1 comments about The Tile Book: Decorating With Fired Earth.

1. I enjoyed reading this book immensely....it was informative and inspirational. The history of tile-making is shown to be a long and worldwide affair. Some of the photographs are beautiful. I would have liked a little more detail on the techniques various cultures and artists used to make these tiles. Some of the 'advice' on using tile seemed a little banal, and I was frustrated at the lack of a bibliography. That said, I would highly recommend the book as a starting point for those interested in the history and variety of tile design.

No comments about Miller's: Godden's New Guide to English Porcelain.

1 comments about Perfect Paper Mosaics.

1. I have seen Susan's artwork in several offices, galleries and art festival booths in the Salt Lake area, so was really pleased to discover her new book. I already knew enough to expect that her technique descriptions would be clear and concise, but what a surprise about the print quality of the book itself. This is no flimsy little newsprint job like so many other craft-oriented books one finds on the market. Hardcover, it is filled with beautiful, glossy color photographs that demonstrate her methods and display her art pieces. It is attractive enough for a coffee table, but it's so inspiring that i doubt it will spend much time outside of my workshop.

1 comments about Contemporary Erotic Drawing.

1. I like the drawings. Georgia Marsh and Danica Phelps offer sensitive sketches of couples coupled, Gina Magrid explores the boundary between clinical and erotic, Ruth Marten baffles, Scott Martin amuses, and Kim McCarty disturbs. Juan Gomez evokes something of complex plumbing and Popeye's Olive Oyl in his almost-legible connections. As a whole, the collection displays a high level of artistry. End notes add to the reader's knowledge of each artist, but a few essays at the start will remind some readers of why they avoid art commentary. The book as an art book disappoints me, though.
   
   As a book of drawings, it's beautifully designed, and I mean that in the least complimentary way. Each page is a jewel of layout and composition: light, airy, and infused with importance by its broad margins. Captions feature tiny, pale print that might not suit older eyes. My gripe, though, is that the book layout fails in its role as vehicle for the art. It pushes itself too much to the front, like a butler that intrudes into every family photo. This should have been about the art itself. Instead, layout squeezes the artworks into shrunken boxes, so small that crucial details become illegible (e.g. p.72, 44, 64, 76). Even when an image's details are called out, they sometimes take only postage stamp space in a near-blank page (p.36-7, 43). These tiny reproductions become especially frustrating when I see the original image's dimensions - 32x32", reproduced about 3x3", in a page over 8x11" (p.61).
   
   It galls me to say that Marshall McLuhan was right in this case. The medium is the message. The art should have been the message and is quite enjoyable, when it's legible. Mostly, though, it's a book about book design, and not a book about the subjects on its pages.
   
   -- wiredweird
   
   Four stars for the art, one star for book design, and I'm rounding up to give it three stars.

1 comments about Edna Boies Hopkins: Strong in Character, Colorful in Expression.

1. Edna Boies Hopkins was a part of the art colony in Provincetown, Massachusetts during the early part of the 20th Century. After traveling in Europe and Asia she was part of the group experimenting with innovations in woodblock printing, in her case, with stunning results. This books brings to life her work, done in many parts of the United States and adds mightily to the biographical information available which had not been examined in depth until now. Mr. Vasseur is to be commended for his superlative effort.
   
   Stephen Borkowski, Chairman, Provincetown Art Commission

No comments about Traditional Pottery of India (Ceramics).

4 comments about Warman's English & Continental Pottery & Porcelain: Identification & Price Guide (Warman's English and Continental Pottery and Porcelain).

1. This amazing fourth edition is truly the Bible of the ceramics field. A fantastic resource for dealers and collectors alike. Al and Susan Bagdades' outdid themselves when they put this wonderful guide together. It is perfect for novice collectors or established dealers. This is an expanded edition of their classic reference with 10,000 new listings, 600 black and white photos, and 16 [ages of color photos. Plus there are new sections on Cottageware, Pilkington, Royal Winton, Ruskin, and Wade. Sadly, Susan passed away in 2003, while working with Al on this book. Despite his loss, Al persevered and completed this edition as a tribute to his beloved wife.



