Artists Books

This is one of the best Ansel Adams books out there published by Bulfinch. It uses heavy paper stock and the print quality is excellent. To appreciate its quality, you have to view it under a brighter light setting, preferrably next to a window. You'll notice all the details in the shadow area and appreciate the overall print contrast.

In terms of subject area, the book covers many National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Glacier... Unfortunately, it does not have all the famous Yosemite prints, but it does have many other gems that's not over exposed to the public.

Some people may complain about the price, buy I think its worth every dime. Buy one and enjoy it.

This book is flawed by the images selected to be in it. The other main weakness is that the book is clearly overpriced.

The good news, however, is that the image sizes are large enough to capture the power and majesty of Adams' work. The reproduction quality is superb, as well!

The essay by William Turnage is an excellent discussion of the roles of Thoreau, Muir, and Adams in creating the awareness that has helped us to save and cherish some of what remains of our American wilderness. The artist-turned-conservation leader, Adams' role, is a particularly important function in our society. The artist helps us to experience what we have never seen while the conservation leader takes actions that galvanize the emotions that are evoked by nature and the artist into helpful improvements. When the artist and conservation leader are the same person, there is a combined power and continuity of vision that is irresistible. Thank goodness!

Adams is someone we should all admire for another reason. His nature photography and conservation efforts were hobbies, labors of love. Photography of nature is a field that offered meaningful remuneration only in recent years.

His day job was doing commercial photography. He took pictures of dead people in the Los Angeles morgue as well as of open pit copper mines in Utah.

What we admire about him was what he did on weekends, before and after work, and on vacations. Because he wanted the most remarkable images, this often meant hiking before dawn in difficult winter conditions to remote peaks to get just the right perspective.

Andrea Stillman did a good job of selecting Adams' quotes for her opening remarks. "Photography is a way of telling what you feel about what you see." " . . . [T]he turning out to the light the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit . . ." is what his work is about.

Throughout the book, you will find other quotes about Adams' reflections on the wilderness. They are well selected and add much to your consideration of what his images mean.

Here are some of my favorite photographs as reproduced in this book:

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 1947

Monument Valley, Arizona, 1942

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley, 1948

Sand Dune, White Sands National Monument, 1942

The White Stump, Sierra Nevada City, 1936

Terraya Creek, Dogwood Rain, Yosemite, 1948

Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite, 1944

Half Dome, Winter, from Glacier Point, Yosemite, 1940

Leaves, Mills College, Oakland, California, 1931

Maroon Bells, Near Aspen, Colorado, 1951

Old Faithful (4), Yellowstone, 1942

Mount McKinley and . . . Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska, 1947

After you have finished being refreshed and rejuvenated by these inspiring images, I suggest that you contemplate what the wilderness meant to your grandparents and parents, what it meant to you as a child, what it means to you now, and what it means to your children. If you are like me, you will see that wilderness is rapidly receding as a concept as well as a reality. What are we losing? How can we reverse that loss?

Understand all of Nature's message for us by living in harmony with her!

I have received this book as a birthday present from my wife. There is nothing much to critique, its really really good! Nevertheless, here it goes......

Ansel Adams shot with large format and never intended to print them small. Some of the photographs of this book could have been printed at a larger size. I have seen same photographs printed at much larger sizes in other books, for example in Ansel Adams Guides I & II.
Overall the sizes of the prints are adequate or just adequate.

For whom this book is intended?
My personal opinion is that it is primarily intended for the serious (nature) photographer and then for the nature lover.

What has it got for the Photographer?
A gallery of Master's work, in very high print quality with the entire tonal range beautifully depicted, it's simply like owning a gallery by Ansel Adams.

If a beginner or an intermediate photographer has come to the stage of learning his/her craft by looking at, and then carefully analysing, how a champion of the craft has controlled - framing, by carefully placing the subject in the view finder and then by cropping - tonality, by placing the particular areas in the `zones' he wanted - print quality, with his precise technique; this is the book for you - its a master class in photography.
For those who do not have such interests - It is still a visual treat.

My only other criticism is that there should have been some technical details about the photographs, at least one or two lines; Nevertheless, it gets my five stars!

The photographic images of Ansel Adams are among the most significant pieces of artwork which have been created within the 20th century. His techniques have revolutionized the world of the black and white photographer, and his images are the rule by which all others are measured. His art has spoken to the soul of millions, and you should not be left out! This book contains some of the most beautiful images of nature ever made, and is a bargain at twice the price! Review by Edward Lynn, student of commercial photography, The Art Institute of Seattle

... because you can put four legs on it and use it for a coffee table. If you're going to have a single Ansel Adams book, this is the one. His images just don't work in any smaller format.

A EASY READ .ONE COUPLES ACCOUNTS OF MIRACLES AND ANGELIC EXPERIENCES IN THIER VENTURA CA STORE...IF YOU EVER GET THE CHANCE TO MEET THIS AMAZING COUPLE YOU WILL BE A BELIVER TOO.
THIS BOOK HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. THANKS KEITH....

