4 comments about Beauty in Exile: The Artists, Models, and Nobility Who Fled the Russian Revolution and Influenced the World of Fashion.

1. I thought there would be more value in this book than what there was. I would not recommend at that price.



2. I loved Beauty in Exile. A friend told me about it. I was researching my aunt, who was a model in Paris. I discovered her world through the information this book contains. I had no idea to what extent fashion was dominated by Russian emigres in the 20s and 30s. I knew they were seamstresses and models, but had no idea they started fashion houses as well. Anyone interested in the history of fashion should own Beauty in Exile. The photos are sensational. I bring the book out to show friends who come over. I tell them to get their own, rather than borrow it. This book is too precious to risk lending. I might not get it back!



3. This book covers the now vanished world of Russian exiles from the Revolution till the 1950-60's. It covers such areas as the influence of the Ballets Russies in Paris prior to the revolution, the clothes the exiles bought with themselves, and the importance of the Kokoshnik to Russian fashion design.

   We are also given the history of the now vanished Russian émigré communities in Constantinople in Turkey, Berlin in Germany and Harbin in China, with a smaller amount of discussion of the communities in Paris and London.

   London and Paris mostly get discussed in context with fashion, as many émigrés, both noble and poor made a living in the various parts of the fashion industry in exile. There is a whole chapter devoted to the house of Kitmr with its exquisite embroideries and beading, which was run by Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the younger in the 1920's.

   The author has also unearthed other Russian émigré fashion houses which were well known and respected in the 1920's but are mostly forgotten now, houses such as Anely, Mode, Paul Caret, Tao, Yteb and Irfe which was run by the Youssoupoff family.

   The majority of the book concentrates on fashion, but there is also discussion of the theatre, cafe's and other craft oriented activities which the Russian communities produced, especially in the 1920's. Many years of painstaking research as been conducted by the author to reconstruct this lost world. The book is full of black and white photos, which I imagine would not have been easy to find. However, if you are looking for nice colour photos of Russian costume, you will not find it here, but if you are trying to find something out on the background on émigré communities or the Russian fashion industry in the 1920's this book will be the standard work for many years to come.




4. An appraisal of European culture from an old maid somewhere in Western Kentucky knits a ludicrously inappropriate Horatio Algerish review to satisfy her puritan work ethos, that went out of date with the blue collar culture of 50's America, Honeymooners, Flintstones etc. She could be Pat Buchanans speech writer.

5 comments about Illustrator in America, 1860-2000.

1. Note: I made some immature reader angry over my negative reviews of books out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews almost as fast as I post them.
   
   A short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to a good book.
   
   Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks
   
   I'm not an art critic, but I love this book. There are several illustrations that I return to again and again. Here are a few of them:
   
   "Leaving Southfield," by Ben Prins. It shows a cop giving a man a ticket next to a sign that reads, "Southfield, the Friendly City."
   
   The cover illustration for "The American Weekly," 1951, by E. Everett Henry. It shows some children playing by the road on a beautiful fall day. Highly evocative of idealized Americana.
   
   The Coca-Cola advertising illustration, 1922, by Irving Nurick. It shows a young woman sitting in a hammock at night. Intriguing.
   
   "The Art Director," by Robert Fawcett, 1951. This funny illustration shows a cynical-faced boss looking at a painting done by a company employee. He's not impressed.
   
   There are too many great illustrations to list, but I'll note one final illustration as one of my favorites. It's James Bingham's illustration of the Perry Mason story for the Saturday Evening Post, 1958. It shows a man in a trench coat at the top of a curved set of stairs. He's saying good night to a woman. The purples, blues, and yellows are super.
   
   If you like black-and-white illustrations, check out "A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought," by David Allen Williams. It's full of rare 19th century engravings opposite selections of poetry and prose. Even non-humanists will enjoy this book (One shows a preacher pointing to a Bible as he argues with an angel from God. Another shows a man beating a winged horse).
   
