1 comments about Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards: Paintings by Susan Seddon Boulet.

1. Shaman: The Paintings of Susan Seddon BouletShaman: The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet
   The animal's paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet are delightful invitations to encounter these archetipal dimensions inside us. Animals get us in touch with our instinctual dimensions, part of our totality.
   Boulet's visionary art talks to our souls.

5 comments about Light of New York.

1. This book is one of the best books that one can appreciate the photographic style of the photographer. The fact that it was shot on film and the long shutter speeds are great. I am assuming that a bit of research went into picking out the various locations and picking out the right time of night or dusk to shoot was taken in consideration.f
   
   Great book all around and great conversation piece for people that appreciate photography and the art behind it.



2. New York City at dusk or dawn with a magical lighting and a unique photo processing that highlight architectural details of iconic features of the city. Manhattan for lovers!



3. Amazing book for anyone into photography. New York is captured beautifully in breath taking photos.



4. This is a collection of moody black and white photographs taken at dawn with a large-format pinhole camera. There are no people or moving cars but lots of rays of light from the rising sun and brooding clouds. The effect is fantastic. Sometimes the photos look like they were executed in charcoal. The details are mostly very crisp even though the palette is dark.
   
   The major landmarks are all present. Two of Mlle Liberty, 3 or 4 of the Empire State Building, a wonderful shot of the Flatiron Building, etc. (Only 1 of the Chrysler Building, however, and not one of Berts's best.) There are some nice shots of Central Park. He likes the Brooklyn Bridge--and he's good at making large objects like bridges and the Empire State Building look massive. The use of black and white and dawn's early light defamiliarizes the postcard icons and restores them to their original majesty. There are also some nice shots of Little Italy and lesser known buildings, too. This is a great book. If you like it you should check out Light of Paris by the same photographer.
   
   I can't resist offering up one more recommendation, this time for a book that's almost the opposite of The Light of New York in its approach but which is still a wonderful and fun look at the Big Apple: Manhattan Lightscape. Its colors are magnificent.



5. Absoluely beautiful. I went through it three times and each time I find something more wonderful. I highly recommend this book, especially this time of year. It makes a great table top book.

4 comments about The Disasters of War (Dover Books on Fine Art).

1. When I look at these prints, I am reminded of: the "contractors" whose dismembered bodies were hung from the bridge in Fallujah; the lynching postcards that were commonly mailed around the USA only a few generations ago to celebrate the murder of black men; Auschwitz; All Quiet on the Western Front; Sherman's March; the Trojan War; you get the idea. Unfortunately these powerful images are and shall remain contemporary. There is some topical political comment here, but you're mostly looking at the human condition, and with a few changes of costume and props, these prints are applicable to almost any conflict, anywhere. Good for the kids' room.



2. Consistently all things published by Dover are of the highest and most comprehensive quality technically and academically, and yet at a very low and democratic price, as if they actually wish to place high culture into the hands of the common man and the poorest person, rather than charging top dollar for instantly disposable art and airport lounge short-lived literature. Dover rather presents for our constant use high quality and durable books: Our Daily Book.
   
   And thus this book which we need to see and weep every night as we grow dull with constant war and violence. We see here why war must wage nevermore, in this brave new era of total and indiscriminate and disproportionate yet profitable colonialist warfare.
   
   When allowed by our media we may now see the same or similar images to these which Goya so accurately depicts, both realistically and fantastically. Goya, so well known as a painter of the Spanish courts, but also of Saturn consuming his children, here shows us grotesquely and coldly the true meaning of war, the true fruits of warfare, the moral and the spiritual causes and effects of war: the disasters of war.
   
   As I pride myself as bilingual and am certified superlatively fluent in Spanish with some English besides, as well as a few other tongues, I found occasion here to wince at Dover's translations of Goya's carefully scripted captions, or to shout aloud more probable interpretations, yet I find this the only possible objection to this excellent and gratefully received volume, which must be on the table of every American home, lacking as we are the graphics from Fallujah or Gaza. Read this book and pray for peace. Read this book and study war no more. Read this book with Mark Twain's War Prayer, and turn aside from the ever more rugged war path surging with the blood of innocents.
   
