History & Criticism Books - Page 12

Lives of the Artists

Calvin Tomkins

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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Schools, Periods & Styles -> Contemporary Art

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Whether writing about Jasper Johns or Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman or Richard Serra, Calvin Tomkins shows why it is both easier and more difficult to make art today. If art can be anything, where do you begin?

For more than three decades Calvin Tomkins’s incisive profiles in The New Yorker have given readers the most satisfying reports on contemporary art and artists available in any language. In Lives of the Artists ten major artists are captured in Tomkins’s cool and ironic style to record the new directions art is taking during these days of limitless freedom. As formal technique and rigorous training continue to fall away, art has become an approach to living. As the author says, “the lives of contemporary artists are today so integral to what they make that the two cannot be considered in isolation.”

Among the artists profiled are Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, the reigning heirs of deliberately outrageous art that feeds off the allegedly corrupting influences of capitalist glut and entertainment; Matthew Barney of the pregenital obsessions; Cindy Sherman, who manages multiple transformations as she disappears into her own work; and Julian Schnabel, who has forged a second career as award-winning film director. Tomkins shows that the making of art remains among the most demanding jobs on earth.

Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils

Kevin D. MacPherson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best book on painting outside that I've ever read...period. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read Kevin's earlier book and mentioned it previously here on Amazon and yes, I thought it was great but THIS one...this one is...is...damn...words fail me. It's just simply the best book on plein-air painting I've ever read (and I must have 30 or more on this subject alone). Kevin has outdone himself with this one. He's taken all the valuable info contained in his previous book and just added to it and added to it. I'm looking and looking but I can't find ANYTHING that he may have left out or not talked enough about.

Years ago, before he established himself as The Man when it comes to teaching people how to paint outdoors, I took a couple of workshops with him and, during the first couple of days outdoors and trying to be somewhat easy in his suggestions to improve my picky little paintings, he finally got frustrated with what I'd continued to put on the canvas and, took his thumb and WHOOSH--smeared out a laborious passage I'd painstakingly put in there and wiped off his thumb and WHOOSH, did it a second time and I'll never forget how much BETTER the painting looked after those two swoops. My biggest mistake was in not stopping right there, putting it away and saving that thing for me to look at again and again. That same mentality permeates his book; you can't help but improve your paintings if you read this book and apply the principles therein.

Another note is the two back-pages by his wife, Wanda, who was only just beginning to paint when I knew them. She can really paint now but she
maintains that being really good (which she is) is not the point, but that just getting out there and not being afraid to fail and just enjoy yourself should be a reward in itself. I found her remarks to be in good juxtaposition to Kevin's solid, on-target prose about well, "Landscape Painting Inside and Out".

Buy it. Better yet, go to his website and see if you can get into a workshop with him. You won't be disappointed.

Editorial Review:

Offers down-to-earth advice on painting gorgeous outdoors scenes through 10 step-by-step demos Teaches painters how to master the art of observation Shows readers how to translate field notes and sketches into fully realized studio paintings The overwhelming beauty of the outdoors is one of the most inspiring - and elusive - subjects for painters. With Landscape Painting Inside and Out, Kevin Macphearson first shows readers how to see like an artist, then teaches them how to recreate their vision into stunningly realistic outdoors scenes. His insightful process encourages readers to focus on the small details to achieve big results.

Batman: Haunted Knight (Batman)

Jeph Loeb

By: Titan Books Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $107.33

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Pretty solid book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book consists of three stories. The first one, about Batman facing off against the Scarecrow, is by far the strongest of the three. The second one, about the Mad Hatter, is still pretty good. It's more about Bruce Wayne, and I was appreciative of the fact that they showed that Batman is human. The third one is the weakest of the trio. However, the strength of the former two storeies more than make up for the flaws of the latter. The artwork in all three stories was superb by the way.

Good read, nothing special 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's composed of three stories, the stories are nothing special. They seem like just another day in the dark knight's life.

The worst of Sale/Loeb series 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was the last of the three graphic novels by Sale/Loeb that I read (the other two being Dark Victory and The Long Halloween). It added no value and was not worth reading. The major plus is the art other than that I would skip this collection.

Batman Fights Scarecrow and Mad Hatter 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Scarecrow and Mad Hatter as real Batman villains, the way it should be! Not as filler characters as in other Halloween books like The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Only problem is they are short stories since there are 3 stories in this book. The last story sucks so much as Bruce Wayne gets visited by spirits of his past a la A Christmas Carol.

The Light Fantastic

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 114 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This was one of those works that I found difficult to put down once I read the first couple pages. The Light Fantastic is the second offering in Pratchett's Discworld Series and if anything, it is even better than the first. I first read this one as a stand alone, before I read any of the other books in this series, and found it held up well. I would suggest the first book in the series be read first, but it is certainly not necessary.

