1 comments about Bound to Please - A Gallery Girl Book (Gallery Girls Collection).

1. Bound to Please is the latest Gallery Girls collection from the good folks over at Sal Quartuccio Productions and this time the subject is a modern take on classic good girl art with the seductive practice of bondage. You have to start things off with the absolute dynamite David Dunstan front cover of the kind of office setting that a guy can only dream about! The lineup of artists for this volume includes many of the names were used to seeing in the Gallery Girls collections such as Danilo Guida, Marcelo Sosa, Diego Florio, and Anibal Maraschi, as well as a number of new names.
   
   The styles and genre range from the erotic, to the playful, and to the haunting. Pablo Kousovittis gives us a piece with a unique angle perspective showing two women in skin-tight leather outfits, one bound to a chair with the other standing over her and diminishing her. Marcelo Sosa has one of those playful pieces I was mentioning, as a nurse has her stethoscope out, not on her patient's heart, but instead on her very cute behind.
   
   Maraschi gives us a fantastic illustration of a sumptuous nude female bound in knotted ropes from head to toe, as her commanding dominatrix mistress orders her down upon the bed. Juan Lencina's piece of a woman bound and blindfolded, apparently in a wine cellar of some kind, is one of the most exquisitely detailed illustrations in the book. You can practically feel the grain on the barrels that sit nearby. Florio's Egyptian-themed piece is one of my favorites. Here a woman is bound to a pillar inscribed with hieroglyphics as a rotting mummy draws ever nearer to her. Bruce Colero, one of the best digital artists around today, closes the book out with a chain-bound blonde with the most mesmerizing eyes that you have ever seen!
   
   In all the book is 64 pages with black and white interior art and full color covers. Cardstock covers and glossy pages. A gorgeous book!

2 comments about Arboretum.

1. What a great book for sparking ideas. Byrne Makes connections to intangible thoughts in a visual medium. It is also wonderful to catch a glimpse of the creative process of one of the greatest creative thinkers of our time.



2. When TIME magazine put Byrne on its cover back in '86 and called him "Rock's renaissance man", some people shrugged it off and said "yeah, right". Well, that caption has more than withstood the test of time. I can't think of anyone who's been as prolific on so many artistic fronts.
   
   Most recently, he's been quite prolific in his online journal, which itself is a mind boggling display of the incredible range of topics constantly churning through Mr. Byrne's gray haired head.
   
   First and foremost, David Byrne's art (yes, even Talking Heads) is about design. So, as with his previous books, the first thing you notice about the book is its design. "Strange Ritual" was black with big gold letters; the idea was to make it feel and look like a Bible.
   
   Then came "Your Action World", which was huge, and had rubber covers. Not sure what the deal was on that (although a great book in the annals of anti corporatism).
   
   After that, he did a mini Bible called "The new Sins", which by and large, turned the teachings of the real Bible upside down (literally, the book itself could be read upside down or right side up, and in Spanish or English, depending on your mood or bilingual proficiency).
   
   Anyway, "Arboretum" has the look and feel of a library book on certain subjects, maybe philosophy or archaeology, or psychology, in short, an academic look and feel about it.
   
   I started reading this book by just selecting pages at random. By approaching it this way, at first the various drawings have an automatic, stream of consciousness writing feel to them. There's a 4 foot pullout in the back of the book, however, which covers a bunch of topics, corresponding to the various diagrams on numbered pages of the book. If you read the book this way, then the tree diagrams begin to make a lot more sense.
   
   On the latter note, it was Byrne who coined the term "Stop Making Sense". I always took that as "let go of reason, and let the spirit and subconscious take over". As it turns out, Byrne is a very methodical fellow. While he draws heavily from dreams and the subconscious, he prefers to stick to a fairly rigid structure in his concert tours. This aesthetic also emerges in the book, for the most part, and sort of contradicts the whole notion of "Stop Making Sense".
   
   At any rate, Byrne is indeed a true renaissance artist by any definition, and it's always a thrill to see and hear what he's up to next. If you're a long time fan, this is definitely worth buying. If you're nostalgic for a Talking Heads reunion and consider that period his finest hour, you're not likely going to enjoy much of his post TH work or this book.

