2 comments about Coming of Age in Ancient Greece: Images of Childhood from the Classical Past.

1. This is one of the rare books that genuinely helps to make a real connection to a very different place and time. There are some aspects of childhood that we all remember; we can find those aspects in the images and artifacts presented in this book. There are also elements of childhood that are unique to a particular culture; again, we can discover and learn to understand the aspects of childhood in ancient Greece that provide a wonderful window into their society.
   
   Another great strength of this book is the way it focuses on what is visual. You'll spend your time with the authors poring over dozens of intriguing, sometimes amazing, sometimes very moving images created by the ancient Greeks themselves. For most of us, there is a great language barrier between their world and ours, but the visual evidence presented here, along with the very skillful and insightful guidance provided by the authors, goes a long way toward solving that problem.
   
   I think my favorite image in the book, and one that demonstrates the approach the authors take, is the beautiful photograph of a small terracotta sculpture of a mother teaching her daughter how to cook. On the one hand, the image conveyed by the sculpture itself is immediate. On the other, as soon as you start to take a closer look, with the help of the text, question after question after fascinating question comes into your mind. The book doesn't have all the answers--no one does!-- but it has the insights necessary to orient you to the sculpture and set your mind racing.
   
   By and large, the book avoids academic-ese. Sometimes it doesn't; referring to a woman giving birth as a "parturient" instead of "a woman giving birth" is one example. Sometimes the logic slips; one essay says that "all the texts" were written by men, and then proceeds to examine several texts written by women. Oh, well.... Can't win 'em all, can we?
   
   The book is beautifully produced and printed. It's a pleasure to handle. In particular, the photography is excellent almost everywhere. If you admire fine craftsmanship, it's a pleasure just to study so many examples of fine pottery, even without thinking about the meanings the pots convey.
   
   You'll read other books for an intellectual appreciation of Greek history, politics, art, and so forth. This book wil give you a wonderful gut feel for how they really lived, felt and experienced the world.



2. The book provides a complete discussion of childhood images from the Classical Period with ample illustrations. The discussion of the significance of childhood images is also covered in detail.
   
   Alan Safani

1 comments about Masterworks From The Museum Of Modern Art.

1. 'MASTERWORKS OF MODERN ART From the Museum of Modern Art' is an apt, richly illustrated, thoughtfully 'curated' book that traces the beginnings of modern art from the fascinating 1880s through the museum's inception in 1930 through the changes both physically and collection-wise in the past seventy-five years. As complied and curated by MoMA director Glenn Lowry, this 'birthday catalogue' is an exceptional guide through the ideas in painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation through the period we call 'modern'.
   
   Not only is the collection surveyed, but also the original building and the new architectural reincarnation by Yoshio Taniguchi of a space that renders each of the works a special aura is highlighted. Here are great works by van Gogh, Leger, Warhol, Brancusi, Klee, Duchamp, Kahlo, Lange, Arbus to name only a few. The color reproductions are excellent - as clear and color perfect as you'll find in any art book.
   
   Lowry's own comments add not only to the appreciation of the individual works represented in this fine book, but also to the concept of 'what is modern?' that spurs so many debates. A glorious way to celebrate a worthy milestone! Grady Harp, November 05

No comments about Fields of Vision: The Photographs of Russell Lee: The Library of Congress (Fields of Vision).

4 comments about Soul in the Stone: Cemetery Art from America's Heartland.

1. Ok, so not everyone is into the "darker" side of life. We prefer to focus on sunflowers, streams and good old-fashioned values here in the midwest.
   To many people, gravestones are just plain creepy. Haven't we all watched horror movies where the dead crawl out from beneath a cracked headstone and kill innocent lovers?
   Mr. Brown's book made me look at the gravestones in a brighter (although not unentirely SAD) light. I saw the loss that families suffered through in the intricacy of massive stone mausoleums. I felt the emptiness of parents in the lifelike sculptures of their children. And I shook my head at the quirkiness of folks whose death markers are every bit as weird as they themselves must have been.
   I've had this book for 5 years and I STILL pick it up now and again to read the stories behind the cemeteries. I have also given it as a gift to people in my life who I know won't get totally freaked out by it. They LOVE it.
   It is a wonderful read/lookat/whatever.... just try it!--



2. My husband John and I love tombstone art and stomp around the countryside taking photos of cemeteries. This is one of our favorite books, with lots of wonderful photos of cemeteries around St. Louis and so forth. The author also writes a wonderful commentary on the nature of cemeteries, their conditions, and how we view them today as a modern American society. The photos of the children's graves are especially haunting. A must for collectors of tombstone art.