   Even more than Barefoot Gen, more than the immortal Guernica, more even than Speigelman's Maus series, this realistic, classical and careful draftsmanship of the great Goya brings home to us across the centuries the true horrors and disasters of war, with poignant captions. Please read this book in this excellent, scholarly and complete presentation by Dover Editions, now at an even lower price here upon the amazon. Here must we see that the victims of our violence are human beings, our brothers and sisters, children and elders, and not some dehumanized uncounted collateral statistic alienated into separate labels of faith or of nation. We strike our own family in these disasters of war. This is a powerful book which must be seen today, and most gratefully Dover offers it still upon this amazon.



3. The Disasters of war is a difficult book to read, containing the most impressing pictures of war and its consequences. The black/white drawings are as real as life itself, and sometimes even more!
   
   Goya depicts tortures made on public squares, people starving to death, and warriors fighting. But the most amazing is the vividness and actuality of the pictures. The Disasters of war is like a poetry book, it has no time, and no defined significance; it can be interpreted in infinite different ways and it is always an up-to-date work.
   
   In my view, one of the best ways to fight war is using art. War leads on to war, art leads on to art. Understanding what and how war happens is essential in order to fight it (I excluded Why since I believe there is no explanation for it). This book shows the What perfectly. I have written a review of the book 'Why?' by Nikolai Popov which is about the How.



4. Like most dover press books, we have here a wonderful bargain: clear reproductions and good paper stock. Goya was a court painter trying to please his patrons, but in this series of etchings, he indulged his twisted soul in the first recorded anti war propaganda. These etchings are both lovely in their technique and horrifying in their imagery.

1 comments about Edgar Degas: Paintings That Dance: Paintings That Dance (Smart About Art).

1. As a teacher looking to add to her biography collection, this series is a dream come true. It's written in a style that is attractive and holds a child's attention. There is a mixture of real art pieces and drawings done by the book's illustrator. It's a painless way of learning new information. I highly recommend all books in this series for any 3-5 grade teacher.

1 comments about Gone To The Movies.

1. HvH, "Gone to the Movies", Bruno Gmunder, 2008.
   
   How Could I Have Missed These Flicks?
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   It has been said that they don't make movies like they used to and they obviously do not make movie posters like the ones in "Gone to the Movies", a parody of movie posters. HvH has taken classic movie posters and redesigned them so that they are extremely homoerotic.
   This is a wonderful collection of drawings that is great dun. HvH changes the names of films and stars to give us a whole new way of looking at Hollywood. I found it very hard to pick a favorite as each is so ingenious. I do, however, lean toward "Cockapatra" starring Lickbeth Gaylor, Dick Burbon and Sex Garrison presented by 69th Century-Foxy. And of course there is "Bareback Mountain" starring Hot Leader, Jack Gimmeall, Mark Thatstheway and Michael Willing and "Gigantic"--"the cruise lines that gave new meaning to cruising..." with a cast led by Jamie Wood and Sucking Smiths (will Amazon post this?).
   It's all tongue in cheek and all great fun. I thought I recognized HvH's work but it wasn't until I read the introduction by Eric Arvin that I realized that I had actually read about the author on Eric's website and realized that he had done the covers of Eric's books. Like Arvin says "there is intimacy in his (HvH's) art, even at its most epic...he inspires us...he entertains us, he makes us think". The artist's work is filled with passionate color and skillful use of shadow and his eroticism is in no way cheap or offensive. He is touching and unique and I look forward to seeing more from him.

5 comments about Style by Saladino.

1. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. Saladino's design book has beautiful illustrations and he describes how to see in a way that is so soothing and gorgeous. his writing style allows you to understand how he visually conceptualizes a room. Consequently how you view the world is changed; for the better, because you are able to see and create more beauty.



2. John Saladino's book is packed with design concepts and inspiring ideas. The book is full of beautiful pictures of his interiors, so majestic and practical at the same time...by far the most inspiring book I've read about interior design.



3. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in good design both interior and exterior. As an Interior Designer I have always liked the style of John Saladino and this book presents his work beautifully. A wonderful source.



