Artists Books

Page has done a fantastic job with this first publication. The book is intelligently written using vocabulary that will encourage children to ask questions. Life as a Lobster is a great book for parents to read to their children opening up many opportunities for conversation. The illustrations will help to spark young minds to creativity, and the lesson of the story will help children to open their eyes to the world around them. A great story and a fantastic first start. Like another reviewer here, I can't wait to see where this story takes us next, and I hope to follow Page in her career for a long time to come.

This is a wonderful little book for children of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by a number of artists in many styles the writing is thoughtful and provocative which will keep your child and your self entertained till the last page.

Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful little book for children of all ages. An excellent gift or addition to your own coffee table. The artwork is superb, the writing thoughtful and provocative in an almost fairytale setting. I especially liked the page devoted to the readers own artistic expression. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Curry can do next.

This book is very well written, and beautifully illustrated by a number of artists in many styles. It has an interesting way of encouraging children to ask questions about themselves and the world around them. And in the end teaches them to look for their place in the world, and to accept it.

Highly recommended.

It's very rare to run across a children's book that keeps the traditional fairy tale mood, while not over-expressing it. Page Curry's 'Life As A Lobster' goes beyond that, pushing encouragement where few other childrens' books would.

Illustrated by an extremely colorful array of international artists, 'Life As A Lobster' carries a message of true meaning and following through on what's right. Sometimes the "prettiest" solution isn't the best, and without being clouded by irrational fantasy thought this book sends a child a message that a very meager amount of other authors would dare to exert.

Extremely original and highly recommended.

Of the three volumes of A Life of Picasso that have been completed, I liked The Cubist Rebel, 1907-1916 best. John Richardson moves his focus around to see Picasso's life from many angles, much like a Cubist painting deconstructs reality into two dimensions representing all sides. There is fine balance in his portrayal so that no element gets out of proportion.

The scholarship involved with showing the connections between Picasso's lovers and his art during those years is most interesting, filled with many details I had not run across before. I was also pleased to be better informed about Picasso's relationship with other Cubist artists of the era.

In other histories and biographies that cover this part of Picasso's life, I'm always a little puzzled about the role of Apollinaire, but in this book the man comes into reasonably clear focus.

Many of the references to places where Picasso had his studios come into sharper focus as well in this book which describes and portrays those places quite well.

Surprisingly, the weakest part of the book comes in its discussion of Picasso's Cubism per se which gets surprisingly short shift after he shifted into synthetic Cubism. I expected a lengthy description of the developments in that work. There are some very fine discussions of individual major works, but the overall subject drifts away into nothingness. Hmmm.

I found the book's details constantly fascinating in explaining the gaps between what happened in those days and how matters shifted. Since few Americans were major collectors of Picasso in the early days (the Steins being a happy exception), how did all those works end up in the United States? If Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is one of the great works of the 20th century, why did it have so much trouble finding the right home? John Richardson shares our natural curiosity and is happy to satisfy that curiosity.

As with the other works in the series, it is a disappointment that none of the reproductions are in color. But with the Cubist period, color is less important so the loss is less significant in this volume.

Bravo!

I've read several books on Picasso and this is easily the best. I think that's because it focuses on a specific finite period of 10 years. I wish the other books had taken this tact.

If you're a fan of Pablo's, or a lover of fine art, this is a must read.

Please allow me to gush. I usually labor through biographies, but the two Richardson volumes are so well written and thoroughly researched that I was done before I knew it. The illustrations are black and white, but it was little trouble to go to my Picasso catalogs to see the things in color. I was quite disappointed when I was through with each volume. I enjoyed the second even though I'm not thrilled with Cubism. I can hardly wait for the third volume. I'm also interested in Richardson himself showing up in the biography. At the risk of sounding morbid, I pray to God John Richardson is in good health. I'm looking forward to the volumes dealing with Picasso in the 1920's and 1950's.

