The Artbook Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Egyptian Art
Jaromir Malek
Phaidon
180 Varick St., New York NY 10014
0-7148-3627-3 $24.95
Part of the 'Art & Ideas' series is this fine survey which blends Egyptian
history with an overview of its arts. Malek is an authority on Egypt: his
research into the history and content of Egyptian art provides an excellent
coverage.
Scythian Gold
Ellen Reeder, editor
Abrams
100 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10011
0-8109-4476-6 $60.00 1-212-206-7715
Scythian Gold: Treasures From Ancient Ukraine presents some of the finest art
of the Scythians, a nomadic people who flourished between the fifth and third
centuries BC in what is now the Ukraine. There art was a synthesis of the
"animal style" of Central Asia and the influences of the ancient Near East and
the Hellenic world. Published to accompany a traveling exhibition of 178
extraordinary gold objects from the museums in Kiev, Scythian Gold offers an
unprecedented survey of ancient artistry. Revealing newly excavated works of
art, as well as important essays laying out recent scholarship, Scythian Gold
is a landmark study of Scythian culture and art. Of the 295 illustrations, 240
are in full color. The photos illustrate gold swords, scabbards, bow and arrow
cases, a helmet, vessels, and gold jewelry -- each accompanied by an individual
commentary. Scythian Gold is highly recommended for academic and community
library acquisitions and would make an excellent memorial gift selection.
Looking Closer 3
Michael Bierut, et.al., Eds.
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #210, NY, NY 10010
1-58115-022-9 $18.95 allworth.com
Looking Closer 3 is the first arts anthology to trace early critical writings
on commercial art from the early 1900s to the 1980s. From lost debates on the
subject to issues of Modernism, commercialism and social responsibility,
chapters reprint critical issues and questions and provide a fine sourcebook
for viewing graphic design from a historical perspective.
Soft as Steel: The Art of Julie Bell
Nigel Suckling
Avalon Publishing
841 Broadway, 4th Floor, NY, NY 10003
1-56025-191-3 $21.95
Science fiction writer Brian Aldiss provides the introduction for this fine
collection of fantasy artist Julie Bell's works, contributing to a colorful
collection of fantasy portraits featuring sexy yet strong women in unusual
settings. Bell's art has graced the pages of Marvel Comics, book covers,
magazines and video games: under one cover, all in color, they appear even more
dramatic - but don't miss the 'private gallery' in the back, showing a very
different face to Bell's many talents.
Martin Johnson Heade
Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr.
Yale University Press
0-300-081-693 $50.00
This is only the second major retrospective of Heade's work to appear in 30
years: serves as the catalog for the second major retrospective of his
achievements in an exhibition traveling across the country, and provides a file
profile of his career and works. From his landscapes to his nature
illustrations, this captures the range of Heade's many paintings and talents
and is a recommended pick.
Cuando HablanLos Santos
Mari Lyn C. Salvador
University of New Mexico Press
1720 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591
0-912535-09-1 $24.95
The work of 13 outstanding New Mexico folk artists and their families is
detailed in a bilingual Spanish/English presentation telling of how the
santeros developed distinctive individual styles based on ancient traditions.
Cuando HablanLos Santos blends artistic representation with surveys of the
santero traditions of New Mexico in a fine blend of art and spiritual history.
Islamic Patterns
Keith Critchlow
Inner Traditions
One Park St., Rochester, VT 05767
0-89281-803-4 $29.95
Islam's system of abstract art has developed from its beliefs in forbidding
idolatry: something the West has long misunderstood. This blends spiritual
insights with an intriguing contrast between Islamic and Western art, with
drawings of patterns revealing some of the art of Islam and its connections to
math. No color here; just a fine art and science discussion.
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