Designers Books

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!!!!!!

As most conspiracy theorists tend to do, Critical Art Ensemble presents a dark future for humanity. But do think that I am trying to call them conspiracy theorists in the sense of wacky unrealistic neurotics who have seen the" X-files" one too many times. Rather, their look at the future of politics and society is a realistic threat, especially since the lebensraum for eugenics is being set in the age of modern technology, soil for seeds that could not be fully sown in a time such as, say, Nazi Germany where the extent of eugenics was mandatory sterilization, selective breeding, and genocide. They have already exposed the pseudonyms that eugenic consciousness, cyborgs, and designer babies will take on to be socially 'acceptable'. It is a recurrence of Social Darwinist thought, that of social and economic evolution. But CAE undermines the thought of Darwin as manifest in society, socially--(not biologically, namely since natural selection is thought of as a random process and involving chance mutation, while that of society is planned and guided by the intelligence of authorities in their utopian megalomania) If presented correctly in the correct settings, eugenics will be taken for granted. It will eliminate biological causes of anti-social behavior, and drugs used to treat them will not be needed. This attempt at a pure gene pool will be interpreted as the quality that consumers deserve for their dollar, and in the pancapitalist train of thought quality of life equals economic performance. Parents will not want "abnormal" offspring who might be socio-economically unproductive in the working class. Whether or not this future comes to pass in these extreme forms, these political philosophies of society are already sad but true, and yet, taken for granted by the masses as quite simply the way things are and always were. If these thoughts sound absurd as realities, I would invite you to remember the first wave of attempts at a pure race, Nazi Germany. Carl Gustav Jung wrote in his time, "If 30 years ago anyone had dared to predict that our psychological development was tending towards a revival of the medieval persecutions of the Jews, that Europe again would tremble before the Roman fasces and the trampling of legions, that people would once more give the Roman salute, as 2000 years ago, and that instead of the Christian cross an archaic swastika would lure onwards millions of warriors ready for death--why that man would have been hooted a mystical fool. And today? Surprising as it may seem, all this absurdity is a horrible reality."

Hopefully, CAE will never have to say 'told you so.'

The Flesh Machine is a very good for those that a too empatient to dip their mind in the muddy but eluminating waters of continental thought. It is very enjoyable, disturbing read, for it is another person that has came to simialar conclusion about genetics and the meat grinder affect capitalism has and will have on the human flesh. Grind it to be a better worker. Produce and Consume. It will be economic imperatives that will drive the future of genetics. This is a must read, for it is our future.

When we discovered plates, chairs and other decorative gadgets from Fornasetti some years ago, we did not imagine, my wife and I, that a real artist lied behind all these creations. I was really impressed when I discovered in that book the beautiful face of the artist and when I learned that he would never create any more because he already passed away. Fornassetti art is mainly decorative. It pleased every body because it is an harmonius equilibrium between classical inspiration and to-day printing technologies. If you do not know where to buy furniture inspired by Fornasetti, buy this book and place it on a coffee table. Everybody will want to read it.

I wish there was more pictures.. I did not realize it was more of a biography, my mistake!!!
But very nice quality.

It's rather sad that not only is this book out of print and absurdly hard-to-find, but that finding any generally available record of Fornasetti's work seems to be an impossible goal nowadays. Pretty much everything that is missing from the contemporary world--wit, whimsy, engaging complexity, craft, imagination, humanity, a sense of history (sorry, it's a long list of absentees!)--can be found in this man's remarkable graphic work. How to describe it? Well, think of old architectural prints, renderings of sea life, hot air balloons, astrological symbols, the sun with a warm countenance, the visual vocabulary of the Renaissance recombined and recyled and reused with a mildly surrealist but distinctly upbeat edge. The result is a style of design that wraps the present in the past, sometimes almost literally, always lovingly.

Hardly a review, I mean where will you get the book without spending $100 (although I feel it's worth it, the book is excellent and packed with examples of his work). Do a Fornasetti Google for images and revel in the stuff. A bit of that and you may be willing to spring for the book or pester a publisher.

