5 comments about Time.

1. I had viewed the DVD "Rivers and Tides" which is a tour of Andy Goldsworthy's artistic endeavors. It is very compelling and left a lasting impression. I wanted more and discovered, to my delight, that a large number of Andy's creations shown in the DVD were documented in the book "Time". There had to be photographs of Andy's work since most of them are not permanent in either time or space. In the DVD, we see the creation process as it occurs and then it may dissolve or move. In the book, it is "frozen" in time and space and can be appreciated as a work of art. I recommend seeing the DVD first so the book's contents can be appreciated even more.



2. Andy Goldsworthy's work inspires me to look at nature in a very deep way.
   His use of the environment and natural materials provokes me to look at how I can
   incorporate more natural materials into my own work. I am in awe everytime I open up the book and look at the images. I especially like red clay and the way it went through it's own process through time.
   a gem, a timeless exploration of our natural world!



3. What a work of creative and artistic genius!

   What to say about such an amazing work? For the first few times I
   mainly absorbed the photos of his works, with only reading the
   little captions and it wiped me off my feet. After a few rounds
   of these I decided to read all of the writing in the book that
   accompany the works he made and it totally blew me away. This
   book has definitely altered something deep inside about the way
   Ilook at nature, change, the seasons and time in general.

   Time, as the title of the book suggests is the main topic of the
   book and Andy Goldsworthy's art in general or at least his
   approach and intention towards it. The body of work presented in
   numerous photos and with corresponding writing in the form of a
   journal covers the whole range Goldsworthy's work. For example
   works made from stone, wood, leaves, snow, ice,...

   As a result it gives an excellent overview and introduction of
   his work and via the numerous writings a very deep, personal and
   detailed insight into how he approaches different places, how he
   reacts to change and works with the weather. The writing is on
   par with his work. Very clear, direct, honest and poetic.

   His insight into the concepts of time and change and seasons and
   nature is truly breath taking. The introduction he wrote for the
   book is a wonderful example illustrating this. Part of it can be
   read by using the "Look inside the book" feature of Amazon.
   

   Spending time with this book really cracks ones mind wide open
   about time, change, nature and seasons and how to look at it and
   perceive it.

   And honestly I don't know what's more amazing. These amazing
   and unbelievable pieces of art. Or the incredibly crisp and poetic
   writing, deepening so much ones understanding of the works and
   give insight into Goldsworthys view and approach and thoughts. Or
   simply that out there somewhere a human being is walking this
   earth with such an amazing understanding of time and nature and
   able to transform this into amazing art an writing.

   If the idea of Goldsworthys work is for him to work with time and
   change and nature and to further his awareness of these concepts
   and make sense of them in the most beautiful way then that is
   exactly what this book excells marvelously at for the reader.




4. Andy Goldsworthy's artwork is utterly ephemeral and fleeting, and perhaps because of this, utterly transfixing. There is something of the ancients in the way Goldsworthy puts together stone, or wood, or leaves--or even in the way he lays himself down on a dry patch of ground in the rain so that when he gets up, we see a sort of reverse shadow of his body. There is an astonishing intellect at work here, and a soul which sees the value in what some art snobs might term "mere beauty."

   Goldsworthy's many mediums are covered in "Time," which features sumptuous photography by Terry Friedman. We see perfectly constructed stone cairns--some pyramidal, some only half done and all the more startling for what isn't there as for what is. We see ruddy sandstone arches four times the height of a man. But Goldsworthy's most consistently inviting work is done not in stone, but in the ephemera nature leaves for him everywhere he looks. Goldsworthy's work is sometimes so fleeting as to question the very nature of whether it constitutes art when it lasts only minutes or hours. The frost shadows, for instance, are simply photographs of the still-iced patches of grass over which Goldsworthy stood in the early morning, then stepped aside so that a photograph could be taken. Of course these are gone within minutes as the sun warms the now-exposed grass. Is this art? Merely the fact that you question it shows your engagement with the work--Goldsworthy fosters a kind of subtle dialogue between reader and artist and the dialogue is consistently engaging. Another heat-destroyed piece is the thinnest imaginable sheet of ice, laid against a moss-covered rock, and Goldsworthy's handprint visible on it. As it thawed, it buckled and disappeared and we see its disappearance in the photographs. It's lovely, it's witty and it is, improbably art.

