Artists Books

I must confess to having litle appreciation of the work of Jackson Pollock before reading Donald Wigal's "Pollock: Veiling the Image." This was surely due in large part to my bias in favor of representational art--a bias that endures. But this book has brought me to a genuine appreciation of a major artist. A light went on when I read: "Several artists stress the theme about Abstract Expressionism in theory, but some acted it out less convincingly in their work. Likewise, other artists observe the effect paint has when dripped on to a surface, but none before Pollock developed it into the brilliant visual polyphony he made happen" (94). That phrase, "brilliant visual polyphony," was the light switch. I suddenly realized the kinship between abstract impressionism and music. I would never have demanded that a concerto have an identifiable subject. Thanks to Donald Wigal and to the marvelous reproductions in this book, I now recognize that Pollock is at his best when he is least representational, and that Pollock at his best is brilliant.
It occurs to me that there is a polyphonic quality to Wigal's text that mirrors the subject: There is, within a clear organization, a polyphonic overlay of cultural history, biographical fact, psychological observations, and critical insights, that is ingeniously suited to the complexity of the subject. Here art criticism reaches a high artistic level in its own right, and I find myself personally enriched.
If "Jackson Pollock: Veiling the Image" can do for others what it has done for me, it should be a valuable and enduring contribution to art criticism.

Joseph H. Wessling

Wigal's "Veiling the Image" is a new vision of Pollock -- something completely grand & overarching as nothing else I've read & reinvigorates things for today's minds. It's complex, incredibly interesting, imaginative & makes one desire to re-engage with it's sense of contemporary relevancy & beauty. The text is fascinating & compelling -- actually awesome & totally readable. It examines Harris's film & moves forward to 2005 including interviews about my own yet to be released www.Pollocksquared.com indie feature.

Wigal's incredibly researched all of this not only philosophically but poured it all out in more fresh ways than one can imagine with wonderful fresh vignettes not only about Pollock in great detail but his milieux including Ruth Kligman, DeKooning, Agnes Martin, Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, includes references to many artists & critics of today including fractal scientist Richard Taylor. It even explores the market as related to Pollock's prices. The perfect unified one in all book for any Pollock lover or for people who never got it before -- because they will now. Does what other books can't. It looks like publisher Parkstone spared no expense in every aspect of quality control with this wonderful & beautiful production. It makes sense for today's modern audience.

For myself as an artist the vast number of large Pollock reproductions & their clarity of color & sharpness surpass by far the best I've seen of any Pollock's before. They're in a class by themselves. Many images were also completely new to me & very appreciated. Wigal's made it all happen, every aspect, coming totally alive in fresh imaginative ways in dimensions I've never remotely seen explored before.
I'll be exploring it for a long while.

Bill Rabinovitch
rabinart@aol.com
www.Pollocksquared.com

The author does with words what Pollock did with paint. Don Wigal hurls and drips facts around simple organizational concepts. Comments about an actress' Brooklyn accent sit within a larger skein of Pollock the rebel cowboy. Besides being enjoyable, these slipping-in-from-the-side factoids, they present a continually changing perspective on Pollock. These fresh viewpoints make it easier to understand Pollock as a real person.
It would have been better if the illustrations of Pollock's work were more related to the text. They are very well done, however. You can see the texture of the paint.
Wigal places Pollock, his genius and his personal failings, in the fabric of both his own time and larger questions of science, philosophy, and history. The book sent my head spinning after several pages; it is best read a bit at a time, then savored.

What a delight this book is. Pollock's paintings are presented in their historical and cultural context. The text drew me more and more into Pollock's world, making me eager to look, really look, more and more at the spectacular paintings. In the reading and the looking I felt like I was traveling the path of this unique American artist in his process of self-discovery and artistic expression. This book is a real pleasure! I'm going back to read and look again!

The first time I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love with this artist's work. In "Pegasus with Chevy," I could feel his dynamic spirit. In the "Dirt Man" series, I saw his secure skill, while in his "Dirt Babies," I felt his unique talent. Especially, in "Hand Series," I felt his warm heart. James Croak uses a variety of materials such as latex rubber, tar and dirt. I think it is this challenging spirit that makes him a truly original artist. I enjoyed the book a lot. Moreover, this book is so beautiful that I display it to decorate my room.

This book gives James Croak the credit he earnes for his work.It shows a good review of his work for the last three decades.The context Thomas Mc Evilley places his work in I found very interesting.

This book is a singular survey of this unusual artist. His "dirt pieces" are without precedent in the history of art and are rapidly becoming influential as we sum up our century. They literally appeared out of nowhere. Much of Croak's work is in stunning detail despite the oddity of the material. Thomas McEvilley's essay is ground-breaking as the book jacket claims inasmuch as there is tremendous amount of art of the figure today and the reasons for it are spelled out here. A beautiful and informative book !

