2 comments about Frida Kahlo.

1. The catalogue for the 2005 Tate exhibition, this book is a complete survey of F.Kahlo's career. Present here are her major portraits (of the Mexican high society as well as of her husband, Diego Rivera) and also her more famous self-portraits. An informative text helps the reader forget all the recent hype surrounding the artist and concentrate on her best legacy: her paintings, many of which are masterpieces of introspection and portraiture.Seeing all the self-portraits, one after the other, makes you understand the artist's life, pains and sorrows, better than any Hollywood mega-production...



2. After seeing the film "Frida" starring Selma Hayek, I wanted to see more of Frida Kahlo's paintings. (I had already been to Mexico City where the guides readily show you Diego Rivera's murals but say nary a word about Frida except when she appears in Diego's works).
   
   I am pleased I chose this beautiful and profusely illustrated coffee-table style book. It holds a place of honour on my bookshelves, its cover-jacket and self-portrait of Frida & her trademark "unibrow" facing the viewer as you walk in the door.
   
   The book was produced to accompany the 2005 Tate Gallery exhibition of Frida Kahlo's work, and is a must-have for anyone wishing to have a closer look at her life and art without the trouble and expense of travelling to Mexico.

No comments about Bodies: The Exhibition.

No comments about Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.

1 comments about Velazquez (National Gallery Publications).

1. This book is the catalogue for a blockbuster exhibition that was held at the National Gallery in London in 2006. Pictured and analysed here are 46 of the artist's paintings, mostly court portraits (the Spanish royal family) and biblical scenes. The text is divided into five chapters; especially interesting are the one on the technique of Velasquez and the one on the historical and sociological context in which his famous nude turning her back to the viewer, the Rockeby Venus, was painted. The last chapter deals with the reception of the artist in Britain and the way he was much sought after by British collectors early on. Even though his famous masterpieces Las Meninas and the Surrender of Breda were absent from the exhibition, they are evoqued and illustrated in the book's detailed chapter on the life and art of the painter. The illustrations are of a high quality, with many close-ups and details.
   
   It is therefore a must-have for anyone interested in Velasquez.

2 comments about Impressionists in Winter: Effets de Neige.

1. Add this gem to your art book collection. As a screen printer, I have been increasingly seduced by the "winter palette". This wonderful volume compiles the best of the Impressionists as they, too, came to appreciate and explore the unique light, the effects of the weather, the shapes of hibernating nature, the muted hues, and the brooding melancholy of Effets de Neige.



2. i saw this show in san francisco, and, as an artist, i was moved to silent reverie. the works are astonishing! whoever asssembled them deserves the thanks of anyone who has known the cold, stark beauty of winter and kept its memory in their souls. the artists who captured these moments in time are unmatched in contemporary painting. simply, i thank god for their lives and work. as one who still believes in the power of beauty upon the human spirit, i walked away from this show elevated and in awe. most particularly, i was enveloped by the works of gustave caillebotte --- so little known in america; so wondrous in the realization of his vision and his time. this show is serene. and this book comes close to reflecting its essence.

3 comments about Paul Klee: The Nature of Creation/Works 1914-1940.

1. This is the catalogue for an exhibition that was held at the Hayward Gallery in London a couple of years ago. It benefits from the exceptional contribution of British artist Bridget Riley, one of this rare brand of artists who do not keep their thoughts on other artists to themselves. Seldom can you get an inside view of a painter's work through another painter's eyes.
   The exhibition itself was small, but with some of the best examples of Klee' paintings, coming from all over the world. The illustrations are lavish, colors are well rendered; on the whole, one of the best publications on Klee in English.



2. This hardback was issued by the museum when the Klee show toured the USA. It was a spectacular show that captured the essence of this 20th century artistic genius and I was fortunate enough to see the show and buy the book. Paul Klee explored just about every art style there was in his quest to develop modern art and his seemingly simplest paintings were usually his best. Klee lived an often traumatic life as well and when you are exposed to all of his works, you can easily see that quality in his paintings. I found the most eloquent ones were the ones he did as he approached his own painful death. The book does a tour de force job of covering the paintings which were in the show, which is the way the show now lives on.