This is the best biography I have ever read. It was absolutely brilliant. If you have ever wondered what it was like to live in Paris in the early twentieth century, as an emerging artist (what a cool daydream, right?) this is the book for you. All of those tales of Hemingway and Fitzgerald on the French Riviera, the women, the cafes; Richardson captures it here: the life of an artist realizing his potential as an artist -- it is truly amazing. His explanations accompanying each painting, the way they came to fruition, the stories behind the early masterworks, the market (Les Demoiselles [i.e., the 'most studied painting of the 20th Century' Richardson opines, and arguably the first cubist painting, so upset Picasso and unsettled his friends that he kept it virtually hidden for a decade [this was a young Picasso before his artwork {and ego} commanded millions] and it was touching to read and see this side of young Pablo). Sure, recent trends have tended to treat Picasso with great disdain, and while this IS only a biography, it is the most incisive biography into one of the most celebrated creative minds of the twentieth century that I have ever read. Honestly. The biography itself is an intense revelation -- thoroughly, exhaustively researched and written, and a credit to John Richardson as a human being, a researcher, and a biographical author -- an artist in his own right.

I agree largely with the other review. One of the things worth mentioning is that this book is also one of the best descriptions of cultural life in France in the first and second decades of the 20 th century I have ever read. You meet people like Appolinaire, Gide, Max Jacob, Kahnweiler, Vollard, Gris, Matisse and Bracque and begin to understand the particular, immensely productive environment of pre-war France. It was also of huge interest to read about the real friendship between Bracque and Picasso and how this lead to such wonderful, very similar pictures like "Le Portugais" (Bracque) and "Man with Mandolin" (Picasso). I look forward indeed to the next volume and aim to read the first one immediately.

I was introduced to Eric Kraft's writing when a friend came for a visit. He sat down and read aloud "The Static of the Spheres" from The Little Follies. I didn't understand at first why he wanted to do this, as we had a lot of things to see and do. But as he continued reading, I realized that this wasn't your ordinary book. I became so enrapt in the "history, adventures, expreriences and observations" of Peter Leroy that the passage of time took on lesser importance. By the end, when I felt how beautifully the ideas in this story are melded together, all I could do was just sit there and say "Oh,wow." And then, of course, I had to find the book for myself and read all of it. That was a couple of years ago. I have just finished reading it for a second time, and it's even more wonderful.

This one came into my hands as 1EUR sale item passing Vienna. It was single book worth taking with from the pile of various stuff - and it still was plenty of luck, that it got there, and that I took hold of it. So many qualities of good literature are present in this book, that there is warranty of pleasure for any intelligent reader. Pleasant value even exchanged for full price.

Introduced to me by a friend, it seems this author's work sells by word of mouth, though clearly the critics of The New Yorker, Boston Globe, LA Times, and The New York Times Book Review agree he produces a brilliant brand of fiction unlike any other.

On the surface Little Follies appears to be simply a collection of stories composed of childhood memories. The most obvious components of the work are the comedic, entertaining story lines and quirky characters - the work genuinely defines wit. But, add to that the narrative explanations in each preface of how the story and character were devised, and the reader finds himself diving below the surface to be pleasantly tangled up in multiple layers of fiction. Without question, this is a book that can be enjoyed on many levels.

Loaded with metaphor, literary allusion, and multiple layers of fiction, Little Follies is, simply put, literature for the intelligent reader who does not take himself too seriously. For a thorough sampling of this artist's talent, style, and wit check out his web site.

Several weeks ago a friend recommended that I read LITTLE FOLLIES. He was so insistent and it was such a heartfelt endorsement, I really felt like I had no choice.

What's it about? It's a story within a story, a fictional memoir within a fictional memoir, about growing up in the 1950s. On the surface, everything's sunny; underneath, life in the Long Island town of Babbington is a little, shall we say, odd. Kraft offers sly and hilarious variations on time-honored coming-of-age conventions. He lightly peppers his story with literary allusions, and peoples them with wonderful, oddball characters. His writing is simply wonderful: crisp, clever, occasionally profound. Kraft continues to explore this world in subsequent novels. Begin here, and you'll want to continue with WHERE DO YOU STOP, AT HOME WITH THE GLYNNS, and LEAVING SMALL'S HOTEL, all of which are first-rate.

