Short reviews/mentions of new books on art/archit/photo
Steve Brock
Here are several short reviews and mentions of new and recent books
on art, architecture, and photography. All reviews are written by
Steve Brock:
THE STORY OF ART (16TH EDITION) by E.H. Gombrich. Prentice Hall
PTR, 113 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 (800) 947-7700,
FAX: (515) 284-2607. Internet users may contact Prentice Hall in
the following ways: Gopher to gopher.prenhall.com, ftp to
ftp.prenhall.com or telnet to gopher.prenhall.com (login:
anonymous, password: your complete e-mail address), then type cd
pub. Purchasers may request an order form from ftp.prenhall.com,
login: anonymous, password: your complete e-mail address, then type
cd pub/ptrph_cat/net.comm. Orders can also be placed by e-mailing
to ord...@prenhall.com. On the WWW, the Prentice Hall PTR home
page is at http://www.prenhall.com. Illustrated, index,
chronology, maps, glossary, selected bibliography. 688 pp., $52.00
paper. 0-13-440199-9
Art scholar Gombrich has endured through sixteen editions of his
overview of "a strange and fascinating field." Now, at the age of
87, the champion of elitism has completely revised, expanded and
redesigned the popular introductory textbook (first published in
1950), with the inclusion of foldouts and a fresh perspective on
artists of the twentieth century (though Gombrich, himself, has
little enthusiasm for modern art). An earnest work, eminently
readable. Grade: A.
PAMELA ANDERSON IN PICTURES, photographs by Stephen Wayda. General
Publishing Group, Inc., 2701 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite 140, Santa
Monica, CA 90405, (800) 745-9000, FAX: (310) 915-9900.
Illustrated. 160 pp., $17.95 paper. 1-881649-94-6
The poster for her movie, "Barb Wire," says "don't call her babe."
BABE! Sorry, I had to do that. Wayda, Anderson's personal
photographer, profiles the international phenomenon with over 250
color photographs, including those taken from the front and back.
Also included are the more conservative (and more covered up)
photographs of her romp with husband Tommy Lee. Grade: B.
CELTIC ORNAMENT: ART AND THE SCRIBE by Courtney Davis. Blandford
Publishing, distributed in the U.S. by Sterling Publishing Company,
397 Park Avenue South, N.Y., NY 10016-8810, (800) 367-9692, FAX:
(212) 213-2495. Illustrated (100 in black-and-white), index,
selected readings. 96 pp., $24.95 cloth. 0-7137-2610-5
Intricate Celtic designs, patterns, and symbols have decorated
jewelry, sculpture, stained glass, and illuminated manuscripts
since 800 BC. Davis traces stylistic periods, from beginnings
called La Tene through Christian influences (such as the "Book of
Kells"). Also included is an analysis of archetypal symbols, such
as knotwork and key patterns. Though the book would have been
brighter using color sketches, the black-and-white illustrations
provide an attention to detail that would have otherwise been
missed, and like kids in the 60s, you can always color them in with
felt pens. Grade: B.
WINGED VICTORY: ALTERED IMAGES, TRANSCENDING BREAST CANCER,
photographs by Art Myers with poetry by Maria Marrocchino.
Photographic Gallery of Fine Art Books, P.O. Box 370175, San Diego,
CA 92137, (619) 221-0340, FAX: (619) 223-5744. Illustrated (34
black-and-white and color photographs). 56 pp., $24.95 paper. 1-
889169-00-5
Breast cancer survivors who have had mastectomies face yet another
battle: the fear of rejection from their partners. Myers, a noted
photographer who is also a physician, photographed thirty-six semi-
nude women "of elegance, strength, and sensuousness" who have had
mastectomies with or without reconstruction. The result is an
inspiring portrayal of courage confidence, and joy, inviting the
reader to "see this radiant body ...on this perfect woman." This
is a book to share and it should be prominently displayed in all
health care facilities that deal with breast cancer. Grade: A.
CONTESTED TERRAIN: MYTH AND MEANINGS IN SOUTHWEST ART by Sharyn R.
