The Artbook Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Bzyantine Butterflies
David Lewis
The Overlook Press
Lewis Hollow Rd., Woodstock, NY 12498
0-87951-630-5 $25.00
Bzyantine Butterflies charts the folk paintings of Peter and Helen Contis,
documenting their story and providing 40 color plates and 80 black and white
illustrations of their works. The blend of catalog and historical overview will
delight students of folk art who want an appreciation of the Contis style and
its roots.
The Religious Art of Andy Warhol
Jane Daggett Dillenberger
Cassell & Continuum
370 Lexington Ave., New York NY 10017
0-8264-1112-6 $39.95
This appeared some months earlier but deserves ongoing mention as an
outstanding and unusual guide to a specific aspect of Andy Warhol's art. In the
two years before he died, Warhol made over a hundred paintings, drawings and
prints based on da Vinci's Last Supper: the story of these works is revealed
here for the first time, along with his religious intensity and spirituality.
Essential for any student of Warhol.
Paul Klee
Jean-Louis Ferrier
Terrail
68 Atherton Court, Wayne, NJ 07470
2-87939-201-2 $27.50 1-973-872-4664
One of the most complex and experimental artists of the 20th Century, Paul Klee
revolutionized the art world by tapping into areas outside its traditional
parameters, thereby opening up the horizons of acceptable inspiration for the
artistic community and the general public. Klee was motivated by music,
geometry, fauna, flora, diverse and varied materials, the diurnal and the
nocturnal in created almost 9,000 oils, watercolors, etchings and drawings.
Jean-Louis Ferrier's Paul Klee showcases 150 of the best-known works,
accompanying the high-gloss, full-color illustrations with an intelligent,
informative, and insightful commentary. Paul Klee traces the evolution of this
enigmatic arts, theorist, poet, musician, and teacher. At the end of the volume
are extracts from Klee's theoretical work (including the famous "Pedagogical
Sketchbook" used by his students at the Bauhaus) which throws important light
on his ideas.
Phaidon Press
7195 Grayson Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17111
Four excellent titles are highly recommend picks for art libraries and
collections seeking to add high-quality, lasting art titles to their holdings.
Marlene Dumas (0-7148-3823-3, $29.95) provides a powerful survey of the Dutch
artist's works, providing art critics insights, interviews with Dumas, and
excellent full-page color reproductions of her works. The depth lends to a fine
survey of Dumas many talents and creations. Dawn Jacobson's Chinoiserie (365,
$35.00) reveals the particular styles consistent appearance in western decor
and design. From its 17th century origins to modern times, this catalogs its
many incarnations and follows the changes in its patterns of presentation.
Gillian Wearing (241, $29.95) explores her use of photography and video to
capture popular culture and daily life. Explorations of her signature pieces
and work explores the evolution of documentary traditions and Wearing's unique
style. Canaletto (438, $35.00) explores the 1700s painter's works and views of
Venice and London, with author J.G. Links providing an exceptional focus on the
artist's life and times. This first appeared in 1982: collections will find new
affordability and the same attention to detail in this paperback version.
A Moral Compass
Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., et al.
Grand Rapids Art Museum/Rizzoli
155 Division North, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3154
0-942159-23-3 $40.00 1-616-831-1000
Painting in the Netherlands during the 17th and 18th centuries offers a
compelling visual record of the tastes and values of a prosperous society
mindful of its obligation to personal and public standards. A Moral Compass:
Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century Painting In The Netherlands is a richly
illustrated volume examining twenty-six paintings by master artists from the
"Gold Age" of Dutch art. A Moral Compass is enhanced with essays by leading
scholars who explore the various interpretations of these superb works within
the context of their culture. A Moral Compass is a informative and beautiful
contribution to Netherlands' contributions to art, and the historic Dutch
legacy.
Thames & Hudson
500 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
Alastair Duncan's American Art Deco (0-500-28093-2, $34.95) is a winning
history of the decorative style which was the rage in the 1920s and 30s. Most
important buildings of the 1930s across the country were decorated in the Art
Deco style: this explores both the artists who fostered the style and the
various projects which featured the style in its best moments. Sarah E.
Braddock and Marie O'Mahony's Techno Textiles (28096-7, $29.95) celebrates
textiles for the 21st century, examining how engineered textiles combine fabric
with glass or metal to produce unusual hybrids and new styles, and how 'smart'
textiles embedded with perfume or aromatherapy ingredients can create all new
purposes. Color photos of not just models in clothing but close-ups of textiles
make for a fine survey. Jan Marsh and Pamela Nunn's superb book Pre-raphaelite
Women Artists (28104-1, $24.95) surveys the paintings, drawings and other works
that women contributed to the Pre-Raphaelite movement during its lifetime. Many
are documented here for the first time: any student of women's history or
women's art will find this an essential reference. Antony Penrose's Lives Of
Lee Miller (27509-2, $24.95) provides a review of the life of the woman who was
a protege and lover of Man Ray, and whose war photos helped change the world.
Enjoy a memoir/photo essay which documents her life as much as her works.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting
literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from
authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on
thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion
groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give
the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes two monthly book review magazines, "Internet
Bookwatch" and "Children's Bookwatch". Both are available for free on the
Midwest Book Review website at http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/
If you would like to submit a review for inclusion in our Midwest Book Review
publications, please send an email request to m...@execpc.com for our "Reviewer
Guidelines". We invite your comments, questions and suggestions.
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575