Galleries Books

This book is long overdue. Copro Nason has shown hundreds of wild and wicked lowbrow artists like The Pizz, Shag, Charles Schneider, Todd Schorr, Robert Williams, S. Clay Wilson, Glenn Barr for the past fifteen years. It's great to see a book about the gallery.

The Courtauld Institute Gallery is one of the most wonderful small collections in Europe. The paintings are invariably of the highest quality, including masterpieces by Rubens, Giovanni Bellini, Monet, Manet, renoir, Cezanne and many many more ((one feels almost guilty by not mentioning them and others...). A museum book should provide luminous access to the museum exhibits, both for those who haven't visited the museum and want a first acquaintance with it, or those who visited it and want a wonderful reminder. This book delivers the goods in the shape of wonderful and vividly colourful reproductions, accompanied by succinct descriptions. It's always a pleasure to go back to this book.

If you're a practicing Wiccan, you'd be best advised to stay away from the Coven Gallery Girls series. The second of three books in the series, Coven 2 does everything it can to reinforce the traditional image of the witch pointy fat, black cat familiars, and riding broomsticks...and naked to boot! The Coven volume 2 provides another 64 pages of pinup quality drawings of sexy, naughty witches drawn by some of the hottest pinup artists in the field today.

Let's start with a fantastic cover by Tomas Giorello with a scantily clad witch in pilgrim's hat sitting on top of a jack-o-lantern. I dare say that if witches looked like her, then the puritans would have never have hung them back in 1692 Salem! Of course, I will pickup anything that features the ENORMOUS talents of Arantza and Pelaez, two of my favorite artists who are regular contributors to all of the various Gallery Girls collections from Sal Quartuccio Productions (SQP).

Arantza and Pelaez contribute several illustrations each to this volume. Aranzta's notable drawings include a dark haired beauty casting a terrible curse on an unfortunate soul with a voodoo doll and another a nude witch, long nails dripping with blood, and a serpent coiled between her legs. Pelaez's contributions include a topless witch, in traditional pointy hat, relaxing in her favorite chair with two black cats under her feet, and my favorite in the book, two nude witches in a cemetery standing by an ancient tombstone, calling forth the corpse of the person buried there...both erotic and terrifying all at once!

Enric goes a different route with two old hags holding a blonde captive in chains as they paint symbols on her naked body for an unholy ritual. James Ryman, another of my favorite Gallery Girls contributors, has a pair of witches frolicking gleefully before a giant cauldron as a massive demon is conjured up. Meriggi has the most humorous entry as a group of armed soldiers dragging away a witch will soon be regretting their decision as they begin to cough up serpents from their mouths.

Other artists featured include: Boada, Pascarelli, Parillo, Maraschi, Pedro Cuevas, DelRivero, and more.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

The Crimson Embrace series continues to be my favorite of all the Gallery Girls Collections from SQ productions. These dark, gothic images of sensual female vampires by some of the top artists in fantasy and erotic art are always a treat for the eyes. Crimson Embrace Vol. 5 is no different as it presents 64 pages of luscious vampire art starting off with a cover by Greg Loudon and featuring artists such as Fastner & Larson, Daniel Pascarelli, Mike Hoffman, James Ryman, Gerard Gallego, and many more.

Gerard Gallego presents the domineering vampire as a blonde vamp is using her submissive slave as a lounge chair. Gallego is also the creator of the most erotic piece in the book, as a hot female vamp straddles her nude victim as blood flows down her chest. Fastner & Larson are always at the top of their game with their beautiful and care-free illustrations of females and they provide some great pieces for this latest edition including a trio of sexy, sultry vampires cavorting before a full moon, and a pair of barfly beauties sipping their cocktails while their latest victim grasps at his freshly bitten throat.

James Ryman is another one of my favorites whose work always evokes a sense of bestial power. This is well displayed in his nude, bat-winged vampire and his vampire mermaid, swimming away from a fresh kill. Daniel Pascarelli shows the neck is not the only place a vampire likes to take a bit out of as he draws a snarling vampire sinking her fangs into the backside of her female prey. Villagers are enacting their vengeance on a vampire, burning her at a stake in a powerful piece by Mitch Byrd.

Crimson Embrace continues to set be a trendsetter in the field of dark, erotic art. The diversity of talent each volume presents is outstanding. Another great offering from SQ Productions!

