Artists Books

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.

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.

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!

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

The reproduction quality of images is very good. This catalogue allows to know some masterpieces of this genius, that like Caravaggio still remains one of the great realist painters.
This is a precious catalogue because it's difficult to find other Mancini publications.
Don't miss it!

Mancini is one of the most amazingly unknown artists of the 19th C. The texture that gives his paintings such a powerful presence also makes them impossible to reproduce, but I think this book does a decent job. It is a compelling read -- Mancini's story is very engaging. I hope this marks the beginning of more notice to one of
the greatest talents ever to pick up a paint brush.

This is a must have book for any lover of painterly naturalism.
Few artists have ever possessed the combination of the subtleness of Mancini's modelling and sensitive drawing with his highly expressive use of paint. His painterly talents are in par with Titian and Rembrandt. Among more recent painters, he can be compared to Nicolai Fechin. I wonder if Fechin was familiar with Mancini's work; it appears as if he was. However, this book and a book I have on Fechin by Mary N. Balcomb do not mention the link.

I had seen Mancini's "Resting" at the Art Institute of Chicago for years and marveled at its beauty and its mystery. Who was Antonio Mancini? Cudos to the Art Institute for their insight and willingness to hang this fairly unknown artist on it valuable wall space. This book answers all those questions. Mancini is first and foremost an excellent artist. The closest I can think of might be Fechen (Mancini's later work esp.) Fairly loose with tighter work in the face and hands. Every painting in this book has people as its subject matter. This book goes into detail about the artist fairly difficult life. He had a few mental problems. The reproductions are well done and most are in color. Considering this is the only book in english on the artist, we take what we can get. If you are at all into the current "Clasical Realist" or "Representationist" movement, get this book. You will finish it wanting more. Which is how a great book should be.

VERY rare opportunity to read a well written review of this artist and his life. After seeing the show, the reproduction leave a little to be desired but most publishers only do an adequate job at this price level. Overall, an excellent buy and tremendous research aid in the study of this enormously talented artist.

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.

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.

This book was required for my Contemporary Art class. Great pictures....the accompaning DVD goes into more depth about each artist and provides more info about each artist than does the book.

I am a practicing artist and really enjoyed listening to other artists share themselves and their art in a very intimate and informative format,

I am a faithful follower of this series, and use the dvds in my contemporary art history class. The companion books make wonderful text to supplement the television series.

This is an excellent book and an excellent series for anyone who wants to know more about art being creating today. My Art History professor uses this book at the text book for her Contemporary Art class. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in seeing art history in the making.

I have the first two books in the series and hope to spend the rest of my life watching the PBS program and looking and thinking about the artwork presented both on video and in the beautifully crafted texts.

My daughter absolutely loves this book and it improved her cartoons right away! I like the variety of different possible features presented. This is a beatiful, very well done book.

Christine Mitchell, author and illustrator of:
Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond

This is unlike any other cartooning book past or present. Too many cooks of this genre show you the standard "draw an oval and a triangle and now you have a duck!" or "draw like I do!" instructions. Art Roche's book teaches kids to think, to imagine, to be funny. Art gives readers the tools to pursue their styles, not his. It's an easy read, full of great illustrations, and humorous examples. Art Roche makes anyone from from 4 to 84 want to pick up a pencil and have fun! Great gift for any kid or kid at heart.

My 12-year-old picked up this book and devoured it in one sitting, reporting it helped him conquer some of the problems he had encountered as a recreational cartoonist. He especially enjoyed the section devoted to writing.

This is a gorgeous book - hardcover with color on every page. Great art, lively text, and very inspiring - it works as both a "how-to" and personal cartooning cheerleader.

You want to draw cartoons? Why wait? Start learning the important fundamentals from one of the best in the biz. A giant among pygmies -- that's Just the Way It Is (and Bruce Hornsby agrees with me, so there!)
Why spend more money learning some OTHER system that will only result in your work looking like everybody elses? Do you really think someone is going to pay you to draw so-so copies of Japanese Anime? Get real, Get this book, shmucko. With a little effort (we remember effort, right?) and dedication, the sky's the limit.
Do the right thing and start tuning in to what makes you unique -- after all, we can SELL that!!! Roche is the Real Thing, and his work speaks volumes. Your eyes don't lie to you, and neither will Mr. Roche.

