No comments about The Modern West: American Landscapes, 1890-1950 (Museum of Fine Arts).

5 comments about The Magic of M. C. Escher.

1. Almost cinematic in design and construction, truly, "The Magic of M.C. Escher" is a breakthrough book on the works of this artist. Every page is filled with inspiration and surprise. Designed by a gifted art director named Erik The' and produced by Andreas Landshoff, this book flows together to form a loving catalogue of Mr. Escher's visions. It is unlike other books based on Escher which tend to be either tutorial or biographical in nature. Whereas these past books, more or less, deconstruct and analyze his works mainly through words, "The Magic of M.C. Escher" successfully accomplishes this through the images themselves, revelling in their sheer beauty, from his preliminary studies all the way to the finished prints. There are many double foldout pages to better impact Escher's mastery of his craft. Some of the pages are filled, corner to corner, with extremely detailed, magnified sections of specific works that allow the reader to closely experience what it's like to be "nose to nose" with the actual prints.
   
   This book catapults the reader into Escher's world immediately. Before you even open the title page, you discover that the inside of the dust cover reproduces, in full color, of course, "Metamorphosis III" in three horizontal panels each measuring an astounding 39" across. This book brings us along on a visual journey ajoined by Escher's own words, as if he is personally giving us insights on a guided tour of his works. It thoughtfully limits itself to short excerpts from Escher's lectures and letters whose sole purpose is to compliment glorious, detailed photographs of original work. It's filled with Escher's never-before published pencil studies and sketches, extreme closeups of his prints, and detailed photographs of his original carved wood blocks. The pencil studies from his notebooks allow us to follow his thought processes and fully appreciate the endless hours he joyfully and dutifully spent on formulating the precise combination of graphic elements to arrive at his finished images.
   
   The book makes side-by-side visual comparisons of earlier works that inspired Escher to create more self-satisfying images that better convey his "relative division of the plane" and other spacial concepts. Most of its visual content were supplied by two sources: The M.C.Escher Foundation and Michael Sachs, a private collector and print dealer from Connecticut.
   
   Overall, this is book is a stunning, loving homage to this master of printmaking and genius to the graphic arts. Nothing is spared in this book's construction and design. If the adage is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, "The Magic of M.C.Escher" could fill a library.



2. Wonderful coffee-table book of Escher's best drawing illusions. Even the jackets is two-sided and imaginatively done with style.



3. Given as a gift by a special friend of mine, the book has always adorned the coffee table in the living room as a centerpiece that never fails to attract the attention of both art lovers and art dabblers alike. Perhaps it could be said that my interest in the two seemingly disparate field of mathematics and art motivated that friend of mine to purchase the book, as Escher himself apparently believed and proved that those two seemingly unrelated fields could be beautifully synthesized in a brilliant fusion of creativity. The result is more than convincing.



4. Escher was a Dutch wanna-be mathematician, who expressed himself through incredibly intricate, creative works of art. This book contains hundreds of his drawing as well as his notebook sketches, which is interesting to look at because you get to see how he developed his drawings. Accompanying most of the pictures in this book are excerpts of letters that he wrote to various people. If you want a book on Escher's work, then this is the one to buy! Fantastic.



5. High-quality reproductions of the amazing artworks. Minimalistic style of comments and excerpts from artist's letters gives you a focus on subtle details and motives, and lets images tell you the rest.

No comments about Museums and Difference (21st Century Studies).

5 comments about Live Through This: New York 2005.

1. live through this is one of my favorite art books.
   its beautifully designed and laid out, and you can't ask for anything better from deitch.
   i constantly find inspiration in these pages.



2. My main gripe is that this paperback is shoddy and the pages come apart after a couple
   of reads.
   Otherwise, fun, typical collegetown artwork by pampered kidz who never heard of Iraq.
   The photos try to shock us with underground daring, but in reality, the antics are frat rat.
   Still, the artwork is energetic and there are fairly fresh design elements.
   I think that this book would be useful to red state artists who want to see what the cool
   people are up to.



3. It's absolutly great publication. You will find inside what Deitch thinks its "in". Perfect design.



4. Combine the exhaustive efforts of editor Kathy Grayson with the hippest goings-on in the New York art world and you get a book that is both a work of art in itself, as well as a refreshing guide to the scene. This book is an awesome way to experience the sometimes seedy happenings, parties, and explosive personalities firsthand.



5. Peter Schjeldahl said "artists tend to show up in gangs. You come to the city with your friends, meet other friends, hang out in bars, become a group, and foment a movement-" and that's exactly what Deitch and Grayson capture with this book: An ecstatic moment frozen in vivid print and pictures and then drawn out in time for your (re)viewing pleasure. With over 140 pages of blisteringly cool arts and letters, this volume not only conveys the non stop creative action of this scene but gives you Grayson's truly insider perspective. Countless candid photos documenting both the art-making and their accompanying parties, give you a real sense of a community of desire- talented young people coming together in a specific place and time over some things they love: making art and causing trouble. This book is at once a record and a product of its movement. I'll never be able to read a museum catalog again.

4 comments about Offerings (Paper Tiger).

