MBR: The Art Shelf 1/2
Midwest Book Review
A Passion for Asia: The Rockefeller Legacy
Asia Society
Hudson Hills Press
74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
0878481036 $60.00 www.hudsonhills.com
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Asia Society comes an
outstanding survey which reflects John D. Rockefeller 3rd's tour of
China and Japan and his commitment to promoting a greater understanding
of Asia through the society which he founded in 1956. Words and color
photos - lovely artworks throughout Asia - follow the mission of
the Asia Society and juxtapose essays by the Rockefeller family
members. Here are archival photos of the family's travels,
philanthropic activities, and domestic life along with sculptures,
paintings, and art works by collected from Asia by family members.
Crowood Press
c/o Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
1-800-423-4525 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
Two excellent how-to guides are strong picks for working artists. John
Ripley's CERAMIC AND STONE TILING: A COMPLETE GUIDE (1861267770,
$35.00) will also appeal to homeowners who want a solid do-it-yourself
tiling guide: the basics of cutting tile, setting tile, and wall and
floor tiling are clearly covered using not just step-by-step
instructions but a wealth of color photos to clarify each step. Ed
Burke's GLASS BLOWING: A TECHNCIAL MANUAL (1861265212, $45.00) provides
a practical survey of how to learn the basic techniques of glass
blowing, from choosing the right tools and equipment to gathering
molten glass from the furnace and shaping it. Color photos illustrate a
techniques guide which goes into details on using the punty iron and
blowing plates, vases and more as a learning experience to blowing more
complicated pieces.
The DaVinci Notebooks
Leonardo DaVinci
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor , New York, NY 10010
1559707992 $14.95 1-800-759-0190 www.arcadepub.com
The new collection of writings, sketches and diagrams from Da Vinci's
notebooks embraces all aspects of his creations, from art to science,
medicine, music and even urban planning. This new edition includes an
essay on his life by Emma Dickens and is published to coincide with the
film of THE DA VINCI CODE on May 19th.
Manawa: Pacific Heartbeat
Nigel Reading & Gary Wyatt
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
0295985704 $35.00 www.washington.edu/uwpress
If it's a contemporary selection of works from native peoples of New
Zealand and the Northwest coast which is needed, MANAWA: PACIFIC
HEARTBEAT fits the bill perfectly: it presents modern Maori and
Northwest Coast art, covering the history of major exposure of modern
young artists to the world and including an excellent representative
sampling of their achievements in striking color photos. 31 Maori and
15 Northwest Coast artists are presented to represent over three
decades of works and events around the theme. The gorgeous color photos
of over sixty selected pieces created especially for MANAWA make for an
exceptional presentation.
Techno Textiles 2
Sarah Braddock Clarke & Marie O'Mahony
Thames & Hudson
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0500512450 $50.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
TECHNO TEXTILES: REVOLUTIONARY FABRICS FOR FASHION AND DESIGN will
prove an exciting pick for any designer or artist working in fabrics.
Here are features of new textiles developed from carbon, steel and even
glass: materials which protect wearers from the environment or offer
new versatility traditional fabrics can't match. Accompanying color
photos of fabrics in use are discussions of changing trends in fabric
construction, design and style - an outstanding display of images in
a top-rated title juxtaposing art and functional style. Very highly
recommended.
Art That Pays
Adele Slaughter & Jeff Kober
Natl Network for Artist Placement
935 West Avenue, #37, Los Angeles CA 90065
0945941145 $29.00 www.artistplacement.com
If you want to make a living from your art, there's no better place to
consult than ART THAT PAYS: THE EMERGING ARTIST'S GUIDE TO MAKING A
LIVING WITH INTERVIEWS FROM OVER THIRTY-FIVE CELEBRATED ARTISTS. An
appendix on cd-rom features hundreds of hot links to artist resources,
while interviews offer new artists practical perspectives on how to
make a living with art. Visual arts, dance, acting - all forms of art
are surveyed along with common sources of income, from grants and
funding to Internet marketing.
D.A.P.
155 - 6th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York NY 10013
www.artbook.com
Elvan Zabunyan's BLACK IS A COLOR (A HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART)
(2914563205, $37.50)is a pick college-level art libraries will
appreciate: it discusses black consciousness among artists around the
world, relating the history of African-American art to different
influences and movements both within and outside of the country.
