The Artbook Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Painting With O'Keeffe
John D. Poling
Texas Tech University Press
Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79410
0-89672-381-X $24.95 1-800-832-4042
John Poling left college in the late summer of 1975 to travel around northern
New Mexico and wound up in Abiquiu doing odd jobs for the famous and uniquely
gifted American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Painting With O'Keeffe is the amazing
story of how O'Keeffe's request for his help in preparing a canvas (she had
begun to lose her eyesight) would lead to a two-year collaboration that would
prove the most rewarding, yet most painful, of his life. Poling teaches
aesthetics, philosophy, and theology at St. Olaf's College, where Painting With
O'Keeffe was written out of his self-perceived obligation to O'Keeffe and forms
the basis of one of his courses. Highly recommended.
Decorative Painting Treasures
Aileen Bratton
North Light Books
0-89134-871-9 $23.99
Decorative Painting Treasures is a collection of 36 designs, done in oil and
alkyd paints, from Aileen Bratton's popular series of project booklets. These
timeless treasures offer traceable patterns, simple color mixes, and
stroke-by-stroke demonstrations for every fruit and flower. Ideal for
beginners, with a great deal to inspire the seasoned decorative painter.
Deep Blues
Bill Traylor
Yale University Press
Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
0-300-08163-4 $29.95
The works of Afro-American folk artist Bil Traylor are presented in a survey of
his works which includes a fine biographical portrait of the artist's
background and social setting. The balance between black and white and color
photos is well done while the accompanying details provides fine background on
the evolution of Traylor's works over a period of almost a hundred years.
The Artist's Model
Martin Postle & William Vaughan
Merrell Holberton Publishers
St. Martin's Press, dist.
Willcox House, 42 Southwark Street, London, England, SE1 1UN
1-85894-084-2 $40.00 1-212-988-1197
The Artist's Model: From Etty To Spencer is a fascinating survey and study of
the role the artist model in 19th and 20th century art, and how the intimate
relationships between the artist and his model brought cult-figure status for
some. By examining the subjects of artistic training, the artist's studio in
fact and fiction, the culture of the model and modeling as a profession, and by
focusing on debates concerning sexual politics, class and morality, Martin
Postle and William Vaughan explore both the myths and the realties of the
artist model between 1840 and 1940. The artists surveyed and examined in The
Artist's Model include Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Millais, Orpen, Moore, Hepworth,
and Spencer. The Artist's Model is a remarkable work of considerable
scholarship and insight, resulting in an important and valued contribution to
the history of art.
Dictionary of Bird Artists of the World
Christine E. Jackson
Antique Collectors' Club
Market Street Industrial Park, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
1-85149-203-8 $89.50
One might anticipate lavish color displays of the works of featured bird
artists, but that's not the primary focus of this reference, which provides
biographical sketches of over 4,000 artists from past and present. A small
collection of color plates graces the highlights of the best of bird artists
but its the biographical coverage which will attract those interested in
researching the backgrounds of selected bird artists.
Phaidon Press
180 Varick St., 12th Flr., NY, NY 10014
Russell Ferguson and others contribute to Gillian Wearing (0-7148-3824-1,
$29.95), a contemporary artist who uses photography and video to explore
everyday life. Chapters provide full-page color examples of Wearing's many
subjects and works, while curator Ferguson and others provide the text
criticism and commentary on her style and influences. The result will interest
any with a special concern for portraits of modern life. Robert Fleck and
others present Franz West (3825-X, $19.95), blending interviews, surveys and
critical assessment of West's unique interactive art style. West is one of
Europe's best-known sculptors: his pieces here receive critical recommendation
and full-page color representation.
Getty Trust Publications
1200 Getty Center Dr. #500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
Two excellent new titles provide in-depth reviews of portrait photographers and
make for excellent art library acquisitions. Gordon Baldwin and Judith Keller's
Nadar/Warhol: Paris/New WYrk (0-89236-560-9, $60.00) jointly displays works
from the two artists considered highly influential in their times, drawing
connections between their works and approaches and providing visual artists
with full-page examples and plenty of text insights into their works. Robyn
Asleson edits A Passion For Performance (556-0, $39.95), a study of Sarah
Siddons and her portraitsts. The 1700s actress was painted by many who tried to
reveal her elusive attractions - this gathers all portraits under one cover and
provides essays which examine the actress' image and career alike. Both are
exceptional works featuring strong scholarship and visual support.
European Ceramics
Robin Hildyard
University of Pennsylvania Press
4200 Pine St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
0-8122-3505-3 $39.95 1-800-445-9880
In European Ceramics, Robin Hildyard traces the story of European ceramics from
the end of the Middle Ages to the present day. He highlights key developments,
techniques, discoveries and styles (from earthenware, stoneware and tin-glaze
to the invention of porcelain and the impact of industrialization) with an
engaging narrative interspersed with thematic spreads exploring the techniques
and astonishing capabilities of ceramics. European Ceramics also explores the
modernism of the Bauhaus style, the opposing influence of Art Deco, and the
profusion of new designs following World War II. European Ceramics is an
authoritative and comprehensive reference work for both art students and
ceramic collectors, as well as a wide-ranging, richly illustrated, highly
informative reference for all who enjoy the art and craft of this remarkable
medium.
Graphica: Volumes 1 & 2
John Bonadies, editor
AK Peters Ltd.
63 South Avenue, Natick MA 01760-4626
1-508-655-9933 http://www.akpeters.com
Vol. 1 1-56881-106-3 $34.90
Vol. 2 1-56881-107-1 $34.90
Two worlds merge in this two volume series of breathtaking images generated as
mathematical graphics. Volume One is showcases the artist's eye and a
mathematician's tools as Michael Trott produces a collection of dazzling,
surprising images ranging from the playful to the enthralling. Trott uses a
palette of new tools and techniques to create a mesmerizing new kind of art
form, one that resides in the strange middle ground between the artificial and
the natural. In Volume Two, Igor Bakshee balances strict geometry against
carefully controlled randomness to produce unique computer-generated designs.
By mixing the opposing forces of order and disorder in just the right
proportion, Bakshee's mathematical alchemy brings his images to life. Both
volumes of Graphica: The World Of Mathematica Graphics present a radical
groundbreaking new art form, one that will be appreciated by seasoned
connoisseurs of fine art and aspiring young artists alike.
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