If you Like angel stories and Andy Lakey You will love this boo

This was the first book of Keith's that I'd read, and I was totally engrossed with the stories. The allegories convey ideas on many levels, and it's a book that allows readers to walk away with different levels of insight, depending on the individual reader's personal knowledge. What you gain from reading this book is proportionate to what you bring to the table. I see myself rereading this book ten years from now and, hopefully, understanding it on a higher level. Anyway, this is a must read.

This is the best book I have read on spirituality and the human soul. It is written so that even a sceptic will find reason to believe in God and His Angels. The author takes you on a spiritual journey that shows that although people have free will when something is God's will there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. I found the book moving and very inspiring, It is not just another cute book of angel stories. It is template that gives its readers hope and a plan for living a fuller, happier life.

I am a student at UNLV our local University in Las Vegas, NV and in a "paranormal" class with Dr. Raymond Moody who wrote LIFE AFTER LIFE and as a part of the classwork he brought Andy Lakey and Keith and Francesca Richardson of the THINGS FROM HEAVEN BOOK STORE in Ventura, CA where they sell Andy Lakey paintings and jewelry. After hearing these TRUE STORIES of so-called Miracles that have occurred in this Store as a result of Andy's paintings I immediately bought this book as I am a TRUE BELIEVER IN ANGELS myself. I whole heartedly recommend this book to everyone. A MUST READ as it teaches and inspires and gives testimonials from people who have actually been HEALED from going into this Angel Store and being around these paintings. These stories will give people more FAITH IN A HIGHER POWER (not religious necessarily) to assist them in opening their own HEARTS to "so-called miracles" and accepting this can happen to them (regardless of the appearance) and to their loved ones too. A TRULY INSPIRATIONAL BOOK FOR EVERYONE TO READ.

Everyone is familiar with Andy Warhol's famous portraits like the Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Mao. But fewer people know the many portraits he did of famous, glamourous, or simply wealthy patrons.

I have read the Andy Warhol Diaries, his Philosophy book and other Warhol related works, so it is now very interesting to see what his many portraits look like. They are each colorful, creative and interesting.

The book is a nice hard-bound large format coffee-table edition.

This is an execellent recource for someone looking to see all of Warhol's ouvre - it includes practically all there is to see from his portraits. I loved it but I would only recommend it to someone with specific interest in the subject. Otherwise some other book featuring less but more varied works woud be more appropriate.

When most people think of Andy Warhol, images of Campbell's soup cans and a vividly colored Chairman Mao come to mind. For those who know Warhol better, memories also include Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, most wanted posters, and self-portraits of the artist.

What few appreciate is that portraiture was the bread-and-butter that Warhol used to finance his experimental work at the Factory. Before this book, you could not see the full range of this work. Unframed and grouped with similar and complementary works in the same time period, these 300 portraits show a considerable range of style and expression that will be a new perspective for all but collectors of Warhol portraits. I found the work to be so impressive that it totally changed my sense of who Warhol was as an artist.

In this book, the portraits do the talking. The brief essays merely describe the processes that Warhol used and that he tried to make people look good . . . and larger than life. But you knew that already, didn't you?

The range of the ways he captured the spirit of his subjects is what's most impressive in this volume. Repetition of the same image in one work with different treatments could help us see many different expressions of the person (see Natalie 1962). In other places, many images of the same person in one work express mood, movement, and a story (see Sixteen Jackies 1964). In other cases, multiple images of the same subject give us deep insight into personality (see Ethel Scull 1963). In other cases, the multiple images show the reality as well as the personality (see Merce Cunningham 1963 and Triple Rauschenberg 1963).

Exploring different use of colors and backgrounds, Warhol could totally change our emotions as viewers (Silver Liz 1963 gives us a sense of coolness and elegance while Liz 1963 shows a woman of great emotion and passion).

In Warhol's process, subjects were photographed around 100 times using a Polaroid camera. The subject then picked the images (or image) that she or he liked best. The images were turned into silk screens. Then, Warhol added the background and color to capture what the mere shape could not. The degree of focus also creates more or less power and immediacy (compare Donald Judd 1967 and Robert Rauschenberg 1967).

The portraits also create dialogues, such as when married couples had their portraits done around the same time. In the book, these images are often on facing pages. You'll be arrested to see Nelson Rockefeller 1967 and Happy Rockefeller 1968 looking off into the same spot in space . . . but not each other. The color overlap is minimal, emphasizing their differences.

These images are even more arresting when the pair are portrayed looking away from one another as with Gianni Agnelli 1972 and Marella Agnelli 1972.
In places, painterly backgrounds add remarkable depth and power to the images as with the Agnellis.

In places, the painterly treatment is sufficient to remind one of the work of Degas such as Lee Radziwell, 1972.

