4 comments about Persistence of Memory: A Personal Biography of Salvador Dali.

1. This is an account of the more than fifteen years Amanda Lear was a close friend of Salvador Dali and his formidable wife Gala. She met him in 1965 when she was an art student and model in Paris and soon became an intimate friend and confidante. She accompanied him and his wife on trips to Barcelona, Madrid, New York and Paris and spent every summer with Dali at his home in Cadaques in Catalonia.
   
   He served as a mentor to her; travelling with him, Lear discovered the great museums of Europe, Parisian salons and restaurants, New York bohemia and his homeland, Spain. She met lots of interesting people, including Andy Warhol, while she knew people like Marianne Faithful, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Anita Pallenberg and David Bowie from her life in London.
   
   She reveals the real nature of her relationship with Dali, describes his funny ways and the interesting characters around him with humor, and provides great insights into Dali's relationship with Gala. She is remarkably frank about her own sexual exploits and does not avoid the negative in her very honest accounts.
   
   What make the narrative very interesting are the many references to the music, films and art of the late 1960's and the entire decade of the 70's, and her and Dali's many encounters with artists. I found Dali's political incorrectness and sense of humor very charming, and received a favorable impression of him, despite his many flaws.
   
   Lear also writes in bits and pieces about her own musical career, but I wish she had elaborated. I was always mystified about why she became a huge star in Europe but never made it in her native UK, while in the US only had some success on the New York and LA disco scenes. She herself refers to her lack of success in the UK thus:
   
   "All the major European cities wanted my show. Only the English remained immune to the effect of Amanda Lear. They preferred rock to disco, and `punk' was in full swing in England. Dali was fascinated by this new trend, which he pronounced `pounk.' He always loved anything extreme or revolutionary. Disco music left him cold. "
   
   Well, this is not entirely correct - punk did create an uproar from around 1976 on, but disco dominated the charts in Britain from the mid to the late seventies as it did everywhere else.
   
   The book contains lovely black and white photographs of Amanda with Dali of course and also with inter alia John Lennon, Yul Brynner, Brian Eno and David Bowie. It's a surprisingly moving and insightful autiobiographical/biographical exercise and I strongly recommend it to fans and scholars of Dali, the great genius of surrealism. Fans of Amanda will love the book. For those new to Amanda Lear, I recommend the albums "Sweet Revenge" and "The Collection" as excellent introductions to her work.



2. This is at once the least informative and the personal favorite among biographies of Salvador Dalí. It's more Lear's personal memoir, covering the years before and beginning her musical career, but especially her friendship with this baffling genius.
   
   That time includes the 60s and 70s, back when hippies still roamed in herds and when sex was safe. Dalí delighted in being the center of attention, and surrounded himself with hangers-on of many stripes. Amanda was an occasional artists' model, occasional lingerie model, occasional jet-setter, and occasional starving artist at the time she fell into his orbit. Among all of those who swung in, then away again, she had remarkable longevity - from the mature peak of his career, until the end of his life.
   
   And what a life. Accompanying Dalí, she partied and did the clubs where she met David Hockney, Yul Brynner, Mapplethorpe, Hepburn, Bardot, Coco Chanel, and an endless stream of rich and famous on two continents. Then, she'd retire to her London flat where she and a room-mate barely covered the rent. She bedded David Bowie, one of the early Rolling Stones, millionaires, bullfighters, fans, and seemingly anyone else with a nice enough smile - though never Dalí. In fact, she became good friends with Gala, Dalí's mate, muse, mother-figure, model, and manager, as well as the central point of Dalí's universe (other than himself). That says a lot because Gala, in her role as gatekeeper between Dalí and reality, was not an easy woman to please.
   
   Most of all, Lear was friend to Dalí, a difficult thing at best. Lear modeled for him, and occasionally acted as living decor when Dalí wanted to impress a guest. She was also companion in many ways. As surreal as his art, that's how surreal Dalí was in himself and in his relationships. I always felt that I was missing part of the story, but Lear seemed to miss it as well - maybe I didn't really miss anything.
   
   It's a very personal story, as much Lear as Dalí and often cut loose from hard dates and places. That's what I like about it. The facts don't matter so much, and I imagine that the glow of nostalgia has at least tinted them. As with Dalí's art, though, literal truth seems secondary to vivid imagery. Lear brings that sense to this charming set of recollections.
   
   //wiredweird



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1 comments about How to Paint & Draw Motorcycles.

1. This book is a personal accounting of the art of painting bikes by one of the world's top motorcycle fine artists. It's great if you're a motorcyle enthusiast or an artist looking for inspiration.
   
   There are no magical step-by-step how to lists in this book. If you're looking for a more instructional piece, this isn't that kind of book. However, it covers things in a more general way that leaves approach and specific technique open for the artist to discover and explore on their own, which is the best way.
   
   What it does cover is the overall planning and preparation process for several paintings, as well as some information on reproduction. It's also a book that you can return to over time and continue to get good stuff out of, whether you're looking to enjoy some good reading or incorporate new ideas into your own artistic process.

5 comments about Jerry Garcia: The Collected Artwork.

1. This is a nice book to own if you want to understand another side of Jerry Garcia, his artistic skills through blissful colors and scenes. Bought this used book for real low price and find his art pretty damn good, a definetive style he creates.



2. My dad is a bigtime deadhead, so I am always searching for unique dead-related gifts for him. Well, he loved this book of Jerry's art, and said he'd had no idea how prolific he was. Sure to please the true Jerry lover in your life.



