MBR: The Art Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Prestel
900 Broadway, #603, NY, NY 10003
1-888-463-6110 www.prestel.com
Three engrossing new titles are top picks from art publisher Prestel's latest
releases, and are especially recommended for college-level art library
holdings. Pippa Hurd's Icons Of Erotic Art (3791331655, $39.95) examines the
presence and influence of classical myth in erotic art, considering the
ritualization of erotic art sexuality and discussing the origins of erotic
sentiments and essences in both men and women. Full-page color reproductions of
classics in erotic art accompany scholarly discussions of the use of disguises,
lighting, landscapes and social morals to create atmosphere. Pamela Kort's
Comic Grotesque: Wit And Mockery In German Art, 1870-1940 (3791331957, $49.95)
also is recommended as a basic acquisition for the serious art library
collection; especially for libraries strong in German art history. Comical
elements and absurdist humor took off as a modernist art method termed
comic-grotesque and Kort's survey accompanies an exhibition of the theme as it
surveys the artists whose works influences the course of German art history.
Over a hundred color plates and numerous black and white illustrations pack a
fine presentation. Eckhard Hollmann and Juergen Tesch's A Trick Of The Eye:
Trompe L'oeil Masterpieces (3791331639, $35.00) covers the winsome artistic
form of "trompe l'oeil", an artistic illusion form influencing art from
Renaissance times to the present day. A Trick Of The Eye focuses on forty
paintings by trompe l'oeil masters, presenting them in fine full or double-page
spreads, each presented twice: one for reality, the second revealing the visual
deception within. From still lives to window views and wall paintings, five
centuries of trompe l'oeil painting are distilled into one hard-hitting expose.
Batik: Design, Style & History
Fiona Kerlogue
Thames & Hudson
500 – 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
0500284776 $29.95 1-800-233-4830
Batik's world-wide influence on textile art is unprecedented: no other cloth in
Asia has so much symbolism and meanings, and Fiona Kerlogue's is the perfect
introduction to the style, choosing from the holdings of the Rudolf G. Smend
Collection to explore the history, traditions, cultural symbolism and motifs of
batik. Add numerous color photo examples and you have Batik: Design, Style &
History -- firmly recommended as an abundant and lovely basic primer.
Andres Serrano, America
Andres Serrano
Taschen
6671 Sunset Blvd., #1508, Los Angeles, CA 90028
3822835048 $59.99 www.taschen.com
Don't recognize the name of artist Andres Serrano? You should – he is one of
this country's most surveyed modern artists, responsible for such controversies
as "Piss Christ", and for a modern movement of controversial art. Serrano
enjoys creating extraordinary situations from ordinary daily living, and Andres
Serrano, America: And Other Work excels in presenting his greatest achievement:
three years of work producing over a hundred 50x60 inch photos representing the
melting pot of America – as seen through Serrano's art. Anticipate
often-startling images of people in striking, full-page displays.
Adventure House
914 Laredo Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20901
www.adventurehouse.com
Pulp art magazine collectors and students of pulp art will find two coverages
exceptional in their history and reproduction of some of the best pulp art.
Bedarski: Pulp Art Masters (1886937741, $20.00) provides an exciting art
history survey of the works of one Rudolph Belarski, who produced some of the
best paperback book pulp art of the late 1940s and 50s. Nearly 350 of his pulp
covers are reproduced – many from the artist's own color proofs and archives-
while author John Gunnison provides a sound organization by pulp theme for easy
understanding. Darrell C. Richardson's Those Macabre Pulps (1886937796, $22.00)
comes from a multi-faceted author who has produced numerous articles about pulp
magazines, science fiction and more. Cover reproductions and inside art
selections are accompanied by brief histories and a fine listing of issue
contents, making Those Macabre Pulps a thrilling survey of the field as a
whole.
Andy Warhol: Prince Of Pop
Jan Greeneberg & Sandra Jordan
Delacorte Press
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/kids
038573056X $16.95 1-800-726-0600
While Andy Warhol: Prince Of Pop was co-authored by Jan Greeneberg and Sandra
Jordan with teens in mind, it will also hold a dual interest for adult readers
seeking a particularly lively, well detailed introduction to the life and works
of ground breaking and innovative American artist Andy Warhol. There are
selections of representative art but the strength of Andy Warhol: Prince Of Pop
lies in its survey of his controversies, his New York hipster lifestyle, his
influences, and his trend-setting achievements. Highly recommended reading,
Andy Warhol: Prince Of Pop is so much more accessible than similar treatises
which assume prior familiarity with Warhol's art.
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
1-800-338-2665 mfa-publications.org
Two specialty presentations are to be considered a 'must' for art libraries
specializing in Japanese holdings. Joe Earle's Lethal Elegance: Samurai Sword
Fittings (0878466797, $50.00) narrows the focus to Samurai sword fittings,
which were not only a military symbol but became a fashion accessory and status
symbol alike. The sword's metal fittings mirrored the complexities of a samurai
life, and Lethal Elegance profiles over a hundred of these sword fittings,
packing in commentary and history with color photos. Joe Earle's is one of the
few books in English to focus on the stylings and techniques of Samurai: his is
not to be missed for any serious collector or student. Earle's Netsuke: Fantasy
And Reality In Japanese Miniature Sculpture (0878466754, $35.00) is also an
outstanding presentation with a narrowed scope suitable for specialty theme
collections. Netsuke are tiny sculptures used to secure pouches to the kimono
and have long been collected around the world. The origins of designs and
achievements of Netsuke artists receive close attention in Netsuke, whose
lovely close-up color photos of selected Netsuke objects is not to be missed.