4. As a budding designer, I purchased this book in order to gain a more intimate look at one very gifted man's inspirations and approach to design. This book delivers the goods on two levels. Saladino's insights are personal, insightful and educational, and the accompanying photos are spectacular. There aren't any "tricks of the trade" here, but what you will find are the foundational principals behind Saladino's definition of good design. Be forewarned - Like any great artist, Saladino has some strong opinions. But that is exactly why I bought the book. I was looking for his thoughts and his opinions - I was not looking for a "Design 1-2-3" book. His book has helped me further advance my own personal design approach (which is not a clone of Saladino's), and take my art to a new level. I would recommend the book to those who either love Saladino's look, or those who want to explore some deeper issues about style, design and inspiration.



5. John Saladino is often referred to as the "designer's designer" and I have followed with pleasure his designs from the 1980s through until today. I have also had the pleasure of visiting more than one Saladino interior and showhouse room on multiple occasions, as well as his showroom in New York, and can say with certainty that the images in the book don't begin to capture what they are in reality and how important the quality of light is on the materials selected. While I was a little disappointed with the way the images appear in this book (the paper stock doesn't seem conducive to showing the interiors at their best compared to glossy magazines), I have seen many of the same rooms in truly glossy publications many a time and they are stunning and always refreshing for their bold and assured mixing of antique and ornate with simple and modern (and if the negative reviewer below read the text he would know that Mr. Saladino appreciates objects for their beauty no matter their pedigree -- even simple things that aren't expensive mixed with long time precious treasures [one of his design signatures found again and again, for instance, is to use scientific volumetric flasks used as long-necked vases with a single delphinium -- total price, about $13-$26, including the flower]). Thumb through and enjoy the pictures, but also read the text and you will get an education in design like nowhere else, and be able to apply it to your own space and life and even the way you see. I was somewhat underwhelmed with the images (again due to the dullish paper stock) but the text was wonderfully informed (and didn't come off as snobbish at all to this reader). If you can find old issues of Architectural Digest (in which Saladino NEVER appears anymore for years and years, probably because he didn't kiss up to Paige Rense and often shows his interiors in competitors House Beautiful, House & Garden, etc.) you are in for a treat, but better still, in this book you're in for an education.

No comments about The Archive (Documents of Contemporary Art).

1 comments about Cave Art: A Guide to the Decorated Ice Age Caves of Europe.

1. Thank you, Paul Bahn, for making this book! I am planning a trip to Europe exclusively to visit cave art sites. I have been trying to find information about caves that are still open to the public, but was having a really hard time on my own finding anything helpful. My search has come to an end! This book has a wealth of information which will undoubtedly be invaluable for planning and during my trip. It covers more than 50 caves and relevant museums/centers throughout England, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy that are open to the public.
   
   Each cave is arranged by country. It has a description of the site and what there is to see as well as the histories and interesting facts about them. Coupled with the description is a list of practical information about the site which includes:
   
   - The site's address, telephone, fax, website, and e-mail address
   - Nearest city/town
   - Nearest airport
   - Nearest car rental
   - Nearest train station
   - Nearest bus route
   - Nearest taxi or private car hire
   - Restaurants in the vicinity
   - Hotels in the vicinity
   
   Then it has a list of questions which are each answered with as much detail as possible for each site. The questions are:
   
   - When is the cave open?
   - Admission prices?
   - Storage facilities?
   - Do you have to make a group?
   - Can you reserve a place in a group?
   - Languages of the guides?
   - Length of tour?
   - Is the cave privately owned?
   - Is there a gift shop?
   - Are there WC facilities?
   - Handicapped access?
   - Is there any climbing necessary?
   - Distance to walk?
   - Level of fitness required?
   - Equipment required?
   - What are the conditions inside the cave?
   - Is it lit?
   - Is it slippery?
   - Is photography allowed?
   
   There are maps and an informative introduction to the book that explains a lot about what to expect when you visit these sites. There is also some interesting information about cave art itself. There are many full color photos of the art you can expect to see. It is apparent that great care went into creating this guide. It far surpassed my expectations. It is clear, easy to read, and up to date. I can't wait to use it to help me plan my trip to Europe!

1 comments about Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).

