Galleries Books

a collection of keiths works, from the beginning to the very end. installations, sculptures, as well as his paintings on buildings and objects grace the pages of this large format book. a definite for every fan of this kutztown boy. describes keiths life through letters and stories from friends, photos, and many beautiful full color works by the artist. bright and bold, just like his life.

A VERY COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WORKS FROM THE WHOLE OF KEITH HARING'S RELATIVELY SHORT CAREER, YOU GET A DEFINITE FEELING OF HIS WORK CHANGING BEFORE YOUR EYES. THE TEXT, OF WHICH THERE IS AROUND 20 PAGES, MORE THAN ADEQUATELY SUMS UP THE THEMES AND AIMS OF THE ARTIST . THERE IS ALL YOU COULD WANT REALLY:

· ART HISTORICAL CRITICISM( WITH FREQUENT REFERENCE TO THE ONSUING PLATES) · INTERVIEWS WITH KEITH HARING HIMSELF · A FULL LIST OF ALL THE EXHIBITIONS AND STREET ART HE DID · SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY · 182 PLATES

YOU GET A REAL FEEL FOR WHAT THE ARTIST WAS ABOUT, SO WOULD BE AN IDEAL FIRST BOOK ON KEITH HARING, AND A GOOD REFERENCE BOOK FOR THE ART HISTORY STUDENT!

I know a bargain when I see one. Sussman's book juxtaposes Keith's drawings and paintings alongside interviews with Keith's contemporaries (they even bring in Junior Vasquez), without any attempt at being complete. The price is lowered because of a black Sharpie line on the top of the pages. That's it! If you have any interest in Keith Haring or even art in general, this is a great way to look at a great artist.

This is a book I picked up at the Whitney exhibit in 1997 - it's a great variety of all Keith's work. His style has varied over the years and this book does a great job showing his evolution. My favorite part is the fact that many of his pieces from his youngest years are included. It's always interesting to see where your favorite artist started.

I had previously heard of Aaron A. when I read the online issue of Serenity Rose at his art website, so I recognized his art style as soon as I saw the girl on the cover.
Kimmie66 is a soft science-fiction story about a girl trying to solve a mystery concerning her best friend, Kimmie66, who has sent her a suicide note. Unfortunately, this is difficult since people now socialize through "lairs" or a hi-tech version of a MMORPG, complete with virtual reality goggles.
The characters are interesting, especially Kimmie66. The heroine may remind Aaron A. fans of Serenity Rose - almost similar dress style, mannerisms, etc. The topic of technology and virtual communities would also appeal to modern readers. The art mixes a crisp, cookie-cutter style similar to anime or Junko Mizuno, along with a sketchy, horror edge resembling the works of Jhonen Vasquez. My only complaint is that it is not very long. I would have liked to learn more of Kimmie66 and her life outside of the virutal one, and a few things as well.
For the price of 9.99, I would say its worth buying.

Art: A
Plot: A
Readability: A
Average score: A (worth buying)

But Kimmie66 is not just another Minx comic. Sure, girls age 13 - 17 will like Kimmie66, but so will you! Sci-fi/fantasy/techno-goth/awesome! An intiguing story in a hugely new world, creative and brilliant art style with endearing character design.
Buy this comic.

The Minx line is supposed to be aimed at teen girls, but from what they tell me at Eide's Comics in Pittsburgh, a lot of books get picked up by regular comic book readers like myself -- older and male.

I picked up "kimmie66" by Aaron Alexovich a couple weeks back and only now got around to reading it. About halfway through, I caught on to what Aaron was up to and was astonished by where it was headed. The book is far more than one would expect for the Minx line or comic books in general. No, it's not as good as Straczynski's "Midnight Nation" or even "Spider-Man: Revelations" but I'd rank it as a "must read."

This story will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever experienced a meaningful relationship online: friendship, romance, or even a deep 6 hour conversation with a complete stranger. If you are thirsting for a book that helps you understand the mindsets of the new world we live in, this is one of those books. It may be set in the future, but everything in this story directly applies to the present day.

It hits home with the world we now live in; where physical barriers are becoming less important; where corporations are organizing international employee training sessions in virtual worlds, and are recruiting in Second Life; a world where you have close friends internationally but have no clue who your next door neighbor is.

Information and technological advancement is happening so rapidly that what a person learns in their first year of college can become outdated by the time they graduate. This book captures the modern feeling of infinite access, infinite exploration, infinite creation. In a time when virtually anything is possible (pun intended), we need stories that target, capture, explore and encourage that feeling for all generations living here and now on our very, very small Earth.