Portrait creators have always arranged sitters carefully to emphasize a certain point. Warhol does this in a very minimal way, often adding more than part of a hand touching the face or a bit of clothing. Because of its slight use, the impact is much stronger.

How do the subjects fare? Those with strong personalities do best. Those with complex personalities are rendered beautifully, but aren't as accessible. Subjects who want to look physically attractive often appear merely decorative, like a background model at a party.

Warhol's talent can best be seen by comparing the various ways he renders eyes. Male and female subjects alike receive slashes of color that sometimes resemble eye shadow and other times seem like tiny masks.

There isn't much that's soulful about these works. They are more about promotion than about moral uplift. It's all the more surprising when that soulfulness appears as in Farah Dibah Pahlavai (Empress of Iran) 1977.

Seeing Judy Garland 1979 and Liza Minelli 1979 made me wish that Warhol had done more mother-daughter combinations. These two stunners crawl right inside you.

Part of Warhol's art comes in knowing something about the person. Where the subject is unknown, you'll find yourself a little more baffled about what the message is. Think of each of the celebrity portraits then as being in part a reflection of the public image and our current perceptions. Warhol uses this celebrity awareness to good purpose in creating very minimal works that express the dominant impression of a person (see Martha Graham 1980).

As his career continued, the works became more daring. I was particularly drawn to the line drawings with bold bands of color such as in Paul Delvaux 1981 and Jean Cocteau 1985.

Some of these portraits will cause you to stop and rethink what you know about the people. I had that reaction to the pairing of Prince Charles 1982 (coolly displayed as a young symbol of the monarchy) with the almost flirtatious Princess Diana 1982 (appearing as a powerful force with an earthy grounding).

The portrait of John Lennon is simply stunning (1985-86).

For a good sense of Warhol's progress, you'll enjoy seeing many of his self-portraits.

Enjoy a good look!

Andy Warhol is one of the best known American artists of the 1960s and renowned for his uncoventional life and art as well as is enduring influence on American pop culture. An influence that continues down to the present time several decades after his death. Famous for his iconic images of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell Soup Cans, he also made art out of the facial images of political, social, entertainment, sports, and music celebrities of his day. This particular body of his work has been compiled and edited by Tony Shafrazi, who enhances this 320-page coffee table art book with 350 color illustrations and informative essays by art critic Carter Ratcliff and art historian Robert Rosenblum. The men and women whose images were made immortal by Warhol range from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giorgio Armani, Truman Capote, Jimmy Carter, Joan Collins, Clint Eastwood, Herman Hesse, Alfred Hitcock, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Lenin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Liza Minnelli, Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent, O.J. Simpson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tennessee Williams, Natalie Wood, Mao Zedong, and hundreds of others. An important contribution to academic library 20th Century American Art History reference collections, "Andy Warhol Portraits" is a 'must' for the personal collections of Warhol's legions of admirers.

This book enables the reader to discover some rarely seen paintings by Warhol, representing many personalities from the sixties, seventies and eighties, from O.J. Simpson to Pelé, from the Queen of England to the Shah of Iran, artists, art dealers, art collectors, musicians (John Lennon...), actors, fashion designers and friends of the artist's. Even though it was this kind of work that drew the harshest criticism (Robert Hughes, critic for Time Magazine, dubbed Warhol the new Van Dongen, meaning by that that he only painted superficial portraits of the rich and famous of his time), they still show the scope and depth of Warhol's creative power. The book is lavishly illustrated and the text was written by leading Warhol authorities (dealer or critic). A very complete checklist of all the portraits illustrated is given at the end of the book. A valuable addition to the albeit extensive Warhol literature.

Greeneberg and Jordan are well-known for their lively biographies of artists. Prince of Pop is no exception. The cover prints of Warhol in full wig mania are sitmulating and invite the reader in. It is highly accessible and easy to read but not dumbed down. Their presentation takes the reader through a well-researched, chronological examination of his life in a balanced and honest way. There is much explanation of his inspiration and actual work process to interest the young artist. For non-artists there is a useful glossary of people and terms in the back. The authors also do a good job of explaining his personal dilemma between choosing a lucrative commercial art career and becoming a "great" artist. One of the best moments in the book shows how an art consultant gave him the Campbell soup can idea. Further insight into his unusual philosophies of art and life is revealed through the many quotes by Warhol, his critics, family and friends heading each chapter. Although geared for teens, the book does not avoid discussion of his decadent, wild social life nor his homosexuality. This is handled in a sensitive, but matter-of-fact way. It's just included as part of the wider context of his work in art, films and celebrity manufacturing. A really hip, fun biography!

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.

An exceptionally well-organized biography. At 138 pages, generally not that detailed but overall thorough in what it does present. I learned more about Andy's youth here than I had elsewhere. Having taken a long time to appreciate how much my parents did for me, I was pleased to see just how much Andrey and Julia (and his brothers) sacrificed for Andy.