   See: A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought



2. In music, I've always preferred chamber music, a woodwind quintet, over a full-blown symphony orchestra. Similarly, ever since high school I've been fascinated by book and magazine illustration over Rembrandt and Picasso. I've built up quite a collection of illustrated books and magazines, plus covers and jackets, ranging from Leyendecker and Rockwell to Frazetta and the Hildebrandts. This volume is less a history of American illustration than an encyclopedic catalog of some 650 of its practitioners, from the HARPER'S WEEKLY "special artists" of the Civil War period to modern artists of science fiction paperback covers. There's a brief bio sketch for each with an example or two of their work, organized by decade -- though placement within a decade is somewhat arbitrary for those with lengthy careers. All my old favorites are here, like John Held (I used to work with his grandson), Gordon Hope Grant, Hannes Bok, N. C. Wyeth, Winsor McCay, Donald Teague, Floyd Davis, and many, many others. I also discovered many artists whose work I had seen but whom I knew nothing about. Besides being a first-rate reference book, this is a great time-sink, and it will have a permanent place on my art shelf -- if I can every bring myself to put it down.



3. If you are an artist, illustrator, or simply love fine figurative art, this book is a must-buy. Most of the greatest illustrators are represented here. As a painter, illustrator, I especially revere the works of the Brandywine artists and those from the 1920's thru the 1960's. The colors are terrific and the vast array of illustrators is wonderfull. I have always felt that commercial illustrators were better trained and more disiciplined therefore more competent and confident in experimenting with style and media than those trained in the fine arts. However, as great as the images were in The Illustrator in America, for those who seek a bit more,especially those who paint, several things are lacking: Editorial content-the tag line that always accompanies book or magazine illustration which explains the event captured in paint, would be so helpful to have, and as a painter to me knowing the size and media of eaach piece is invaluable and instructive. I own the last two issues but I hope the authors do a bit more research and give us the above information, as well as a bibliography because in case we want to buy old magazines for the larger full-size reproductions, having the year and month or issue number would be extremely helpful.



4. What I wanted out of this book was an engaging art history examination of american illustration over the past two centuries. Something that gave proper respect and weight to a much maligned art form (Something exactly like the extraordinary Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels published by phaidon). Instead I got a hybrid illustration annual and encyclopedia of artist bios. It's an ecclectic mix of greats rubbing elbows with the bad: NC Wyeth, Frazetta, Howard Pyle, Gibson, and Nast are presented beside a horde of Norman Rockwell clones and gaudy cowboy paintings. General overviews of time periods and the external influences on the art world in general are too brief for my liking. I would have liked to see more pictures per illustrator, but at five hundred pages it's already quite a hefty publication and a great deal of fun to spend tome time with. So despite my initial disappointment I have grown to like the book quite a bit and have spent many hours leafing through it.

   One major complaint regards the selection of recent illustrators profiled, because their account of the state of contemporary illustration totally SUCKS. I think they only profiled society members because they waste pages on some seriously weak artists while avoiding the kind of great artists that jam pack the Spectrum annuals year after year. There is so much great work in those books but not a stitch of it shows up here. Not Phil Hale not Dave McKean not Rick Berry, not even Michael Wheelan. It's a disappointing conclusion for such a thoroughly researched book but nothing that can't be remedied in the Fourth Edition.




5. This book is well organized, with gorgeous prints. Illustrations like these simply aren't being produced anymore, making this book all the more fascinating and valuable.

2 comments about How to Make Animated Toys.

1. I've had this book for over a year and used it as the basis for a number of toys I've created. The instuctions are clear and concise. The plans are easy to follow and include scaled drawings for each toy. The author also includes a very useful discussion of materials and finishes appropriate for building children's toys and design ideas for building your own animated creations. These sections alone justify the purchase of the book. Be aware that most of the designs in the book are copyrighted and if you wish to build them for commercial purposes you will need to contact the author. My favorite plan is for a very simple to make wooden rattle based on a traditional folk art design (this is not copyrighted). I've built six rattles and presented them as gifts to new parents and have been delighted to see how much infants love to play with them. This is a great source for wooden toy makers.



