No comments about Maria Lassnig.

1 comments about Ceramic Faults and Their Remedies.

1. This is a must-have reference for anyone who's been frustrated with production problems in the studio. A real time saver! Covers everything from firing defects to glazes. Whether you're dealing with crazing glazes or cracked, warped ware, you will get answers here.

No comments about Eduardo Kac & Avital Ronell: Life Extreme: An Illustrated Guide to New Life.

No comments about Romantic Conceptualism.

No comments about Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Biography.

No comments about Deconstruction and the Visual Arts: Art, Media, Architecture (Cambridge Studies in New Art History and Criticism).

5 comments about Recent Forgeries (Book & CD-ROM).

1. It's not only a book. It's an experience, a stop in your live, a konstant compagnion. A book always to have near just in case you want to be told a story, to find a new way to look upon your live. A creativ way. You think about it, you do it. It is so encouraging! Thank you, Viggo Mortensen!



2. As a compilation of writings and musing with photographs and muted paintings, this book reads like a very intensely personal diary/journal and family photo album with an obsession for "RED." Because of the melancholic nature of the writings, it was difficult to comprehend the reality of "Forgeries." The photos show clarity, concise images with good composition though many are personal family shots. It is an interesting view of the author's family and home life but surpising, as a celebrity, anyone would want this much exposure to one's personal private life for outsiders to take a peek. Amazingly many of these photos and location for photo shots reoccur in other publication by the author/artist/photographer. The book is for the curious but not an inspiration as a keeper for literary and artistic merits.



3. I've had this book on my wish list for some time but haven't ordered it. Now, it's no longer available here or other popular bookstores. However, I did find it from Percival Press and I didn't have to pay double! Hope this helps.



4. Viggo Mortensen, Recent Forgeries (1998, Smart Art Press)
   
   Did you know Viggo Mortensen, alternately by turns Lucifer, Aragorn, the American Yakuza, and Tex is also an accomplished painter, poet, short fiction writer, and musician? (Well, I'm taking the "musician" part on faith, because the CD had been removed from the copy of this I just finished by someone who is not me.) And I'm not talking "accomplished" like Jimmy Stewart, Jewel, and Ally Sheedy are accomplished. Nope, Mortensen can be a little loose with his verbiage sometimes, but the man's got it. (And, really, all those reviews from people who had never heard of the man until Lord of the Rings? Where you folks been for twenty years? You never saw The Prophecy? Albino Alligator? Witness? The Indian Runner? The awful remake of Psycho? Get thee to a video store.) And while I'm far less schooled in the arts of photography and painting than I am poetry, it's obvious that Mortensen's photographs have a definite thematic unity to them, when they show up in series, and that the man has an eye for what makes a good picture. The paintings, which have a more restrained Basquiat-esque feel (one wonders if Mortensen's dating Julian Schnabel's daughter had any effect on that), seem as if they're a bit more confused, but still powerful. I liked the representations of both here, certainly enough to go looking for Mortensen's other published works in those two areas.
   
   The poetry was what really floored me. The short fiction is good, but the poetry rips it up (aside, as I said, from some loose verbiage here and there). Mortensen is a man who truly understands the value of image in poetry. You'd think that obvious from someone who works in the film industry, but take a read of Jimmy Stewart's book sometime and get back to me on that. I guarantee you won't find anything as worthy of being called poetry as
   
   ...An errant vine has sprouted
   two blue flowers
   where it reaches
   roots of the lemon tree.
   They are beautiful;
   I am suspicious.
   ("Cuttings")
   
   A wonderful little book. Probably more wonderful had not some enterprising soul stolen the CD, but I can recommend it without hesitation. And come on, people, add a copy of Albino Alligator, one of the best films ever made, to your order. ****



5. He's a poet, he's a painter, he's a photographer. Don't think Viggo Mortensen is just an actor, as talented as he is in that. "Recent Forgeries" is a collage of his works of all kinds, with poetry woven together with pictures and paintings... not to mention the CD. Pieced together but never patchy, this is a must-have.