If Andy was famous for being non-judgmental at the Factory, perhaps we can see the seeds of that in how accepting Andrej, Julia and his brothers were of unusual Andy. The distance from the seemingly ordinary Andrej and Julia to their extraordinary son seemed not that great.

Although the Velvet Underground merited a few pages, I was disappointed that Lou Reed seemed to only be covered by one sentence. But that's a small nit compared to how well Andy is presented. For the most part Andy's inner world is not revealed, but it seems no one has done that (not even Andy). As much as is written about Andy, a fascinating mystery remains and it is a big mystery. Perhaps I haven't learned from Andy how to accept surfaces. What I appreciate about this biography is that it blocks out his life so well.

The selection of his art in the middle of this book seems a good one. As an introduction to his art and to his life, this book seems a winner. The book closes with a good summary of important dates about Andy from 1926 to 2003, a list of selected films, a list of his books (which shoudln't be underestimated, for example "Popism" and "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol"), a glossary, notes, and an index. A lot of care has gone into constructing this biography.

After reading this biography, a good next step would be "365 Takes" from the Andy Warhol Museum. Warhol was an exceptional genius, which people are still coming to realize. We're fortunate in getting to know him better to have high quality help like this book.

" 'We weren't just at the art exhibit. We were the exhibit.' "

On Saturday night, October 20, 1973, during my first semester at UConn, I accompanied some of my new friends to an on-campus screening of Andy Warhol's Trash. It is an evening that I will never forget, although its significance has only partially to do with Warhol's raunchy "artistic" film, whose cast was immortalized in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."

" 'Scripts bore me. It's much more exciting not to know what's going to happen.' "

On our way to the theater, my friends detoured by way of a subterranean eatery on the south end of campus. Back then, the establishment was still adorned in original '50s dark leatherette, accompanied by chrome, pennants, mirrors, and a soda fountain. Parking me in a corner while they ordered themselves some slices, I zoned in on the radio as the music was interrupted by a news bulletin: President Nixon had just forced Attorney General Richardson and Assistant Attorney General Ruckelshaus to resign after their refusals to fire Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Solicitor General Bork then proceeded to do the deed for Tricky Dick, and I proceeded to experience a surreal evening of having my eyes aimed at a screenful of junkies, prostitutes, and transvestites, while my mind kept repeating hysterically, "No! He can't do that! No! He can't do that!"

(Robert Bork later got his second fifteen minutes of fame, as a failed Reagan Supreme Court nominee, and continues to get an additional five or ten seconds each time I explain to middle school classes the origin of Rodman Philbrick's phraseology, "That really borks me off," when we read them THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE.)

But I seriously digress.

" 'Now and then people would accuse me of being evil--of letting people destroy themselves while I watched, just so I could film or tape record them,' Andy said. 'But I learned when I was little that whenever I got aggressive and tried to tell someone what to do, nothing happened. I just couldn't carry it off.' "

In the long run it can be argued that Andy Warhol and his complex life became much larger than his art. But the rise of Andy Warhol was the result of a simple and logical progression.

An artistic son of eastern European immigrants grows up to become a successful commercial artist.

"Pittsburgh was far from New York, but the lessons Andy had learned in his hometown--work hard and work fast--were already serving him well."

A commercial artist is someone who is creating interesting and appealing images of products for sale. And the slight, pale, hardworking subject of this book was an absolute master at it. So when a new art movement coincidentally appeared--Pop Art--that involved the incorporation of everyday objects and newspaper images in paintings, who would have been a more likely person to rise and become the prince of that movement than this true master of commercial art?

And who better to tell the fascinating life story of such a controversial artist and cryptic individual than that dynamic duo of artist biographers, Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan?

"For months Andy had been working hard, trying to find a subject to paint that was both fresh and visually stimulating."

The authors do a terrific job of conveying the tension that filled Warhol's determined quest to evolve from successful commercial artist to successful artist. Without that pivotal transition, of course, we wouldn't be talking about Andy Warhol forty-something years later.

"Eventually he painted a six-foot-tall Coke bottle--the curvy shape reproduced straightforwardly, larger than life, with the seriousness of high art. It was a breakthrough for him. Did he intend the Coke bottle as a still life or a satire on the female figure in painting? Certainly Andy never stopped to interpret his artwork; he was just trying to reinvent himself as a serious artist."

But, what's the story of his choosing the Campell's soup can? How did that happen?

"During this period, Andy fell into a depression. His mother constantly nagged him to send more money home to his brothers and their growing families in Pittsburgh. He felt torn between the financial security of commercial art and his ambition to be a great artist. He lay in bed, suffering from panic attacks. Afraid his heart would stop beating if he fell asleep, he would stay up all night talking on the phone to friends. It was on the telephone that he was most verbal, loving to hear gossip about celebrities and stories of his friends' love lives. Andy begged anybody and everybody for ideas. His friends grew used to hearing him moan. 'What should I paint?' They made plenty of suggestions, but nothing seemed right to him.
"Then one night at a party, he asked his usual question, only to receive an unusual response. Muriel Latow, an art consultant, said, 'I can give you an idea, but it's gonna cost you fifty dollars.' Latow had such a bright, sassy point of view that Andy believed she might well come up with a startling suggestion. He pulled out his checkbook.
" 'What do you like most in the world?' she asked him. 'You like money, you should paint that. And you should paint something that everybody sees everyday...like cans of soup.'
"Andy wrote her a check on the spot."

