The Artbook Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Artful Players
Birgitta Hjalmarson
Balcony/Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
1-890449-01-6 $34.95
Artistic life in early San Francisco is charted through a title which examines
how early artistic life was supported in the city. Patrons of the arts and the
artists who benefitted from their attentions are described in a survey of an
era during which production of some of America's greatest works developed a
distinctly California style. With color and b&w photos throughout, this is
engrossing and exceptional.
Beyond the Brillo Box
Arthur C. Danto
University of California Press
0-520-21674-1 $12.00
This will appeal to college-level Andy Warhol followers: it argues that
Warhol's Brillo Box ended the Western art trend of the times, fostering a new
pluralism in art which has changed how art is made and exhibited. Essays
explore how changing art concepts have been affected by culture and trends in
this blend of philosophy and artistic commentary.
Drawing Closer
Carolyn Blish & Elise Maclay
Greenwich Workshop Press
PO Box 875, Shelton, CT 06484-9861
0-86713-041-5 $29.95 1-800-577-0666
For artist Carolyn Blish, the relationships between the creation of art and the
act of faith are more than just casual; they have many parallels. Faith is
believing in the finished painting, seeing an unseen reality; hope is the
pigment, and conviction is applying it to the canvas. The elements of subject,
composition and even color, which are essential to a quality work, are also
visible in our lives. Drawing Closer: The Paintings And Personal Reflections Of
Carolyn Blish presents a joyous outlook on faith through the life and art of
Carolyn Blish. Her work has become as familiar to us as the subjects she paints
-- children filled with wonder, lavish florals and windswept dunes, all convey
a heartfelt message about her faith. Now, in Drawing Closer, we can all share
in this baptism of spirit and love that makes any life a work of art, on or off
the canvas.
Fever
David Wojnarowicz
Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10010
0-8478-2144-7 $35.00
Wojnarowicz was central in the New York art scene of the 1980s: a multimedia
artist who painted, made films, and participated in almost every aspect of
contemporary art production. His diagnosis with AIDS sparked a flurry of
artistic activity which is charted in this fine catalog of his works.
Hopi Silver
Margaret Nickelson Wright
Northland Publishing
Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86002-1389
0-87358-707-3 $14.95
This revised edition includes over 100 new hallmarks as it traces the history
of Hopi silversmithing. From early Hopi silversmith experiences to modern
jewelry and hallmarks, this blends black and white and color illustrations with
excellent reviews of Hopi history and culture.
Dosso Dossi
Luisa Ciammitti, et al.
Metropolitan Museum of Art/Abrams
c/o Getty Trust Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, #500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0-89236-505-6 $50.00 1-310-440-6795
Enhanced with 154 b&w illustrations and six tables, Dosso Dossi: Court Painter
In Renaissance Ferrara provides a sweeping study of Dosso Dossi (1490-1542), an
enigmatic painter of the Italian renaissance. From his exquisite small
devotional paintings to his grand altarpieces, mysterious allegories, and
penetrating portraits, the reader is shown his work within the wider social,
intellectual, and historical context in which he lived. Dosso Dossi features
eighteen essays by leading scholars from the United States, England, Scotland,
Germany, France and Italy and is divided into four parts: Problems in
Interpretation; Dosso's Career; Court Culture in the Age of Dosso; and finally,
three informative essays on aspects of the collecting of works by Dosso.
Co-published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dosso Dossi is an important and
original contribution of both the literature on Dosso Dossi the painter, and
the study of cultural history in early modern Italy.
The Art of 20th Century Zen
Audrey Yoshiko Seo & Stephen Addiss
Shambhala
300 Massachusettes Av Boston MA 02115
1-57062-358-9 $65.00
Paintings and calligraphy by Japanese masters mark this powerful collection
celebrating Zen art and living. The works of monks and nuns who kept Zen
painting and calligraphy an art makes for fine chapters which examine Zen's
role in the art world east and west, drawing important connections between Zen
concepts and art.
Deruta
Elizabeth Helman Minchilli
Chronicle Books
85 Second St., San Francisco CA 94105
0-8118-1794-6 $35.00
For over six centuries the craftspeople of Deruta have produced fine Italian
glazed ceramics known as majolica: this showcases the entire products of the
Deruta hilltown, examining its ceramic studio traditions, history, and
products. Pages are packed with color photos of Deruta ceramic art and provide
excellent references to Deruta styles and techniques.
Eric Gill: The Sculpture
Judith Collins
The Overlook Press
386 West Broadway, NY, NY 10012
0-87951-830-8 $65.00 1-212-965-8400
Engraver, sculptor, letter-cutter, and typographer Eric Gill chose to be
remembered on his gravestone simple as a stone carver. His distinctive work has
become familiar landmarks and part of major public and private collections
throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The
expressive simplicity of Gill's sculpture derives from his practice of carving
directly from the block, eschewing the cumbersome modeling techniques taught by
contemporary art schools, in his revival of a tradition neglected since the
Middle Ages. From slender crucifixes and solemn biblical scenes to lithe
animals and voluptuous lovers, Gill's figures overflow with an artistic life
force all their own. Eric Gill: The Sculpture is a catalog raisonne featuring
an extensive introductory essay and 3000 detailed catalog entries illustrated
by 350 photographs and is an invaluable contribution to both public and
personal art scholarship library collections.
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