3. John Gary Brown, does an excellent job at showing the eccentricity and beauty of grave markers. He uses different angles, and points of view in his compositions, to bring out a morbid beauty, that is rarely seen by the naked eye. A truly impressive collection of masterpieces. Just when you think the works speak for themselves, Brown also includes wonderful poetry, which co-exists perfectly with the photographs. A must for anyone's artistic anthology collection.



4. While the photography is excellent, and the author offers several interesting insights into symbolism and customs, the facts about particular monuments are incorrect. He gives the wrong locations for several monuments (placing them in cemeteries across town), and the descriptions of the cemeteries themselves contain errors

4 comments about Young, Sleek, And Full Of Hell.

1. Love this book! Contains some great insights into the early careers of some of my favorite artists. There should be more books like this!



2. I returned it.
   If you are an artist looking for inspiration, you won't find it here.
   The only fresh thing about this book is the title.
   
   Photos are bland. It is more academic without the kick or good design in
   "Live Through This."
   The content would only be of historical interest.
   
   I ordered this book because Amazon stated
   " Customers who bought "Live through This" also bought this book.
   I imagine they are getting a lot of returns.



3. This book gives you a look at what it was like from the people who were there. I only went to a few shows but these people lived there. McGee, Kilgallen, Campbell, Gonzalez and more. Photos of the shows and behind the scenes of life and work at the gallery. Plus great interviews with dozens of artists and people who were there telling how they found out about it and there wildest alleged experiences. Great book, every city in the world needs an alleged gallery, I know mine does.



4. I have been waiting for this book for a long time. Although I wasn't a regular when the gallery was open, over the years I have become a big fan of the art and artists that were exhibiting there. This book is filled with interesting photos and anecdotes about the struggles of being an independent artist and gallery in an increasingly more corporate world. New York is not the same now. This book reminds me that one mustn't have to sell out to make a mark.

5 comments about Art of Gundam Wing.

1. It has great poster-like images and screen shots, all of high quality. The original art is also superb. If you like Gundam Wing and want some extra art or if you want to draw something from Gundam Wing get this...and the technical manualGundam Technical Manual #1: Gundam Wing cause that thing has ALL the details about the machines and the story leading up to the show.



2. This is a great book! It's worth the money! If you know Gundam like I do then you'll love this book. It has pictures from the Endless Waltz as well as some from the earlier movies. The pictures are very colorful and quite creative. Each character is given a few pages of pictures. If you are familiar with the pics on the trading cards, they're there too! Also the covers of the movies are included. I highly reccomend this book to anyone seeking help on drawing the Gundam Wing characters or just looking for a peice to add to their collection!



3. This is a really great thing to buy for any GW fan. The artwork is beautifull.....amazing.....there aren't enough good words to describe it.....I'm very happy that I bought it.....



4. Hm... I happen to LOVE this book. I own it. Bought it at a different website (animenation.com) with a different cover, but it's the same pictures... And the pictures are great! There were quite a few I hadn't seen before (example 1: the one of Treize and Une's head from the side. example 2: one with both Milliardo and Zechs (Milliardo with his mask on) from the side and a full shot of Noin from the front). The whole thing is layed out very nicely. I give it... *drumroll* Ten out of ten thumbs up! Eh... Right. Anyway...



5. For all those die-hard Gundam fans who were disappointed with the three-volume manga, this will more than make up for it.

   Like the title says, this book displays a collection of pictures -- original ones or screenshots from the anime -- that is, simply, the art of "Gundam Wing." The book does a good job of fairly balancing the pictures of the five pilots as well as other important characters. For those who surf the web a great deal, many of these pictures will be recognized immediately. And many people might also notice that the pictures are a lot crisper, clearer, and cleaner than some found on fansites, which is alone worth the price of the book.

   However, there is also a good deal of pictures that have most likely not been found on the internet (although they probably will be soon because of people with scanners and a lot of free time). These pictures heighten the worth of the book, and the fact that they were drawn by the artists who worked on the anime makes it all the more satisfying. After all, where do the original artists take the time to add more of their talent to a collection of already-beautiful artwork?

   All in all, there was only once complaint I had, and that was that the book was a little short. The book is only about 96 pages of art, with a brief interview with the artists. Despite this setback, the book is definately a must-have for anyone who's ever enjoyed the artwork and wants to gloss over it for days on end. Try and say something like that about "Pokemon"!