And the rest, as they say, is history.

" 'Publicity is like eating peanuts, once you start you can't stop.' "

Guiding us through his studio, the galleries, parties, film sets, and multimedia presentations; from his near-assassination to the back room of Max's Kansas City, the authors provide an eye-opening look at the art scene and The Scene that Warhol created and nurtured. Years after his death, Andy Warhol's historic images of American icons continue to play a role in our pop culture. ANDY WARHOL: PRINCE OF POP is an engrossing portrait of the man, his art, and the publicity machine he set in motion.

It's not every day that one reads a biography so insightful and compelling that one wants to go learn more about the subject. I first encountered ANDY WARHOL: PRINCE OF POP as an excerpt in RUSH HOUR: Volume Two - Bad Boys. The excerpt, covering the central controversial period of Warhol's celebrity in the 1960s, excited me so much that I knew I had to read more.

The rest of the biography does not disappoint. Organized in a linear narrative, the book covers Warhol's life, from his early childhood as the sickly child of Eastern European immigrants to his death at the age of 58 of complications after routine surgery. It organizes each period into thematic chapters filled with interesting anecdotes, pithy Warhol aphorisms, and memories from people who were there at the time.

Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan's extensive knowledge of the subject and in-depth research into Warhol's life make this book a treasure. It includes a timeline, a glossary of unfamiliar art terms, an extensive bibliography of sources, and is heavily illustrated with some of Warhol's most famous works. While intended as a biography for young adults, this book makes Warhol's life, work, and the art of his age accessible in a way that will appeal to readers of all ages.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is the authors' understanding and clear explanations of many of the art movements of the twentieth century. Also invaluable is the authors' illumination of the many processes Warhol used to produce his art, including painting, silk-screening, and experimental film.

It is difficult for biographers to avoid the trap of finding greatness in the origins of their subjects. This book contains many stories about the Warhol being drawn to art at an early age. However, the authors' careful plotting of the transformation of a shy and painfully awkward boy into the international celebrity also suggests that one of Andy's greatest creations was his own image as an artist.

ANDY WARHOL: PRINCE OF POP does not shy away from the racy subject matter of Warhol's experimental films or the raucous entourage he incorporated into his work in the 1960s. It also deals extensively, though not explicitly, with Warhol's homosexuality.

The work of Andy Warhol is so influential that even readers who do not know anything about him will probably recognize his famous paintings of Campbell soup cans, or his celebrity portraits silk-screened onto brightly colored backgrounds. Greenberg and Jordan's book is engaging and thought-provoking. It will undoubtedly set the standard for young adult biographies for years to come.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

This book is amazing! Basically, it's a compilation of interviews of the most important female performing artists from the past couple of decades. Fascinating, stereotype-destroying, and informative.

This book should be required reading in any discipline. A wonderful introduction to an array of artists who challenge the conventions of society, because they believe that iniquity does not equal freedom.

The interviews are very excellent and thorough and you really get to know more about these women more from it. I felt invisible threads weaving in and out of the book and inside and outside of me, forming some unexplainable connection to these women. My sculpture teacher Jeniifer Pastor made some comment on how women performance artists have such good photogenic bodies and sort of questioned the their feminist nude poses in the pictures (such as Caroles Schneemann's photo "Body Collage, 1968" on page 72 of the book), and I passively-aggressively thought inside ...I agree with you, they are beautiful! They are in charge of the messages from their bodies in their space..they are not passive to the male gaze... I admire these women for all they have done for women artists..This book is good because afterwards I explored these artists further through their individual works whether it is music or a book or a video. My performance art class barely covered these artists so I decided to learn more about them on my own and these interviews helped out alot.

I have been looking at this book again and again ever since finding it 3 years ago, each time gaining inspiration to be who I am with no appology. It and the women interviewed in it have inspired me greatly to push my own boundaries and explore society's taboos in a conscious way. I especially love the cover--an illustration of Medusa with pieces of culture's constructions in her snaky hair. Lots of photographs, which is a big plus!

This book presents many unique ideas on being a woman. Juno interviews a variety of artists on life, sexuality, sensuality... femininity and masculinity. From the cultural critiques of bell hooks to Annie Sprinkle's smiling cervix, new brilliance and hope is imparted. If you are looking for inspiration and wisdom from activists by trade, rather than some ivory tower dworkinite, look no further.

