4 comments about 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels: A Decade of Hot Dogs, Large Mammals, and Independent Rock: The Handcrafted Art of Jay Ryan (Punk Planet Books).

1. In a landscape where the bravado and bluster of busty cartoon pin-ups was the norm, Jay Ryan's work seems downright radical in its understated, yet evocative approach. Jay's talents somehow make me want to see a concert and buy a Caldecott Medal winner in equal measure. A+



2. The first collection of poster artist Jay Ryan is both a biography and an art celebration: it gathers his works from rock clubs to galleries and arrives not alone but supplemented by essays from other involved in the music, design and poster worlds. Full-color reproductions of his works supplement these insights to create an excellent catalog of screenprint poster genius: a must for any collecting underground poster art.



3. This book is absolutely essential for all fans of illustration, poster art, and contemporary design. One of the best books you will find on an american poster artist, the layout is top-notch with original drawings for some of Jay's posters next to the finished pieces. Having watched Jay make his work for Ten years, it is great to see such a powerful survey packed into such a beautiful book.



4. Maybe Narducy of Evanston is kidding, but just to clarify for the kids in New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin--this IS the Jay Ryan based in Chicago, dude. And this book of his posters should grace the collection of any art student or indie music fan...
   
   ps. it would be great if Amazon would fix the typo in the title--it's "Decade," not "Secade."

1 comments about Eva Hesse: Sculpture.

1. Eva Hesse was one of those rare creative spirits who took the unsettled, unhappy, tragic, and difficult aspects of her life and used the underpinnings of uncertainty to forge a wholly unique and superbly creative body of work. "Oh...more absurdity!" she would exclaim, reviewing her latest creation. One hears in that comment an undertone of glee, that she has unleashed another unheard-of creation upon the world. Her use of uncoventional materials is also a provocative element of her work, and she knew that...saying "art doesn't last...life doesn't last..." and this was before her terrible diagnosis of brain cancer in her early 30's. As with the early death of Mozart, here we have an instance of a powerfully creative spirit cut off in her prime. Who knows what powerful masterpieces she would have created had she lived on...(she would have been 70 this year...not unreasonably old...)
   This book is a superb combination of photographic documentation, subtle and well-thought-out essays and careful production (layout, color plates, binding...all are top-notch!) Of special interest are the reproductions and essays about the yearbooks/scrapbooks compiled by her father, detailing her growth and life in the early stages, including photographs, documents, graphs, etc. Works of art in themselves! All art-lovers of any stripe should consider this excellent volume for inclusion in their library.

2 comments about Art and the Power of Placement.

1. Victoria Newhouse adds to her growing list of superb publications (Towards a New Museum, Wallace K. Harrison) this insightful volume about art and the importance of presentation. These curatorial decisions are shared for the first time in a manner that is readable and informative and provides a pathway to understanding the subtleties of 'showing art'.
   
   When a painting or a sculpture impacts us, makes us stop in our museum promenade and freezes our attention long enough to send our minds back to the origins of the work as well as free our eyes to truly SEE the art, there is in Newhouse's informative writing a reason that goes beyond the greatness of the work itself. From the color of the walls in the space to the lighting techniques to the proximity of other works of art and their ability to enhance - all these are issues Newhouse not only discusses, but also illustrates in this richly colorful book.
   
   Newhouse takes the time to walk us through the history of presentation in museums, palaces, churches, and public spaces, even finding such odd manner of hanging as the 'studiolo' concept one to define and illustrate. Through these references she guides us into the sanctum sanctorum of curatorial decisions and how today's museum curators not only organize an exhibition, but also study and execute the hanging with all the modern accoutrements that make the exhibition a meaningful experience for the viewer.
   
   This fine, lavishly illustrated volume is so well written that it must become a bible for all museums, but it is also available to the public, allowing those of us who ponder greatness some windows into the thoughtful logistics of art presentation. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 06



2. This is a terrific book and anyone who goes to museums or works in museums should take a look at this book. Even people with collections at home would benefit.
   One minor point of distraction though is the right left reversal of the picture of the Nike of Samothrace on the cover of the book and repeated on page 46. She should be striding with the right leg forward, not the left as pictured. I pointed this out to the publisher but they never answered me........Hopefully if they republish the book, the error will be corrected.
   But don't let that deter you from enjoying this great book....

No comments about Marilyn Minter.

4 comments about 19th Century Art.

1. I'm not an artist, I'm a historian, with a special interest in physical social and cultural history: Costume, domestic architecture, social mores, all that stuff. Photography is the obvious source for that, at least from the Civil War on, but an artist's interpretation can also be very useful. For those reasons, I learned early in my career to pay attention to the Realists, especially Bingham, Breton, Millet, Tissot, Eakins, Degas, Whistler, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and some of Monet and Manet. While studying that lot, I also developed a taste for the Pre-Raphaelites and the later artists of myth and dream, like Burne-Jones, Leighton, and Alma-Tadema, who don't get much attention these days. I lose interest when I get to the Post-Impressionists like Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Munch, however. (So sue me.) All of which is to say that the authors, both of whom are NYU professors in the fine arts, have done an excellent job of surveying the entire century in which all of the above had their careers. The discussions cover not only artistic influences but political and familial factors as well as relevant biographical details. There are more than 500 illustrations, though fewer than 90 are in color, and many of them are rather small -- which seems inadequate for a coffee-table-sized art book. And, frankly, I'm puzzled how any survey of the 19th century could completely ignore Frederick Remington and Charles Russell. Otherwise, it's an excellent book for slow perusal.



2. Note: Your "helpful" votes are appreciated.
   
   Nineteenth-century art has a wonderful depth to it, and this book has almost a hundred full-color pictures and some 400 in black and white. The quality of the book is fantastic. This is a must for anyone interested the 19th century painting.
   