3. This is an efficient and careful monograph that succeeds on many levels. Grohmann was Klee's biographer and longtime friend. He is respectful without being sycophantic, and thorough but never plodding. He uses a variety of source materials, including Klee's own writings (diaries and letters). Grohmann establishes Klee's lasting importance to art and to painting by asserting, "It is as though he were still among us, to be consulted on every problem of life and art." Grohmann's generous(40 pages, 58 illustrations) and lively essay on Klee is also charming and personal. It combines biography, criticism, a wealth of references, and thought-provoking appreciation. It's generously illustrated with photographs of Klee and his studio, plus ink, tusche, chalk, and pencil drawings, collage, watercolor, tempera, and oil paintings, a woodcut study, and etchings.

   The text that accompanies the following forty color plates (a selection of paintings) is the calm, clear art criticism that Grohmann is so good at. The plates' reproduced colors are good but not great. What's best is that Grohmann is such an able teacher. He describes each painting straightforwardly, and then asks intelligent questions, suggests answers that seem well-thought-out, and inspires one to further thought and research. His friendship with Klee gave him some additional understanding of his friend's work and lifelong passions and motives.

   A very worthwhile book on a great artist.

2 comments about Between Clouds of Memory: Akio Takamori, a Mid-career Survey.

1. This is a superb book,in my personal estimation.
   It gives me what I was searching for, a review of the artist's work,excellent pictures,and information on the artist's personal history.I am happy when I read what inspired the artist.This book is full of info, but very delicate in handling what he has to say,and when to say it(some works are inspired from Hiroshima,for example.)
   I am partial to figurative work,I look at Akio's figures and realise that there is a lot of power to the meaning of "less is more" I am so glad I have it in my personal library,it is a help in conducting myself in where I want to go in my own artmaking.He seems to prefer stoneware,and the thousand year old recipies for glazes.It is daunting to me,but I appreciate his personal history,and dedication to old techniques.This is one artist that will go down in History.
   If you love figurative work,I think he is one of the most successful artists in the genre.



2. I thought this book was a great collective of Akio's work from his past work with the vessel to his current figurative sculpture. I would highly recommend it for any ceramic artist.

5 comments about Illuminated Manuscripts: Treasures of the Pierpont Morgan Library New York (Tiny Folios Series).

1. I am a great fan of William Voelkle, who is not only the expert on the Morgan's vast holdings, but one of the finest semiologists in the field. His expertise in these fields is evident, as this little book is a lovely peek at the Morgan's greatest illuminations. Much of the best is there, but a lot is not, such as the almost unbelievable series of choirbook fragments by Gherarducci, and the great unfinished Book of Hours, painted by Quarton and Barthelemy d'Eyck. These are personal favorites of many people, including Mr. Voelkle, and I for one lament their non-inclusion. The format of the book is an interesting way to group the pictures, and is a valid way to go, but from an art-history viewpoint, I think the groupings might have been better if chronologically placed. That said, this is the only book with a big chunk of the PML's treasures, all in color, and encompassing much at a really minimal cost... Makes a GREAT gift for people who are into medieval manuscript painting.



2. I was so pleased when this arrived. I had no idea that so much could be packed into so little space. Excellent quality photos, great detail, and the information on the original size of each manuscript is priceless! I'm in a historical recreation society and I can tell you this will go with me to every scribal and illumination event I go to.



3. This is one of my favorite illumination books. Being a practicing illuminator, I need photos much more than I need lengthy discussions, historical analyses, elaborate provenance notes, etc. They have to be color photos and they have to be large enough, and at a high enough resolution, that I can learn something from them--and maybe even copy an initial, a diapering pattern, a bit of the border, or more.

   This book satisfies all these criteria. In fact, the only thing I dislike about this book is the fact that it's so small, it's really hard to keep open while I paint from it. REALLY hard, because if you get large and heavy enough items to hold both sides down, inevitably the items obscure parts of the page you are painting from!