The story itself is as old as time: it is the story of friendship, understanding, self-discovery and growing up. I would go so far as to say that I think parents might benefit from reading this book, to better understand the world their children are growing up in. And to simply enjoy the book itself; it is truly for all ages.

A poet of a dying sentiment, embracing its death, wondering where life will come from--this book is wonderful. In The Last Great Glass Meat Million, Menesini plays with the words and the scenes of his childhood in ways that bring this lawnchair and gravel lifestyle to our minds in burning ways, whether it was like our own childhood, or whether this is your first encounter with that charcoal-town entity. And then, there are later poems, too, bringing the idea to maturity in a linoleum-never-dies sense.
Menesini is one of my favorite poets, and this book is one of the reasons.

The Spirit is alive in the work of Menesini, at once sacred and profane: a living oracle of the boundless possibilities of the sensate.

This stunning work brings back all the memories from a childhood spent playing in powdery dirt alleys with broken beer bottles.. throwing rocks at cars in my dirty yellow tanktop..no socks in wet sneakers.. it brings to mind rust, paint chips, those gaudy dusty statues in your grandparents dark livingroom.. all those things that were imperfect, dirty, flawed, weathered, broken .. but ultimately familiar and beautiful.
This is where Mr Menesini excels.. he has the uncanny ability to dip his pen into that great subconscious that we all share... and writes the things that speak to us all. There are many themes that are common to us all.. and have been trampled into the dust by a million authors.. but JTM ventures into unclaimed territory.. and is able to pull out details of his own past that seem so familiar that you find yourself wondering if he too wasnt in that alley with you as you played with your GI JOES.. or if he too would hang out at the seven eleven trying to find somebody old enough to buy you some Marlboros... JTM is amazing that hes able to not just convince you of the beauty of the desolate .. but remind you that you too, once held these same things in reverance. I expect great things from this author.

John Thomas Menesini's The Last Great Glass Meat Million Is a stunning Collection of Work, JTM is nearly the poetic equivalent of Arthur Rimbaud, While he Focuses On The Depressed Small Towns of Pennsylvania, he darkly Describes The Images And Characters Which inhabit Them, I was blown away by his painterlike attention to detail and his willingness to find the hardest darkest things, a beer can strewn landscape, bums on the corners, "Little Girls With Scraped Knees" which is my favorite poem of the Collection, John Thomas Menesini (Like Rimbaud And Fritz Lang Before Him)Shows us beauty where we thought that only ugliness existed.

The bandwith of this book is impressive. The photos are better than the narrative, but this book contains some interesting surprises.

This books shows you the lighters and gives a history of the lighter company. Many lighters. It doesn't give values of lighters, but its practically an encyclopedia on lighters..

A must for every collector.

Ad's book includes phantastic photography and an interesting concept regarding matching the things. The focus is not the jewel stuff one can always find in such books. It is the reflection of pure fascination of lighters, their history, function and the thrill of fire making history. Most important is the fact that the book adresses to the NON-collector as well as to the collector but more to the former. People that do not know anything about the subject will be fascinated by it. Although I am a collector I always read it again and again.

Well put together, very encompassing, good explanations...... It doesn't need a paragraph to describe it. If you like Da Vinci or want to learn more about him, this is a great place to start!

I never imagined that through a "child book" I would learn about this master-genious and moreover to be capable to comprehend the "details" about his art. I really enojoyed reading this book, I learn more about his famous paints and why they are considered pieces of art. I was motivaded to read more over the other great art's men such as Picasso or Michael Angel Buonorrati; I never thought that could be an easy way to understand this genious. I strongly recommend this book and the other series too; you can not only learn but also share with your child and encourage him to develop his talents or just enhance your "general culture" reading this great book. The talent consist in explaing complex ideas using a "simple language" that everybody can understand. There is not reason to became so sophisticated and not be able to "share" what you learn with the rest of the world. When you learn a good joke you want to tell the rest about it; it is meaningless if you just keep it for yourself...

This excellent book focuses on Leonardo's drawings in the Royal Library at Windsor. Everyone has seen the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo's greatest achievments are found in his drawings. Vivid HIGH QUALITY color reproductions are accompanied by insightful commentary and historical/biographical information. The book covers the whole breadth of Leonardo's intellectual development. 100 color drawings by history's greatest draftsman, and indeed one of most powerful minds the world has ever seen. As the book says "...[Leonardo's] drawings [are] the pure expression of his genius, boundless and magnificent."
What more could one want in a book? 5/5

It's not the best Da vinci book, but it has a LOT of drawings.

