2 comments about Medardo Rosso (Art Catalogue).

1. Sharon Hecker and Harry Cooper provide excellent insight into an extremely important, under-appreciated artist and his technique. Hilton Kramer describes Hecker's treatment of Rosso as the most thoughtful account of Rosso ever written. (see Hilton Kramer, "Sculptor Rosso Coated Work in Wax as Performance Art," New York Observer (August 18, 2003))

   There is no question that Rosso made his own waxes and bronzes. Hecker's essay deals mainly with Rosso as the founder of his sculptures. It should also be mentioned that this exhibition does not intend to deceive the viewer by including posthumous casts as some have claimed. Hecker devotes more than two pages of her essay to this issue (pp. 60-62). Rosso authorized the posthumous reproduction of some of his works, and Hecker convincingly shows that these pieces are, in fact, part of "the sculptor's legacy and intention." (p. 62) Including them in the exhibition gives the viewer another dimension of Rosso's work and technique to consider.

   Finally, Hecker does not deny that Rosso was interested in the dematerialization of the subject. Her particularly thoughtful treatment of Rosso's interests attempts to reconcile his need to dematerialize his sculpture and his profound interest and attention to the physical material of his sculpture.




2. While this exhibition and publication include some superb examples of casts made by the artist, it is full of casts NOT made by the artist. A very confusing presentation which sets Rosso scholarship back 25 years.

   If you want to know Rosso as demonstated by his own hand from the standpoint of connoisseurship, pass this publication by. I can recommend to you the following publications as superior references:

   1979 Palazzo Della Permanente, Milan
   1984 Frankfurter Kunstverein, Steinernes

   1985 Galleria Pieter Coray, Lugano
   1988 Kent Fine Art, New York
   1994 Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
   1996 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

   It needs to be stated that Rosso not only made his own waxes (with multiple and changing variations), but he also made his own bronzes in his studio experimenting with process and alchemy. Whatever material, Rosso did not make editions, but rather variations as was the later case with Brancusi. Prior to artists such as Marini, I believe Rosso was the first to never conceal the casting process with chasing and lacquer, but rather leave the firescale and residue as an integral aspect of the "impression" of the piece. Further, most of the works were created to be shown with light from one vantage point as demonstrated by the photography he made during the last 20 years of his life. Rosso was concerned with how to dematerialize the subject. He was concerned with light and environment.

1 comments about Cowboy Carving With Cleve Taylor (Schiffer Book for Woodcarvers).

1. If you want to carve a cowboy this is the book for you. Step be step instruction is easy to follow. Nice gallery of future projects. Excellent project for the beginner to intermediate range.

3 comments about Complete Guide to Woodcarving.

1. There are a few helpful drawings and remarks - as can be gleaned from most text on the subject but overall I was somewhat disappointed. Primarily the book is a showcase of small touristy type carvings from the author's travels - chili, alaska, etc.
   There is a wide variety of such material covered but it's presented in more of example format - rather than how to carve.

   It reminds of some old library book from the 60's. Interesting, informative, but not very current or helpful.




2. What I was hoping for was a book that would be a complete guide to wood carving. This is somewhat of a history book. It is written in a plain text, and black and white photos that makes it a boring read. You know the feeling of picking up a book, and it feels right. It's an easy read, logical, concise, and the concepts jump out at you, resulting in some WoWs! Well this book is none of that. Although the beginning covers some different woods that are good for carving, additionally he covers the basic wood carving tools, but not how to use them. It would be like, here is a picture of a table saw, but let's not go into how to use it. He goes into the neccessity of the tools having to be sharp, that's good. 90% of this book exhibits black and white pictures of finished wood carvings, and where they originated from. I know what carved wood looks like, I want to know how to do it, and if I can enjoy the instruction, all the better. Reading this book is a lot of work. The front cover gives me the impression that I am going to get instruction on wood carving. As absurd as this may seem, I learned little from browsing the book, other than that you need to draw an outline on the wood of what you plan on carving. I have tons of books on woodworking, and all but one are keepers. This one is going back.
   My Dad was a wood carver, and I proudly display his works. I did a wood carving project in a college art class. I just bought a matched set of Freud Hand Carving Chisels, and plan on keeping Dads antique set sharpened and oiled for antiquity. What I need now is someone to emulate with clear concise instruction on the ins and outs of carving, to create mind blowing pieces, of gorgeous wood, and finished to please the eye as well as the best interests of preserving the wood.
   This book is written for the experienced wood carver, who has a lifetime of projects under his belt, and wants to sit around and talk about wood carving styles, and history.
   I have a book that explains how to lathe turn a flaming finial out of walnut, then hand carve the cone shaped dome into a flame that resembles a torch. Attached to a bandsawn, curly back piece of fine furniture. He shows you how to form the lines, reduce it to the first layer of petals, then doing the next level of the flame lines. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was a must do. Simple, well explained, and color photographed explanation of what to do. I was hoping that this book would do the same thing. Complete guide to wood carving? Great if I was taking a history course, but for someone who needs to carve claw feet for your hand carved furniture, this is not the one. I have a living room full of 17th Century French Provincial hand carved furniture, and learned something from it. Pick out the correct proportional design, lay it out, draw it in, then begin. I'm going to look into buying another book.



