ON PAGE 40(COVER FOR 'FANTASTIC NOVELS Magazine').LEO MOREY ON PAGES 44 & 56(COVERS FOR'AMAZING STORIES').ROBERT FUCQUA ON PAGE 57(COVER FOR 'AMAZING STORIES').AND MANY OTHERS IDENTIFIABLE COVER ARTISTS ARE NOT CREDITED.SAD.I DON'T REGRET HAVING PURCHASED THIS BOOK.I REALLY LOVE PULP MAGAZINES.EVEN WHEN THE RESEARCH FOR THE BOOK IS SLOPPY,I LOVE TO PERUSE IT,ONLY FOR THE PLEASURE OF SEEING,AGAIN, THE AMAZING AND GARISH IMAGES OF THESE UNFORGETTABLE MAGAZINES.BUT I ADVISE:PURCHASE,NOT THIS ONE,BUT FRANK M. ROBINSON & LAWRENCE DAVIDSON'S 'PULP CULTURE,The Art Of Fiction Magazines'(1998),FROM COLLECTORS PRESS,TOO.IT'S A CLASSIC!



2. Smaller than a postcard; overly tight binding makes skimming impossible; particularly poor gallery of bad, uninteresting covers. I give it one star because, for no reason I can imagine, it's well scanned and printed. But it's easily the least interesting collection of pulp art I have ever seen; I've seen a lot.



3. There are so many places The Incredible Pulps: A Gallery Of Fiction Magazine Art could have been featured: in our art section for fans of magazine art, in our literary section for readers of magazine fiction - but it's featured here for the added interest collectors will have. Full-page color photos pack a small collection which sometimes holds several covers per page. While there are no accompanying values, the reproductions are stunningly rich in color and any with an interest in pulps will find it a worthy reference indeed.



4. Pulp magazines were long gone before I was even a gleam in my father's eye and yet they have always held a tremendous fascination for me and are one of the very few things I collect today. The great thing about collecting pulps is that while many range into the thousands of dollars, many more such as the Sci-Fi pulps of the 50's are very affordable. "The Incredible Pulps: A Gallery of Fiction Magazine Art" focuses on one of the main reasons that people collect pulps...the incredible artwork, particularly those covers that just had to have mesmerized kids and adults back in the 30's and 40's.
   
   Writer Frank M. Robinson (who also wrote the very excellent Pulp Culture) provides a brief, but enlightening history of pulp magazines, beginning with Argosy Magazines decision to move from slick magazine, to all-fiction pulp. One of the great things about pulps is that they virtually could appeal to any person due to the diversity of subject matter. The pulps covered it all: crime, mystery, western, romance, adventure, war, horror, Sci-Fi, sports...if it had a possible audience, there was probably a pulp to suit them. But perhaps the most popular were the hero pulps featuring characters like The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Spider. The popular misconception was that the pulps were written by hacks but some of the great writers of the first half of the 20th century wrote for pulps, among them: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, and Frederick Faust AKA Max Brand.
   
   But this book is not about the stories, but rather that beautiful, often terrifying and downright shocking artwork. The artists are as legendary as the writers: Virgil Finlay, J. Allen St. John, George Rozen, and Frank Kelly Freas to name just a few. It was their job to create covers that would grab the attention of readers in a very crowded and competitive market. Today their works are worth thousands and many of them are on display in this great collection.
   
   The book reprints hundreds of pulp covers and is divided by four main genres: Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery/Detective, Adventure/Western. The book provides the name and date of the issue and the artists name if known. Tragically, so many of the artist names have been lost to history. The covers are reprinted beautifully and seemingly from flawless copies of the pulp. Frank Paul was one of the very early greats and did many classic covers for Amazing Stories in the 20's and 30's. He was a man well ahead of his time and his imagination was limitless as his paintings foreshadowed many technical advances that would not take place for decades. J. Allen St. John is best know for his Tarzan illustrations but a great cover in this book features Burroughs' other great character John Carter of Mars from Amazing Stories January 1941, for the story John Carter and the Giant of Mars.
   