When I was working on my doctorate I was enrolled in a class about contemporary fiction. This was not surprising, because I majored in English. The professor's attitude, however, surprised me. He thought that any book that should be a classic would be. Sales and word of mouth advertising would bring any obscure book to 'classic' status. When he asked if anyone in the class knew of any great books that were obscure, I was ready with Eric Kraft. The Peter Leroy stories wshould be classics, yet they are not. Maybe, by writing positive reviews through Amazon.com, I can help change that. Yeah, right. Erik Kraft's finely constructed pseudo-nostalgias chronicling the life and times of his alter-ego, Peter Leroy, should be classics. They are written with affection tempered by a sparkling wit that is often too subtle to see the first time around. No problem! The Peter Leroy books are a joy to reread. Originally a series of long stories or short novels, the adventures of Peter Leroy have been collected and expanded upon to please the newcomer. They are about growing up in the '50's, (which I didn't do), and about the New York Coast (where I've never been). Whether you have shared these experiences with Eric Kraft, you will find yourself nostalgic.

At first, "A Little Trouble with the Facts," seems to be a typical hard-boiled detective novel--and it is. The reporter/detective heroine, Valerie Vane, has the voice down pat as she moves through the decadent club scene, the high art gallery world, Bronx tenements, and even the bowels of the New York subway. But the voice softens over time because she's not only solving a crime but learning that there's more to her than her hard-edge surface lets on. She finds out who and what really matter and what kind of a person she really is.

No wonder Publisher's Weekly compared Siegal to Chandler. Not only is she a polished stylist who brings her various urban settings, high and low, to vivid life, she also manages to write a wickedly funny, entertaining novel with serious themes. This is one of the best novels I've read recently. It offers many discoveries, lots of surprises, plenty to think about when it's all over. I especially enjoyed Siegal's look into the world of graffiti artists. I'll definitely stay tuned for her next book. I just hate discovering a favorite writer who doesn't have a long backlist!

Fast, dynamic, slick and scintillating. Siegal will rivet you like a master welder, and entrance you like the angel who brings your dreams.

I loved this book. Nothing like a "Noir" novel with a sassy, female protagonist! Book is set in several, interesting worlds, journalism, the arts and New York over-the-top club scenes. It's a page turner mystery, cleverly written. Couldn't have been better.

Perhaps it is a classic reaction formation to her still hippie parents but Sunburst Rhapsody Miller wants fame and fortune. She assumes that fortune will come once she becomes famous. Changing her name to Valerie Vane, she begins to gain local acclaim in New York City one celebrity gossip at a time (to the horror of her DNA pool). Soon she obtains work at the prominent Paper as a style section columnist reporting on the rich and famous. However when she becomes the story during one of her cocaine temper fits she is demoted to a dead end job working obituaries.

The call challenged her write up re "Sue Side"; insisting that renowned graffiti artist Malcolm Wallace would never have jumped off the Fifty-ninth Street Bridge especially on the Queens side after taking out a mortgage and going to buy ice cream; besides who jumps into the East River to die. Taking advice from her unknown caller to research not depend on cop truisms, Val begins to investigate whether Malcolm took a swan dive with assistance; soon she begins to uncover official corruption that should bring her career back to life if she lives long enough.

Taking the Hollywood glamour mysteries of Jackie Collins and bringing them to pre 9/11 Manhattan so that the shine is street gritty, Nina Siegal provides an enjoyable chick lit investigative tale. Val is fun to follow as her asides about life defined as gossip and rumor, newly found lost kin, fleeting almost fame, and Malcolm make for a delightful tale that is somewhat amateur sleuth in nature (though she is paid as a reporter). Fans will clamor for more Val Vane investigations.