2. This is a great book! A must have!! All the books by authors Susan and Al Bagdade are excellent.



3. Warman's guide has been a real asset in researching porcelains. As a novice, my greatest challenge has been in identifying the origins of my pieces. The Warman's guide has been invaluable in identifying pieces and approximating dates, as the book illustrates each known signature/stamp, and often includes the dates associated with the signatures. The various B&W photos of plates, figures, etc., were only minimally helpful (you can only get so much info from small B&W pictures) but the real value for me has been in Warman's listing of manufacture marks. Warman's Porcelain is a good launching point for identifying unknown porcelain. (It is an encyclopedia). If you have an older porcelain and are curious to know more about it, its manufacturer (and value) Worman's is a good start for preliminary information. My only suggestion would be to have a separate index by manufacturer marks (if you don't know the maker associated w/your porcelain's signature, expect to spend some time scanning through this volume to find the particular illustration!)



4. This is an excellent reference book! It is in black and white with some pictures and a decent price list. The best thing about this book is the broad range of porcelain manufacturers listed and the histories, other references and collecting hints. Items are listed with good descriptions and price list. It also contains marks. It lists individual manufacturers and also gives histories on manufactureing areas. Altogether a very good book and valuable to porcelain collectors!

1 comments about Encyclopedia of Marks on American, English, and European Earthenware, Ironstone, Stoneware (1780-1980): Makers, Marks, and Patterns in Blue and White, ... Ironstone (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. For years, serious collectors of pottery and porcelain relied on the works of Geoffrey Godden to assist them in their search for manufacturer's marks. Other authors produced different books, but Godden always remained the standard. Those days are over as Arnold A. and Dorothy E. Kowalsky have now produced what will undoubtedly become the definitive ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MARKS. Emphasizing the products of American, English and European earthenware, ironstone and stoneware from 1780-1980, the Kowalsky's present - as their book jacket states - "Makers, Marks, and Patterns in Blue and White, Historic Blue, Flow Blue, Mulberry, Romantic Transferware, Tea Leaf and White Ironstone." Containing 688 pages and hundreds of manufacturer's marks, this masterpiece highlights - and cross references to Geoffrey Godden - American Potteries and Marks, English Potters and Patterns, and European Potters and Patterns. Also included are notes from selected authorities spotlighting transfer printing on blue and white ceramics, historical Staffordshire, Flow Blue, Mulberry Ironstone, White Ironstone and Copper Lustre Decorative Motifs on White Ironstone China. The authors have diligently provided a guide for readers to know how to use their book. Some books are written for information; some for pleasure. This wonderful addition to the world of antiques and collectibles provides both information and pleasure. You really can't get any better than this!!

3 comments about The Rohan Master: A Book of Hours.

1. the most beautiful manuscript ever !
   the hardcover is recomended.



2. I too am biased (I'm a historian of Italian Renaissance art), and while the as yet unknown master who illustrated the Rohan Hours meets none of the usual criteria for "beauty" in 15th-century painting (say, the style of Fra Angelico's angels or Botticelli's maidens--both of these painters produced fine book illustrations), there is no question that he was a brilliantly inventive, keenly expressive artist. His illustrations for the standard repertoire of Christian Bible stories totally push the envelope of what was usual within a book's pages. He combined achingly precise realistic description with a total freedom in the scaling and placement of figures, and a luxuriant decorative sense, creating powerful images that virtually burst from the page. Gestures, facial expressions, accessories from hair to drapery, seem driven by powerful currents generated from the prayers to which they give shape. A Renaissance original, with a refined, if bold, technique.



3. This is one of many fine reproductions produced by the Geo. Braziller company. This particular manuscript is a 15th c. book of hours generally considered to be a masterpiece in the book-art community. It's a very nice reproduction.

   My personal opinion, of course, colors my perception of the quality of the art of the Rohan hours. Frankly, I think the art in the Rohan Hours is of medium quality; its miniatures are cetainly emotional, but the technique is rougher than most of the books of this era that are considered to be "masterpieces."