This is a deep, thorough and comprehensive look at much of Keifer's oeuvre. It covers different periods of his work and reveals the shared threads of each phase. This book is one of the better ones that I've physically seen, as it has many pages of well-printed photographs and documentation. The text is well written and cogent.

As for the artist, he's compelling and profound. What more can be said?

An extraordinary tome, with a scale befitting the artist, his ambition and the size of his works. The reproductions are excellent, and many are necessarily spread over two pages without diminishing one's viewing pleasure. Size and fragility preclude many of Kiefer's works appearing in retrospectives, so it is remarkable that this particular overview includes a tremendous array of his unique works of art. I hesitate to use the word 'paintings', simply because Kiefer's current endeavors include a variety of materials with paint being only one component.

The text consists of a number of enlightening interviews with the artist over the years. All provide insight into the work itself and the man who makes it. For detailed analysis of the art, Daniel Arasse's monograph is a better bet. Kiefer's output is prodigious, and from year to year it is difficult for those interested to keep pace with the new work, so any and all books about this artist are welcome additions to one's library. I heartily recommend this recent addition to the catalogue. Mind you bend at the knees before lifting, and handle with care....!

Kiefer is one of the most easily recognized contemporary artists. This book is what I would call the definitive collection. Awesome value to anyone who follows the artist.

There is so much pain and desolation in Kiefer's paintings... while this is an outstanding book, with a comprehensive and balanced collection of paintings, the genius of Kiefer can only be genuinely experienced by seeing his art at a gallery, in person. His paintings are enormous and overpowering and wring true poetry out of their dual chrome palettes. Buy the book to get a taste of this masterful artist, find the nearest gallery with his paintings and go there. This man dwarfs Picasso and Dali.

This is a beautiful book which covers some of Kiefer's best work in painting as well as his photo-montage and book making activities. A small and eloquent tribute and forward leave adequate room for many full color reproductions (some double-paged) of paintings, large black and white photos taken by the artist, photos of installations and performances and reproductions of selections from his book makings. The reproductions are bright and clear and attempt to give you an adequate view of the texture and matter that Kiefer paints with. Kiefer is one of the most prodigious and poetic artists of our time. He stands out individually in our present, sometimes cynical art atmosphere in the age of post-modern theory. These are magical paintings that contain deep myth and meaning. A truly beautiful book on beautiful and revealing art that can change your view of the world.

I first became aware of Ellen Meloy in a excerpt from this book in a recent Patagonia catalog. That seems to have been a appropriate venue as I have since discovered she is as sensible and durable and dependable as a pair of Talus pants and presents herself with the best of Patagonia's whimsical flair.

Her writing is Edward Abbey without the macho polemic, Annie Dillard before she lost her way in the incomprehensible, Terry Tempest Williams with a playful and self-deprecating sense of humor and without the Salt Lake City-Cosmo angst. (If you spent a week in the desert backcountry with TTW, I think you would begin to wonder how she stayed so CLEAN. Ellen Meloy IS the desert!) Anyway, sprinkle in a little Loren Eisely (literally in this case) and I think you have it.

So this probably sounds like a "women's book", and in many ways it is. But know this guys, this lady had three brothers, rows I would guess at least Class IV, and has roofed her own home. Any guy who has done at least two of those things and has done them with grace and dignity and good humor is welcome to take a bye. (But probably won't.)

But here's how to tell if you would want to read this book. Open the back cover. Look at the photograph on the dust cover flap. If this is a face you would drive by at high speed with the air-conditioner roaring and the punk rock blaring, drive on. If, on the other hand, it is the face you sense in the willow shade of a deep redrock river canyon...

I have been a fan of Ellen Meloy's writing since her exquisite book about the southwest's Green River. Now, with "The Anthropology of Turquoise," she shows her full colors: skilled writing (there are passages of pure poetry), a firm grasp of natural history and the talent to make seemingly dense scientific subjects of interest to the reader. "A Field Guide to Brazen Harlotry," a chapter about plant sex and unrequited love, for example, reveals the alluring bloom of desert wildflowers. She spends her midlife crisis with a herd of rare bighorn sheep and most of her life outdoors, traveling landscapes of terrific beauty and lively absurdities. Most of all, she has a riotous sense of humor. A lot of so-called "nature writing" ends up preachy or polemical or stuck in New Age fluff. But Meloy is smart. Her descriptive images stay with me. Her wit is joyful, playful and an engaging way to reach profound ideas. What a great book.

What an incredibly talented writer! In a book such as this, which requires lavish descriptions, it would be so easy to succumb to cliche. Yet the author presents what she sees in new, fresh, exciting ways. Interesting anecdotes create layers to the information being presented. This book is to be read cover to cover, and re-read again and again. I found my copy at the library but this is a book to be owned and enjoyed throughout time, so I plan to purchase a copy for myself, and a few more as gifts!