   My favorite pulps have always been the horror and weird menace pulps. So gruesome were some of the covers that the government eventually had to step in and force the publishers to clean them up a bit. One great cover is by Grave Gladney for Dime Mystery August 1937, showing a woman about to be sliced in half by a very large paper cutter.
   
   George Rozen may be my favorite pulp artists of all-time. His Shadow covers were beautifully sinister. The cover to Shadow January 1933 is one of the all-time great covers showing a skeletal shadow emerging from behind a curtain. You think gore is a product of modern times? Then check out Rudolph Relarski's cover to Thrilling Detective from August 1940. It shows a table full of decapitated heads and a man locked in a stock, about to be the next victim of an evil Asian's sword. The book reprints numerous Rozen Shadow and Doc Savage covers.
   
   It's really a great little book that anyone who is a pulp or pop culture illustration fan will love. I do have a couple of minor complaints though. First, there are no cover reprints from Weird Tales, arguably the most famous pulp ever. I can only assume that since Weird Tales is still being produced that perhaps the rights could not be obtained. Since there is no Weird Tales covers there are no examples, and not even a mention of Margaret Brundage, one of the truly great pulp cover artists. That aside, I highly recommend this book.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson

No comments about Mannerism (Style and Civilization).

5 comments about The New Scratchboard.

1. Should this book be titled The New Scratchboard? It really is'nt what I would say scratchboard is about, although it has plenty of nice color artwork done on claybord it only has 20 pages on scratchbord and thats using the authors technique of value scratching not high contract scratchboard that I like. (personally I dont think his stuff is that great) If you looking for a book on scratchboard dont get this. Buy Mastering the Art of Scratchboard. If your looking for a book on claybord then be my guest and buy it.



2. I must admit that, after I recived my book,I thumbed through and was amazed at the artistic renditions that I saw on the pages. I was excited to delve into The New Scrathcboard and learn the techniques and practices that helped to produce such fine work.
   
   When I actually started to digest the content, I soon realized that this book was not really about my favorite method(scratchboard), but more about the medium Clayboard. I have always thougth of scratchboard as a type of art or technique rather than a medium on which different artistic styles can be practiced.

   There is actually very little emphasis on scratching in this book, other than the acknowledgement that scratching brings out the light details on various pieces. While impressive, the content does not instruct to the level that I was hoping.

   The message of the book can be summarized very simply..
   "If you paint in oils, try this on Clayboard. If you paint with watercolor, try it on Clayboard.If you use pastels, try it on Clayboard. If you use most any medium, try it on Clayboard, which by the way, can be coated or uncoated with India inked and scratched away to reveal highlights."

   Overall, the book is very colorful and inspiring. It may get the juices flowing to try new methods on Clayboard, but it does not live up to it's title. I would rename the book "The Versatility of Clayboard".




3. This is a wonderful book for experienced painters with that want to expand their horizons or for anyone who wants background information on clay-surface techniques. It shows how a wide range of painting and drawing techniques can be used in conjunction with scratchboard techniques to create a stunning array of results on these very versatile surfaces.

   The book starts out with background information on clay-coated surfaces including history, and the types of surfaces and their characteristics. It then covers application and scratching tools. A basic vocabulary and an overview of various mediums that can be used on them are also here.

   Several sections highlighting different surfaces and mediums follow. These include ink-coated clay surface, India ink on white clay, color medium on white clay and printmaking with the clay surface. Each section includes at least one demonstration of a work in progress from start to finish. The printmaking chapter is the largest and includes eight demos. These demonstrations are meant to showcase a general technique rather than create an identical copy of the work.