   Other things disappear, too, but not from the sun's warmth. There is a "stick hole" Goldsworthy built early one spring which he and Friedman came back to photograph throughout the summer until the final photograph shows it utterly covered with the lacy ferns which grew up around it. There are the perfectly circular or perfectly ovoid leaf rafts Goldsworthy stitches together, then sends on their way down a meandering stream, having their path photographed before they disappear. There are the piled of rocks he constructs leading into the ocean so that the tides swallow them up--each stage meticulously recorded on film.

   Perhaps the most transformative art in the book is the mud wall displayed on the cover. Goldsworthy applied mud to walls and floor in such a way that when the mud cracked and dried, it showed the meandering, snakelike pattern he'd put into it. It has become something entirely different solely through the passage of time. This book is filled with surprises and delights, and will have you utterly absorbed, charmed, and astonished. I can't recommend it highly enough.




5. This is perhaps Goldsworthy's most elegiac and moving book, a profound meditation on time and change. If you like his work, you won't be disappointed. This volume and "A Collaboration with Nature" are wonderful and permanent sources of inspiration.

No comments about Bent, Bound And Stitched: Collage, Cards And Jewelry With A Twist.

3 comments about Felix Gonzalez-Torres.

1. Felix Gonzales-Torres ( 1957-1996 ) was a many-sided artist.
   He uses photographs, A1 sheets of paper stacked one upon the other, light bulbs ( white not
   colored ) and even large amounts of candy wrappers with the same colour.
   
   He has everything of a minimal art performer and yet the materials he uses ( albeit not at the same time ) and the different ways of displaying his art ( walls of buildings, corridors, rooms and staircases ) are so complex that it would be laughable to call his work 'minimal art'.
   If it's necessary to give him a name I would call him an explorer. I believe it's the purpose of an artist to search what lies beyond the horizon.
   
   I believe also in the value of abstract art. It emphasizes the essence of what we see: colour, shape and the different relations between one and the other.
   
   Art with artificial light is the fascinating area between abstract painting and sculpture. Only a few artists so far, had the courage to walk that borderline and one of them was Gonzales-Torres.
   His 'light-art' is simple ( He uses for instance only burning white lamps ). For example a large corridor in a modern building has several garlands of light against one wall, or strings of white lights attached to the ceiling and pouring down like rain to the floor to form a pool of light.
   
   If you want to know all about Gonzales and his different forms of art, please read the fascinating
   book " Felix Gonzales-Torres " by Miwon Kwon.



2. A truly truly beautiful book on who I consider to be the most important, influential and sublimely talented artist since Warhol. Edited by Felix's close friend Julie Ault, this is a beautiful beautiful informative book - a must have.



3. Great in depth look at one of the most important artists of the past 30 years. Not just an overview of the work, analysis from Ault, Storr, and contributions from Marguerite Duras and Wallace Shawn. The latter are not just in there to be interesting, their interests and those of Gonzalez-Torres overlap in thought and practice. Also, there are many statements and interviews with Gonzalez-Torres about the work's formal structure as well as its content. Overall, a great analysis without sentimentality - rare when an artist dies at the height of her/his creative powers.

No comments about Canvas Remix: Techniques For Creating Mixed-Media Accessories.

3 comments about Clay: A Studio Handbook.

1. I have read several books (library) on pottery and technique and THIS book, for all inclusive information, beats them all. One definitely that should be in everyone's studio. Easy to quick reference. Easy to read and understand. I actually could visualize making forms as I read the text. It gets right down to the molecular events that happen in the kiln, things I didn't know before. Wonderful work!! Take a class, then read this book. You'll want to play with clay the rest of your life.



