An Expedition Into Art
356701
I disagree most strongly with the other reviewers of this book on two terribly important points:

1:) I do NOT think it necessary for the reader of this book to also have read, as I have done, the previous two novels in this trilogy.

2:)  This book, is not, au fond, a "steampunk" book - as I understand the term - and thus not to be recommended to fans of the genre, generally speaking.

To elaborate, this book is an entirely different sort of novel in its ultimate theme and in its pacing than the two preceding it.  True, it has nearly all the same characters and the same alternate reality, alternate REALITIES, I should say.  But the previous two novels were essentially entertainment - Very good entertainment in the case of the first book, I should say. - But still, mere entertainment, from which one stood back, looked on and had a jolly good time of it.  Here, in this book, Hodder actually creates a world in which the reader becomes engulphed.  The caricatures become characters, and the surreal events seem all too real.

The book is meditative, poetic, realistic and, ultimately, tragic.  As noted by other reviewers, the great part of the novel takes place in Africa, rather than the familiar/unfamiliar  world of alternate London.  The pacing is deliciously slow and the style unflamboyant.  The scenes of trench warfare are actually more affecting than books styling themselves realistic fiction - Sebastian Faulks's ludicrously overrated novel Birdsong, for instance - and, time and again, the book offers up meditative passages like these lines from the character H. G. Wells:

"The problem, as I see it, is that we don't truly don't understand the nature of the past. We mythologise it.  We create fictions about actions performed to justify what we undertake in the present.  We adjust the cause to better suit the effect.  The truth is that the present is, and always will be, utter chaos.  There is no story and no plan."

Passages, in other words, that make one pause and ponder rather than roll along in a "steampunk" sort of fashion.  Most importantly, the book's overarching theme might be said to be human grief, loss and death.  My guess, from reading the other reviews, is that other readers completely skipped the poetry of Swinburne interspersed throughout the book.  But this inclusion is the most important part of the book and the most amazing feat pulled off by author Mark Hodder: He takes extended excerpts and entire poems from the real Swinburne such as "The Garden of Proserpine", "A Forsaken Garden" etc. and fits them perfectly into the narrative!  I should have said that it couldn't be done, but Hodder astounds in doing so.

The epilogue to the book is Swinburne's powerful poem, "A Lamentation" in its entirety.  It mirrors this book's effect as a whole, a  threnody to all men lost in time and space and unable to control the outcome of events.

Some lines from a particular poem kept coming to mind whilst reading this book by Swinburne's poetic hero, Shelley, from his "Mont Blanc":

"Some say that gleams of a remoter world
Visit the soul in sleep, that death is slumber,
And that its shapes the busy thoughts outnumber
Of those who wake and live."

This book, despite its garish cover, and the two preceding fun but not deeply affecting books is actually, for those receptive to such things - Quelle Horreur! - literature: Deep, moving literature.

Readers beware!
1939989
A good catalog of a groundbreaking show of outsider and self taught artists, as the first exhibit of the groundbreaking new museum of outsider, self taught and visionary artists. I wish i was able to visit the museum, but the catalog gives a good taste of the treasures within!
4774382
Foraging with an artist! He is a creative spirit that continues to expand and explore the use of wild foods. very stimulating read.
The presentation and photography is lovely. Inspirational.
3188891
Though he lived only to the age of 40, Julian Onderdonk has long been revered as the greatest representational painter Texas ever produced.  His floral landscapes, especially the ones featuring those hardy annuals adopted as the state flower and known as bluebonnets, have gone well above the low six figures in auction houses.  James and Kimel Baker, married scholars who have specialized in early Texas artists, have radically revised the common assessment of Onderdonk as a regional painter.  Their argument is based on the recovery of paintings that Onderdonk produced during his apprenticeship in New York, paintings that the Bakers have called "lost" in this marvelous book.  Before earning his reputation in Texas, Onderdonk settled in New York from 1901 to 1909, where he studied  under several of the giants of American art that included William Merritt Chase, Frank DuMond, and Robert Henri.
Much of the book centers on Onderdonk's connection with Charles Tunison, an unscrupulous "hustler" of fine art who wholesaled Onderdonk's canvases to department stores, a few galleries, and other outlets.  Collecting large fees from the artist, Tunison forced Onderdonk to produce an astonishing number of paintings, sometimes two a day, most of which were exquisite and collectible.  To protect his future reputation, Onderdonk agreed at first to sign them with fictitious names.  Here is the heart of the Bakers' adventure.  For years they have searched out these "lost" paintings that have been scattered to the four winds.  In fact, they found the marine scene that adorns the dust jacket in a Wisconsin gallery, signed with the faux name of "Chas. Turner."  A good portion of the book is devoted to forensic procedures used to authenticate a number of these "lost" paintings.
This volume will satisfy any reader interested in the manifold world of fine art.  It not only contains an important addition to our art history, but also a detailed description of techniques used to identify tampered art work, the tangled drama between an artist and his vendor, a guide to the unfolding of Onderdonk's vision and skill, and a glimpse into the family life of a young artist starting his career and under enormous stress.  But the most important contribution is the reassessment of a major artist not merely as the "father of Texas painting" but as a  national treasure.  What is notable and controversial too is that the Bakers even dispute the conventional wisdom that Onderdonk produced his best work after leaving New York and returning to the Lone Star State.  This is not the last word on Onderdonk's hidden work, the Bakers tell us.  There is so much to learn from this rich book.
3384233
This handsome volume opens with two essays. The first essay looks at the young artist and his development; his time at art school, first Camberwell and then The Slade, and considers those who influenced him, especially William Coldstream. The second essay looks more particularly at the artist's main body of work, and considers again the influences.