   My favorite part of the book is the beautiful artwork throughout. I may even buy a second copy to cut out and frame some of this vast array of gorgeous art. Captions for each piece include artist, title, size and a basic description of techniques used. My favorite is "Madame Butterfly", a whimsical piece that combines acrylic airbrush with scratching techniques. I also loved the many black and white wildlife images.

   There is a great material resource directory and a helpful index in the back. I admit I have not really tried any of the techniques shown here. I think they are a bit above me as a beginning artist. I would definitely buy the book again though just for the example images and the inspiration they provide to encourage me to develop my own skills.




4. I bought this book online, without having physically seen it before. For this reason my first impression was not the best. In fact, at first glance it didn't appear to contain any scratchboard work at all. Scratchboard, to me, is high-contrast black ink and white clay, with the possibility of color after the black and white has been rendered. You won't find this book geared to my definition. Chapters 3 and 4 contain the majority of the "black and white" pieces. Chapter 3 is small and deals pre-inked clay surfaces (like Clayboard Black). It has a few examples of the traditional scratchboard look, but most of them have color added. Chapter 4 is larger and deals with applying india ink to the white clay surface. I have to admit, there are some really nice pieces in this chapter, but rather than looking like scratchboard, they tend to look more like ink and wash. My favorite is the one mentioned in the main review, with four ravens dancing on a fallen totem pole. Very nice.

   A careful look does reveal some nice "traditional" scratchboard pieces done on Essdee Scraperboard, but they are few. This book is not about working with Essdee Scraperboard, it is about working with Claybord. Strangely enough, there are pieces that have no scratching at all, including some excellent contributions by Stephen Quiller. I think the book is poorly titled. It should be called Claybord: Clay-Surface Techniques and Materials for Today's Artist. It was written by the inventor of Claybord, and is essentially an instruction manual on how to work with a variety of media on Claybord. I don't have a problem with a book on Claybord. Some might even argue that Claybord IS the new scratchboard. Fine, why not put Claybord in the title? I just think the title should be descriptive of the book's contents.

   Since the overview of the contents is explained in the main review I won't go into too much depth. Charles Ewing explains his own development as an artist, his discovery of scratchboard, and the needs that drove him to create a new product (Claybord). He never claims to be a traditional "scratchboarder" and in fact, he says "By traditional scratchboard standards, I was far from being labeled a purist then, and I'm afraid the little purity I had has further degenerated in the intervening years". This book is about very untraditional methods. He does go through a history of using scratches for making art, the development of scratchboard, and an explanation of clay as a surface for making art. He goes on to demonstrate at least some of what is possible with a clay surface. The techniques are well explained and the writing flows well. This is a "picture" book so I have to admit I haven't read it word for word.

   Basically, if you lose the expectation that you are going to learn about traditional scratchboard this is a pretty nice book. If enjoy experimentation and the exploration of media and surfaces, you will be happy with what you find. On the other hand, if you are looking for traditional scratchboard instruction you would be much happier with Ruth Lozner's excellent book, Scratchboard for Illustration. It's now out of print so good luck finding it.




5. This book is awesome in not only covering the little known subject of scratchboard art; but in the quality of artwork, and the highly informative and lovely presentation. A must for anybody who loves to draw and is curious to try the new changes in scratchboard as a professional art panel. Enough info & inspiration for a long time. Good for both beginner and advanced artists.

1 comments about African Art in American Collections.

1. This is not a coffee table book in that there are no pretty full page colour pictures - everything is in black and white and generally quite small. However, for anyone familiar with African art who wants an exhaustive catalogue of the range of works available, this is an invaluable book - luckily, I had seen it in a book shop, so I knew what I was getting. Moreover, many of the pieces are major works or at least of significant aesthetic quality, which cannot be said of most published groupings of African art. Just make sure this is what you are looking for. Now, a full color version of this in two volumes with full page reproductions, that would be worth waiting for.

No comments about Colors of the Seasons Notecards: 20 Assorted Notecards and Envelopes (Deluxe Notecards).