No comments about Cleaning Painted Surfaces: Aqueous Methods.

1 comments about Constable: Impressions of Land, Sea and Sky.

1. I was very pleased with this publication. It's one of the most comprehensive books on an artist I have ever seen.

5 comments about Walker Evans: Cuba.

1. As an individual who has been present watching countless Cuban young people snorting coke, smoking marijuana, prostituting themselves to tourists to feed their families while eating canned Russian dog food to keep from starving to death, I beg to differ with the basis for his "review". This book simply shows that the Cuban people suffered before the Castrista regime as they certainly continue to suffer today. The book is well done. It is a shame, however, that it was used as a format for Castrista blather and outright lies. I have been there. I have dedicated much of my adult life to the Cuban situation both on the island and in the diaspora and am the mother of two wonderful Cuban-American children whose Cuban family is hungry, NOT ALWAYS SMILING, without healthcare and with a progressively declining level of what was once an excellent educational system. Don't be fooled. If the Cuban people are smiling now, as many were before the revolution, it is because their sense of humor is a part of their resilliance that allows them to survive through one hellish regime after another.



2. . I first took a look at the photographs in the book and I guess made a few assumptions about the pictures. Then, I actually took the time to really read the whole thing, then my previous opinions changed. See when a person first looks at photograph they don't see everything. After reading the text I really enjoyed what was said about each photograph. The descriptions took the photographs into a different setting and it broadened my view on matters.
   It was interesting how Carlton Beals, the radical journalist would have described some of the photographs. I was surprised how negative Beals wanted everything to be. Evans just allows the audience to have an open mind when viewing his photos, not like Beals who wants to tell you the way he wants things to be. Regardless, people will have their own opinions about certain photos, but that is what makes photography so interesting. The text is not very long, but it goes a long way in giving insight to the status of Cuba in 1933. After reading and looking at this book I have a better understanding of how Walker Evans works his magic. This is a great book to own!!



3. Everybody knows the stereotype all too well of the joyous Cubans, with their 8-day Carnavals, incredible music and high culture. As someone who visits the island frequently (my wife lives there) the happiness of the people is so uplifting. The suicide rate is so much lower there. The murder rate is way below that of the US. It is a cocaine-free society because of all of the anti-cocaine canine patrols in the major cities. It's really a revelation being there. No drugs, no homelessness (the right to shelter is guaranteed under the Cuban constitution), a LOWER infant mortality rate than the United States, more doctors per capita than Canada, Sweden, and the US, a 97 per cent literacy rate.

   This book however is a REAL eye-opener. I have only experienced Cuba after President Castro took office. I have only seen his good work in a country where EVERY schoolhouse now contains at least one Pentium III computer or better (don't you wish you could say the same about the USA?).

   The fotos inside this book are unbelievable. Absolute abject shoeless, starvation poverty, photos taken from a pre-Castro Cuba. Looks like modern day Haiti, a country which has subjected to US policies from Papa Doc, to Baby Doc, to Aristide, all handpicked by the CIA and look what a mess that country is.

   These fotos and the commentary inside are a revelation. If you EVER wondered why the people revolted and continue to adore President Castro, buy this book! These fotos don't lie. There is NO ONE living like this in present-day Cuba....




4. I bought this book as a present for my grandparents who are native Cubans. Cuba is a beautiful country with some of the most amazing art, food, music, people, and architecture. This book shows nothing of that Cuba. If you want to see photographs of people living in poverty, than this book is for you. If you want to see the real Cuba, look elsewhere. The photography itself is decent, but the subject matter is just shameful.



5. These black and white photos by the famous documentary photographer, Walker Evans, shows what life in Cuba was like before WWII. He captures everyday life in all of its majesty, his subjects ranging from the downtrodden to the affluent. This is a remarkable book of great interest to students of pre-1959 Cuba.

1 comments about The Fine Artist's Career Guide, 2nd Edition: Making Money in the Arts and Beyond (Business and Legal Forms).

1. This book would be great for any highschool students considering what/where to study for university or college. It provided more information about art in the United States more so than Canada.

   Overall, I thought the information the book provided was very brief towards what a career actually entails. It did go more in depth however, with real life examples of someone in the business, and provided good sources if you want to look into what schools offer such programs to lead to that specific career.

   I would consider the actual careers very general knowledge -- unfortunately it was nothing I didn't know before I had purchased this book. However, it may be helpful to someone who is clueless about the art world.

   In the end, it was an okay book; I dont regret the purchse.