Realism Books

Probably one of the best art books you could ever buy - along with 'Photorealism since 1980' and 'Photorealism at the Millennium'. A huge volume filled with great images. You may have to pay a high price to get a decent copy these days, even so, it's a book that you will never get tired of looking at.

Contemporary Realism is an amazing book filled with large color illustrations of many of Pino's figurative works. Most are 3/4 to full page, a few are spread across two pages, and others still have detail images as a bonus. I don't know what to say other than the works are beautiful, the reproductions are top quality and this isn't a book where a lot of text is supplemented by illustrations - this is a brief introduction followed by nothing but page after page of illustrations.

If you can't afford a Pino print and the images on the net are too small and lacking in enough detail to view and study - buy this book! Stated 128 pages with 80 color plates, but there are actually 92, the index of paintings left several out.

The following paintings are reproduced in the book: Evening Thoughts, Anticipation, Tea Time, A Lazy Afternoon, The Seeker, Passive Moments, Flower Child, Sensuality, Salvatore, Distant Path, Ester, In The Distance, Best Friends, Vincent, The Yellow Rose, Sweet Rest, Passion, Second Thoughts, White Rhapsody, Scarlet, Caroline, Afternoon Stroll, In The Late Evening, The Gypsy, The Red Turban, Vanity Fair, Another Day Ends, Innocence, Just Another Day, White Camisole, Julieann, Break Time, Reflections, The Black Fan, Sunday Paper, Room Service, White Apron, Lauren, Michael Revisited, Alexia, Longevity, Old Memories, The Dressing Table, Dressing Up, Awakening, Silent Contemplation, Wistful Thinking, A Tale To Tell, Idyll, Colorful Archway, A Moment at Hand, Flamenco Girl, The Water Bucket, Early In The Morning, Expectations, Afternoon Repose, Day Break, Michael, Departure, Things of Rememberance, Juliette, The Yellow Robe, Blue reflections, Morning Breeze, Long Day, Still Life, Azur, Morning Dreams, Sweet Dreams, Sunday Afternoon, Lace Camisole, Yesterday and Today, Resting Time, Summer's Day, Barefoot, Afternoon Chores, The Tea Pot, Flower Basket, Marlene, Precious Time, Whispering Heart, A Mother's Love, Day Dreaming, Summer Glow, Contemplation, Wonder, White Sand, Liesure Time, Blue Harmony, A Windy Day, Victorian Roses, Soft Light

From the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the first World War there was a flowering of American writing. Here a good representation of it is grouped together under the heading of 'American Realism and Naturalism'. The 'Realism' is the critical term of William Dean Howells and the Naturalism is much more suitable to certain writers, say Harold Frederic, than it is to others, say Henry James.
In short there is a great variety of voices in this collection and taken together they give a sense of the energetic motion of American life and literature at the time.
Some of it is great literature, James , Twain, Crane , and much of it is competent first- class writing.
A very worthwhile anthology for one who wishes to both enjoy first- rate Literature and have a special insight into a period of American Literary History.

For someone who was previously unfamiliar with Joseph Nye's work, this collection of essays was fascinating and eye-opening. He includes several of his essays written over the past four decades up to 2003, effectively giving the reader a brief history of the theories relating to the modern rise of globalism and transnational enterprise, just up until before the start of the Iraq war. Any mention of the war is conspicuously absent, which is somewhat disappointing and leaves the reader thirsting to learn his views on the current situations facing America.

The author makes it clear he is patriotic and devoted to the idea of American supremacy. It is clear the book is written from an American point of view. He only briefly touches on the problems of other countries and instead focuses on how "we" must view the system of the world in order to preserve it. He argues that although preserving the system benefits Americans the most, it is also necessary to avoid collapse and chaos. However, he does argue strongly for the need for multi-lateral cooperation in the use of force. It is interesting that many of his statements about the perils of a unilateral military action, such as high cost out of proportion to gain, inability to withdraw and losing credibility with world opinion, are now being witnessed in the military action in Iraq. I found his discussion particularly relevant about the inadequacies of disregarding personal morality in the relations of state (p. 116-117), even though it was written in 1985 the context of the cold war.