Udall. University of New Mexico Press, 1720 Lomas Blvd. N.E.,
Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591, (505) 277-2346, FAX: (505) 277-9270.
Illustrated, index, notes. 192 pp., $29.95 paper. 0-8263-1669-7
The southwestern United States, with its broad range of light and
expansive landscape, has long inspired painters. The eight essays
here argue against a historical split between nature and culture in
the works of Georgia O'Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Page Allen, and
Woody Gwyn, and others. Of special interest is Udall's exploration
of Hopi ritual drama and its representation by non-Indians. A
stunning work. Grade: A-.
THE STONE AND THE THREAD: ANDEAN ROOTS OF ABSTRACT ART by Cesar
Paternosto. University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin,
Texas 78713-4032, (512) 471-7233, FAX: (512) 320-0668.
Illustrated, index, bibliography, notes, maps. 296 pp., $35.00
cloth. 0-292-76565-7
The title refers to sculpture and textiles, which Paternosto says
are intimately connected: Andean abstract carvings have their
source in weaving, which provided "the structural matrix not only
of the geometric designs but of the predominant orthogornal
iconography of Andean arts." Paternosto also dismisses abstraction
as a Western construct, arguing that the tradition has existed for
much longer than previously thought. A bold and original work.
Grade: A.
THE VELVET YEARS: WARHOL'S FACTORY 1965-1967, photographs by
Stephen Shore, text by Lynne Tillman. Thunder's Mouth Press
(distributed by Publisher's Group West), 632 Broadway, N.Y., NY
10012, (212) 780-0380. Illustrated, index. 176 pp., $24.95 paper.
1-56025-098-4
The address: 231 E. 47th St., New York City. The factory workers:
Lou Reed, John Cale, Nico, Edie Sedgewick, Gerard Malanga, Mary
Woronov, Paul Morrissey, Dorothy Dean, Billy Name, International
Velvet (Susan Bottomly), Ultra Violet, and many others. In 1965,
seventeen-year-old Shore was hired by Warhol to "take pictures"
while he filmed "Restaurant." The result is this time capsule of
photographs, coupled with first-person descriptions of Factory life
by 16 artists, filmmakers, actors, musicians, who recall many
events differently. Though many of the Factory's principle players
are making movies in the sky, this is the best book on the topic
published so far. Grade: A-. The Rock Hall of Fame will be taking
an exhibition of Shore's "Velvet Years" photographs on a 10-city
tour later this year.
ANGELS AND WILD THINGS: THE ARCHETYPAL POETICS OF MAURICE SENDAK by
John Cech. Pennsylvania State University Press, 820 North
University Drive, University Park, PA 16802, (814) 865-1327, FAX:
(814) 863-1408. Illustrated, index, bibliography, notes. 304 pp.,
$32.50 cloth. 0-271-00949-7
Relentlessly flouting convention, Sendak's stories and
illustrations made impressions on (and contributed to the dreams
of) children for more than forty years. Cech critiques Sendak's
experiments with diverse themes and stylistic techniques that
describe "the emotional and visionary terrain of childhood." The
result is a "Tao of Sendak" that will primarily please Sendak fans
and art theorists. Grade: B.
THE SCANDAL OF PLEASURE: ART IN AN AGE OF FUNDAMENTALISM by Wendy
Steiner. University of Chicago Press, 5801 South Ellis Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60637, (800) 621-2736, FAX: (312) 665-2235.
Illustrated, index, notes. 263 pp., $24.95 cloth. 0-226-77223-3
Steiner explores the politics of art and literature, using
Mapplethorpe (with a bullwhip up his butt), Serrano (a statue of
Christ immersed in his urine), Rushdie, Paul de Man, and arguments
that pornography causes rape, as examples of how fundamentalist
literalism wrongly assumes that reforming stereotypes will reform
reality. An outrageous view of the outraged and a celebration of
unshared interpretations of what is valid and moral. Grade: A-.
THE CREATIVE TOUCH SERIES: GLASS and FABRIC by Carol Soucek King.