The fully illustrated catalogue section provides much additional information about the individual pieces, many being accompanied by detailed descriptions and interesting facts about their production, often including the artist's own comments. The reproductions vary is size considerably, there are a good number of full-page or near full-page images, but at the other end of the scale a large number are very small. In total there are well over 400 of the artist's works illustrated, according to the publishers this includes every known oil painting, about 80 of which are reproduced here for the first time. In addition to the paintings there are also a number of representative drawings, designs, and a few rather personal more suggestive pieces.

The book includes a chronology, bibliography, and exhibition history for each work.

A quick glance at the content might suggest there is very little information about the man Euan Uglow, but careful reading gradually provides some insight in an almost incidental manner. We learn about the man from his work, and not about the work from the man.

Having the full body of Uglow's oeuvre to consider it becomes immediately apparent where his interests lay; the female nude predominates, still life features strongly too. There are landscapes but nothing like the quantity of the former two, mostly produced during summers away. What comes through strongly from all forms is Uglow's strongly analytical approach, his single minded interest in his subject and his striving for perfection; yet the work is never laboured.

It is a splendid book. The essays are well written and warmly appreciative of the artist and his work. It well designed and superbly illustrated in colour almost throughout, the only complaint being that some of the images are too small.
3653738
An allure of this book is the many (206) illustrations of art from the kingdoms of west and central Africa. Of these, some 140 are in full colour and show the impressive skill of the court artists.

In Benin, Dahomey, Yoruba and other kingdoms, there were flourishing scenes. Each distinctive and fascinating. Readers may be familiar with the centuries of European artwork and how these varied between those countries. One thing this book makes clear is that central Africa had an equally rich and diverse history that, sadly, has not been often recognised by outsiders.

The book can be read at several levels. The first and most immediate is simply an appreciation of the illustrations. A deeper level is to integrate that visual appreciation with an understanding of the cultures from which they derived.
4407421
I am just beginning to inhale this huge volume of Leonardo's history, insights, art and science.  It's truly fascinating reading with stunningly beautiful drawings, paintings and photographs.  Each page is a visual delight!!  It is a treasured addition to my collection of art and science books and an inspiration to my photographic visions.  However, "Leonardo's Universe", is more than the usual historical review of da Vinci's genius.  It is an inspiration to all artists and scientists who endeavor to transcend current perceptions of art and scientific knowledge and leap beyond incremental approaches.

  The creative connection between art and science was one of the themes that was exploited by the acclaimed NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC).  The NIAC was funded by NASA from 1998 through August 2007 to inspire, select and fund revolutionary advance concepts for future aerospace endeavors.  The NIAC expanded on the creative genius of numerous scientists and artists from da Vinci to modern day Einstein and Picasso, and others, to inspire thinking and concepts that could have significant impact on future aerospace missions.  Bulent Atalay's book "Math and the Mona Lisa" was one of the primary references used by NIAC as an example of the connection between art, math and science.  His latest book, co-authored with Keith Wamsley, will also be an essential reference and inspiration for creative scientists and "techno" artists and a treasured addition to any library focused on art and science.