2. Whenever I am looking to make a toy for someone, this book is invariably the first one I always reach for. The plans have heaps of detail and processes for making the toys are very well thought out. These toys are not only animated, but appear to be alive, David has put a lot of effort into making these toys realistic and the movement fun for children (and lots of us not so young). As an added bonus to heaps of great plans, David has gone to great pains to talk about the processes behind designing and building a good toy, this books is worth it for this alone.

1 comments about Erte's Seven Deadly Sins and Other Great Graphics in Full Color.

1. This is a picture book featuring Erte's gorgeous designs in full colour glory. There is very little text, so if you desire biographical information, look elsewhere (I found some great info about Erte the man online).
   
   As an amateur costume designer and maker, this book is amazingly inspirational and stirs the passions of creativity.

No comments about Authentic Art Nouveau Designs CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art).

2 comments about Handbook of Designs and Devices (Dover Pictorial Archive).

1. It is just over 200 pages, each containing nine designs. The book is categorized into types of design (i.e. the octagram and eight-pointed star, the triangle and its combinations, ringed interlacement etc.). The designs are presented in small (ca.3x3cm) squares, black and white, so nothing is squandered in this neat little book. It is very handy and easy to take along wherever you go, and wonderful to get ideas from wherever you may be (with a mind needing a geometric struggle, riddle, or to play with form). I often use it when I go out for a café, and scribble all kinds of designs while sipping my coffee. The book really stimulates the mind, geometrically. And the black/white neat presentation makes it just right. In fact, it is perfect for the purpose of taking along to really *use* and work through, - while you keep all those shiny, glossy grand reference books at home on the bookshelf.



2. It is just over 200 pages, each containing nine designs. The book is categorized into types of design (i.e. the octagram and eight-pointed star, the triangle and its combinations, ringed interlacement etc.). The designs are presented in small (ca.3x3cm) squares, black and white, so nothing is squandered in this neat little book. It is very handy and easy to take along wherever you go, and wonderful to get ideas from wherever you may be (with a mind needing a geometric struggle, riddle, or to play with form). I often use it when I go out for a café, and scribble all kinds of designs while sipping my coffee. The book really stimulates the mind, geometrically. And the black/white neat presentation makes it just right. In fact, it is perfect for the purpose of taking along to really *use* and work through, - while you keep all those shiny, glossy grand reference books at home on the bookshelf.

5 comments about The Art of Final Fantasy IX.

1. First of all, I will say the few things were included on this art book.
   
   - More pictures of Kuja's design.
   - Pictures of Queen Brahne in the characters section.
   - A picture of Zidane on trance form.
   - More data to identify characters, name when possible, place where they are found when not (I am not sure if Puck appears in this book or not, and I have to check the in game graphics to know who other characters are).
   
   That's it. Those are the points that make this book not reach the absolute perfection for me.
   
   That said, I still love what is in the book! There are designs for many characters, even some who are not very important in the story, and there are different designs for the non-playable characters when they have variations in their clothes or hair.
   
   The equipment section and the airship section have lots of details. Those are great for fan-artists!
   
   The section with pictures from the in-game animations has a poster-like selection that will make you remember all those moments from the story.
   
   I'm afraid that everything I say now will sound very fan-boyish, since Final Fantasy IX is my favorite of them all (beating Final Fantasy V, something I didn't thought was possible), so I hope what I have already said helps you somewhat in your decision to buy this book.



2. I got this book through another online retailer for half the price these U&N people are selling for. You just need to shop around.
   
   I'm an artist, and I have a fondness for the Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy IX was a challenge for me and after beating it, my claim is that it's the best in the series so far. After watching the last cutscene, I knew I had to have this book. I was very pleased when it arrived and have found it useful even today. FF9 is one of the most franchised game of the FF's(second to 7); I wouldn't waste that if you're a fan of it.



3. It's got all the characters, all the settings, all the fun. FF9 was my favorited in the series so I just had to get this homage to it. It's just fun to look at the sketches and rough-drafts and such. The town designs are really amazing.

   If you're a fan of the FF series, anime, or just incredible art, I suggest you check this out.