James Croak's work is extraordinarily beautiful and often sinister. This book does an excellent job of pulling together the past 20 years or so of his sculpture. The production on this book is also first rate with beautiful photos and design.

A spectacular assembledge of this photographers work. Beautifully reproduced. Highly recommend this book. Great cover choice.


Sincerely
Mike Vinci

This book by James Fee reveals the depth of this photographer's range to capture the essence of America in all her beauty, abandonment, and reverie. Fee was a remarkable photographer who unfortunately passed away in 2006, but kept shooting stunning images until the end, even while leaning on a walker and using portable oxygen.
Inspiring and transcendent in range and scope, this book is a must for anyone interested in the talent of an American original. I highly recommend it.

The images of New York are as haunting as it is today after the attack. Fee's photographs of the Statue of Liberty and NY are dark, emotional and surreal. It makes you think of a future that can easily become reality if we remain too naive to recognize our own stupidity.

I saw work by James Fee in some galleries and it really blew off the top of my head. He's doing crazy things to an image and the results are great. The subject matter here moves from iconographic images of he US, sunken ships in Southeast Asia, to impressionistic nudes. The great thing about him is none of these images have been digitally manipulated. If you are a photographer and looking for a book to shake things up a bit, James Fee will not dissapoint. What makes this book succeed is that it's not just about the process, there is a real communication happening. I keep coming back to the book for ideas and inspiration. Owning this book will only do good things for you.

This is an attractive and interesting book, containing many of James Tissot's best paintings with detailed accounts of the year each was painted, the current location of the work, how it was recieved when first exhibited and the story behind it. It also has a very good introduction about his life and work. Highly recommended to any Tissot, costume or Victorian enthusiast.

Christopher Woods (from Christies) has written some of the greatest art books. This is the definitive Catalogue Raisonné of a great painter. It is easy-to-read, informative and with many good quality pictures. It is a must for art lovers

I have a fondness for both James Tissot and Alma-Tadema, and bought both books recently. What I liked best about this James Tissot book was, opposite each plate was a description of the painting, the year it was painted, and the probable explanations of who was in the painting and what it represented. The beginning of the book has a good biography of the artist, and reasons behind his fascination with beautiful women in wonderful clothes! A lovely book, I recommend it.

The paintings of James Tissot both reveal and pose questions concerning his subjects. Many works have seemingly deliberate contradictions. I found myself engrossed in each scene. This particular book is a beautiful collection of his most recognizable pieces.

What makes "Janet and Me" so beautiful is that it combines all of the complex and conflicting elements that are such an important part of being the caregiver to the person who is the love of your life: the tenderness, the fear, the rage, and the anger at a heartless medical system that turns a deaf ear when people are at their most vulnerable. This is, without a doubt, one of THE most touching books about love, loss, caregiving and true friendship that I have ever read. I can't recommend any book more highly! (A shortened version of "Janet and Me" is also contained in the wonderful book on caregiving, "An Uncertain Inheritance," which is also sold on Amazon.com.)

Julia Schopick
www.HonestMedicine.com

This book describes in both narrative form and cartoons the story of Stan Mack's relationship with his long-time partner, Janet, and how he coped with her illness and subsequent death from cancer. Two primary themes emerged, with the first theme focusing on their love and commitment to each other. You finish the book thinking that they were lucky to have had each other in their lives. Stan's tender and total caregiving of Janet during the terminal phase of her illness was particularly impressive. The second theme concerned the reactions of the medical establishment to terminal disease, and the discomfort medical professionals have in confronting the fact that they will not always be able to cure their patients. One of the most heartrending parts of the book is toward the end, when Stan and Janet try repeatedly, in vain, to contact her physician (who had been wonderfully supportive at the beginning of her treatment) to ask whether her chemotherapy should be discontinued and what could be done instead. It was only when Stan started hospice care that Janet started receiving the home help and other sources of support that she needed to improve the quality of her remaining days.

Indeed, one of the features of this book that cancer patients and their families might find most helpful is that Mack provides a more realistic picture of the day-to-day aspects of caring for a terminally ill loved one. You get the sense that he wants to prevent others the trial-and-error efforts he had to go through to figure out what worked best. A related moral is that persistence is needed in dealing with insurance companies and the medical establishment. Lastly, his is a precautionary tale of the legal difficulties facing unmarried partners. Janet's will, naming Stan as executor, was challenged by her relatives, resulting in a legal battle that took over a year to resolve.