3. I feel this is an excellent book for both beginning and experienced woodcarvers. Tangerman, being an excellent teacher and carver, begins with a short introduction on woodcarving and moves right into discussions on the tools, sharpening and different woods. The discussions are basic enough for a beginner to understand but complete with enough detail to make them useful to even an experienced carver. Unlike a lot of other carving books which tell you about every single tool, brand and method to the point of confusion, Tangerman introduces the basic tools and shows how to use them, discusses when to use them and how to keep them sharp. The remainder of the book discusses the different types of carving as well as carving within different cultures and over time. Along with numerous examples and patterns, he includes instructions on how to carve and what to watch for in the process. As a beginner I used this book as a simple way to start carving, as an experienced carver I now use this book for reference. This is a book that should be in the shop of every woodcarver.

1 comments about Paper Jewelry Book.

1. This is a wonderful book that shows you how to make stunning jewelry inexpensively. The clear step-by-step instructions accompanied by color photos make creating these works of art easy.

   The techniques include rolling & stringing paper beads, making strip paper-mache, & decoupage as well as paper weaving & folding. There are even basic instructions for making your own paper.

   Some great projects include a hair slide, flapper's bead necklace, triple strand bracelet, basket weave barrette, pinwheel earrings, floral decoupage locket, lady pin, kite pendant, origami fold bracelet, & golden braid choker.

   Several beautiful paper samples that you can make color copies of or tear out & use are a nice bonus. I recommend this book for anyone. Projects are simple enough for children, yet rewarding for adults.

4 comments about Portraits of Clay: Potters of Mata Ortíz.

1. This book was small and low on content. I returned it.



2. This beautiful book provides an intimate look at the potters and pottery of Mata Ortiz. With gorgeous black and white photographs, and statements from the potters in both Spanish and English, Portraits of Clay introduces readers to many of the Mata Ortiz potters, and documents all stages in the process of making the pots. If you're looking for an art book on Mata Ortiz, this is the one for you!



3. This book is not worth the postage Amazon used to send it to me. I was extremely disappointed by the brevity of the book and the very few potters mentioned in the book.



4. This is a great book about the history of Mata Ortiz with many wonderful photos of the artists and their work. Not as complete as the 'many faces' book, but WELL worth the price. Some of the same pots from this book can be seen in 3D at www.ortizpots.com. Having lived in Mata Ortiz, i've seen many publications, few as well made as this one.

4 comments about Perfume, Cologne and Scent Bottles.

1. This edition of Perfume, Cologne and Scent Bottles is a beauty to behold. However, it is for the advanced collector as most items shown are in the mid to upper price ranges. The photography shows nice detail and the text is explanatory. It is a useful resource for those items not easily encountered.



2. This beautifully illustrated, concisely detailed descriptive book provides an incredible amount of information. The photos in particular enable the reader to recognise finer details and are a valuable research source for collectors. I recommend this book to art lovers and bottle collectors alike.



3. Happy to add my approval to this as a "must have" for any serious collector and a worthwhile read for anyone contemplating starting a perfume and cologne bottle collection. LAM



4. This book is full of lush color pictures of bottles many of us will never be able to afford but now we know what to look for! I really am glad I purchased this book and I have referred to it many times. I have made purchase based on information and discovered favorite styles of bottles. I understand that there is a newer version of this book and I have not seen that book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who collects perfume bottles. It is a great book to sit and look at and wish "..if only......."

No comments about Clive Barker Sculpture: Catalogue Raisonne 1958-2000.

2 comments about Netsuke, Familiar and Unfamiliar: New Principles for Collecting.

1. There are many good thoughts for all, carvers, sellers, deallers, collectors.



2. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs of 790 netsuke (plus black and white photos of signatures) with explanatory text and organized into 45 brilliantly conceived categories. In the body of the text (new principles for collecting) Mr. Bushell fully displays the erudition one would expect from such a formidable collector but manages to do so in a way that is easy to grasp and immensely entertaining. Bravo, Mr. Bushell !

1 comments about African Vodun: Art, Psychology, and Power.

1. This is a refreshing work that views Vodun from an artistic and psychological perspective, versus a religious or Hoo-Doo search. There is alot of material here you won't readily find anywhere else about the culture of Vodun. There is also great information in one chapter on the realities and impact of the slave trade within Africa that provides a clearer perspective than most such articles.
   
   A very excellent, and intellectual read I enjoyed and is well worth the price. Plainly, Ms. Blier put great effort and thought into this work, and it shows. This is one of the top 10 books a serious student of Vodou should aspire to have and read.

5 comments about A Guide to Zuni Fetishes & Carvings, Volume II: The Materials & The Carvers.

1. This is a must have book for beginner or established Fetish collectors. It is a great, quick resource. I did not get as much out of the second volume, but this one is a must have.



2. This is a book that collectors should have. As a beginner, I did not find it as interesting as the first volume. But it is well worth the money. If you could only have volume one or two, I would say get the first. But because they are both such inexpensive book, you should have both around. They are both well indexed. I found information about every carver that I was looking for listed in the index of either this or the first book.



3. This book, together with its successor volume, is the ultimate reference guide for the beginning or experienced collector. The author, who is probably the pre-eminent authority on the subject, provides clear, valuable information encompassing various segments of this remarkable art and contemporary artists. If you own or are considering purchasing these intriguing carvings, this little book (and the accompanying Volume II) should be your bible.



4. This little book (together with Volume II) is the most valuable reference guide on the market today for either the beginning or experienced collector. The author, probably the leading authority on the subject, provides clear, useful information, encompassing various segments of the art and artists, necessary for the understanding and purchase of these remarkable objects. The two books are a joy to read and own.



5. In this valuable sequel to Volume I, McManus provides additional information and understanding of this unique art. There is no one better qualified to discuss these wonderful creations and their contemporary carvers. The author does so in a fashion that will fascinate and educate both the novice and experienced collector. One can only hope that McManus will continue with this exceptional series.