1. I found this book to do just what I had hoped. It's like a syllabus from a very smart, highly organized professor, who fleshes out the subjects just enough, and lets you know where exactly to look for more. It's concise, intelligent, and informative, and it saved me a lot of time in working out an outline on the subject (I'm an art professor myself). Cynthia Freeland -- thank you! What clarity!

5 comments about Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle.

1. this is the book for those people who have seen and like the Cremaster Cycle. a super companion that gives very interesting background, and criticism of the cycle.



2. Whether you like Barney or not, this book made for the Guggenheim solo exhibition in 2002 have lot of meat. 500 pages covering his Cremaster series (1,2,3), with numerous photograph stills of his films, reference photos, and his works. Approximately, 340 works are shown. The book quality is very good (did not quite match the creativity of Damien Hirst's I want to spend the rest...book), but nevertherless, this book will serve as Barney's important documentation.



3. I finally bought a copy of this book after putting it off since the show in 2003. I'm glad I got it before it goes out of print, and recommend the hardcover over the softcover as it is a beatiful object/catalog.
   
   Sadly, as I have looked more closely into the book since I got it home, I noticed that the book doesn't come close to covering the majority of the actual works that resulted from the Cremaster films. Perhaps this wasn't the reason for the catalog, but I was under the impression that such a huge book would be pretty comprehensive in its documentation of the works it's about. Not so with this volume. Barney is a master of the capitalist side of the fine art world...and no doubt knew that if he reproduced the works he has sold in tandem with the release of each film, his auction prices would suffer. Therefore his immediate sale prices (from the studio/gallery) would stagnate as well(prices rarely drop from that artist directly).
   
   So, what you get here is a fat volume with tons of sketches, production photos, and documentation of the sculpture. In addition you get a verbose essay by Nancy Spector as well as remembrances from participants in this massive undertaking. It is in the lists of works from the cycle that the volume's gaps become apparent. Barney sold several "artist framed" suites of photos from each film...which act as stand alone pieces of work to be consumed by collectors and institutions. It is these works that are not fully documented in this volume. Even if they had done a page of thumbnails for each of the five films, it would be better than to reproduce one photo from a suite of three or four as they have done here...and each film had 5-10 of these suites made in editions ranging from 2 to 50 copies. Look for another book somewhere down the line documenting these works (or the original volumes released for each of the films which cost an arm and a leg now) to get these in your library. Otherwise, the only place I've seen these works reproduced is in auction catalogs, exactly where Barney and his supporters are happy to see them show up.
   
   I have a certain level of respect for what Barney has accomplished here. Both as an artist and as a viewer. Unfortunately, this amazing artifact if NOT the be all and end all of the Cremaster Cycle, and one must look elsewhere to get the whole picture(s).
   
   Here's to hoping that a DVD release of the whole cycle fills in the gaps left over by this book, which is eye candy rather than a substantive look at this artist's work.



4. Nancy Spector, Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle (Guggenheim, 2002)
   
   Nancy Spector's tome may just have been meant as an accoutrement to the Guggenheim's massive Barney exhibition in 2002, but as an accoutrement, it stands out. Not only in its physical dimensions (Amazon's website says the shipping weight of this book is 8.6 pounds, but after lugging it around for six weeks, I'm willing to put money on the idea that it's closer to twenty-five; it's over a foot tall, and easily as thick as one of the larger volumes of the unabridged OED), but in the concept itself. Spector's essay on Barney takes up the first ninety-two pages, after which comes a glossary of Cremaster terms that reads better than any other glossary you've ever read (think of The Dictionary of the Khazars to get an idea, but using all terms that relate to the Cremaster cycle). Then, of course, the photographs. Mostly video and production stills from the films, but also photos of pieces of Barney's original sketches and storyboard, the sculptures made after the films, and other wonderful little oddities. Good stuff, and a must-have for any Barney fan. Those who have just heard the name, but not seen the films, will get an excellent overview of what you've managed to miss. Those who have no idea who Matthew Barney is, check it out to see what all the fuss is about.
   
   In other words, you want this. ****



5. Why would anyone pay hundreds for the H/C version, if a shiny, new paperback is only $40? Please enlighten this fool? Thanks!