No comments about Drawing Light and Shade: Understanding Chiaroscuro (The Art of Drawing).

4 comments about Old Masters and Young Geniuses: The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity.

1. I've shared Galenson's inciteful analysis with many friends; some of them artists, some of them dealers or other professionals in the field, some of them, like me, just interested in art.
   Well-written, clearly organized and thought-provoking, "Old Masters and Young Geniuses" increased my understanding of the creative process and how it differs among artists. Highly recommended.



2. This book would be of interest to artists and collectors. Enjoy. I couldn't put it down.



3. As a creative artists who moves in slow incremental steps-searching, exploring, and experimenting-, I am much gratified to have Galenson's positive take on my plodding nature. It is the unknown that draws me forward (the experimental), not the laborious execution of a well thought-out scheme (the conceptual).
   I have studied art and art history my entire life and Galenson has given me my first ever clear understanding of 'conceptual' art. I realize now that my own methods have little in common with most conceptual artists, much more in common with the 'experimental' artists of which he writes.
   I find it quite refreshing and commendable that an Economics professor who comes from outside the insular field of art has delved so successfully into the minds of artists. Shouldn'd we all take more than a moment to step outside our own fields, get a fresh perspective on the world around us, and thus, on ourselves?
   Kudos to professor Galenson for doing such a fine job of expanding our understanding of the creative mind, and for taking the risk to have a look from the outside.



4. Dr. Galenson takes up an aspect of creativity that I have not encountered before: what accounts for the timing of an artist's success within his own developmental cycle. His explanation for the division he makes is persuasive both intellectually and on the basis of the data he presents. Having said that, his dualism arouses my distrust. I was hoping he might have more to say about an artist's development over time. Why do some artist's peak early and others ripen, apart from the nature of their innovation? Can old masters be geniuses too? Are there art forms that require mature development for success? What role does an artist's character play in the curve of his development? Perhaps I expected too much in one book. As a writer on the psychology of creativity, I am glad to have read this book.
   Gregory T. Lombardo, MD, PhD.

1 comments about Passages in Modern Sculpture.

1. This is Krauss's first book, and the one I like best. Her history of modern sculpture from Rodin to Robert Smithson is grounded in a sophisticated theoretical perspective, but it's not collapsing under the weight of theory like many later Krauss's texts. Her theoretical framework in this early book is phenomenological -- she made a transition to structuralist and poststructuralist theories later in the seventies. Phenomenology -- in particular, Merleau-Pontyan phenomenology -- allows for many thought-provoking readings of modern sculpture. However, the basic assumption of the book -- viz., that there have been some parallels between the development of modern sculpture and phenomenological thought -- is flawed. There is no evidence that the artists discussed by Krauss heard of Husserl and Merleau-Ponty and their theories. Many other authors beside Krauss make a similar unjustified assumption of various "parallelisms" and "influences." Basically, this is historicism -- a belief in some sort of Zeitgeist at work in all cultural forms of a particular age. Still, the book makes for a much more rewarding read that coutless superficial, merely descriptive histories of modern sculpture, or modern art in general.

5 comments about Believing Is Seeing: Creating the Culture of Art.

1. This was a poorly written, unintelligent book. The author states that the many works by Leonardo and Michelangelo are not Art, but Duchamp's urinal signed "R. Mutt" is Art. The author contradicts herself on many occasions and I would not recommend it to anyone with a critical mind. Not only does the author not make a good point, but her writing is mediocre at best. I had to read this book for a class, but it is headed for the garbage.



2. Mary Ann Staniszewski's "Believing is Seeing" is a GREAT book. It is articulately written with many reproductions and is used in many university and college level art courses across the country!! Navigating the unnecessarily murky waters of modern and contemporary art, this book is refreshing in its insightful directness about art, culture and value.



3. Mary Anne Staniszewski's "Believing is Seeing" is a clearly written, carefully illustrated, thought provoking overview of the meaning of "Art". Distilled from introductory lectures on contemporary art, culture and critical theory delivered at the Rhode Island School of Design more than a decade ago, "Believing is Seeing" provides a useful counterpoint to mainstream art history texts by challenging traditional, transhistorical views of aesthetic value.