2. This book is wonderful. It contains information on everything from properly wedging and centering clay, to how to set up your own studio and select equipment. It's informative without being so academic that it's hard to read. I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to supplement their knowledge of ceramics. I have more hands-on pottery experience than academic, so this answers all the little things I've been wondering about such as "What is the difference between earthenware and stoneware?", "How does a noborigama work?", or "What is the proper way to photograph my work?" This is the perfect studio reference book.



3. Vince Pitelka's Clay: A Studio Handbook is a comprehensive, highly detailed manual on all the myriad ways to create and enjoy clay sculpture, from hand-building to potter's wheels to kiln firing and glazes, to exhibiting and marketing finished works. Written in sensible language easily understandable to the lay reader or novice hobbyist, yet covering all the material a professional needs to know, Clay: A Studio Handbook is the perfect guide for anyone with an interest in learning or improving their clay craftsmanship, whether for fun or for profit. Black-and-white photographs and drawings visually model the many styles and techniques presented, making them easy to imitate. Clay: A Studio Handbook is strongly recommended for anyone with a yearning to create three-dimensional art.

5 comments about Altered Books, Collaborative Journals, and Other Adventures in Bookmaking.

1. I was so pleased with this book. It has been 2 weeks and I'm still going through it. You know, one of those books that just keep on inspiring you to make your own journal. It has lots of great ideas. It doesn't have instructions for everything but does give you some tips on the different techniques. I highly recommend it.



2. Interesting book that has spreads from altered books by a number of different artists. Each example shows a different technique and tells you in a paragraph or so how the artist created that particular page and what they were trying to say through it. Its not a step by step book so its better to already be familiar with altered book techniques first but once you have the basics this will give some good examples and other ideas. (e.g. "to create a dreamy, wash-ed out effect, the artist primed the pages with gesso and then worked layer by layer with watercolor crayons.") There are other books that I'd buy first before this one (like Altered Book Workshop by Bev Brazelton) but this is a nice addition to the library too. I don't have an art background - I'm self-taught - and I kind-of feel like I have to read between the lines and experiment to get the effect that is desired. I think someone with a few art classes under their belt would get even more out of the descriptions that I do. Great book though, glad I have it.



3. i've browsed through the selection offered at bookstores and i must say this one blows me away totally so i had to buy it off the shelf and bring it home! this book doesn't necessary go through the steps of creating one, but by the detailed pictures and variety, plus a bit of your crafty imagination, we can achieve a lot more via our own creativity, using ideas from this fascinating book to create our own altered books. not to mention an AB idiot like me, the information it offers all the way from AB communities to materials is priceless. i can't wait for more from Holly. ^_^ keep 'em comin'!



4. Only 4 stars because if you buy this book for what it's supposed to offer you'd be disappointed. This is not a book about the HOW to alter books.. but more of a journey at looking at other people who have.

   * This book is a showcase of books.

   * This book will not help someone who has never got into book-making before

   * This will provide you with inspirations to do something, it doesn't treat you as a pre-schooler saying 'cut here.. paste this' etc. It is all about setting your own creative spirit free.

   * Combine this book with a more basic 'how to' if you really need it, but for someone who is willing to experiment this book will get you going.




5. This book goes far beyond "eye candy". It's a visual delight with page after page of juicy and intriguing examples of book ideas and altered books. If you're a beginner, you may be frustrated by "how'd they DO that?" questions that could never be answered in just one book. Instead, the author has filled this book with vivid, rich and dazzlingly innovative examples of what you can do with an altered book. Intermediate and especially experienced paper artists will leap from one inspiring page to the next, saying, "Ooooh, what if I mixed this idea with that one and...," in lightning-fast brainstorming that this book can spark. I highly, highly recommend it if you want raw inspiration by artists with originality that soars. (Holly, we want MORE of this!)