The author makes a careful and balanced examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the theories he studies. He tries to avoid making direct policy statements and instead presents a range of considerations that influence decisions about relations across borders and seas. He illuminates the reader with insight on other theorists strengths and limitations, such as his discussion of the classic dialectic between Neorealsim and Neoliberalism p. 31-32. Each approach emphasizes its idea of the primary concern for the world system and Nye argues that to achieve a true understanding of the world system, one must understand the effects of both.

Overall, the book is challenging to read because of its primarily academic nature, however, worth the effort to understand his analysis and arguments, especially for one who is interested in gaining a balanced perspective to the interplay between governmental and non-governmental relations in our increasingly interdependent world society.

Frederick L. Will is one of philosophy's finest minds; he is also too little known, which sometimes seems but an entailment of the first proposition. He sanely reinstates knowledge (against the twentieth century rush into the misguided "tolerance" of perspectivism, scientism, deconstruction-the lot). If you think Charles Taylor makes sense, you are likely to think the same of Will, and if you think Hegel made sense in connecting the individual's cognitive powers to the level and condition of the social context, well...likewise.

Prophetic Realism: Beyond Militarism and Pacifism in an Age of Terror is a direct examination of Reinhold Niebuhr's "Christian Realism" theological insights and moral/political reflections upon the all too pressing problems of maintaining peace and justice. Author Ronald Stone (Professor Emeritus of Ethics, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) applies Niebuhr's concepts on an international scale, persuasively arguing that moral realism is more desperately needed than ever in modern foreign policy and particularly with issues concerning terrorism. Standing by the assessment that the study of international relations is a critical part to the study and practice of religion and ethics, Prophetic Realism is more desperately needed than ever as a balanced wake-up call to global problems, and a handbook of realistic Christian ethics in a the post-September 11th era.

Raimonds Staprans may not be a household name among the many devotees of the Bay Area artists such as Thiebaud, Bechtle, Parks, Diebenkorn, Brown etc - artists who capture the light and landscape of that particularly beautiful region - but this monograph should change that recognition. Author Paul Karlstrom has written a scholarly evaluation of Staprans' work and career and includes enough visual and written information to seduce the reader into an appreciation for a gifted quiet artist.

Staprans, born in 1926 in Latvia, emigrated to the US in 1947 when Communism created a negative space for artistic thought. In a fine essay by Helena Demekova the influence of his country's art tradition and sociopolitical upheaval is clearly defined. Once in the USA Staprans settled in the Bay Area where he began his painting output as an abstract expressionist only to gradually evolve into a painter of landscape, still life (fruits, paint cans, angry birds), and nudes in a manner in which he flattened his compositional lines and utilized brilliant color fields in what has been termed 'realist abstraction and psychological expressionism'. Art historian essayist Peter Selz examines and defines Staprans' place in the field of art in an illuminating manner, posing that 'realism' enhances the brilliance of conceptual abstraction.

But worthy as the written words about Raimonds Staprans are, nothing compares to the generous examples of his works included in this tome. The paintings follow his career, the most impressive being the extraordinarily luminous poolscapes and simple houses in design of complex canvases, works that engender comparison to the works of Wayne Thiebaud, Josef Albers and even Mondrian. Staprans use of vibrant, explosive color in patterns that suggest realism but go beyond to a plane of painterly truth in forms that are uniquely his. This is magnificent painting, work that has earned him a well-deserved seat in the pantheon of Bay Area artists. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

If you are going to study Stendhal, this is THE best book in the field by a long way. Jefferson bases her analysis upon a redefinition of what we understand by 'realism', recontextualizing it as a conflict between the spontaneity of an unforeseen 'real' and the discursive trap of mere repetition. Jefferson uses Roland Barthes as her main critical point of reference. Having established her argument about redefining the nature of realism, she goes on to analyze the four most famous of Stendhal's books.

Moore makes a case for what he calls "dialectical fideism" as he develops a Christocentric theological realism. He argues against both theological non-realism (Cupitt et al.) and theistic realists (Soskice, et al.). He sees the former as too based on abstractions apart from the Christian tradition, and the latter arguing for a non-specific god with little connection to the Triune God of scripture. Moore's case is well argued and readable, well worth adding to your collection in theological epistemology.

This was written by a professor at GSIS at the University of Denver. It's written like his grad class on IR Theory. Very accessible and of course (for those that like IR Theory) very engaging material.