4. I love Final Fantasy!! I have been a die hard fan since part one was released in 1990. There are several books out that show the visual effects from the Final Fantasy series, but this one is by far the best. It is strait forward, art, from the original designer of FF characters, Yoshitaka Amano. Page for page you will see the steps that he followed making this characters shine.

   The main reason that I took one star away was because most of the art in this book is finished up designs from Amano. I am a very big fan of his work, ex. Vampire Hunter D, FF1-6,and 9 adn several other Japaneese work. I enjoy his early sketches better, they are much more fantasy like. But that does not mean that this collection is not beautiful as printed.

   This is a beautiful editon to any Final Fantasy collecton or just plain art or drawings collection. Dont pass this up.




5. When I bought this book, I expected mostly black and white photos and small screenshots from the game, but when I opened it up I was happily suprised with a book full of large, colorful artwork. Being a fan of the game series itself, this book especially appealed to me, as it probably would to many other FF players. But even those who do not play the game will find them selves impressed with the tons of fantastic artwork that fills its pages. I definitely recommened this book if you are a fan of the game or just love great art!

5 comments about Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV.

1. This is the best work for Alternative evolution yet! I actually like how he made the animals look nothing like things on Earth because they evolved from a completely different orgin.It is even better that it's movie adaption Alien Planet. In alien planet it said that they have eyes, but very weak ones, probably just strong enough to pick up biolights, but not strong enough to have complex vision. I like how they ended up with sonar. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is as big an evolutionary science nut as I am!



2. Expedition is a book in the style of Dougal Dixon's "alternitive zoology" books, with the main diffrence being this book takes place on a completley alien world, Darwin IV.
   The book itself is amazing. The writing, while not as bad as some reviwers say, is'nt up to Dixon's books, but the artwork is truly where Expedition shines. Darwin IV and it's alien inhabitants jump off the pages, even if some of the creatures look pretty "out there". I highly reccomend Expedition to any fan of scientific fiction.



3. Barlowe has created a rich and exciting world for his readers. We discover this world alog with his main character, who is an intrepid and earnest researcher and artist. Barlowe does not simply spell out every detail of this world, but makes conjectures based on the available data, thus preserving the illusion that this is an actual account of a place that exists.
   This book is the template for the new Discovery Channel special on alien worlds. I recommend this book to anyone interested in beautiful art coupled with a fantastic story.



4. Expedition is about an artist's voyage to Darwin Four, in 2358 A.D. The book is his collection of drawings and sketches made during the first manned mission to the planet. Mr. Barlowe is not just an artist, but also has great knowledge about nature and how it works. He tries to mix the two, showing the aliens and explaining how they lived, mated and, sometimes, died. But he leaves so much out - there is very little background on the planet's natural history. We get hints and clues about what early life was like. For example, most creatures use sonar and have biolights, yet are blind. Being blind, the sonar makes sense, but why have biolights then? The atmosphere must have been thick and murky, allowing animals armed with sonar better chances than those armed with eyes, but could the biolights be something from earlier times, before sonar was developed and all animals used visible light?
   The science, in other words, is lacking the details I enjoy. It is a great art book, but Dougal Dixon is better at the science, showing evolution and how it works. This is an alien planet and we barely touched the surface of its wonders!
   That is why it only gets three points.



5. All these people saying that this is a well illustrated but poorly written book shouldn't take it so serioulsy, who cares if the inhabitants are unbelievable. It's a fiction book, none of these reviewers could come up with anything half as imaginitive as Wayne Barlowe... consult a scientist or biologist, yeah right...it's not real.......just have fun with it.

5 comments about Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art.

1. If you read Juztapoz and High Fructose, worship Mark Ryden and Coop, love art but are disappointed with contemporary conceptual and process work, THEN BUY THIS BOOK!!!! The out and out bible of pop surrealism and low brow. Savy mixes of graffitti street culture with fine art. I have to say that the discovery of pop surrealism, which I first saw in this book, revolutionized my own art work and has radically changed my ideas about the trajectory of art. Needless to say I like it.