I am not going into the plot of this one at any depth as there are quite a number of very good reviews here that have done an outstand job of that already. Briefly though, this follows the adventures of a very inept wizard, Rincewind, the first fully evolved tourist on Disc World, Twoflower, and Luggage. Rincewind is a failed wizard, a coward and an actually rather likeable scoundrel. Twoflowers is the prototype tourist which can be found anywhere in our own world at any tourist destination and Luggage is Twoflower's, well...luggage; a loyal trunk that follows its owner everywhere, through think an thin. This book is an account of their adventures while saving Disc World, a world held up by a giant turtle with giant elephants standing on her back, from complete destruction by crashing into a wondering star.

The story line, as with all of Pratchett's work, is only the tip of the iceberg as far as reading pleasure goes. There were very few pages to this work that did not bring on a slight giggle, belly laugh or, at the very least, a smile. This author has humans pegged perfectly and through his humor, is able to make quite profound observations of the general overall human condition. The author has the ability to tell a rousing story while poking a bit of fun at just about everything. In this novel we meet Cohen the Barbarian, a wonderful take off on the original Conan, and a number of other very recognizable characters inhabiting our culture. I suppose the primary thrust of this work is to make light of the Conan type genre of literature, from The Hobbit to Conan to any number of other works of this order.

Read these books closely. The word play is a major part of the enchantment of this author's work and can easily be missed if you go too fast. It, the word play, is an absolute delight! Wit and satire are this authors greatest strengths and when you mix those with his imagination and story telling abilities, you have a wonderful entertaining and educational read.

I very much enjoyed Pratchett's humor, story telling ability and quirky outlook on life. I suppose these novels are not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed this one. Like another reviewer here, Luggage was my favorite character, followed closely by Cohen.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Preacher: Proud Americans (Preacher)

Garth Ennis

By: Titan Books Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $12.07

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

All I can say is wow! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Another masterpeice by the team of writer Garth Ennis(an Iraish crazed, yet genious writer)and artist Steve Dillon(Ennis's partner in crime, also a little insane, in a good way). These two have put together yet another blood filled, violent, bizzare, and funny masterpeice. The third installment to the 9 volume Preacher series, that follows Jesse Custer, a former preacher who have lost his faith, Tulip, Jesse's gun-wielding girlfriend, and Cassidy, an Irish vampire, on their journey to find God, literally.

This book begins with a flashback talking about Jesse's father John, and his navy days in the Vientam War. Then, the ending to the story arc started in Volume 2, the Grail. We follow Jesses, who have abandoned Tulip for her own safety, on his trip to France to save his buddy, Cassidy. He also meets the Allfather who is the boss of the Grail and can be described as a fat, murderous, digusting pig, another bizzare character created by Mr. Ennis, and also an appearance by the Saint of Killers. Then, the origin to the Irish vampire, Cassidy, telling us of how he became a vampire in the first place, and his early days in America. This series have material on its pages no other comic from any of the major comic companies would dare print, strap-ons, gay sex, extreme violence, profanity, and pure fun. This book is just another emample of the genious of Ennis and Dillon, a great read and a lot of fun doing it.

The art by Dillon was stunning as usual, depicting the graphic violence that not much other artists would dream of drawing. His work is beautiful and complements Ennis's superb writing very well, they make a great team.

This is a must-have if you're a mature reader who likes to disturb and shock oneself. I read this book in one sitting, all 231 pages of it. This is probably best appreciated if you read the last 2 volumes, but not totally nessesary. Don't even think about getting this book if you can be offended by graphic violence, nudity and sexual themes, and profanity. But if you're not, then do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy now, it's worth every penny.

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury

Bill Watterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A walk through someone else's imagination 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Calvin is a beam of light, a dinosaur, Spaceman Spiff, a pollster on the election of new parents, a robotic explorer from Jupiter (in search of chocoloate) -- well lots of things. He's all the best and all the worst a boy about five can be, and that covers a lot of ground.

If the others around him never quite see things Calvin's way, that's really not his problem. Hobbes will always understand, and generally offer some understated commentary on events. I prefer not to say too much about Hobbes. It's really best if you let him introduce himself.

This book is a treasury of daily and sunday color strips. It captures a part of one of the best strip comics ever. If you already know C&H, you'll surely want this collection. If you missed the strip when it was still in the papers, this will give you a wonderful introduction.

It's never too late to have a happy childhood, and Calvin offers his for your enjoyment.

//wiredweird

More Calvin 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book combines material from both Yukon Ho! and Weirdos From Another Planet!. Perfect to read with a blanket and a cup of tea on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It lifts my spirits up and makes me laugh, even when there's no one around. Really, that could be said about any Calvin and Hobbes book, though!

Transmetropolitan Vol. 1: Back on the Street

Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not for everyone 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I just recently started reading graphic novels and I've been actively searching for some of the more critically acclaimed publications. I started with Preacher and Y: The Last Man. I found both extremely enjoyable -- fantastic art, intriguing stories, and always a healthy dose of humor.