Fine text & phenomenal photographs.

Wonderful photographs and narrative; this book captures the life and spirit of Berlin during its heyday. The final few pages address the emergence of the Nazi influence; other books thus are left to relate the ensuing horror that befell Berlin. One of my favourite Berlin books. Also worth a read are "Before the Deluge" and "Faust's Metropolis", two excellent books which cover Berlin in the 20's and 30's.

This book of Pre-World War II Berlin is eloquently told in a series of photographs the have an undeniable melancholy effect on the reader for days of tranquility and simplicity long gone. If you can get your hands on a copy it is well worth it.

I bought this book for my son before I visited the Louvre because he was majoring in art. A few years later, I went to Paris and visited the Louvre. It was great to look through the book after having been there! It's still his book, but it was so wonderful to have it around after experiencing the incredible galleries in person! If you're going to the Louvre, my suggestion would be to really go through this book FIRST... then go to the Louvre! There's so much there it's overwhelming. I wish I'd planned out my visit there after going through the book.

Whether you've been to the Louvre and want to protect and enhance your memories or you just want to see the most beautiful works of art ever collected this is the perfect book! It gives you history, background info and of course amazing pictures! You're next purchase will be plane tickets to Paris!!

This is a great book. It covers all the art departments of the Louvre and does it in a very concise manner. But it has a peculiar presentation format - too many sidebars and info boxes etc mixed-up with the main text, small pics breaking-up the main text too often, and many times it is not easy to match the sidebar to the pic intuitively.

A true masterpiece. A fresh look at one of the world's most extraordinary museums. I received this book as a gift, and I have truly enjoyed it.

I liked this book. Nice photos, good value. I can't say that I will go back and read it again, but it had decent information on the first read and great art.

Informative and well written with beautiful color photos of the miniatures. A book we'll treasure.

I began my interest in miniature paintings several years ago, but found that long searches on the internet rarely produced any new information on this topic. Owning about 4 "worthwhile" books in my collection on the subject, I anxiously awaited Robin Jaffee Frank's book (which I became aware was "in the works" about 6 months before publication). I hoped that this book would be the frosting on the cake of knowledge I possessed on miniatures. I was delighted to find it is the cake itself. Miniature itself in size, it contains a whopping 358 pages packed with information and insights, along with plenty of full-size illustrations. It's presented in a format that can be easily followed, with many paintings also shown magnfied to enhance the concept being presented. You will want to take your time in reading and relishing this book, there's alot of information here. Well worth the wait.

This is a wonderful book on American miniatures and mourning portraits. Ostensibly a catalogue of the Yale collection, it also gives a great history of miniatures in their cultural context, a discussion of miniature painters and processes, and a synopsis of the tradition of mourning items. Very well researched and well written. Beautiful pictures of miniatures, most at actual size, and many enlarged to reveal tiny details. This book is accessible to both scholars and the interested public.

Charming and innovative are probably the best words to describe Chick Austin, the subject of this biography. It is rare that a mere museum director is the subject of a biography, particularly one as entertaining as this one, but Chick Austin was not the average museum director.

He was schooled early on in European culture by his geneologically ambitious mother, who seemed to spend a great deal of her later years seeking family links, often specious, to European Royalty. He also developed an interest in magic which stayed with him for the majority of his life.

Chick Austin went from indifferent Harvard Student to the director of the Wadsworth Athenium in Hartford in something like 5 years. He brought a great deal of vigor to this, staging the first Baroque (when this art period was unpopular), Picasso, and Dali shows. He also staged Gertrude Stein's opera, Four Saints in Three Acts." All of this was a bit too much for dear old Hartford, who were alternately charmed and shocked by their young art director. Previously the museum had been noted for its collection of colonial furniture, after such an abrupt change it is not too difficult to imagine why. In the process, Austin managed to acquire a large number of Old Masters and Modern works. One of the five Caravaggios in the United States was bought for the museum by Austin toward the end of his tenure.

Austin's other great achievement was the Ringling Museum in Florida. The former Circus tycoon had amassed a large collection of Baroque Art in Florida. Austin not only managed to save many of the paintings from exposure to the elements, but add significantly to the hopdings of the museum by acquiring an 18th century Italian theatre.

Predictably, Austin's efforts brought him into conflict with a variety of old fuddie duddies, from trustees, state legislatures and hack journalists. The unique artistic vision of these cretins is unlikely to be celebrated anytime soon.

While Hartford and the steate of Florida haved physical evidence of Austin's efforts, the entire museum going public has cause to likewise be grateful. With Chick Austin's museums became far less stuffy places,at least in the right hands.