1. Brom stacks up as one of the most brilliant fantasy artists working today, and this book shows why. Within you will find beautiful maidens, dastardly villains, valiant heroes, vile beasts, and all manner of other characters fair and foul - each and every one of them marked with the twisted vision of Brom. Brom's art has the ability to send a chill down your spine no matter what image you might happen to be looking at - there is almost always an element of the unsettling in a Brom painting, of impending doom or contagion, and every painting yields something new to look at with each viewing. Another quality inherent in Brom's work is his ability to make the viewer wonder about his images, and construct stories around his characters in his head - you may find yourself engrossed as you construct motivations, origins, and storylines as you flip through this book. Those looking for an excellent book of fantasy art with just the right twinge of horror would well to pick up "Offerings."



2. This is a good collection of Brom's art... but if you are thinking of buying a Brom book... buy 'Darkwerks' before you buy this book.
   
   The art in this collection is more mature and refined in comparison with Brom's Darkwerks collection, but is lacking in quantity and the spontaniety of his card art.
   
   He is one of the few artists who rarely uses reference material whilst painting. This approach is evident due to the fact that a lot of the figures have comic-book figure proportions -- which is admirable in this day in age where painters trace from photos.
   
   Verdict: Buy Brom's Darkwerks first, buy this after.
   Reviewed by Harrison Chua



3. This book is truly amazing and Brom has outdone himself again. The paintings are very interesting and depict situations that my mind would have never discovered on its own. One word of caution... though this is great art, it is women unfriendly. What I mean by this is that the females are generally depicted in painful situations that seem to take away from their beauty. I would highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to view dark and powerful fantasy settings and people/creatures. Amazing work!



4. This is Broms second book, his artwork is more mature than that in Darkwerks and perhaps a little less immediate, but never take a Brom picture at face value, even the classically beautiful images have something unpleasant lurking in the background. Fans of Brom will be glad to know that is more of the excellent, if somewhat disturbed work of perhaps the best fantasy illustrator working today. BUY IT !!

No comments about Jackson Pollock: Works from the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and from European Collections.

No comments about Erwin Wurm: The Artist Who Swallowed the World.

3 comments about Willem de Kooning: Paintings.

1. This book is undoubtedly the best recent publication on De Kooning. Very complete, it encompasses the entire career of the artist with beautiful reproductions and a text partly written by one of the most sensible art critics of our time, the late David Sylvester (whose other writings on American Art I strongly recommend too). It was a catalogue for an exhibition held at the National Gallery in Washington in 1994, which, to this date remains a reference.



2. One of the New York action painters, abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning was born in Holland almost a century ago. He began as a portrait and figure painter, later becoming "an artist who makes ambiguity an hypothesis on which to build."

   This gloriously beautiful retrospective of his work was published in conjunction with the first major exhibition devoted exclusively to his paintings at the National Gallery of Art. With 80 color and 50 black and white plates, exhibit curator Prather, art historian Sylvester, and art history professor Shiff offer commentary on 84 of de Koonings's paintings which span five decades of his career.

   Beginning in the 1930s with the earliest series of paintings of men and women to the 1980s when the artist's style became more abstract, this superb volume is testimony to de Koonings' life and oeuvre.

   A contemporary of Rothko, Kline, and Pollock, Willem de Kooning's works are sometimes taken as metaphors, dynamic with shapes and colors splayed across the canvas. He is one of the most influential artists of our generation. This splendid catalogue is apt tribute.




3. This is probably the best book about Willem De Kooning on the market. Along with a multitude of color plates David Sylvester offers historical, technical, and philisophical insights about Willem De Kooning and his life works. The large format makes viewing the artists works very enjoyable. The reading is not overly complicated as it paints a full portrait of the artist, his accomlishments, his techniques, and also offers an approach to understanding the significance of his work. A must have for any De Kooning, or Abstract Expressionist enthusiast.

No comments about William and Henry Walters, the Reticent Collectors.

4 comments about Looking in: The Art of Sas Christian.

1. A very Beautiful book. Sas Christian never disapoints and this book really shows the fine detail and beautiful of the artists work.
   Its a great addition to anyone's book collection.



2. Sas Christian is an exceptional artist. Her paintings look like 3d. Those women with the big eyes and the glossy lips look so real yet you know they don't exist. At least not in this planet. Each painting is so unique and each time you get lost in those magnificent watery eyes! Just look in!



3. Detailed, vivid, emotional, unique and magnetic! Sas's gorgeous and unique body of work strikes you with its modernity, spunk and soulfulness all at the same time! First, the detail of the hair, the glossiness of the lips, the clarity of the tears...spark your curiosity...And you wonder `Are they real'? You are captured by each subject's magnetic stare. You can not resist but look inside.
   
   The huge eyes of Sas Christian's subjects, reflect realness of emotion in which any viewer can find a bit of themselves. They tell a story without saying a word.
   
   You will keep coming back for more to `look in' and try to solve the mystery of their lives! Because these paintings are like a good movie. When you see the images once, they strike you. See them twice and you will see something new. See them for the third time and you will find a whole new world as you continue..."Looking In".



4. Sas Christian is hands down one of the greats of the Pop Surrealist movement.
   "Looking In" is a testament to her unique way of presenting an emotionally charged world through a simple gaze of the eye. This book eloquently chronicles the artist's enthralling body of work form her early beginnings to present time. A visual jawdropper that is sure to leave the reader gasping in awe of Sas Christian's skill, wit and, at times, tongue-in-cheek humor.
   An impressive collection of haunting images by an already stellar artist at the dawn of her career.
   You won't find better eye candy for your money.