Beautiful Book. Purchased for my 9 year old grandaughter as a Christmas Present. She loves to draw and wants to be a cartoonist. I know she will love this book. So easy to understand!

Charles Partridge Adams was a major Colorado landscape painter during the 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the mountains and plains of his area and producing Colorado landscapes which earned him acclaim. The collaborative effort of Dorothy Dines, Stephen J. Leonard, and Stanley L. Cuba, The Art Of Charles Partridge Adams reproduces some ninety of his works of Colorado, California, New England and Europe alike, including some preliminary sketches and journal selections to round out the offerings. A lively tribute to Adams and his life's work

This book is the major source for both artistic and historical information about Adams, widely considered to be Colorado's finest impressionist landscape painter. Adams is best known for his stunning views of snowy mountain peaks in early morning or sunset light, or wreathed in storm clouds, and for his luminous twilight and sunset paintings of the river bottoms near Denver. For sample photos from this book, photos of his paintings, and additional information, see the Adams website, charlespartridgeadams.com

This book is the major source for both artistic and historical information about Adams, widely considered to be Colorado's finest impressionist landscape painter. Adams is best known for his stunning views of snowy mountain peaks in early morning or sunset light, or wreathed in storm clouds, and for his luminous twilight and sunset paintings of the river bottoms near Denver. For sample photos from this book, photos of his paintings, and additional information, see the Adams website, charlespartridgeadams.com

My wife and I have one of his watercolor paintings. It was in an old antique shop. It is a mountain stream painting with mountain background.

Charles Partridge Adams (1858-1942) is widely considered to have been Colorado's finest landscape painter, best-known for his stunning views of snowy mountain peaks in early morning or sunset light, or wreathed in storm clouds, and for his luminous twilight and sunset paintings of the river bottoms near Denver. His paintings are best characterized as impressionistic and subjective. This lavish book contains 92 full-color illustrations of his work in both oils and watercolors, as well as three historical essays about Adams' life and work. A unique feast for those who love the Rocky Mountains and impressionism.

When I first saw the name Emily Carr. It was on the side of a building for an art school, located on Granville Island in Vancouver B.C.. Upon returning, I did a little research then purchased this book from Amazon. Emily Carr, painted on her own and was not influenced by the cliches of groups or individuals. She found her own niche as a Canadian artist in British Columbia. It was not until later years that she would be discovered by the Group of Seven in the east, and there she stated finiding her kindred spirits in nature. I can only say, that like Frida Kahlo and Gerogia O'Keefe, Ms. Carr was a true individual. I've always been enamored by the Pacific Northwest. I very much felt at home in British Columbia. I'm truely happy to have found this artist. She is a must read and look, has much offer not only artisitically but as a woman who roamed alone in search of encapsulating the history of native peoples slowly fading away and the nature around her. I hope art history teachers will discover this female artist as well. And find room in their instruction. She has much to offer. She is my kindred spirit.

I heard about this artist from a friend. I also visited Canada recently, altho not in the area where Emily Carr lived. She is revered in Canada but not nearly as well known in the United States. I personally love her paintings. To me they perfectly respresent the times she lived in and her not so easy life.

An incredible book fulfilling every Carr fans wishes. Truly a beautiful piece of literature and visuals. I was very impressed with the depth of knowledge the Author had of Ms. Carr and the extensive listing of pictures from private ownership and many Galleries. Contains a complete history of her life, travels, writing and of course her unwavering pursuit of success. An absolute must have for anyone who is a Carr fan. Thoroughly enjoyable.

If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of artists on this continent (North America), specifically the West Coast, I'd recommend this erudite volume on the work of Emily Carr. Emily Carr was a late-bloomer, but when she found her own she produced haunting canvases of her encounters with Northwest Coast Native Art, specifically totems. This was followed by strong formalized images of the coastal rainforest. Late in her life she painted expressive landscapes. I recently read that a joint exhibit of Emily Carr, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo "Places of their Own" will be travelling to various venues in 200l/2002.

This is one of those books that is a must for any person interested in Pacific Northwest history, art, and culture. I first encountered Emily Carr at an amazing exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. I have been a big fan ever since.

This book will have you in tears with its beauty in the face of diversity so extreme you can't imagine unless you've talked with a survivor of these internment camps. The level of the art is very fine, museum quality. It is hard to believe they had to scrounge the materials from dump piles and surplus. Anyone who doesn't think art can save lives should get this book.