   Appropriately subtitled "Creating the Culture of Art", Staniszewski's book demonstrates that Art is something "that has a specific history and belongs to a particular era." What our culture generally calls "Art" is an invention of the past two hundred years. Thus, modern culture has appropriated the paintings, frescoes, sculptures, and artifacts of earlier times and cultures (where they had historically specific meanings) and labelled them "Art". Modern culture applies this label even though the original creators of these representations and objects would not have regarded their creations as Art in the way we commonly use the term.

   The task of defining and identifying Art in contemporary Western society is largely a function of the institutional structures--the museums, galleries, auction houses, and publications--that create the culture of Art. In this way, Marcel Duchamp can mount a urinal on a pedestal and this plumbing fixture becomes "Art", acquires meaning and value, through validation by these institutional arbiters of the Art world. Rejecting essentialism, Staniszewski argues that aesthetic value and meaning are socially constructed, the products of a particular historical moment and culture. As individuals, we may not consider Duchamp's urinal anything more than that--a urinal--but that does not obviate the fact that cultural institutions have conferred (rightly or wrongly) some greater meaning (and value) on the object.

   "Believing is Seeing" is not an important book; it is a book which, like its thesis, is the product of a particular historical moment and culture. It is, however, full of provocative and challenging ideas about how culture creates meaning and value. And for this reason alone, it is worth careful reading.




4. In this book Mary Staniszewski tries a nearly impossible task of defining art. Her twist on the subject is a fresh look at art in the modern movements, but she also splits the art world into two time periods. The early works by those who are termed the old masters (e.g. Michealangelo, DaVinci, Bernini and other pre-1800's artists) do not fit into the definition of modern art that she presents in the book. If she were to have answered the questions in a little more logical fasion I may have been able to follow the first chapter better. But as it stands I don't see how simply useing the date of the modern definition of art can prevent or select an artists work for either being art or not being art. Some other great questions would be: What are Mary Anne Staniszewski's credentials? Has she ever made art herself? Is she an Art Historian? As for the descriptive portion of the book, it is wonderful and well worth reading. I would recommend getting this book just for its documentation of historical events and how they effected modern art movements.



5. First of all, I find that most of the reviews of this book are one star because the readers didnt agree with Staniszewski's ideas, however they ignored how well written this book is. She takes the way we typically view "art" and shows us how fraudulent it is. In doing so she challenges not only are view of art, but also our view of the world around us. Even if you dont like her ideas its no reason not to acknowledge the intelligence with which she has written this book.

2 comments about Principles of Art History.

1. There is really no way to rate this book. It would be like rating Freud or Marx. Wolfflin is one of the cornerstones of art history. This is essential reading for any student of the subject. Although one might see limitations in his theory today, his ideas were revolutionary when first proposed. His theory goes beyond the famous 5 categories to include views on cycles in history and insights on the artist's control of his practice. Related readings are Reigl and Panofsky.



2. Wolfflin contrasts the styles of the High Renaissance and the Baroque by setting up them up as a system of oppositions. He compares the two time periods according to five sets of categories. He claims that this is what art history should do. In other words, style and not meaning is the criteria according to which art history should be written. A lot is to be learned from this book. However, there are a lot of limitations to Wolfflin's approach. Consequently, it should be read critically or "against the grain" in order to expose some of Wolfflin's biases. Its also a very difficult read. But, its worth it if you get through it.

5 comments about Symmetry.

1. Symmetry is about the mathematical underpinnings of symmetry as it appears in nature and art. The book is divided into 4 sections, the first Bilateral Symmetry covers reflection. This lecture goes into biology and art. The next lecture is about rotational symmetry. I was able to follow the math presented in this lecture but had trouble in the 3rd lecture titled Ornamental Symmetry. Ornamental symmetry is mostly about tilings of the plane. There is a lot of math presented in this lecture. I had to fall back on my rudimentary knowledge or abstract algebra and linear algebra to understand it. My point is that without this knowledge this lecture and the next one The General Idea of Mathematical Symmetry would have been impossible for me to follow. However, I still recommend this book to people who don't have any of the above background. Symmetry covers the concepts behind symmetry well, and it's applications to nature and art can be followed by anyone.