Rosemary Ingham really captured the fundamentals of what it takes in creating and collaberating a design. Her book is full of examples of sources of inspiration, forms of play analysis, commentary on the NEA, and transcripts of directors and designers communicating ideals. This is a wonderful book and it belongs on every designers shelf.

This book is a great help for me since this is my 1st year at theater stage design

I use this book as the text for Principles of Design for the Performing Arts--an intro to design course I teach. It's really the only book of its kind (with a design emphasis) available. While I could load up my students with four or five other books that would be far better in each respective area, From Page to Stage is the only text that brings them together in a compact and digestible form. The book is an easy read--important for a class top-heavy with studio work, and an adequate introduction to script analysis for design. That said, I think the book is long overdue for a serious second edition. Professor Ingham should consider dropping the odd, theater history chapter toward the end of the book, in favor of a massively expanded chapter on the actual execution of the design/collaboration process. The final chapter briefly touches on the actual "to stage" process. By far most of the book is devoted to the "from page" half. This is surprising as Ingham is herself a noted costume designer and would obviously have much to share in that area. There is next to nothing describing the production meeting process, communication with colleagues and directors, and the final steps in the production process. It's as if two or three chapters are missing from the end of the book.
Don't get me wrong, I use this book, I recommend this book, and it isn't as if there is some better alternative--I'm simply eager to buy the greatly expanded second edition--should it ever appear.

It has some designers sketches !
More than I expected ! Great deal !!

This is such a wonderful, fun, plasticfantastic book! It has great essays from leading toymakers/collectors, amazing pictures and if you're nok hooked on designer toys after this book, I don't know if you ever will be hooked!

There also comes a little keychain with this book... I can't use it though. I don't want to "break the book", but it sure will be nice for someone else!

for those of us into urban vinyl, art toys, designer toys or whatever you'd like to call them - this is an excellent book. with it's coverage of dozens of artists with color photographs and biographies, it makes for a great read to the zealous collector, and that is exactly where the catch lies. for those of you looking for a bit of critticism or some braoder cultural context, i, for one, felt that this book treated the designers with over enthusiasm (not to say out-right FANaticism), and the two or three articles relating to urban vinyl as a phenomena semed more like a gesture then a genuine wish to explore the origins and implications of all these small weird toys.

House Beautiful Magazine specializes in award-winning interior design presentations, so you know that when they lend their name to a collection, professionals are involved. Their top designers reveal secrets, provide room makeovers, and pack in over four hundred color photos from selected superior interiors. Utility blends with art in 750 DESIGNER SECRETS: EXCLUSIVE DESIGN IDEAS FROM THE PROS, which tells how to shape and tailor a design project for maximum efficiency and best visual results.

I love looking at House Beautiful books. I find the pictures to be inspirational. However, I usually don't think the text is very informative. I was pleasantly surprised to find House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets to be an exception to the rule. It does contain beautiful photographs, but the "secrets" are useful and/or inspirational comments by designers. I have to admit I don't recognize the names of most of them, but I find the information to be consistent with other interior design/decoration books I have read. The quotes may not always be particulary earthshattering, but there were enough good ones to justify giving House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets a 5. Out of 750 quotes you are bound to find something that is useful to you!

Now, just to give you a clear picture of what the book does and does not have to offer: no where is there a set of explicit instructions for how to incoporate the comments dirtectly to your home, but that is not the intention of the book. It is suppose to make you think for yourself how to add your own sense of style to your house. The book is set up so that there is a picture or two on a page and quotes by several different designers. The pictures illustrate the comments. I choose the following quotes because I thought that they are good advice and/or they made me rethink how I decorate my rooms.

"The most important thing is what you feel when you walk into a room." Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz

"Not interfering with views is decorating 101." Scott Salvator

"You don't need a lot of elements to create a dynamic effect." Jeffrey Marks

"Anchor a large room with a sense of symmetry." (quote from the author).

"I edit rigourously for scale, form, and color." Celeste Cooper

"Incorporate a common thread-such as a neutral color-to unify electric furnishings." Kelly Harmon

The one drawback to the book for some people might be that the pictures portray a similar style of decoration. If you like a mix of modern and antique, you will probably like the book, but those who like other styles, may or may not enjoy the pictures in the book. However, I think that the information given by the designers applies to any style.