  Robert A. Cassanova, PhD
  Former Director, NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts
4545457
This is a volume in the "One on One" series published by New York's Museum of Modern Art, a collection of short monographs--or "sustained meditations," as the jacket text has it--by MoMA curators on some of the Museum's best known works of art.  Anne Umland, the curator responsible for last year's "Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914" exhibit and the author of its accompanying catalogue, here explicates Picasso's famous painting and places it in the context of his life and work.  In late 1931, Picasso began an intensive painting campaign to produce work for his upcoming first great retrospective show at the Galeries Georges Petit in Paris, scheduled to open in June 1932.  Just a year before, Matisse had had a major retrospective at the same gallery, and it had been roundly criticized by the press for containing too many older works "recycled" for the new show.  Picasso, who had just turned 50, desperately wanted to avoid a similar embarrassment and began turning out paintings at a furious pace, including "Girl Before a Mirror," which he finished and dated on March 14, 1932 and which, as he told Alfred Barr, the MoMA's first director, was his favorite in that long series (5).  The "Girl" is, of course, Marie-Therese Walther, his mistress and model for so many of the paintings and plaster sculptures of those years. Dr. Umland succeeds very well in indicating the profound influence the three-dimensional work he undertook at his Boisgeloup  sculpture studio had on his practice in those paintings for the Petit exhibition, which, as she notes, are "among the most Matisse-like of his works" (29).  An X-ray of the painting enables us to see how extensively the artist reworked his original rather naturalistic composition to create a fascinatingly complex version of  a traditional artistic theme.  This is a small volume (46 pages), but it is very clearly written, excellently illustrated (there are over a dozen full-page reproductions of Picasso's plaster busts and riotously colorful canvases, with many other illustrations), and in general beautifully designed, and of course the discussion is completely authoritative. There are some photographs, too: by Brassai (of the work), by Man Ray (of Picasso), and by Picassso himself (of Marie-Therese).  If you don't already love the painting, you probably will after reading this thoroughly delightful little book.
2715419
This fascinating series takes the viewer on a journey from the beginnings of photography through the intricate modern digital age with emphasis on both the scholarly and the creative aspects of catching a moment and preserving it.  In a relatively short period of time, photography has gone from an experimental novelty, the plaything of the wealthy, to a scientific data recording mechanism for a variety of fields of study.  Even more intriguing is has also become a tool for creating amazing works of art, and is absolutely a part of everyone's daily life.  The series PHOTO captures the drama and the art involved in photographs, exploring the "how" of the process and the intensity involved in recording moments.  We learn about photographers and the thought that goes into the creation of a photograph that "speaks" to the viewer artistically and emotionally.  Everything is the subject of photographs, depending on the intent of the photographer.  The nude body is portrayed as well as Earth shattering events in our history, captured as the photographer saw them and wanted us to see them.  A treat for those serious about photography, either as media persons or artists.
1913413
A beautiful adventure into the works of a Carmel, CA artist/actress.  Her use of subject matter and unique style is very well presented in this collection.  I will keep this First Edition in my collection.
Bill Graham
845229
Australian Aboriginal art is gaining international recognition, and rightly so.  It is an art form driven by the culture of the artsists, and this book covers the traditional works of desert Australia, and also touches on more the more contemporary works of urban dwellers.  These works are vibrant and alive, and the illustrations do justice to the richness of the work.  The accompanying text is detailed and authoritative.
If you are interested in the art works of other cultures, or even art in its broadest sense, you will find many of the works presented in this volume to be quite different, even provocative.  Others are as spectacular as any landscape known to the Western world.
This is an excellent introduction to a complex topic, and a worthy addition to any library.
267975
Magritte is possibly the most influencial artist -along with Warhol- of the second half of the XXth century. This book, a catalogue for a ground-breaking exhibition held at the LACMA in 2006, thoroughly and vividly studies this influence by confronting his work to those of many of today's best artists (Jasper Johns, Ed Rusha, Vija Celmins and many more). All of them, either through their works or through the interviews carried out on the occasion of that show and published in this book, acknowledge their debt to the Belgian master who taught them to see in another way. The lesson to be drawn from this book is indeed that what we see may not be what we see, that the obvious may not be so and that the ones who can best make us understand this are the artists themselves.