The heart and spirit of the japanese internees continued to shine within the walls of their confinement. They found beauty and admiration of beautiful things living in desolate and inhumane conditions of the prison camps. This is a understated book with touching stories to tell.

Delphine Hirasuna is to congratulated on producing a fascinating and moving tribute to the 120,000 Japanese who were interned, firstly in makeshift Assembly Centers for a few months then in Relocation Camps until 1946. It took until 1988 before a Presidential apology was forthcoming for the blatant violation of their civil rights by the federal government.

I think the strength of the book is the background to why the art and craft was produced. Hirasuna explains the rounding up process and public perceptions towards the Japanese only a few months after Pearl Harbor, the locations of the camps (as remote as possible it seems) and daily struggle in a hostile environment.

On page seventeen there is a map of the US and some camp statistics including a reference to Crystal City in Texas which bizarrely held 2264 ethnic Japanese from Latin and South America (1811 from Peru) who, having been forcibly taken to the camp, were then accused of entering the country illegally! After the war the Peruvians were not allowed to return home until Congress sorted out this injustice in 1953.

Look at the paintings, sculpture, craftwork and furniture and be amazed that most of it was created from whatever materials were available, discarded wood, sacking, vegetation, rocks, shells and anything that could be cut, woven or molded. My favorites are twenty-two brooches made from shells, ribbon and wire and they look just stunning. On pages 104-5 you can see a Buddhist shrine, five foot tall, with the most intricate carvings and hard to believe that it was probably made from firewood.

In the back of the book there is some background information about Japanese history museums and a short bibliography which strangely misses out Manzanar: Photography by Ansel Adams, Commentary by John Hersey. A more recent look at the subject is Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment a portfolio of photos by Dorothea Lange. Unfortunately the reproduction and design of the book don't do the photos justice.

The Art of Gaman is beautifully printed and designed (by Kit Hinrichs of Pentagram) and a suitable tribute to creativity in hard times.

***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.

This book shows artwork done with minimal supplies in the Japanese-American concentration camps of the western US during WWII. The images are high quality, in color, and very thought-provoking.

This work documents the extensive detainment of Japanese
citizens during the later period of WWII. These prisoners
were kept in whitewashed horse stalls in California, Oregon
and the State of Washington. The camps emphasized education
including arts/crafts with a shortage of teachers.

Fine works of art include:
- The Natural Form of a Snake by Obata
- Kobu by Matsuhiro
- A Bonsai Notebook by Iseyama
- Shell Broaches and Corsages by Iwa Miura and Shintaku

The volume is a solid value for the price charged. It is a must
for serious students of WWII and historians everywhere.

My knowledge of English just isn't good enough to do justice to this artist and this book. Robert Bateman translated into paintings all the enchantment I have felt for nature since I was a child. Wish I was much younger to try to follow his footsteps!! Marvellous book!

To see a Robert Bateman work is to glimpse a moment in Nature's time when an elk treks across a vast winter landscape of snow, conifers & mountains; or a stream bank where tender green plants glow against the moist earth & a minute bird perches; or a trumpeting bull elephant confronts you in a storm of dust. Roger Tory Peterson has written an expressive introduction & Ramsay Derry's profile of the artist makes good reading - especially as he's included a history of who Robert Bateman is; where he's lived; several works-in-progress sketches; photos of the artist in action & on location. A worthy addition to your library.

This book, together with "The World of Robert Bateman" is one of the best wildlife art books ever published, and truly shows Bateman at his best. The later collections (especially the very last ones) don't even come close to the beauty of the paintings in these two books. In most paintings the animal is just one character, sometimes not even the main one, while the landscape and the surroundings (depicted in marvelous and maddening detail) almost always plays a central role. Here Bateman shows to be a master of the techniques he uses, and creates pictures of stunning beauty who truly come to life. Both books are highly highly recommended if you life "realistic" wildlife art.

I have 3 Bateman books all are special ,a book for everyone to enjoy

THE ART OF ROBERT BATEMAN appears in its 25th anniversary edition to include text by Ramsay Derry and an introduction by noted ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson himself as it provides a stunning blend of full-page color wildlife images and accompanying artist profile. This was the artist's first book and cemented his career: its re-appearance is perfect for collections who either don't have the original or find their lending copies worn.