   Its size can be an advantage, though. I purchased this at the National Gallery in Washington, on a midday jaunt during a conference, then went back for the next conference presentation. When the speaker turned out to be droningly boring, I brought out this tiny book and paged through it inconspicuously under the table. Could I have done that with Janet Backhouse's monumental work? I think not...;)

   The selections are wonderful, and they're usefully broken down into sections based on content--excellent when you need to find a quick animal or floral image for a border, a rendering of a king or queen, or a picture of a dragon or other supernatural being. Not so excellent when you need to find an example of, say, a late 1400's eastern French book of hours (there are many, just not in any kind of chronological or geographical order). But then, there are other resources that do that. This book is interesting for its variety, its excellent reproductions, and its well-selected and unusual miniatures.




4. Excellent reproduction of a number of styles, with reasonable commentary. Very valuable for me as a newbie, to provide a sense of medieval style and composition. The size is at once very handy and very frustrating.



5. This book is good, not great. Its to small and many of the illistrations are too small,and hard to see. But for the money its worth it. They have many other books that are a bit better than this one. Here is one that is very good 'Masterpieces of the J.Paul Getty Museum Illuminated Manuscripts'. This book is awesome with easy to read text and wonderful pictures. Happy Reading.

5 comments about The Art of Bruce Colero: Heavenly Bodies.

1. I have to agree with the reviewer from New Zealand. In that, yes Colero's women are Perfect specimens.It seems if I want to see an average woman I should move to New Zealand. That said, Colero is a digital master and i love this book. there is a huge variety of topics covered - from schoolgirls and mermaids to angels and demons, all done with Colero's definitive erotic touch. Though new to the scene, it wont be long before he takes his rightful place as king of the pinup artists.



2. I have to say I disagree completely with Richard Manks' review. While it is clear Bruce Colero's art is computer generated (and isn't suggested otherwise), that should by no means be held against it. In fact this book is a stunning feat of what can be achieved with 3D art. I have enjoyed the works of many fantasy and pin-up artists (and too numerous to mention here) and have enjoyed Bruce's work no less. Each picture within the book features beautiful women of various themes and emotions, homages to comic book characters, pirates, mythical fables, movies, science fiction, traditional fantasy or just beautiful pin-ups. The work and level of detail that has gone into each piece of art is breath taking. The lighting, the colours, the scenery, his effects like fire and water...it is so impressive seeing what Bruce has achieved using the medium of 3D art and how his talent and imagination has brought each picture to life. There are so many good paintings in this book that it is hard to pick a favourite. When I saw Richard Manks' comment about how each painting lacks energy and is repetitive, I was puzzled as to how he reached that conclusion. There is plenty of energy in each picture, you only have to look at "Corsair" or "Vigil" to appreciate what I mean (and I am picking at random here). They look like a snapshot of a fully moving and dynamic scene. The only thing that could be classed as repetitive is that all the women are beautiful, and that is hardly a complaint.
   
   Another one of Richard's comments baffled me also. His remark about the women in Bruce's imagery having "ridiculous perfect body shapes", seems both absurd and ignorant, as if it was a fault exclusive to Bruce's art. Women in fantasy and pin-up art almost always look perfect. The artist takes the basis of reality and makes them the most enchanting and beautiful they can. They will try to capture the very essence of beauty and sexuality. That is what the artist aims for, in that subject matter. It doesn't matter which artist it is or what medium has been used.
   
   Creating truly beautiful 3D art and of that which is, in my opinion, of similar calibre to other famous artists that use different mediums, isn't as easy as it appears. It is still down to the artist to have the talent and imagination to create something to that level. Bruce has shown he has the skills to consistently produce art that is of a much higher level than what can often be "freely downloaded in the millions". I also view a lot of 3D art from websites and while I always enjoy seeing what other artists have produced, no matter what their calibre, Bruce's work was of such high quality and so distinctly unique that I really wanted to order the book.
   
   I am certainly glad I did.



3. I picked this book up, flicked through, and put it back down. The art is obviously computer generated - if you can't tell from the lifeless faces the ridiculous `perfect' body shapes will be a clue. Some parts look like they were taken from real photos and added to the digital stuff.
   