Chapters discuss how attitudes shape art production and form, how
various artists have used these attitudes to foster artistic changes
and new directions, and how issues of identity, militant activities,
and symbolism come to be reflected in black art. An excellent survey
with a centerfold of color photos for reinforcing examples. Zak Smith's
PICTURES OF GIRLS (1933045221, $30.00) opens with an interview of the
artist conducted by Shamim M. Momin blending the artist's autobiography
with perspectives on art before moving into lovely full-page color
reproductions with facing pages providing title, year, and mediums
used. Acrylic and ink is Momin's medium of choice and PICTURES OF GIRLS
provides a satisfying, absorbing catalog of his works. Leah Dickerman's
DADA (1933045205, $65.00) provides a wide-ranging history and art
survey of some of the top figures representing Dada art past and
present, from Marcel Duchamp and Max Ernst to Sophie Taeuber and
lesser-knowns. Practices from the primary big city movements around the
world are represented in chapters which also feature six city essays by
art scholars of the movement, a chronology of events, and a blend of
artists' biographies and full-page color examples. While it accompanies
one of the most comprehensive museum exhibits of Data art in this
country, DADA also stands well alone as a powerful historical and
artistic survey: one that no art library should be without.
Art Network
PO Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959
www.artmarketing.com
These outstanding new art coverages are highly recommended picks not
just for art school libraries, but for public library holdings where
any patron is interested in marketing their art works. Margaret
Danielak's A GALLERY WITHOUT WALLS: SELLING ART IN ALTERNATIVE VENUES
(0940899469, $19.95) narrows the topic to selecting the best public
exhibit space to produce a strong showing which sells your work.
Artists receive chapters covering all the basics of creating
promotional materials, teaching how to use invitations, guest books and
more to sell art on a limited budget. Robert Egis Dvorak's SELLING ART
101 (0940899868, $22.95) is the item of choice for not just artists but
their gallery and rep managers: it covers all the basics of both studio
selling and telephone techniques, surveys how to get referrals and new
clients, and comes from the experience of a practicing artist who has
both sold his own works for 25 years, and conducted seminars on both
art production and art selling. Chapters blend business savvy with
artistic objectives in a manner which assume no prior business
familiarity. The second edition of Constance Smith's ART MARKETING 101:
A HANDBOOK FOR THE FINE ARTIST (040899485, $24.95) covers all the
basics; from gaining a competitive edge in the art market and building
name and brand recognition to using publicity tactics to gain
recognition, pricing artwork to sell, and protecting legal rights. All
are 'musts' for artists who would not just create, but effectively sell
their works.
Stone by Design
Photographs by Alison Shaw
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586854437 $29.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
STONE BY DESIGN: THE ARTISTRY OF LEW FRENCH is packed with color photos
of an artist who works in all kinds of stone, from slate and granite to
fieldstone, incorporating these pieces into a home or art project
setting. From locating stone in different places and splitting and
working with its shape to working with architects in blending stone
into home uses, STONE BY DESIGN is both an idea book and a survey of
style and use by one whose expertise lies in blending stone qualities
with home interior purposes.
Watson-Guptill
708 Broadway, New York NY 10003
www.wgpub.com
Damien Scott and Kris Ex's HOW TO DRAW HIP HOP (0823014460, $19.95)
captures the subtle nuances of a cartoon style which is difficult to
define. Hip hop is as much a state of mind and music as it is an art
form so it's quite elusive: here to explain it is a artist and author
who blend the basics of drawing with the style and spirit of hip-hop
culture from clothing to characters and more. Damion Scott is a
graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art and has
many strips and productions to his name, so he provides a seasoned
insider's perspective. Stephanie Hoppen's CHOOSING BLUE: COLOR YOU CAN
LIVE WITH (0823006697, $35.00) is a powerful focus on blue shades and
new uses for blue in the home. Andreas Von Einsiedel's gorgeous
interior photo displays go far beyond the usual features of color,
showing not just variations of blue shadings but contrasts between blue
and other colors. The many shades and tones of blue lend to far more
diversity of use than some books would explore: CHOOSING BLUE provides
not only many fresh alternatives but new color pairing ideas to expand
the use of blue in home decoration. A 'must' for any serious interior
designer or home painter.
Brushstroke Handbook
Maureen McNaughton
North Light Books
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1581807821 $26.99 www.artistsnetwork.com
Painters who want a quick, photo-filled guide to brush strokes and
their results will want to keep THE BRUSHSTROKE HANDBOOK: THE ULTIMATE
GUIDE TO DECORATIVE PAINTING WITH BRUSHSTROKES close at hand. It covers
different strokes, effects, placement of colors, rounds on brushes, and
combinations which provide special results. Step-by-step directions
tell how to recreate the clear color examples. An outstanding
presentation indeed.
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