This book is written by the director of the Austin House in Hartford and as such it is likely to the be the most authoritative for years to come.

Chick Austin is a national treasure and what he did for the art scene is truly remarkable. I enjoyed the entire book and reading about how he developed his collection. I am not much of an art history buff and picked this book up during the holidays while visiting my family...I was hooked from the beginning. I am glad I read this.

A must-read for anyone interested in the arts in America. This splendid biography of Chick Austin is a landmark, defining what it means to be modern. The book brilliantly describes Austin's ground-breaking career and fascinating life: helping bring Balanchine to America, building the country's first modernist museum building, scandalizing Hartford, and bringing the magical Asolo theatre to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. The biography will appeal greatly to those interested in American museums, theatre, music, the Italian Baroque, the 1920's period, the Bauhaus style, as well as surrealism, cubism, and all aspects of the modern. Written with great taste and insight; highly recommended.

The author weaves a very interesting and well-organized tale about a fascinating person and an exciting time to be involved in the art world in the United States. Although the substantial footnote section validates the author's detailed and thorough research, I never felt as if the text itself were bogged down with unnecessary or uninteresting detail. I suspect that some readers will note similarities between many of the struggles that Chick Austin faced and similar situations in the contemporary art scene today. This is an excellent book with a great story - I highly recommend it.

Before committing a couple of days to museum hopping while in New York City, a word to the wise: this book is a must for understanding the scope of the collection of the paintings, drawings, sculpture, architectural renderings, relics - everything that makes the Metropolitan Museum one of the most 'compleat' collections in the world.

Yes, the book does show outlines of the museum's layout to facilitate the enjoyment of the various sections. But more important than that, this is a compendium of examples of some of the finest art in collection. The reproductions are excellent with all of the data needed to give a brisk brush up on not only the work illustrated but the timeframe incidentals that make the Metropolitan such a user friendly museum.

Whether for the personal library or for the perfect gift for art lovers, 'The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide' in this revised form is highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Like the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum is a fabulously wealthy storehouse of incalculable value, "a living encyclopedia of world art. Every culture from every part of the world - from Florence to Thebes to Papua New Guinea - from the earliest times to the present and in every medium", "frequently at the highest levels of quality and invention", is represented. Also like the Louvre, its holdings are immense - "more than three million works of art, of which several hundred thousand are on view."

The guide, organized in the same fashion as the museum, suffers only by its inability to represent the museum completely. Choices had to be made. How incredible is it that the museum holds thirty paintings by Monet and the editors of the guide were forced to choose only four? How many museums in the world could lay claim to having five paintings by an artist as illustrious as Vermeer and yet be limited to including only three in their guide?

Having been fortunate enough to indulge in a recent visit to the museum, I can tell you that all five works by Vermeer and all thirty by Monet were as magnificent as one might imagine. The guide (a wonderful way to prepare in advance for any upcoming visit) will serve as a memorable souvenir and the descriptive text written by the curatorial staff of the museum will serve to elucidate the history and context of the individual pieces of art that were chosen to best represent the museum as a whole.

Highly recommended as a way of enjoying the world's art even if you think you will never be in a position to enjoy the visit in person.

Paul Weiss

This guide to the Metropolitan Museum of Art helped me to plan what I wanted to see in that museum, and to learn beforehand about many of the works of art I was going to find there (for example European paintings, Egyptian, Greek and Roman Art, etc...). What is more, this book allowed me to read about some paintings and sculptures I didn't have time to see, even though I would have loved to be able to do so (too many beautiful things to see, to little time). Well, I suppose next time I will just have to start by the 2nd floor!.

I think you will appreciate the beautiful color illustrations, and the opportunity to plan ahead of your trip and not in a hurry what you want to see first. This is not only the kind of book that helps you to prepare for a visit and to enjoy it, but also a souvenir you will treasure after returning from your holidays. Recommended!

Belen Alcat

Phillipe de Montebello is one of the top museum directors in the world, thus he runs America's greatest museum. This guide is perfect, it allows you to get a feel for this singular museum and its extensive, to say the least, collection. So much is packed into this guide, every area of this vast collection is hit upon, and most importantly it helps you navigate this HUGE building, if you are going to tackle this emmense museum then you MUST have his guide, it really helps you make the most of your visit. It is well worth the investment, I advise getting it well before you go to the museum and read it thoroughly, it will make your trip so much more enjoyable and worthwhile I assure you..it's like taking the museum director with you..in your back pocket...though at five hundred pages you may need a uh, large back pocket...at anyrate it's easier that putting Phillipe in there, verdad?