2. Symmetry is a fundamental characteristic of most living creatures, some natural features such as crystals, the basis of some mathematical models and a beautiful form of art. Most animals possess a form of bilateral symmetry, with only minor differences our right and left sides are mirror images of each other. Weyl gives examples of all of these types of symmetry, images with text explaining the details regarding the symmetry of the object.
   At the end, he gives the mathematical explanations of the symmetries, how they can be combined into the construct known as a group. The symmetries can then be sequentially combined to perform multiple actions and generate other actions. This dual examination provides a great deal of insight into the idea of symmetry. Biologically, it is clear that there must be powerful evolutionary advantages to symmetry, as it is universal in the animal kingdom. Humans also have a natural affinity for symmetric objects, as symmetry is a universal theme in the art work of cultures with little or no contact between them.
   Weyl has written an excellent introduction to the concept of symmetry. It is an idea that is easy to understand and the different motions of a symmetric object are a very good way to begin the study of group theory. Artists can also obtain some benefit from the additional knowledge of symmetry that they will get from this book.



3. This book came promptly, in perfect condition. Much more affordable than through the college bookstores.



4. Be forewarned this book is technical and mathematical. Though you can definitely read it without going through all the math and thinking it through it won't be nearly as valuable to you as it would be if you spent some time and actually thought things out and figured them out rather than just speeding through. That being said this is probably the best examination of symmetry out there that I have read. Weyl starts from very simple concepts and eventually works his way up to examining even complex ornamental symmetry. Of course much of what he says about symmetry is true of aesthetics and beauty in general and many parallels can be drawn between what he is saying and other items like music that may not appear to have clear symmetry right off the bat. Unfortunately in the version I have the citations that Weyl makes are not clearly listed, but many of the authors are fairly prominent and easy to look up. If you like this book I might also reccomend G. D. Birkhoff's Aesthetic Measures. Where, Weyl is interested more in just symmetry Birkhoff is interested in mathematical aesthetic examination in general. Overall this book is a must read for anyone interested in aesthetics.



5. This delightful booklet motivates the study of symmetry by showing its presence in art and nature. This is a work of love, frequently bordering poetry. Yet, it is a scientific book of high class. Hermann Weyl, one of the very great mathematicians of this century, then explains the mathematics behind symmetry, mostly group theory, and obtains all forms that, by repetition, completely fill the plane and the space (the crystallographic groups). This is wonderful reading. After it, the reader should be prepared for a beautiful recent discovery by R. Penrose, that there are aperiodical forms that completely fill the space, and, still more surprising, that Nature makes use of them. They are the quasi-crystals (not treated in Weyl's book, of course).

4 comments about Floral Art Structures.

1. I was hoping for pictures of the mechanics of the floral arrangements in the book. I could not figure out how water was given to the flowers. Sorry



2. For art lovers, especially those who appreciate contemporary sculpture, this book is a stunner. As a floral designer, I found it fun and inspiring (and a bit humbling.)
   
   I highly recommend it to flower lovers--you will never look at flowers the same way, and to all who just appreciate great art--ephemeral though it may be. This is a visual concert recorded for your eyes.



3. This book is a reminder that a container does not look like the items you can buy in a store. We can create containers that look like nothing else available, to bring out of ourselves the imaginative designs that the best of our profession create. This book can take your designs to the next level!



4. Great book for profesional florists amazing techniques and all the variations that can be done with them.
   Thanks.

5 comments about Renoir, My Father (New York Review Books Classics).

1. A decent if disjointed book. You can tell from reading it that Jean had great respect for his father and loved him very much. Unfortunately, there was a large gap between his father's death and the writing of this book, with Jean working from memory and not notes, and it shows. There are times where it's hard to see where Renior stops and Jean starts, and this can make things a bit confusing. If you are a fan of Renior's however,don't pass this book up.



2. A biography written by a child of someone famous often carries more than one burden, similar to the responsibility or encumbrance of the overshadowing parental fame. However, in filmmaker Jean Renoir's lovingly detailed remembrances of his Impressionist painter father, the reader gleans more than a timeline of an artist's rise to prominence. The author shares a richly detailed account of life in a culture that--in most areas of France save for Paris--was still foremostly agrarian. In this burgeoning Industrial world, Renoir tells of the rise of his father's art and the changing cultural behaviors, shifting societal patterns and troubling questions within that framework.
   