   Mortensen offers a display of poetry, often melancholy and thoughtful ("I taste the blood/that shimmered/on your lips/Lingering, like guilt does"). There's also a selection of what seem like short stories woven in, like the slice-of-life "Relay" or the charming "Bedtime Story For Henry." And of course, paintings and photographs: the vivid "Sun Losing Its Yellow," soothingly surreal "Mute," and the quiet still photographs like "School." (A mildly decayed stone gate)

   Accompanying the "Recent Forgeries" book is a CD, in which Mortensen reads his poetry out loud, including "Bedtime Story For Henry," "Clear," and a handful that are not included in the book itself. Mortensen's smooth voice is accompanied by Buckethead, DJ Bonebrake and others.

   Most people who act don't have a lot of artistic dimension beyond that. Chalk one up for the eclectic bohemian: Mortensen has mastered self-expression in different ways, and shows it well in "Recent Forgeries." There's a little of everything -- everything, that is, that can be pressed between book covers. Along the way, the photos, paint and words seem to run together into a sweeping, colorful landscape.

   Mortensen's assorted artwork can evoke anything -- his poetry ranges from funny (like the quirky "Home") to poignant to ironic, and his artwork can be soft or angular, usually filled with great waves of color. At first some of them look random, but closer inspection shows just how careful and deliberate they are. His photographs are about the only thing that stay the same -- Mortensen focuses on little things that most people would miss, like signs, trees, empty stone gates with overgrown roads, and so on.

   A rich, well-rounded look into the mind of a talented artist. Viggo Mortensen's "Recent Forgeries" is a treat for anyone who appreciates art in all its forms. A rare creation, well worth having.

4 comments about Male Bonding (Fotofactory Anthology Series Book 1).

1. Though primarily a collection of young men in pairs and groups and in various stages of bonding, this little book takes the time and compassion to also look at the joy of all types of male bonding. Fathers and sons, men in crazy outfits having fun, some very artistic, 'staged for effects' photos, and then the focus on body parts conjoined just suggesting love making. This is a refreshing group of black and white photographs that encourages return readings, just for the pleasure of men with men. The range of photographers covers the very well known (Arthur Tress, Harriet Liebowitz, John Sonsini, Kristen Bjorn, etc) as well as the aspiring young talents whose works are seen here for the first time.



2. Some good pics, others only average. Also the book is too small, only seven inches. Nice for the colector though.



3. "Of all the male-oriented photo books that arrive every year in time for the holidays, Male Bonding stands out for both the variety and artistic accomplishment of its images. Forty-two different artists, including Arthur Tress, Clifford Baker, Hans Fahrmeyer, and Bill Costa, are represented. (This) will appeal to anyone interested in fine art photography." - review excerpt from CB at A Different Light Books



4. A hard-to-find collection of photos of men together in couples and groups. A great collection of shots from over 40 photographers, including Clifford Baker, Kristen Bjorn, Bill Costa and Stanley Stellar.

4 comments about Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration.

1. Hmmmm, how do I start. This is one of my favorite printmaking artists. Chuck Close does not work within any printmaking boundaries, he goes beyond them. His etchings extend the boundaries of how many plates can be printed prior to the paper deteriorating, his blockprints are absolutely mind bending and astounding, his reduction linocuts are masterful, and his creativity for paper pulp prints is freakishly genius. I love, love, love this book, and if you have any connection to works on paper or printed images then you too will love the interviews with Chuck Close, and the explanation of the process and collaboration. need I say more? buy this book!



2. The illustrations of this book are very good for understanding the works of the artist and the process as well.



3. The first reviewer here is nuts. This is a book that was released when Chuck Close had a retrospective on his prints. This book has info on the prints and no paintings. what is great about 'Process and Collaboration' is the fact that it delves so deeply into Closes working habbits and how he pretty much invents his process from one small series of works to the next.
   
   This book gave me a huge boost in my appreciation for Close. I liked him before, but this added so much depth to my understanding of him as an artist. I now feel as though Close is as complicated as any other artist that I have knowledge of. Even though he has built a long and vibrant legacy based on nothing more than close-up head shots. This is a must have book and I only wish that every artists retrospective went into a similar amount of detail.



4. This book as described is about the prints, and talks very little about the paintings. There are very nice and clear pictures, but I really only found a few pages interesting, and the rest was just like one long interview about the materials he used and the stories behind who chipped what woodblock and how it got done, etc. Maybe some people will like this book but I only found it slightly interesting.

No comments about The Helsinki School: New Photography by TaiK.