While reading this book, I was amazed and exiliharated with the descriptions of the desert country and the Caribbean (what a juxtiposition) and their charms. Turquoise and other colors in nature are lovingly examined in endless forms and their response in humans is probbed. Meloy is a gutsy, warm, funny, slightly crazy and exceedingly gifted author. When she talks about her encounters with nature, the descriptions are sensual and palpable. I was wishing I could be as courageous; taking solitary rafting trips on the San Juan River and camping out wherever she found herself; a modern day wanderer, a female John Muir. The book is a uniquely personal account of a beautiful relationship with nature, that inspires and challenges. The deep richness of relationships, both human and environmental, are within our grasp and Meloy beautifully shows you her way.

There are three reasons to possess this book. The first reason: You want to read an author whose prose verges on poetry... "On the Colorado Plateau... nights come less as a smooth pause than as a steep, enduring purity of eye-blind dark. (In the day) The mesa's colors in their flanks - terra cotta, blood-red salmon, vermilion - bear the temperament of iron."

Second: Color for you, as for flowers, are a part of your being. You draw colors into your life as an elixir to defeat life's monotony. Ellen Meloy is a master wordsmith. She, more than most, knows that colors "challenge language to encompass them", yet, unabashedly, she tracks down the colors of nature, feels them, tastes them, holds them in her mind and then vividly gives them life. No color is sacrosanct to her. Yes, orange, red, blue, green will all find an expression, but Meloy seeks, not the plebeian, but the unusual, unique, even ruthless colors: burnt sienna, magenta, burgundy red, Prussian blue and of course turquoise, "the stone of the desert," "the color of yearning,". For Meloy; "Colors bear the metaphors of entire cultures. They convey every sensation from lust to distress. Flowers use colors ruthlessly for sex. Moths steal them from their surroundings and disappear. A cactus spines glows red-gold in the angle of sun, like an electrocuted aura." Life is good.

Finally, you will find in Ellen Meloy a forthright lover of nature. She is a south westerner, lover of the desert and outdoors woman who sees in desert life the paradoxes of being. She calls for attention as she expresses the damage to the earth that we are so thoughtlessly committing. She points out how we, Homo sapiens, are the first species to witness and will our own extinction. Her social - naturalist commentary is balanced with humor and memoirs; her narrative is both captivating and informative. She is at her best when she sticks to the southwest, but the chapters that chronicle her forays to the Bahamas and the Yucatan are nonetheless engaging. This is a well-crafted work that is filled with captivating metaphors, naturalism, travelogue, memoirs and humor. If you seek award winning writing, are captivated by colors and find sustenance in the natural world this is a highly recommended read. 4.5 stars

A lot of people from the South are familiar with Walter Anderson's ingenious art. But what this spellbinding memoir captures is the powerful, grounding force behind the man: his wife, Sissy, whose love and bottomless compassion (and forgiveness) made it possible for him to pursue with abandon his creative compulsions. With unflinching and sometimes startling candor, Sissy recounts Anderson's plunge into psychosis early in their marriage -- a madness that often turned violent. She selflessly gave him the freedom he demanded to create art and commingle with nature, but she also lived much of her life in a state of grave concern, sadness, frustration and even fear, while raising their four children largely on her own. Sissy helps us understand why she stuck with him and loved him so deeply until the very end, even after a life and relationship filled with torment. You'll never look at Anderson's art the same way again.

I have read numerous books on Walter Anderson but this by far was the best. His wife gave a personal account of his as well as their lives. It has truth as well as compassion. His art is much easier to appreciate after reading this enlightening book.

Walter Anderson had the eyes of a child. His wonderment at the world around him, his passion for recording his love, and his driven personality -- all this makes for fascinating and inspirational and romantic reading. Anderson is being discovered as a true original -- his classical training in Europe and the Northeast is the foundation for his unusual work. I found this account to be as marvelous as the letters and life of Van Gogh. Sissy Anderson's writing is poetic and unpretentious. A classic.

This is a wonderful book that chronicals the life of the brilliant, yet disturbed Mississippi artist, Walter Anderson. Told by Anderson's wife, Sissy, the book tells of the passion Anderson had for the natural world around him, and the torture he endured because of this passion. The book tells of Anderson's life as a boy, and the love affair that he and Sissy shared. It chronicals the relationship he had with his children, his bouts with mental illness and depression, his long stays on Horn Island (Anderson's own personal paradise) and the discovery of the magnificent "Little Room", full of brilliant murals and paintings.

I first heard of Walter Anderson from an artist living in Mississippi when I was in high school, in 1963. She took me to the compound where Walter Anderson lived with his wife, brother and extended family. Anderson had become a recluse by this time, and I never met him. I got to see the pottery work he did and became fascinated with his art. As a sixteen-year-old, I was impressed with the colors and designs. I have aged, become an artist myself, and seen more of his work, I have come to appreciate the mystic quality, the blending of earth, sky, animals,plants, air, being and emotion into a whole expression.