I had high hopes for the same in Transmetropolitan, but ultimately didn't get it. I can see the intelligence in the writing and potential in the central character (Spider), but the perpetual nihilism and references to strange and abstract futuristic concepts left me bored. It reminded me of the popular cyberpunk style of writing, which I never enjoyed either. So in a nutshell this one just wasn't a fit for my personal taste -- I gave up after the second volume. Three stars for the creative effort and strong artwork.

Hooked! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a must read for any Warren Ellis fans out there. I have been reading Warren Ellis's stuff for over 6 years and i can't tell you that Transmet is his best work, but its certainly up in his top three books. Be for warned Ellis doesn't hold back at all when he speaks out society and government. He has a dark twisted view of our possible future that is more than entertaining. He is a word smith and he certainly shows it in this series.

Snow Treasure

Marie Mcswigan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

It's still in print! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read this book as a child over and over again in the 1960's. I read it so often, the spine fell apart and I lost the first 20 pages. I didn't think this small book would still be in print--but it is! My grandparents were from Norway, I have visited there several times and recall conversations with relatives about hardships during the Nazi occupation. The book reflects the national pride the Norwegians feel for their country and the risks they were willing to take to do what was right - not easy, but right. I still have the book--now I can read the first 20 pages! This book is one of the most memorable books I read as a child--and I read alot!! The story has stayed with me.

Snow Treasure Review by Frankie Alvarez 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I found Snow Treasure at the Library and was unsure if this was a book I would like. I seemed like it would be interesting. Once I started reading it, I instantly liked it. The book takes place in Norway in the winter of 1940. The Nazi soldiers had arrived in Norway and wanted to take over the country. The Norwegians were afraid that they would take their gold. They knew that the best way to protect it was to get it to the USA. But how were they going to do it without the Nazi soldiers knowing? The men of the town had an idea to use the children to take the gold bricks on their sleds to the harbor. Peter Lundstrom, a 12 year old boy, his sister, friends and other children from Riswyk school took the gold bricks from a cave where the bricks were hidden to the harbor. When they got there they hid them by building snowmen over them. At night, Peter's uncle would dig the bricks out and take them to his ship so no one could see what they were doing. Would the Nazi soldiers ever suspect the children? What would happen if they got caught? This was a very dangerous mission. There were a few close calls and even a possible Nazi spy watching them. On the last trip with the gold, Peter got arrested. Luckily he got rescued and sails off with his Uncle, the crew, and the gold to America. This book showed how brave the children were and how much the Norwegians wanted to keep their freedom. This book is supposed to be based on a real life event. I would encourage others to read this awesome story.

Editorial Review:

A daring adventure based on a true story about a group of Norwegian children who smuggled nine million dollars in gold past Nazi sentries during World War II. "A story of courage and wits and grim determination."--The New York Times.

Chanel: Collections and Creations

Daniele Bott

List Price: $40.00 By: Thames & Hudson Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $27.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A lush visual selection from the Chanel archive—essential reading for fashionistas and design aficionados everywhere.

Chanel's combination of tradition, originality, and style has always made it the most seductive of fashion labels. Here the House of Chanel opens its private archives, revealing a galaxy of brilliant designs created by Coco Chanel from 1920 onwards. Dazzling clothes, intricate accessories, beautiful models, and timeless design leave no doubt as to the lasting fame of her name and embody everything that has come to symbolize the magic of Chanel.

The book explores five central themes—the suit, the camellia, jewelry, makeup and perfume, the little black dress—and follows the threads from past to present to show how these key items have been rediscovered and reinvented by new designers. It includes many previously unpublished archive photographs and original drawings by Karl Lagerfeld, as well as glorious images from some of the greatest names in fashion photography. 139 illustrations, 83 in color.

Figure Drawing for Fashion Design (Pepin Press Design Books)

E. Drudi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Better off taking a fashion sketching class 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because I *just* wanted templates. (I know that as a designer, my strong suit is not in fashion sketching like this, never has been- but sometimes you have to.)

What this book provides is more of a how to create the bodies you want based off of the 9-head model. For some, this is great- a classroom in the book. For me, who has been working in this field for a long time and I just needed to crank some bodies out without putting in (for me) an excruciating ammount of work, it fell short.

Also, the proportions of the bodies are a little strange and the hand placement a bit rough. I spent more time fiddling with more natural hand positions on the templates than actually drawing the garments on them.

It is a good book for those who can't attend an actual sketching course, but if you're looking for templates- good luck.

Editorial Review:

FIGURE DRAWING FOR FASHION DESIGN offers a concise, topic by topic guide to acquiring and perfecting these skills, concentrating on the female form. The coverage provided means that this book is ideal both for those who want to apply themselves professionally to fashion design, and for all enthusiasts of drawing the human body. Fashion plates are the primary means of visualizing ideas and concepts in costume and fashion design. To give an accurate impression of what is in a designer’s mind it is vital to have complete mastery of the rules of figure drawing. Here, realism and anatomical precision are the chief values, whereas for costume and fashion, stylization and exaggeration are ways of adding individuality and verve to a plate, and of focusing attention on specific elements.