PBC International, Inc., One School Street, Glen Cove, NY 11542-
9812, (800) 527-2826, FAX: (516) 676-2738. Illustrated (over 100
color photographs in each), index, glossary, list of sources.
"Glass" is 183 pp., $42.50 cloth, 0-86636-330-0, and "Fabric" is
159 pp., $37.50 cloth, 0-86636-331-9.
Stuffed (but seldom overstuffed) with creative ideas, this series
works equally well as inspiration or blueprint. "Glass" shows how
to get closer to nature without letting it take over, from clear
panes to translucent blocks, to stained and colored tiles.
"Fabric" showcases innovative mixes of solids and prints of silk,
cotton, velvet, wool, and other materials, to enhance well-being.
Both books are spectacular, yet accessible. Grade for both: A-.
Also in the series: "Designing with Wood," "Designing with Tile,
Stone, and Brick."
GORDON CULLEN: VISIONS OF URBAN DESIGN by David Gosling. Academy
Editions, 175 Fifth Ave, N.Y., NY 10010, (800) 221-7945, FAX: (212)
420-9314. Illustrated (over 460 total), index, bibliography. 256
pp., $70.00 cloth. 1-85490-435-3
Gosling presents an impressive overview of the British urban
designer's drawings and writings, arranged by decade, over a fifty-
year period. Best known for "Townscape" (1961), his winning design
for the Waverley Station Competition in Scotland (1990), and his
opinions on visual literacy, Cullen brought to each of his works a
sense of adventure, which Gosling has admirably captured between
these pages. Grade: A.
AMERICAN TRADITIONS: ART FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE CULVER
ACADEMY, published by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, distributed
by the University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Ave., Norman, OK
73019, (800) 627-7377, FAX: (800) 735-0476. Illustrated (161 in
color), index. 355 pp., $50.00 cloth. 0-8061-9942-3
This is the catalog for three exhibitions of painting and
sculpture, on loan from the alumni of Indiana's Culver Academies,
which took place at three different venues (concentrating on art
from 1800-1945, the western frontier, and contemporary painting and
sculpture) from December, 1993 to March, 1994. The book contains
full-page color illustrations with curator remarks and a
discussion. The book is well-done and a fitting commemoration, but
why did it take so long to hit the stores? Grade: B.
CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS SERIES: JEFF WALL by Thierry de Duve, Arielle
Pelenc, and Boris Groys. Published by Phaidon Press Limited,
distributed in the U.S. exclusively by Chronicle Books, 275 Fifth
Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (800) 722-6657, (800) 445-7577 in
CA, (415) 777-8887 FAX. Illustrated, bibliography, chronology.
160 pp., $24.95 paper. 0-7148-3348-7.
This series of well-priced monographs profiles several mixed-media
sculptors and artists with photographs of their works, interviews,
a critical assessment, and a presentation of each of the artist's
writings. The volume on Canadian photographer Jeff Wall contains
five interviews and an overview of his work. A special focus is on
Wall's peculiar light-box vignettes. Grade: B.
AS I WAS SAYING: RECOLLECTIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS by Colin
Rowe, edited by Alexander Caragonne. MIT Press, 55 Hayward St.,
Cambridge, MA 02142, (800) 356-0343, (617) 258-6779 FAX. Those on
the Internet may place orders by sending e-mail to mitpress-
ord...@mit.edu. MIT catalogs are available on the Internet by
telneting to techinfo.mit.edu (login: anonymous, password: your
complete e-mail address - at the main menu, choose #2, then #21),
by gophering to gopher.mit.edu (choose #5), or by sending e-mail to
mitpres...@mit.edu. On the WWW, MIT Press is at
http://www.mitpress.edu/. Illustrated, index, notes. Three
volumes, 973 pp., $100 cloth. 0-262-18172-X
MIT Press has just published the collected writings of Howe, an
architectural critic and theorist, who won the 1995 Royal Gold
Medal for Architecture (presented by the Royal Institute of British
Architects), and who, though now retired, still enjoys cult status
in both the United States and Europe. Included are articles,
reviews, essays, and lectures, written at the University of Texas,
Cambridge, and Cornell. Grade: A.