Harriet Klausner

Barbara Kruger's art, often pairing appropriated black & white photos with blocks of bold-faced type, has appeared on billboards, bus placards, posters, t-shirts and even shopping bags. She's big on circulating her stuff outside of conventional venues such as galleries and exhibits. This book showcases her brilliant work with plenty of full-page plates as well as photos of her installations and projects. There's a brief introduction covering her early design work for "Mademoiselle" magazine in the '60s and for various book covers in the '70s, up through her progression into the art world by the '80s. The pages of text are accompanied by assorted quotes from a variety of individuals (Edgar Allen Poe, Mae West, Sandra Bernhard). The influence of Kruger's stuff continues to turn up. Her work has been lifted for music videos (Motley Crue, Rage Against The Machine) and album covers (Snog, Consolidated), and her style is commonly imitated by lazy advertisers. This collection is an impressive and inspiring look at her career and her contribution to the world of art and design.

People who don't appreciate the work of Barbara Kruger are blinded by their own bigotry, ignorance and fear to examine themself. All of her work is essential and should not be ignored by a single person. This is a great introduction to Barbara.

"LOVE FOR SALE" THE WORDS AND PICTURES OF BARBARA KRUGER, is a ~must~ for anyone concerned with modern art, these days! Barbara constantly ~hits~ us, in full ~frontal-attack~ with her words! I was very fortunate to study under her, while attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and, MORE fortunate, today to own a couple of her original signed prints. Even my dinner guests, dining here in my home, here in Florence Italy, are left ~stunned~ and with an open-mouth, while studying her prints. BUY-THIS-BOOK-NOW...YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED!

I thoroughly enjoyed Love for Sale: the Words and Pictures of Barbara Kruger. It was very interesting to see the wide variety of topics that she covers in her art. Some of the statements she makes can sometimes be difficult to admit or to bring up, but she boldly states the truth of the matter. I highly reccommend this book to art students, as I am, because I think it teaches us a lesson on being brave in stating our message and opinions. Barbara Kruger is my hero, and after looking at this book, she'll be yours, too.

First and formost it is a shame that Dr.Delatte has only had time to write one book. And I hope that she will get the chance to write another soon. In her book Lucy Audubon A Biography she sets the tone in the first chapter. She goes in great detail to explain to her reader Lucy Audubon's life. She gives a rare insight to a historical figure and brings her to life with her words. the reader feels as if they are there with Audubon as she goes through life and overcomes the obstacles in her life.

I have to say that this book is one of the best books that I have ever read. It keeps your attention from the first page to the last. A must read.

There is not much to say but that this book is one of the best books that I have ever read. It gives you a rare look into the life of Lucy Audubon.

There is not much to say but that this book is one of the best books that I have ever read. It gives you a rare look into the life of Lucy Audubon.

This is a excellent,thorough book written by an excellent, thorough lady and professor. Sadly, she passed away in August 2004, so there will be no more books. However, this book stands as a monument to her diligence as a historian and talent as a writer. Dr. Delatte will be missed.

I've always loved Royo's work. My only complaint, is that everything in this is pg-13, when I know he is capable of very beautiful and tasteful R rated material. The same thing has happened for the past few years now, this time I scoured the internet trying to find a review of this 08 calendar to tell me if it was R rated or PG-13, but noone seemed to mention it, so I took the chance and was once again burned by censorship. This is endorsed by Heavy Metal Magazine, and everyone knows what type of material can be found in their pages, why couldn't they at least warn me on their website? Does anyone know what the deal is with the Royo calendars recently, I know they used to be fully uncensored R rated. This would have gotten 5 stars if they had at least been honest about the content within. Otherwise it's still good art, just not up to it's full potential.

I've had a Royo calendar for the last couple of years and this one is the best yet. It's like having a great Royo poster that changes once a month. "Oh, what do we have next month? Another gorgeous girl created by the master Royo!" If you're fan of Royo's work you should have this calendar.