This last paragraph probably makes the book sound like it is cut and dried and concerned only with practical and logistical details. That is not at all the case. It is, first and foremost, a story of love and loss, and you will almost certainly be unable to read this book without being moved to tears by the depth of Mack's love and pain. But perhaps the greatest strength of this book is that Mack points out that, in real life, love and loss doesn't proceed like you see on bad made-for-TV specials, or "Love Story," where the heroine drifts off to sleep after a very short and essentially painless illness. In real life, love and loss are embedded in a host of not-so-pleasant details like "what kind of bedpan is best for the advanced cancer patient?" (answer: full-size bedside commode) and "how can I get her to take her pain medicine if she can no longer swallow?" The beauty of this book is that Mack shows so compellingly how love can shine through and conquer all those messy details.

I could barely put it down. It was painful to read, but worth every minute of the pain. Stan Mack is a person anyone would want to have around in a crisis. He is a rock, exhausted but understanding.
I met Janet Bode briefly twice. She approached me because, as she said, "I recognize your hairstyle!" I was bald at the time, having also undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer. We ended up having a long talk, and I was devastated a year and a half later to run into her again, and see that she was bald again. She was beautiful, not just cute.
This is a wonderful book. I am giving a copy to a friend of mine who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This book is a unique, honest, and bravely told story of powerful emotions, true love, beautiful friendship, and perseverance. The author conveys the wide-ranging emotions of Janet, himself, and those around him without dodging a single one--no matter how hard-hitting, no matter how far out in left field. It's all here--the sadness of course, but also the anger, the humor, the desperation, the sarcasm. It's incredibly real and raw. The illustrations and "comic" style, rather than creating a lighter feel, enrich the story and make it even more accessbile to the reader. At the end, you feel you really know Stan and Janet and you really like them. It left me with a renewed faith in love, friendship, and the power of real human connections.

Novelists have always loved artists, and artists have always loved novelists. They love and admire the other's talent, but--most important--they are not competitors. Crichton's love of Johns' work certainly comes forth, and Johns' seemed flattered that a best-selling novelist, and not an art professor, wanted to do a book on him. That mutual admiration underlies why this is such a solid book.

The author well restrained himself from "digging into the painful childhood" that produced such an unusually remote "negator of impulses." He brought out the positive aspects of Johns personality--his ability to laugh at himself and not always to take himself too seriously. "His work is a constant negation of impulses" said the critic..."wouldn't you say so Jasper?" "NO" says Jasper, laughing. Jasper can laugh. That is nice. The author respected his need for privacy in his personal life. He presented a very difficult, complex personality with dignity, humor, and good taste.

Jasper Johns is a very large, and expensive book. It has many illestrations, and lots of commentary. This is a Crichton that has faded into the background, and in some cases can be very hard to find.

The author well restrained himself from "digging into the painful childhood" that produced such an unusually remote "negator of impulses." He brought out the positive aspects of Johns personality--his ability to laugh at himself and not always to take himself too seriously. "His work is a constant negation of impulses" said the critic..."wouldn't you say so Jasper?" "NO" says Jasper, laughing. Jasper can laugh. That is nice. The author respected his need for privacy in his personal life. He presented a very difficult, complex personality with dignity, humor, and good taste.

This is a wonderful book to add to any art library. Although I have yet to read all the bio, the parts I have begun are nicely written. There is even some photo reference to how he created these works, pinned to the wall.

This book is gorgeous in its color, close-ups, and perspectives on Mr. Johns, but perhaps "Mr. Johns's temper" would flair when he realizes throughout the book he'd find "Mr. Johns' temper." Perhaps a global spell-check changed everything reflecting Mr. Johns's last name, but gee-wiz what a horrible annoyance. I was stunned this would happen through the auspices of the National Gallery in Washington. Perhaps President Bush had a night job editing this text while reading his 60 books a year?

An excellent and broad-spectrum catalog of an exhibit based on a seminal decade, 1955-1965, in Jasper Johns' career. Writers analyze diverse aspects of these early years of Johns' career that established him as one of the great figures in modern art and stimulated much in art created by others. I especially enjoyed the essays by artist and critic Robert Morris and conservation expert Carol Mancusi-Ungaro. Excellent reproductions of the works shown in the exhibit.

Published to accompany an exhibition held at the National Gallery in Washington (and later at the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland) and concentrating on the pivotal decade 1955-1965 when Johns produced his most famous works, this catalogue is worth it mainly because of the quality of the illustrations. So much has been written on Johns's art that it is sometimes refreshing to be able to pause in front of his works and just enjoy them for their pure pictorial quality (color, texture...). This book enables you to do just that. Then if you want to read the text, you will find it well written, clever (especially at the end of the book, where paintings are analysed and interpreted one by one and in detail), sometimes a bit far-fetched, but just like everything else I know which has dealt with Johns's art (see Chrichton, Varnedoe,etc...).