   The images lack energy and are repetitive. You might like to look at it, but there are thousands of artists and millions of images like this available for free on the web.
   Instead use the search box and spend your money on hand-painted images by Royo, Sorayama, Dorian Cleavenger, Dave Nestler... the list goes on.



4. Having tried my hand at digital art with Photoshop, I have to say that I really...REALLY admire the hell out of artists who work well with it. OK..I'm no trained artist but I'm still mesmerized by the technique when someone can master it. One of those who has truly mastered digital art is Bruce Colero. SQP has just released Heavenly Bodies: The Art of Bruce Colero. It's my first time seeing his art and I was absolutely blown away. Digital truly requires a whole different approach than traditional artwork. The enhancements of light, shadow, and the use of color is so integral to digital art. Bad technique stands out like a sore thumb while masterful technique is dazzling.
   
   This 48 page collection is full color and shows off Colero's vast talent with the female form. The themes range from fantasy, to Sci-Fi, to horror and to comic books, each page featuring Colero's dynamic artwork. One painting that strikes you right off the bat is "And Lead us into..." This piece shows off a striking female demon, nude but with flames swirling about her body in all the strategic places. Now you really have to pay attention to the flames here. I don't think I've ever seen flames in a piece of art look as real as they do in this painting. The coloring, the shape...you can almost see the flames moving around her body. It's a brilliant piece of art!
   
   Another magnificent example is "Rio" showing a nude blond, with her back to the viewer, wading into knee-high water on a beach as the sun sets in the background. The coloring and shading is just unbelievable. You look at how the sun reflects off the water's gentle ripples and you wonder how Colero manages to be so precise and so accurate in his rendering of this paradise. The female form has rarely looks this good, even if it is a bit exaggerated in its perfection.
   
   Highlighting the book for me is the inclusion of several well known subjects such as Lady Death, Vampirella, Elektra, and The Black Cat. The Black Cat is perhaps my favorite piece in the entire book. She sits crouched upon a building's ledge, contemplating her next move but poised for action. This is one piece of art that would like great on your wall. "Heavenly Bodies" is a collection that any fan of pin-up or glamour art should own. SQP has delivered another outstanding art collection!
   
   REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON



5. Colero's "Heavenly Bodies" are exactly that: Beautiful fantasy art reminiscent of the golden age of Borris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta - yet with a modern and fresh perspective coupled with contemporary pin-up and sci-fi themes. The beauty of the female form and her strength are celebrated throughout the pages of this illustrated collection of works. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates artwork, surreal fantasy, and particularly those with an affinity for beautiful women.

2 comments about Arch.

1. There may be more imaginative artists than Andy Goldsworthy, but I can't think of any who use natural materials in natural settings in such an astonishingly effective manner. In "Arch," Goldsworthy traces--through photographs and a sort of diary--the movement of a sandstone arch through the farmlands of southwestern Scotland (his own "home territory"). This simple arch--a sort of brick-red, roughly hewn curve--is set up and dismantled in all sorts of unlikely places, mostly sheepfolds, along the way. It is photographed and a small entry written about its placement in each particular place.

   The very first photograph, in Dumfriesshire, shows the arch almost glowing with ruddy color as a threateningly black sky looms overhead. From there, we variously see the arch at the edge of a hauling company's parking lot; in a livestock feedlot; in the middle of a road; with one foot in a narrow stream and the other in a grassy field; and even, wittily, beneath another stone arch which forms the doorway into a barn.

   In each setting, the arch almost speaks to us. It looks by turns completely at home and relaxed all the way up to shy and out of place. Goldsworthy's great achievement here is to imbue a simple and completely inanimate object with different moods and faces depending upon the setting. The arch becomes almost a Rohrschach test for the reader. Most interesting!




2. Andy's work is astonishing! He finds beauty and art in every corner of the outdoors. Each of his masterpiece's are unique and stimulating to the mind. I strongly suggest this book and others by him for education and pleasure. You will be amazed!