2. Together with Peter Swirski's 'From Lowbrow to Nobrow' this is one of my favourite books on popular art, aka lowbrow, pop, junk, genre, and so on.
   Jordan's focus is very much on the visual aspec ts of lowbrow art, an orientation which is only enhanced by the graphic design of the covers and the book itself. I was quite familiar with many of the artists represented in his book, so I was a little less than completely enthused.
   One of the chief drawbacks of this very engaging book is the palpable lack of a more historical/analytical framework in which to situate lowbrow art. Another thing I would have loved to see is, especially since Swirski usefully traces it, a detailed treatment of nobrow culture and nobrow art which appears to have been around longer than most critics and commentators would have us believe. All in all, I give Matt Jordan a well deserved four stars, reserving the top score for the book which is really a companion rather than competition to his, From Lowbrow to Nobrow.



3. This book is a fine introduction to the work of a younger generation of painters who eschew the cold, minimalist aesthetic that afflicts contemporary art like herpes on Paris Hilton's nether regions. These bold dudes and dames draw instead from the pop culture all around them--and the pop culture of long-lost bygone eras, like the '80s. If you're at all familiar with psychedelia, punk, hot rods, comic books (and underground "comix"), "classic" TV, tiki culture, advertising art & design, fast food, celebrity magazines, steers, beers, queers, freaks, geeks and of course serial killers, then you should find the art in this book accessible as a beer bottle bong in a Phish fan's dorm room. What sets them apart from the pop artists of yesteryear is the young bucks approach the culture as the warm embryonic bath from which they were weaned, lost their virginity and will drown in. Whereas even Warhol had to keep at least one foot in the "high" culture (his bread & butter, after all), artists like Gary Panter and Robert Williams would be just as happy plastering their wares on T-shirts and album covers (and don't bring up Warhol's dalliance with the Velvet Underground; most art snobs still dismiss that amazing band as so much juvenile effluvia). While a great deal of snark and irony can be found here, there's also a genuine appreciation of subjects they were supposed to grow out of.
   
   While everyone will have their own personal faves, and it should be noted that there are a wide range of styles represented here, for me the standouts include the goth-tastic Camille Rose Garcia and Mark Ryden, the gonzo surrealism of Scott Musgrove and Skot Olsen and the cubist comix art of the great Gary Panter. Many will be familiar the highly influential Robert Williams, whose work suggests a coke-addled Salvador Dali on a high speed road trip through the trashiest regions of American culture with a bunch of Hell's Angels as tour guides. Don't hate him just 'cause Guns n' Roses used one of his pieces for an album cover--hate him 'cause he disses pretty much every artist that came in his wake. Still, I have to admit his stuff is pretty rockin'.
   
   Now for the downside. While the reproductions here are generally clear and well-presented, artists who use a lot of detail, like the disturbing, obsessive Joe Coleman, are hemmed in and almost incomprehensible. Even more disappoiting is the cover desigh and title; sure, most of these artists have an appreciation of kitsch, but their work isn't kitschy. It's one thing to wear marginalization as a badge of honor, it's quite another when one of your supporters (Matt Dukes Jordan, the author) marginalizes you, if only by accident. One could also fault the lack of graffiti art here; if "lowbrow" is not really a movement, then why not? All in all, though, "Weirdo Deluxe" is more fun (and informative) then shaving the hair from Ed Asner's back.



4. As a contemporary artist and fan of post war american art I found Dukes Jordan's tome to be a fascinating blueprint of both cutting edge "Lowbrow" art and it's genesis in US kitsch kulture.
   
   I've been subscribing to Juxtapoz for years, so I'm already familiar with most of the artists featured by Jordan. Nevertheless I snapped up his book RIGHT a way. It's cool to have a mini monograph of so many cool artists at my fingertips. The art reproduction is first rate.
   
   His time line describing the key events in 20th century american pop culture culminating in the Lowbrow movement was particularly fascinating. He ties together all the disparate cultural threads as he traces the history of this art form.
   
   All in all a fabulous art book.