   Individuals who find the art charming, of course, would give this book a higher star rating, because it has all the usual nice qualities of a Braziller publication. There is an essay detailing the history and discussing some of the manufacture information , followed by lots and lots of pictures of manuscript pages accompanied by a short paragraph detailing the actions of the people in the pictures. The clor reproduction is nice.

   I own it; it's a pleasant enough book. I don't mean to discourage a lover of the illuminated manuscript from buying this book. However, you should also be aware that the art of the Rohan Hours isn't quite as finely done as you might expect.

5 comments about Roy Stuart: Volume III.

1. i was looking for cool erotic photography with this book. not necessarily all clean and pristine, in fact something edgy would have been welcome but it's just nudity and sex. the quality of the pictures is fine, the colors are fine the models are fine. but it is directed at men's magazine readers rather than art audience i think. i guess that was my bad. the two reviews quoted on the book cover are not surprisingly from Penthouse and Playboy, and i think that describes the book well. both are fine magazines for the type of material that they present, but quite dull when you browse page after page.



2. it took me some time to get my mind around this book, on one hand, top playboy style photos, the usual very posed with artaficial looks models involved in a pretty ordinery (for erotic photography scenes) and on the other hend, photos that looks almost randomly taken, photos of woman showing off their panties by accident or involved in real live scene (such as peeing in a public place and so on) it felt to me as if the level of subjects (not technicly, which is all superb by the way) and model's very uneven.

   then after trying to solve this anigma for a while, i notice that this was the main strangth of the book, it give a very full and deep range of approaches regurding women's body and women's sexuality. it doesn't escape mainstream or edgy ways of looking at it.

   unlike a lot of very cold fetish art, this book holds true admiration and fasination of women of all zises and ages (most of them are slim conventinaly beautiful young models, but some of them aren't) and there's a feel of true intimacy and realizm in a lot of those photo.
   it's very immpressive both in it's cover and zise and it's make a somwhat less ocnventional coffee table book, i reccomand it strongly




3. I disagree entirely with the other reviewer's comment that if you're a fan of Leg Show you'll find this boring. I get Leg Show exclusively for Roy Stuart's work and this 240 page book was anything but a letdown. Stuart is unique in what he does, challenging the viewer's notions about sexuality, gender, beauty, fantasy, and power. The women he photographs have -- like the settings he designs for them -- a sexually frazzled quality that makes one never want to look again at another Penthouse layout. If women want to know what men really fantasize about, look at Roy Stuart's photography. And, yes, many of the photos here have been seen before in Leg Show, but there are many that I've not seen.



4. if you are a fan of Leg Show Magazine then this book will be pretty boring for you. most of the pictures are the same that appeared in that magazine. i had expected to see fresh photo's or even some too risky for the periodical. Instead we are treated to some of the same photographs.

   overall i give it 3 stars. good if you like this sort of stuff but old hat if you have regullarly read leg show.




5. For Roy Stuart there are no boundaries when it comes to sex and beauty. In his world everyone and every situation provides the opportunity to explore some aspect of the most erotic manifestations of sexuality.

   Stuart thrusts voyeurism into a respectable spotlight. Foot fetishism and bondage are as common as the missionary position and most important, no one is a victim in Stuart's erotic universe. Women are in control, and are in his sexy "photo-stories" because they want to be.

   Continuing to break down the boundaries of sexual politics with his provocative photography, Roy Stuart's most recent work is more explicit than ever. With the groundwork laid in Volumes I and II, Stuart ventures further into the ambivalent relationship between reality and illusion, using role-play to challenge conventional ideas of sexuality. More daring, more subversive, Volume III features Stuart's most focused work to date.

   Roy Stuart's latest subjects include older women, who, in their non-conformity to orthodox standards of beauty, force viewers re-evaluate their personal definition of what constitutes an appropriate "sex object." Does western culture brainwash us into accepting traditional sexual roles, wherein women must be young and beautiful and men must be handsome and dominant? Forget what society has taught you about power roles, desirability, and body image. Stuart depicts a world where these barriers are abolished and women share the same sexual license as men.