Totems To Turquoise
Kari Chalker, general editor
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
100 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com
0810955938 $45.00 1-800-759-0190
Totems To Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts Of The Northwest And
Southwest is a lavish artbook filled cover-to-cover with full-color photographs
not only of beautiful Native American jewelry, but also portraits of the
individual artists crafters who create it. Brief descriptions of each piece and
broader essays enlighten the reader as to how and why these visually stunning
articles were created, and the symbolism underlying their design. Many pieces
feature short commentaries by the creators themselves. A truly well-rounded
treasury and a welcome addition to contemporary Native American art shelves.
In The Realm Of Gods And Kings
Andrew Topsfield
Philip Wilson Publishers
c/o Palgrave
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.palgrave-usa.com
0856675938 $60.00 1-888-330-8477
In The Realm Of Gods And Kings: Arts Of India is a catalogue of East Indian
paintings, photographs, and works of art ranging from ivory combs to silver
cream jugs. Spanning 1000 B.C. to the twentieth century, these treasures are
beautifully presented in full-color photographs; many are from the Metropolitan
Museum of New York and most have never been previously published. Accompanying
each item is a sidebar describing composition materials, physical dimensions,
and the like, as well as a brief description of how it was made and used, as
well as insight on the earthly or spiritual meanings in its design. In The
Realm Of Gods And Kings particularly focuses upon artworks connected to East
Indian religion, with subsections devoted to artworks that portray Shiva,
Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, and Goddesses, and also artworks connected to court
life, including the hunt, courtly manuscripts, and royal portraits. In The
Realm Of Gods And Kings is the next best thing to seeing timeless Indian
treasures in person, and especially recommended for art shelves.
Modern Masters: Kevin Nowlan
Eric Nolen-Weathington, editor
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
1893905381 $14.95 twomorrows.com
The fourth volume in the series on comix and graphical novel artists, Modern
Masters: Kevin Nowlan is a clear and deserved tribute to Eisner Award-winning
artist Keven Nowlan, perhaps best known for his superhero comic book art of
such four-color heroes as Batman, Superman, Doctor Strange and Jack B. Quick (a
character Nowlan has co-created with Alan Moore). Nowlan is truly a renaissance
man of the superhero comic industry, skilled at cover art, penciling, inking,
lettering, coloring, and even writing. Featureing an in-depth interview with
Nowlan, numerous black-and-white examples of his art - some never before
published - plus a gallery of color plates, Modern Masters: Kevin Nowlan is a
"must-have" for his legions of fans and all who appreciate Nowlan's
contribution to modern comic art.
Art: 21 - Seasons One and Two
PBS Home Video
c/o Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025-6159
www.crystalproductions.com
0793695503 $49.98 1-800-255-8629
Art: 21 Seasons One and Two is the DVD anthology of seasons one and two of "Art
in the Twenty-First Century". This eye-opening series, originally broadcast on
PBS, introduces the viewer to 37 artists working in the United States today,
offering insightful and informed "behind-the-scenes" profiles of their life,
their work, and their struggle to create, demonstrating the labor of love that
is the underlying motivation for their dedication to modern-day art. The
individuals profiled come from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, and
the connective theme of their art is its expressiveness, message, and
revelation of talent. Highly recommended viewing for art lovers, this DVD
edition of Art: 21 - Seasons One and Two consists of two superbly produced
disks in full color, with a running time of 7.5 hour.
The Kelemen Journals
Pal Kelemen and Elisabeth Kelemen
Sunbelt Publications
1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon, CA 92020-1511
0932653677 $39.95 www.sunbeltbooks.com
The Kelemen Journals: Incidents of Discovery of Art in the Americas, 1932-1964
presents vintage black-and-white photographs and the original journal entries
of Pal and Elisabeth Kelemen, explorers and art historians who became leading
authorities of their time on the pre-Columbian art and civilization of
Mesoamerica. A breathtaking adventure of discovery recorded in first person
leads the reader on a journey through time and space, re-creating a vision of
traveling untamed lands and collecting fantastic artifacts. A lavish, romantic
memoir, especially recommended for armchair travelers and art historians.
Raphael
Richard Cocke
Chaucer Press
International Publishers Marketing (dist.)
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1904449387 $40.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com
Raphael is a gorgeous artbook devoted to the life and works of immortal
Renaissance painter Raphael. Both his drafts and his paintings are scrutinized,
and the text recounts his biography, in particular as the events of his life
led him to create his greatest masterpieces. The classical artworks make
Raphael a rapturous experience to page through for the illustrations alone, but
the depth of insight in the discussion makes Raphael a definitive "must-have"
artbook for libraries, illustrated art history shelves and personal
collections.
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