Wow...hard to believe that the Crimson Embrace series is now into its 6th volume collecting the art of female vampires from some of the top fantasy artists in the world. I enjoy all of the Gallery Girls collections since they provide such a wide diversity of talent with very different artistic styles. My favorites, though, have always been the ones that celebrate the dark female such as the witches of the Coven series and the vampires of Crimson Embrace. As with the other Gallery Girls books the art here is presented in black & white pencil, pen & ink illustrations. Joe Jusko gets things started with a great, full-color cover. Other artists featured in Volume 6 include: Arantza, Pedro Cuevas, Tomas Giorello, Brian Le Blanc, and Jim Fern.

Anyone who has read my previous reviews knows that I am a big fan of Spanish artist Arantza so it should come as no surprise that one of her drawings is among my most favorites in this latest volume. Her depiction of a Victorian era blonde vampire bursting forth from her tomb, dressed in a sexy negligee is simply breath-taking, as is most of her work. Another Arantza example is of a bat-winged, blonde vampire resting atop a tomb in an ancient grave yard. Enric presents a horrific vision of a brutish, demon like vampire tormenting a near-naked blonde woman who is chained and at its mercy. Marcelo Fleitas contributes a truly dark and gothic illustration of a vampire shepherdess walking through a cemetery while a subservient male kneels at her side.

A pair of erotic vamps, frolicking in a pool of blood is Federico Ossio's contribution to this volume and it's a gem. Lorenzo Lorente provides the most gruesome illustration this time out with a modern day vamp that has just taken her latest victim in a men's room and holds a ghastly trophy in her hand...the man's severed head! Beheading is also the theme of a piece by Javier Lara as a short-haired vamp returns to her tomb clutching another poor victim's head, as blood flows down her faced and chin. Another favorite of mine, Paleaz shows a vampire creeping up on her next victim who is sleeping and wearing only panties. Will the crucifix around her neck save her? Lorente, yet another rising star, has a second outstanding, and darkly sensuous piece in this book, this time showing a nude vampire, a trail of blood flowing the length of her body, clasping her breasts in front of a mountain of skulls.

This is one of the best volumes I've yet to see in the Gallery Girls collections. The art is uniformly fantastic throughout. Darkly atmospheric and moody, all of these artists set a great tone. A Goth fan's dream!

Released by the Smithsonian Institution this book is the catalog that was used in an exhibition of the same name, organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, that was on view in the summer of 1992. Featuring the works of Diego Rivera, Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Matta and Wilfredo Lam, the oversized book is a bilingual text that pays homage to these Latin American pioneers. The essay by Octavio Paz entitled "La Casa de la Mirada"(The House of Glances) is a particularly illuminating poem written for the Chilean Surrealist Roberto Matta. In this poem Paz uses his eloquent prose to describe the innner workings of the mind, the creative process and the visions within. Paz uses analogies to illustrate his thoughts, creates similarties in unorthodox ways, drawing compelling comparisons like saying that the "hand has five eyes" and how we "create in order to see." It is a moving piece of poetry where Paz uses imagery to paint his own canvas. The poem is worth the price of the book and is one to read over and over. The discussions by the other authors are very satisfying in that they probe and express ideas and much like art itself, invent and reinvent as well as look at the ordinary from an extraordinary perspective. The art itself featured has spiritual overtones and asthetic beauty that is linked to their respective cultural roots. Although some of the art does not really appeal to me I respect it because of the metaphysical transcendence that explores the universal themes of chaos, harmony, human figures, animals and figurative explorations of African art and pre-Columbian Art into a modern sythesis. There are enough interesting pieces in the book to make it worthwhile but really the essays are what elevate this book beyond the ordinary catalog. If you are into Latin American art than this book is is for you since it features four of the giants from the early part of the 20th century. Recomended for lovers of art. "Create in order to see."

I was pleasantly surprised to pick up this book and be greeted with such clear, detailed, and beautiful photographs. The combination of clothing and art is carefully chosen and illustrates the written points perfectly. I show this book to everyne who comes over, and it has yet to be looked at for less than 30 minutes at a time!

I bought this book on a whim. I've thoroughly enjoyed it! Full page images of some spectacular medals. Very nice photographs! Easy to read and understand. I highly recommend adding this one to your art book collection.

cy twombly at age 74 (?) continues to produce some of the most essential painting of modern times. his roots in early american absraction and his life since 1957 in classical rural italy have combined to create a most unique art. i only wish that the controversial 'commodus' series of 1963 was revisited and published in an affordable volume. any book on twombly that you can find in print, is worth the price. don't hesitate to visit the museum in houston, texas (can you belive it?) that is dedicated to his work.

Beautiful photography, detailed descriptions and very readable text.

If you plan on going to Ireland or have already been, this is a rare look at some of the less accessible tourist sites. The book also gives a more in-depth look of the historical workings of a particular site than any tourist guide.