   I love pictures that tell a story. Look at the mystery and story on the cover of this book. It's full of other wonderful paintings ane well-worth the price.
   
   If you like black-and-white engravings from the 19th century, get "A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought," by David Allen Williams. This book is full of rare 19th century engravings that match its quotations from the Humanist perspective--a beautiful art book that has been overlooked because of it's title.
   
   Click here to see the images: A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought



3. Price and service were excellent! The book arrived within 2-3 days; thank you.



4. Whether you're familiar with Dr. Janson's previous work or not, you'll immedately recognize the quality and value of this book. The information is very well organized, divided into four sections based on time periods. Each of those sections is divided by the type of art (paintings or sculptures). With more than 500 illustrations (89 in full color), the book is not only an excellent source of reference, but also just plain interesting reading. Many of the stories are fascinating, encouraging the reader to dig even deeper. The details are impressive, particularly with accurate journalism being a relatively recent concept. Obviously, the information could only have come from extremely knowledgeable sources. Excellent book for art lovers on any level!

3 comments about The Everyday Work of Art: Awakening the Extraordinary in Your Daily Life.

1. I logged on here to get a link and some other data in order to be able to tell others about this book. (I've been telling others about it for a long time now.) I discovered that there are only two reviews (!?) for this book here. Let me hasten, then, to add mine:
   
   This ought to be required reading for every individual before they graduate from high school.
   
   Of all the books that I recommend to others (of which there are many), this remains at the very top of the list...numero uno.
   
   Of the over 200 books I have read on the use of one's mind, body and spirit to achieve and create excellence in one's pursuits of life, this provides the most complete survey of how to use one's sensory intake --how to pay attention -- than the rest.



2. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. In very
   clear and insightful language, Booth reveals the wonder
   of "experiencing" the art of living. Over and over
   again, I experienced "Ah, Hah" moments while reading
   this book. This book would make an ideal gift.



3. This book was an unexpected gem! From the opening words, through the very last chapter, I was caught up in how well the author was able to translate the sometimes esoteric world of creativity for the everyday person. His down-to-earth style helped the subject come alive and after reading the Everyday Work of Art, I feel I can start living more creatively. As a side note, the book's cover, with it's clever cut-outs, compliments the book very well. A supurb package and read!

3 comments about To Have and To Hold.

1. This is a book that takes you on a fascinating journey, is an enjoyable read and is also historically well-researched, so it can therefore be used by the student or academic as a useful reference. I came upon it quite by accident but now find it a very useful addition to my bookshelf. The story of the Ashmolean Museum's foundation was one of my particular favourites and really made my blood boil! Such stories are not often told about museum collections! I take my hat off to the author!



2. At first I thought this was going to be a survey of some eccentric collectors in history, on which is does not disappoint, but it turns out to be a lot richer and contain some real pearls of wisdom about life in general, and flashes of historical insight.
   
   Reading through the chapters of this book was a lot like rummaging through a private collectors cabinet of curiosities. The chapter titles alone don't provide direction and only after a few pages does it begin to reveal its treasure. Chapters cover aspects of collecting as diverse as: people who collected experiences with women (Casanova), the collecting of body parts (religious relics), collecting memories, American billionaires who bought up European heritage (JP Morgan, Hearst), collectors of mass-produced items (milk bottles, food wrappers), Princes and Kings such as Rudolf of Hapsburg (17th C) who filled his castle with the worlds greatest collections and slowly went mad, collecting as a madness, as a substitute for love, as a form of autism, as psychology, as crime - and in the end, as a warning to all those who take it too far.



3. Absorbing and beautifully written, with a great bibliography to lead you on in your travels through this fascinating genre. Blom does for the general subject of collecting what Basbanes did for bibliophilia in A Gentle Madness. Well worth the read.

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.

2 comments about Logo Design That Works: Secrets for Successful Logo Design (That Works Series).

1. this book is a very useful guide. i am a junior designer and i appreciate the details and stories that are provided for the logos in this book. whats just as important as the final project, is the process a designer goes thru to achieve the end result. this book does a good job at providing insight to that conceptual process.



2. I love this book, and refer to it often. It has tons of logo illustrations, along with the idea behind the design of the logo. Some logos even include the brainstorm/mockup sketches that were made to show to the client, so you know what was going through the designer's head. It is so great to see how other designers think. It also has timelines that go through certain logos that have been around a very long time, and shows the changes that they've gone through. A must-have for anyone who wants to try logo design.

2 comments about In Another Light: Danish Painting in the Nineteenth Century.

1. I wanted to like this book. Really. It is very well put together. The text is easy to read and interesting. The images are of a high quality. My exposure to this period was almost exclusivly through the artist Peder Kroyer, who is represented in the book. To be honest, I found most of the artists a bit uninteresting, although technically proficient. Doesn't neccessarily make a bad book; you may need a little rain on your sunny day. I will be looking for a more indepth book on Kroyer. The cover does a bit of a disservice in that this is one of three nude figures in the book. Even in nineteenth century Danish art, sex sells.



2. "In Another Light: Danish Painting In The Nineteenth Century" by Patricia Berman (Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art, Wellesley College) is an impressively illustrated and informative history of Danish artists and their works reflecting and influencing the European art world and included the artistic movements known as Classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, and Symbolism. A seminal and scholarly study of 19th century Danish art, "In Another Light" is beautifully illustrated with 288 full-color and flawless reproductions of paintings. Of special interest to students of European art, "In Another Light" is very highly recommended to for professional and academic library Art History reference collections, and would make a superb selection Memorial Fund selection choice for community libraries.