That this passionate expression was tied in with madness has fascinated me in understanding the edge between creativity, altered states of consciousness and mental illness. Understanding the complex persona of a person who has collapsed his entire life into his art is the challenge here. This is the person who tied himself to a tree on an island in the path of a hurricane to stay at work, after all. The relationship of this creative genius to his family and his struggle to bring forth the body of work we gratefully have today is the story of this book. It is honestly and well told. The unstated story is that without the tolerance, understanding, even suffering of Agnes Grinstead Anderson (the artist's wife), neither the man nor his work might have survived. In a time when people are less willingly to sacrifice for each other, This woman's story looks at the complications of a real life beyond the reach of easy pop psychology solutions.

A true story that will take you back through the years. It will teach a lesson for all of us to know. Very touching.

Wonderfully crafted story depicting life in a small midwestern town. Reminded me of my own father's workshop. He and Dick Probert would have been great friends. Causes one to ponder what really is important and how values are formed. As an instructor in a technical college, I would like to have this book on the reading list for every student and faculty member.

I was fortunate to read a bound galley of ARCHIE'S WAY. It reminds me more of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE than JOE AND ME, but no matter what you compare it to, this is a book to share with friends. Funny, sad, sweet, and imbued with the scent of sawdust and cutting oil throughout, it's the kind of book that anyone who has ever done any kind of woodworking or metalworking should read. Through work (which may be art without your knowing it), the best kind of lasting friendships are built.

This short memoir is a true love story. The author loves both shopwork and his friend Archie. It is hard to tell which this book is more about. You need not be a shop - either metalworking or woodworking - enthusiast to enjoy the book. Archie was a truly interesting guy and the author portrays him well. The memoir is appropriately brief. Mr. Probert does not waste time nor is there any hint of self-aggrandizement (always refreshing in a memoir). An enjoyable quick read.

Some of us are lucky enough to find a true mentor in our lives, someone who opens our eyes to a special world, and in so doing, gives us a glimpse of ourselves. Such a person is Archie Raasch, the subject of Richard Probert's book Archie's Way. A man of few words and many talents, Archie is an unforgettable character whose down-to-earth wisdom is vanishing from our hurried world.

Archie's Way sparkles with the joy of discovery implicit in new relationships. Probert's mastery of visual, sound and textural detail gives the book sensory complexity without being overbearing. A few of the mechanical descriptions, though were a little too technical for one unfamiliar with the landscape of the workshop. But this was only a minor flaw and did not distract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

There is a line of tension throughout the book that is skillfully drawn so as to tantalize the reader to discover the true nature of Archie and to tap the wellspring of his enigmatic quirkiness. The later chapters move from the technica of the machine shop to the mysteries of the wood shop and the labyrinthian paths of Archie's woods. There amidst the fragrance and beauty of the natural world, the layers of Archie's character are respectfully revealed, the book takes on a warmth, much like the patina of well-worked wood.

Probert is an engaging storyteller with a wonderful sense of character. Archie's Way is a rewarding glimpse into a sadly disappearing way of life.

What is surprising about this book is that it is not just a text-book showing simple patterns that you can copy, nor is it a picture book of dozens of incredible quilts that you will probably never equal. Instead this is a clear-eyed tour of the history of a wonderful Quilt Artist. Ruth shows some of her first simple, but well chosen and unique quilt patterns. These simple patterns from nature, lead directly to her more complex quilts, where she shows her increased talents in dazzling quilts of landscapes and semi-abstract trees and plants. But if nothing else, this book is well worth the cost for the single quilt using her daughter's outline in translucent black cloth in an amazing picture quilt. This is a book of inspirations for quilters at all levels.

Ruth McDowell's well-documented journey to develop an extremely personal and artistic quilting 'statement' almost leaves you breathless. She has been able to adapt complex photos and themes into vibrant fabric art, using mostly traditional quilting techniques. However, her innovative use of fabrics (plaids never had it so good), shapes, and design concepts truly rate the title of "Art & Inspirations". A good friend with whom I shared the book got halfway through and said "I'm afraid to turn the pages - they're all so wonderful I can hardly stand it." My sentiments exactly.

What a joyous collection of inspiring images! This amazing teacher creates paintings with fabric. Her wording is clear and uncomplicated for the novice and, I am sure, challenging enough for the seasoned quilter. Buy this book to look at as well as to learn from! I purchased it to use as inspiration for my paintings but Ms. McDowell makes the whole process sound exciting enough to get me peicing too!

I adore Ruth McDowell's work and have felt that way for years. This book is a wonderful book, full of great pictures of truly great quilts. I've spent much time looking through the book. I pick it up every now and then and just enjoy it. It is an awe inspiring work and it is also thought provoking.

The originality of the quilts in this book are awe inspiring, but don't expect to get any instructional how-to's. The author uses some verbage to describe what motivated her designs (many flowers and plants transformed into fiber art), but leaves the actual making of such to the imagination of the reader. This is a digest of the author's evolution as a quilter.