I have no idea why "Therese Thau Heyman" review of world war two posters is on John Lautner's book page. Also, one of your two reviews is listed as refering to an out-of-print edition, rather unusual since this single book just came out rather recently

John Lautner, who passed away in 1994, designed some of the most innovative and daring buildings of post-war America. For many, his work is among the greatest statements to the the California lifestyle of the 1950's and 60's--bold, shaking off the past and looking to the wide-open future. Lautner made use of cast concrete, steel and glass to create dynamic stuctures that few architects or clients dare conceive today. Think Lautner, think Jetsons. This book shows us his work with outstanding photographs from the 1940's through the 70's and is peppered with Lautner's comments on the various projects. Whether you're an architect or a fan of the space age, this is one book that you're sure to leave on the coffee table!

Lautner's designs defined post-war architecture; bold, shaking off the conventions of the past and looking towards the future. Think of George Jetson--Lautner would have designed his house. If you drove a car with fins and it looked like a rocket, you would certainly park it in the driveway of a Lautner designed home. His designs made use of the new materials that came out of World War II stainless steel, cast concrete and aluminum. He designed houses perched on the hilltops around Los Angeles, with wide expanses of glass and wild rooflines. His commercial designs included restaurants, schools and municipal buildings. Lautner's style is distinct--his structures stand out from the rest. Buy this book! It's a great retrospect of his work, loaded with fine photography and commentary. Put this one on your coffee table!

Any Lautner enthusiast will be captivated by this book. It covers more buildings than any of the others, and includes Lautner's own comment on each, making it an invaluable record of Real Architecture.

Most of the photos in this book appear to have been taken shortly after the buildings were completed (and some during construction), so it makes a great companion to "The Architecture of John Lautner," which has mostly rescent photographs. Together, the books give a facinating "the and now" contrast, and demonstrate the timeless quality of Lautner's work.

JOHN MARIN was really a great artist. His paintings, mainly water colors, were divine. And RUTH FINE showed us with her irreprehensible work about MARIN. However I figured out he still is very unknown in US. Most salesmen of big book stores or arts stores in N.York don't know him .The book had been very well edited and printed, but unfortunatly it's out-of-print. ABBEVILLE PRESS should print it again. The book should be available at least in all Public and Universities libraries. American people and students deserve it.

I had the privilage to visit the National Gallery and view John Marin's work in toto a few years ago. He is truly one of the most obscure of the great American abstract watercolorists of this Century. I did not purchase the book at the time, assuming that I could purchase it anywhere back home. Now that it is out of print, I am in a desperate search for it. Marin's work is extrodinarily fresh, alive and engaging. Abbeville Press must reprint for bookstores, libraries and the public to enjoy this man's great talent and fine work!

This is one of the most magnificent artist monographs I have ever read. Photography of his watercolors are of the highest quality. The best reference of his work ever done related to the 1990 retrospective exhibit at the National Gallery

The evolution and transformation of Marin's art is brilliantly revealed in Ruth Fine's John Marin. The novice and long time art lover can be assured that they hold a treasure with this out-of-print masterpiece. Informative and well paced this comprehensive publication also delights in the shear artistic energy emanating from Marin's work. The beautifully reproduced drawings, paintings and-- most of all-- his signature watercolors are simply breathtaking. For anyone interested in the American Modernist movement this book delivers a master: John Marin.

Some years ago, the San Jose Museum of Art (San Jose, California) hosted a showing of Register's work, and this book was featured. How I wish I had bought the book then, as it so accurately captures the very essence of these moving and memorable paintings. Conrad has created his own kind of masterpiece, worth owning because of its authenticity and beauty.

Barnaby Conrad is a truly gifted writer and intellectual. His new book on the artist John Register is a wonderful tribute to an important american contempory artist.

This book will not just become another piece of bookshelf design. The reproductions are very good (much better in this hardcover version than in the soft cover...particularly in terms of color accuracy)As mentioned before, the writing is very engaging, well integrated with the images, totally relevant and easily referenced to actual plates. Strength of visual presentation is never compromised for economy of publication. Facts are developed in somewhat of a story form rather than that of a dry academic or bored docent offering. I especially enjoyed commentary on the influence and interplay Register experienced with writers John Fante, Charles Bukowski and Black Sparrow publisher John Martin.

Barnaby Conrad III is a high quality, well-educated author that is sensitive and brilliant in his ability to articulte and capture the essence of John Register in his suberb new book. This book is an important chronicle of a man who will become one of the important and accomplished artists of the twentieth century.