SHORT MENTIONS:
BETTIE PAGE: THE LIFE OF A PIN-UP LEGEND by Karen Essex and James
L. Swanson. General Publishing Group, Inc., 2701 Ocean Park
Boulevard, Suite 140, Santa Monica, CA 90405, (800) 745-9000, FAX:
(310) 915-9900. Illustrated, index. 288 pp., $40.00 cloth. 1-
881649-62-8. A photographic chronicle of the reclusive "original
supermodel," now 73, with pictures from private collectors and
Bettie's personal collection. Grade: A-.
NOTHING BUT THE GIRL: THE BLATANT LESBIAN IMAGE, edited by Susie
Bright and Jill Posener. Freedom Editions, 215 Park Ave. South,
N.Y., NY 10003. Illustrated, index, bibliography. 144 pp., $29.95
cloth. 1-86047-001-7. An uninhibited, eye-opening exploration of
"what some of us see whenever we close our eyes." Not for the
easily offended. Grade: A-.
ART LESSONS: LEARNING FROM THE RISE AND FALL OF PUBLIC ARTS FUNDING
by Alice Goldfarb Marquis. BasicBooks/HarperCollins, 10 E. 53rd
St., N.Y., NY 10022-5299, (800) 242-7737, FAX: (800) 822-4090. The
HarperCollins home page is at http://www.harpercollins.com. Index,
notes. 316 pp., $16.00 paper. 0-465-00438-5. A political history
of battles between Congress and arts advocates over funding of the
National Endowment for the Arts. Grade: B+.
THE DANCING COLUMN: ON ORDER IN ARCHITECTURE by Joseph Rykwert.
MIT Press, 55 Hayward St., Cambridge, MA 02142, (800) 356-0343,
(617) 258-6779 FAX. Those on the Internet may place orders by
sending e-mail to mitpres...@mit.edu. MIT catalogs are
available on the Internet by telneting to techinfo.mit.edu (login:
anonymous, password: your complete e-mail address - at the main
menu, choose #2, then #21), by gophering to gopher.mit.edu (choose
#5), or by sending e-mail to mitpres...@mit.edu. On the WWW,
MIT Press is at http://www.mitpress.edu/. Illustrated (315 total),
index, bibliography, notes. 616 pp., $75.00 cloth. 0-262-18170-3.
Rykwert, a professor of architecture at the University of
Pennsylvania, explores the column-beam system (one of the "orders
of architecture") and its relationship to the human form. A wide-
ranging and engaging work. Grade: A.
DIFFERENT MINDS, DIFFERENT VOICES by Virginia Aronson. Paradux and
Gossling, 1299 S.W. 13th Place, Boca Raton, FL 33486, (407) 393-
0515. Illustrated. 80 pp., $19.95 paper. 1-56790-148-4. An
extraordinary study of the art of the mentally ill ("mad"
artists"), with interviews. Grade: B+. Available by mail-order
only.
INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE YEARBOOK NO. 1, published by McGraw-
Hill, 11 W. 19th Street, N.Y., NY 10011, (800) 227-0900, (510) 549-
6603 FAX. Books from the McGraw-Hill Professional Book Group,
Medical/Healthcare Group, and College Division are available on the
Internet in Titlebank. Gopher to gopher.mcgraw.infor.com 5000. On
the WWW point the URL to gopher://mcgraw.infor.com:5000. On
CompuServe type GO MH. Illustrated, index. 432 pp., $99.50 cloth.
0-07-031811-5. A showcase of over 120 of the greatest hits of
Modernist art, completed between January 1994 and late 1995.
APERTURE 142: FRANCE: NEW VISIONS. Aperture, 20 East 23rd St.,
N.Y., NY 10010, (212) 505-5555, FAX: (212) 979-7759. Illustrated.
80 pp., $14.95 paper. 0-89381-64 A profile of 21 French
photographers (including Marc Le Mene, Raymond Depardon, and
Dolores Marat) with commentary, essays, and poetry. Unique and
expressive. Grade: A-.