5. A first-rate introduction to an underground art movement that blends cartoony pop culture elements with fine art sophistication. True to the spirit of the art, the book is fun to read and packed with colorful details about the artists, their work, and the history of the movement. The selection of art provides a good overview of each artist's work and the print quality of the art is excellent -- clear, bright, and detailed. The book's zany and beautiful design complements the art. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Dumb Luck: The Art of Gary Baseman.

1. There's something about this guy I really love. His art appears simple at first, but after awhile it can get as complex as I want to imagine it to be. It's funny too. Large book and very well printed and bound. Just an all around great art book, nice on the coffee table too.



2. Stunningly beautiful comprehensive retrospective of Baseman's relentlessly consistent, yet amazingly entertaining style. Short on verbage, which in this case is a breath of fresh air, this is a must-have for any Baseman fan as well as fans and students of contemporary American graphic arts. A treasure of a book.



3. I got this book thinking it would be a dinky book with few pics of Gary's work, I was highly surprised when I received it today. It's a thick heavy duty chunky book, filled massively with brightly colored photos of his work, with a combination of black and white photos. A perfect combination. Gary is one of my all time favorite "low brow" comic artists. I fancy Keith Haring, but something about the cheesiness of Gary's work appeals to me. Not only that, but it reminds me of my own kooky poptoon paintings. Many people say that my work is like him... and it's odd that now seeing more detailed examples of his work, I can see the close resemblance in some characters. Definitely check out Gary's work when you get the chance! This book is awesome.



4. You gotta love Gary Baseman. His stuff is just so damn much fun that it's really no wonder he can parlay it into such diverse projects as Disney films and Starbucks board games. The surprising thing is that I can still look at it after all that - but "Teacher's Pet" IS exceptional for the schlock-factory that is Disney, even though it represents a somewhat cleaned-up version of Baseman's style. But if you prefer the Baseman of Blab! and Juxtapoz, the gritty oil renderings of his bug-eyed psycho cartoon world, here you go. You've got your naked chicks, your "dorks," your devils and skeletons, often in pinata form, often clubbing each other to death or otherwise violently expressing their angst and ennui. Spare yourself the really laughably pretentious forward by Barry Smolin, by the way: "Baseman's multivalent imagination conceives a panoply of diverse characters..." Please give me a break. "Sometimes a nose is just a nose," meaning that sometimes it's obviously a phallus; but we don't really need to invoke Freud to analyze the mysteries of Baseman's work - it's simply not that deep. It's "Dumb Luck." Let's not suck all the fun out of it!



5. Finally got my hands on this bad boy, and just have to say, Wow. This book is big (in every sense of the word), jam packed with pictures of Baseman's art and designed incredibly well. Coffee table books watch out, there's a new kid on the block.
   Paging through this massive tome you become fully immersed in Baseman's World; a world full of amputee Bunnies, drooling ice cream cones, masochistic snowmen, doggie Dunces, feline pinatas, plus unattainable beauty and human desire. Though many aspects of Baseman's career are on display (advertising, animation, editorial, packaging and product art), it is his paintings that truly shine. This is where Baseman can let go, and let go he does with a torrent of cute and fuzzy creatures mired in the most horribly painful human experiences. The humor is oftentimes juvenile and sadistic, but somehow it manages to engender a smile from the viewer, maybe because we're glad it's the Snowman who is getting his heart broken (by a mermaid no-less) and not us. There is something else, that elusive "indefinable" quality, that gives Baseman's work it's mass(ive) appeal. His characterizations harken back to old Warner Bros. cartoons (who hasn't grown up on those?), which tickle the child inside, but the emotions and situations are purely human, which grabs the attention of our grown-up self. Baseman's greatest trick, however, is creating what appear to be very simple paintings. As with most great art repeated viewings are required to be able to peel back all the layers, and really see what's going on. And believe me, there is a lot going on.
   I doubt that many people unfamiliar with Baseman's work would get this book, but anyone who has been exposed (a very appropriate term actually) to his paintings, magazine/book covers or toys should jump on it. Highest rating possible from me.