This is a wonderful calendar. If you like fantasy art or are a Royo fan then this is the calendar for you! The service was great as was the communication. I would recommend it to friends.

If you like Royo's work you'll love his calendars. Tried to get the wife to dress like some of Royo's models, but she won't go for it, so at least I have the calendar to look at.

Sometimes people balk at buying Royo ahead of time not sure what the content will be. This is classic Royo, well done, beautiful models, clear pictures. There is no nudity or any of that, though. No worries displaying it on the wall! I just thought I'd throw that out there because sometimes people are wondering and the reviews don't say.

Escher's work is so engaging and interesting. Everyone has seen Escher's work, even if they don't know the name. I've used his work to teach math, graphics, and problem solving. My college students love analyzing his work.

I bought this book as a gift, and it was an excellent choice. There are many example works in the book, plus interesting explanations.

In The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher, Bruno Ernst, an acquaintance of Escher's until Escher's death in 1972, presents a thorough summary of the life and work of Escher. Ernst devotes a chapter to the life of Escher, and uses the rest of the book to describe his amazing work. He includes the different themes and styles that Escher used, and devotes a good amount of space to each work discussed. The book is extremely thorough and includes large clear illustrations of the works themselves and also of earlier drafts of the works and mathematical descriptions to assist the reader. This is the most concise book of Escher and his work I have ever seen, and Ernst has done a fabulous job on it.

The work of Escher has captured the imagination of many people and in this book Bruno Ernst (a personal friend of Escher) expands our understanding of the artist. After a brief but concise biography, the author throughly analyses the most important facets of Escher's artistic output: the illusion in drawing, the use of perspective, the creation of impossible realities, simultaneous and contrasting realities, crystals, and the infinite. Escher was an artist who was unique in in his work, he stands by himself, and this book is a helping tool in understanding and appreciating the unparalleled magic of his work.

I just picked this book up thinking that there has been a "NEW" book published on M.C.Escher's work.When I got it home ,I checked it against other Escher books and was disappointed to find it is the same book published several times before and by different publishers.
As you can see the ,publication date of this edition is shown as April 6,2007.Therefore, the reviewers here must have been looking at a previous publication,possibly the one also listed here as a paperback in 1987.The copy I had was even earlier,published by Ballantine in 1976.
The quality of this Taschen Edition is very good, in fact, superior to the paperback editions I have seen; and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes M.C. Esher's work ;but the material included has not changed.
I believe this is an excellent book ,and agree with the reviews already written on other editions.
I guess what we have here is A 25 Year Celebration of its first publication.
This is an excellent chance to obtain this book and will be enjoyed,particularly by people new to Escher's work.The fact that this edition has now come out speaks volumes about what a great book this was,and it's great to see it available again.

The greatness of this book on the work of M.C. Escher is that it shows how he worked up his ideas for various pieces. It also gives a thorough explanation of his thought and design process. It is truely a shame that this book has gone out of print. I sincerely hope that the publisher brings it back.

What a beautifully illustrated book! This was a wonderful book based on a true story. I used it with pre-schoolers and they really enjoyed the story as well as the beautiful artwork. I highly recommend it!

I have long been a fan of Linnea in Monet's Garden - so I was very excited to find this new series of books by Laurence Anholt. Anholt's approach to introducing children to these artists - he has covered Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and DaVinci - is to use their art to create the backgrounds and settings for his characters. This book in particular is my favorite of the series because it is crowned with a fold out of Monet's vivid Waterlilies with a tiny boat floating across it carrying the story's members - Monet and a little girl who happens upon his garden. Before it is over, the little girl plucks one of the lilies from the famous painting as a memoir. My daughter loves this picture - and it is almost surreal to me to see Monet's art coming to life in such a manner. I can hardly wait until she visits the museum and sees the real painting. Watching her make this connection should be very exciting.