   Beginning at Louis-Philippe's "July Monarchy" (1830-1848)-- generally seen as a period during which the haute bourgeoisie was dominant and the 1840's which saw financial crisises and bad harvests with an ensuing economic depression--we are reminded of the general and specific trends vis-à-vis how they affected the Renoir family's world. Curiously descriptive, this was a world of street oil lamps and chamber pots; anesthesia was not yet invented (nor any antiseptics); butchers slaughtered the animals on site in the back of the shop; great debates about the inferior railroad system and the overall safety of locomotives were waged (could a pregnant woman harm her unborn child by moving a such great speeds? Did the smoke and soot emitted hinder crops in nearby fields from growing). Adding to the vivid and graphic storytelling of French life are vignettes of the senior Renoir's dealings with fellow Impressionists and art dealers as well as his painting process behind some of his masterpieces. Family life, the defining touchstone of the artist as a man, is shared in humorous and matter-of-fact style ("My mother brought a great deal to my father: peace of mind, children whom he could paint; and a good excuse not to have to go out in the evening.") This book, which was first published in the mid-1950's, affords the reader a complete picture of the life of a great artist during a time of vicissitude and excitement in all facets of French society.



3. An affectionate remembrance of Renoir by his son, concentrating the years up to the turn of the century.
   
   Renoir considered himself an artisan rather than an artist, disliked anything artificial, from margarine to ready-to-wear clothes, had among his friends artists, and musicians who are household names today. "It is when you have lost your teeth that you can buy the best beefsteak" he would say, and considering that he became more infirm with age, this truism affected him no less than the rest of us.



4. We adopted "Renoir, My Father" as bedside reading while my wife was recovering from hip surgery, and (aside, perhaps, from "Goodnight, Moon,") I can't imagine better therapy. This is odd, in a way: Claude was an old man (and in pain) when Jean got to know him, and Jean was an old man when he finally brought his recollectios together. You might expect cranky, but nothing of the sort: it's a book full of sunny afterglow. Every parent would hope to be rememnbered so well.

   The book might take a bit of getting used to: Jean has his own pace and his own way of telling his story. We did it in small doses and I'm not certain yet that I quite catch the rhythm. None of the rough edges have been smoothed off which, come to think of it, is just as Claude would have wanted: Jean speaks with his own voice. You have to listen well, but you know that the voice is nobody else's.

   I suppose it helps to know a bit about the Impressionists to enjoy it all, but I can't say I know all that much, and I didn't feel impaired. Anyway, God bless Google: more than once, when Jean talked about a painting or a subject, I key-clicked my way to an image and completed (as it were) the picture.

   Kudos also to NYRB (this time) for producing what it does not always produce: a finished physical specimen The paper feels like quality; the binding is sturdy, and there is a small but satisfying selection of pictures, both colored and black-and-white. There is even an index of sorts (I assume from the original translator) but it is patchy and incomplete. That last is a shortcoming, but forgivable in light of the book's other virtues. In the NYRB firmament, this is surely a star.




5. Impressionism is my favorite style of painting so I was really enchanted with this biography. Written by Renoir's middle son, Jean, Renoir, My Father not only gives us an intimate look at the life of Auguste Renoir, it gives us an intimate look at the Paris of Renoir's day as well.

   As we get to know Renoir we get to know his contemporaries, too. Jean Renoir writes about Monet, Cezanne, Manet, Sisley and many other great artists. We learn many "little known" facts, such as Monet's penchant for lace and his "artful" way with the ladies.

   Paris really comes alive in this book. Many of the places Renoir writes about still exist and can be visited today. This book makes any art lover's trip to Paris more meaningful whether he's a Renoir fan or not.

   When reading this book, one must remember that this is not a "run of the mill" biography. This is a son writing about the father he adored. The portrait we are given is very intimate, detailed and loving. It's obvious that Jean Renoir adored his father, just as Auguste Renoir adored his family.

   Ultimately, this book is a beautiful tribute from a loving son to a father who was one of history's consummate artists. If you have any interest at all in art, this is one book you simply must not pass up. The last page alone will break your heart.