A treasure trove of illustrations, many of works belonging to private collections, enhance the already high quality of the text.
2537507
This is a large format pamphlet-- see the quoted dimensions
It accompanied a BBC documentary series of the same title - the 6 episode DVD is now in navailable for private use and is very expensive if you want to buy it for teaching purposes and pay the licence fee
It aim of the series is to look at some well known and not so well known masterpieces in the National Gallery London
It starts with what one can see with the painting on the wall. At times careful observers can spot some item(s) of interest in the painting
The author takes you behind the scenes to the Conservation Lab and the Scientific Lab
He shows how different techniques can often solve the puzzle one noted on looking at the picture on the wall
Some paintings that feature include Peter Paul Rubens beautiful Portrait Susanna Lunden his sister in law
Pierre - Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas
Poalo Veronese The Vision of St Helena

The section titles are
Pictures as Things: Change and Decay
The Materials of Faith: Eggs and Gold
From Eggs to Oils: The Conquest of Light
From Illusion to Emotion
Old Tricks and New Pigments
Loss and Recovery

Each section looks at questions suggest in the chapter titles and demonstrates in very clearly written prose and some 80 or so illustrations how a number of questions can be solved or more fully clarified by the use of a number of different techniques

I found this a very enjoyable read and learnt a lot from it
It brings an appreciation of often complex technology within the reach of the interested general reader
Well recommended
2319995
Given the objectives of the volume; i.e. exemplification of the different methods, and materials used in street art (paint, stencil, 3D, miniatures, etc.) the author did a credible job in illustrating its variations across a number of countries (hardly 'the world'), while also engaging and illustrating the work of some of our leading artists. Focusing on artististic conception of some current human condition, the author illustrates by works of artists like blek le art, c215, evol, shepard fairey, eva, gaia, blu, roa, jimmy c, os gemeos, and others. A rather monumental task done quite well.
4651847
This is a lavishly illustrated art book and an engaging written piece of scholarship. It gave me many insights into the artists prickly personality and what he was striving for in his art.

There were many surprises: like the contention that Czanne had a traditional idea of portraiture, even though his portraits were unlike anything that had been done.

The text follows Cezannes portraits from the early aggressive impasto through his famous constructive brushstrokes to his thinly painted, subtly nuanced surfaces. In addition to the great numbers of vibrant reproductions, there are dramatic close-ups of seminal portraits that invite the reader to examine Czanne s brushwork.

The chapters are mostly organized around a Cezannes subjects.  This becomes very interesting. We get a more objective view of Madame Cezanne, who has been unjustly vilified for being a sourpuss. We explore the drama that ensued when Cezanne painted Parisian intellectuals (he was far more comfortable painting family members and country people). We meet his favorite people, like the gardener who did so much more for Cezanne than garden. And we hear about the challenges of modeling for Cezanne, who required absolute stillness and sometimes over a hundred sittings.

There are short biographical sketches of Cezannes subjects, including himself.  Theres a good chronology, and even this section is rich in reproductions. The text is seeded with fun quotes from Cezanne that bring his complex character to life.

I cant get to the London exhibit of these portraits, so Im grateful to have the book.
1377750
This is a thrilling book.  I got it after attending Fiona McLaren's talk at The Edinburgh Book Festival where she presented her material on this.  That was only two days ago.  This book focuses on a painting which came into her family's home over 50 years ago, together with some other things.  Only ten years ago she started to see the picture for what it really is and not just for what she had taken it for granted all her life.  Though her findings challenged her orthodox views, she found that every piece of art work underscored the painting to reveal 2,000 years of censored history.

IT IS INCREDIBLE.  This is a personal journey, one which she obviously found difficult to walk, but she did and I thank her for it.  The book ends with a map commissioned by King Louis XIV and she invites us to help her find out more.  How many writers do you get an invitation from to get involved.  According to her website and what she said at The Edinburgh Book Festival the monies raised from the sale of this painting will go in to setting up a Foundation; The Caterina Peace Foundation, which will concentrate on helping and supporting children in care.

I want to be involved in that too.  She has opened the doors for us all to participate; I'm accepting that invitation.  Read this book.  I was thrilled by it.  So thrilled that I had to post my enthusiasm on Amazon.co.uk and this one.
872209
This brief lovely biography is about an artist who first taught art in his native Germany, and then later immigrated to America in 1933 to teach art at an experimental college. Josef Albers became fascinated with the bright colors of Mexican Abstract art. He began to paint "the most geometrically perfect shape: the square" and then he played with different colors: the significance of a color changed according to the background color that framed it. He stated that he was "not paying homage to a square" but rather, the square was "only the dish I serve my craziness about color in". He wrote a book called "Interaction of Color", and subsequently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a show of his artwork. An author's note explains why she decided to write this book about Josef Albers - he was her neighbor, and in an addendum provides some additional information about this unique artist, a glossary, a color wheel, a select bibliography, and lists some activities for the reader to try out. This is a very appealing presentation for young children to learn about an influential artist.