Aside from this stunning mixture of Monet's work and Anholt's own lush artwork - carefully drawn to compliment the featured art - the book gives some great educational information about Monet by weaving it into the story - all this without ever starting to sound like a textbook. The story retains its' focus and its' charm without becoming boring. That is an amazing accomplishment in my opinion.

I hope to purchase the entire set for a lovely and educational Christmas gift. These are sure to become beloved classics. Any children's book that learns to entertain both child and parent equally often does.

Anholt's lovely book about Monet is my favorite of the series about famous artists. He demystifies impressionism and actually inspires children to paint their own "magical gardens"!!

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet is a great way to expose young children to impressionist art. My son loved the story of Julie in Monet's garden. Julie is a young French girl who takes a train with her Mother to visit Monet's garden. As they arrive into the countryside, her dog runs away and is found in Monet's garden. Soon the painter and Julie become friends. The illustrations are bright and colorful. You almost feel as if you are inside one of Monet's paintings. Children will be captivated by the story as well as the beautiful pictures.

Fine art apprecation was a lost thing among adults let alone children, encouraging an understanding of art at a young age will encorage intrest in art in children and their caregivers alike. Help kids enjoy art and culture while reading a fun story. With this book, (and the others in the series) they introduce kids to the famous artworks of great painters throughout history while encoraging a childs imagination to be creative and tell a story with each picture.

This story is even better because it is based on factual people, even the little girl. She embarks on a journey with her mother to visit a friend..the little girl ends up chasing her runaway dog on the trip and finds herself in a most magnificent garden..only to find out that is the "friend" they were going to visit. This book is wonderful, historical, educational, and fun. It encourages children to think about paintings, and to form images and stories for each one, to think about "what would it be like to be inside that painting".

to my daughter with the four kids. Can't say she'll ever have time to look into it but she surely buys enough of the real stuff that she should. Can't say that I've looked into it myself.

I have to assume that this book is very good. I bought it for someone else and had it sent directly to them. They specifically asked for it by name and author.

I think this book is wonderful! If you have any of the "how to make and do things" type of books some of these recipes might be included but to see them all laid out in order with recipes for different things is very nice! Plus most of the recipes all share common ingredients so you don't need to buy a lot of hard to find stuff for each project.

The way this book is laid out,with one recipe per page and large print,is very easy for children to read.My daughter really enjoyed being able to read the list and help mix up the ingredients.We especially liked the gloop and glop recipes for making slime.

If you work at a school or daycare or if your kids go through paint and playdough like it is going out of style,I highly reccomend this book to cut supply cost because whipping up large batches of supplies will save you lots of money and if you get the kids involved is an awesome learning experience!

This book has been a great help to me as a stay at home mom of a toddler!! Great ideas to keep her busy when the weather is too hot to get outside(or as winter approaches too cold!). I love the ideas and my daughter has loved the varied activities in her "art" time!

Every parent, teacher, childcare provider, and scout leader should have this budget friendly book. The variety of recipes, science experiments, and resourceful materials presented are valuable for expanding a child's education. Using just about everything a person already has in his/her kitchen, creative materials can be formed with little cost. It includes over 100 recipes, and presents ideas for every season of the year.

I recommend buying this book, not just to have fun with your children, but for the knowledge they will gain, homemade gift ideas, holiday decorations, and the many other educational teaching elements it provides. You will find simple, but affordable gift ideas for children to make, discovery table suggestions, and many experiments. Each chapter of the book lists what children can learn and accomplish. Whether your child needs help learning measurements, hand-eye coordination, or learning science, you'll find this book to offer it all. The recipes and activities offer instructive and physical advantages for children, and teach them, as well as parents, about ways to recycle.

The Author has worked with young children for over ten years, and the quality of her experience in this book is evident. She understands that family resources are difficult to manage and still afford the extras, while providing an educational and fun activity for kids.


Kristina N. is a thrifty stay-at-home mother of six children, and home schools her preschooler. She does freelance writing in her spare time.