2 comments about Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery.

1. almost every piece of pottery I have is represented in the book!



2. This is a wonderful detailed book of the the finest potters to be found in the southwest. This new expanded edition provides great family trees of the finest of Pueblo potters. If you're planning a visit to the Southwest and hope to meet some of these potters, it is the perfect companion book to The Native American Indian Artist Directory that will actually provide phone numbers and mailing addresses for many of the potters found in this outstanding edition.

1 comments about Art of Joe Pekar - Naughty Girls.

1. If there is one thing I can always count on Sal Quartuccio to do it is to find the latest and greatest pin-up artists and he's done so again with "Naughty Girls" The art of Joe Pekar. Pekar is another enormously talented guy on the cutting edge of digitally produced art--but I defy anyone who would have guessed that his exquisite work was digitally produced.
   
   Pekar's work is slightly reminiscent of Joe Chiodo with his women having those big, blustery eyes, but that's about where the similarities end. As the title suggests, Pekar's women are quite the naughty vixens, and yet maintain an alluring air of innocence that make them irresistible. This 48 page gallery of Pekar's work is full color and simply dazzling. One need only check out the cover with teasing schoolgirl to know that you are in for a visual treat.
   
   Schoolgirls are a running theme throughout the book and presented in a variety of clever avenues. One of my favorite pieces is of a couple of girls getting caught lighting up a cigarette in the bathroom. It's a piece I'd love to have hanging up in my office. Another recurring theme is that of one girl playing the temptress to another such as the girl with the laptop proclaiming "Ummm...I thought I was coming over to study" as her friend passionately nibbles on her ear. And what collection of this type would be complete without a pillow fight as Pekar gives us a quartet of lingerie-clad cuties battling it out with their down-filled weapons.
   
   Pekar provides a diverse bevy of subjects...there's the gothic girl, The girl scout, the cowgirl, the soldier girl, pirate, fire fighter, Red Riding Hood, and one of the most wickedly hot witches I've ever laid my eyes on. This is simply a phenomenal collection from cover-to-cover. Pekar is staking his claim as one of the top pin-up artists around today. Highly recommended!
   
   Reviewed By Tim Janson

5 comments about The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques.

1. First of all, this is not a "how-to" book. If you want a book on pottery making or throwing techniques, don't buy this book. However, if you want an exhaustive encyclopedia of ceramic information, you need this book. Want to know why your pottery cracked the way it did, this book will tell you why. Want to know why a glaze recipe differs from batch to batch, the info will be in this book. This is the book that never gets lent out yet always quoted. Irregardless of wording or cultural bias, if you plan on being a professional clay artist, this book is the definitive authority on ceramic science.



2. An excellent reference book for anyone interested in pottery or in the conservation/restoration of ceramics. Well written with a world of information. An expensive book but worth every penny!



3. This really is an indispensable book for anyone seriously interested in pottery as an art or profession. It contains lots of great information. It also contains some errors, most of which are little. Also, the rendition of the Chinese character for "raku" is ugly and missing a stroke. The title says this is a dictionary of materials and techniques - but it's more than that. It can serve as a jargon glossary, too. Also, some articles seem more concerned about meaning and interpretation and make practically no mention of materials or technique, and in the case of the "Teapots" entry, I thought it culturally-biased and incomplete. That said, get it anyway, this book is a must-have.



4. The Potter's Dictionary offers details and facts about everything ceramic. Clay and glaze materials are explained more in-depth in this book than any other I have read. Subjects are presented in a clear and concise manner and the alphabetical order makes things very easy to find. It's more like an encyclopedia than a dictionary. When needed, great graphics complement many of the articles. No wonder this book has been published since 1975, A+!!!



5. This book never arrived even though i paid Amazon / UPS for next day delivery. I ended up getting it from Barnes and Noble in San Diego

No comments about Burning Angel.