3. The diversity and accumulation of art pieces in this book is extensive and includes a variety of media representations, including early and late drawings, water colors and gouche, accrylics, and digital works that are for more than just for "dead heads." I personally was never a "dead head." Myself I was more inclined to some of other musical projects like the fine countryesque CD entitled Grisman & Garcia which was a fine collaboration or the jazzy So What which was Miles Davis inspired. Back to the book, the body of work includes exhibitions as well other contributions to popular culture like Ben & Jerry's: The Inside Scoop: How Two Real Guys Built a Business with a Social Conscience and a Sense of Humor where the authors detail the influence of Jerry Garcia on their now famous ice cream and, of course, Garcia ties that are ever so popular in the bay area. Some of the works recall the art of GoyaGoya: The Complete Etchings and Lithographs (Art & Design) and Picasso, especially his etchings and drawings. His early drawings reveals an underlying talent influenced by Mad Classics with a yet to be developed style but budding for expression and growth like a plant coming through the earth reaching for the sun. The art works goes from sublime to macabre, spacey and surreal to life like earthy pieces. Some of the contemporary works he produced digitally are modern "Shamanic Vibrations" as the essay indicates that leads into this particular ending chapter. The essays are well written homages to a man of many talents who emerged from the California scene of the 60's to leave a tremendous legacy. I really enjoyed the essays that were contributed to this book by a variety of boheminan artists and such like people that encountered Jerry Garcia while he walked this earth. This is an interesting table top book that is colorful and a great addition to any library or home collection of art books.



4. Jerry Garcia is as talented an artist as he is a musician. This book shows his full talents as an artist.



5. My future daughter-in-law had a very short wish list for Christmas. This was on the list with a note that said, "You probably won't be able to find this anywhere because I have been unable to locate it." Well, thanks to Amazon I was able to get her this book and just in time for Christmas wrapping!
   Thanks for quick shipping... I'm truly Grateful!!!

No comments about Easyfun-Ethereal.

2 comments about Masters of Art: Renoir (Masters of Art).

1. Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an artist in the fullest sense of the word. The paintings he left us show us the simplicity and sensuality of his times and their brilliant colors and joyous images express the passion of Renoir's own soul.

   The paradise of color and the changing effects of light were Renoir's greatest gift to the world. This book, Renoir: The Crown Art Library, showcases some of the artist's most beloved works and gives a brief overview of his life.

   A quick glance at this book tells you that Renoir's favorite subject was always people. In fact, it is possible to select an entire series of masterpieces from Renoir's works without including even one landscape--something that would be impossible with any of the other Impressionists.

   The people created by Renoir are always filled with the warm joy of simply being alive. Of the many illustrations in this book, most are in color, allowing us to both study and participate in the "joie de vivre" that Renoir, more than any other artist, communicated to the world.

   There is a short analysis of the evolution of Renoir's technique and we learn why he abandoned the dark, sombre colors of the Old Masters and turned to the brilliant reds, blues, yellows and greens of which he was so fond.

   We learn how and why the feminine form became a stronger and stronger element in his paintings, especially those of his later years, and we see how, in the last ten years of his life, he limited his palette to only a few colors--cinnabar, ochre, Naples yellow, black and some white, yet managed to create playful visions of a sun-bright world, seemingly devoid of weight; paintings in which contours of people and surroundings are blurred and all is joined in a concord of color and naturalness.

   Renoir: The Crown Art Library is a wonderful introduction to the life and style of this master Impressionist, the world's most joyous painter. Those looking for a biography of Renoir would be better off choosing Renoir, My Father, by Jean Renoir, the artist's middle son. In-depth analyses of Impressionism and Renoir's own technique in particular, are also better covered in other books such as Rewald's History of Impressionism.

   But for the vast majority of people, laymen who only want to increase their knowledge and appreciation of the world's greatest artists, Renoir: The Crown Art Library offers a wonderful starting point. With is lavish illustrations and lively text, it will broaden the scope of anyone's understanding. The book is a joy to browse and once insight is gained into the how and why of each painting, that joy is only increased.

   While certainly far from exhaustive, Renoir: The Crown Art Library, is a lovely book and anyone with even a passing interest in Renoir and Impressionism will find it well worth their while.




2. This book was very informative, of both Renoir's life as well as his art. I enjoyed reading it thoroughly and would recommend it to any art lovers.

1 comments about The Conoco Collector's Bible/a Schiffer Book for Collectors.

1. This book is far from being a complet guide to collecting Conoco items

1 comments about Piero della Francesca.

1. This remains the best book on Piero della Francesca, one of the world's greatest artists. It has influenced many books but still has no equal--after almost 80 years! Great it is back in print.

No comments about How to Read Paintings (Chambers Arts Library).

1 comments about The Materials and Techniques of Painting.

1. You can find almost any painting technique plus use of materials in this books.Wehlte has done a supurb job in his research of the materials of the painter.He has taught his subject for a great many years ,so his advice is very valuable.I bought this book when it was first published. The book has increased in cost since then. If you are a serious artist you will not be disappointed by this great book.The decimal organization will be different for U.S artists.

1 comments about Magritte (Great Modern Masters).

1. The catalogue for a comprehensive exhibition at the Jeu de Paume in Paris held in 2003, this book is a very good, well-documented, well-illustrated study of this ubiquitous Belgian artist who has inspired so many contemporary artists and publicists. There is quite a lot of material available on Magritte and I would say this one is one of the safest bets. Daniel Abadie is a leading French modern art historian and curator and his signature is a token of quality.