The book is lovely, but it could've been so much better if it had more desciptions of what you're looking at. Instead, it's full of little phrases that may be helpful, but they are also somewhat pithy. I wish I had purchased a couple of magazine subscriptions instead.

This picture book biography is loosely based on Marc Chagall's autobiography My Life. Beginning with his childhood in a small Russian farming town, Landmann details his early life, his family's observances of the Jewish holidays, his schooling, and the development of his artistic talent, despite being discouraged and unappreciated by his family and teachers. Chagall's experience in art school, his moves to Paris, Germany, and America, his marriage, and his involvement in the Russian Revolution are also included. The detailed, intricate three-dimensional mixed media illustrations are a collage of fabrics, metals, woods, papers, clay, photographs, and objects from nature. They do an incredible job of capturing the places and characters of Chagall's life and will delight readers through multiple readings and viewings. A timeline of Chagall's life is also included making this a wonderfully accessible, highly entertaining, and exceptional introduction to one of the greatest painters in the world.

Inspired by Chagall's biography, My Life, Landmann has merged the artist's life and the development of his artistic style into this visually dramatic children's book.

The dialogue captures the dream-like quality of the artist's work, and the illustrations recreate and reflect Chagall's art through coloration and medium. Her use of texture demonstrates the feel of Chagall's abstract and surrealistic view of the world.

The text tackles several difficult topics, ranging from self-development, self-identity, the creative process and the ability to verbalize personal desires within a family structure. In a compressed timeframe, Chagall's life is integrated into the historical events of the century. Landmann uses the historical references to establish Chagall's concept that the real world is within each of us.

Judaic elements run through the story. Chagall the boy goes to Hebrew school and studies Torah while searching for his identity. The events of revolution, war, hardship and escape, and their impact on Jews, are woven into the text.

A timeline provides an accurate history of the artist's life and a correlation to his paintings. Recommended for age 8 and up. Reviewed by: Christine Maasdam

Picture book biographies encompass a wide range of styles, talents, and age-groups. What a child gets out of any given biography depends entirely on why they even want a bio in the first place. I'll say right here and now that if you want a picture book biography that is just straight facts about the artist in question, without a drop of whimsy or artistic expression, go nab a copy of Mike Venezia's, "Marc Chagall". He does good report-ready work. If, on the other hand, you'd like something a little more fun and carefree, consider Bimba Landmann's, "I Am Marc Chagall". Artistically faithful to the painter in question, wonderful with its words, and an overall spellbinding introduction to a great man, this is a must-have title. You've never seen anything remotely like it before, and I doubt you'll find anything to compare to it again.

He was born in Vitebsk, a small Russian farming town within a Jewish community. A creative inquisitive kid, Marc Chagall professed a love of art very early in his life. When an art teacher proclaimed that he did have talent, Chagall was delighted. He attended art schools, painted like no one else, and always had his lovely Bella at his side. Then it was off to Paris to make a name for himself, and from then on Chagall's life was a blur. He came back to Russia to teach painting to the children and chafed under political scrutiny. Just in time he and his family sailed for America just as the Second World War broke out in Europe. Says the book, "During the journey I wondered if the silent stars above could already see my future: my life in America; my return to France after the war; the museum of my paintings in Nice; my stained glass in Jerusalem, Chicago, New York; my mosaics... Yes, perhaps the stars could already see my entire life traced out on the earth like a picture by Marc Chagall".

Until now, Italian author/illustrator Bimba Landmann has been content to limit her art primarily to picture book biographies painted in two-dimensions, as in "The Genius of Leonardo" and "A Boy Named Giotto". Now she's burst out of her painterly shell and embraced fully the wacked-out world of multimedia. If the wonderful use of tiny details doesn't get you, the sheer gutsyness of the colors will. Landmann presents Chagall (shown briefly at the beginning in a 1910 photograph) as a purple-haired suit-clad pioneer. From the Hebrew letters hung on a line like items in a wash to the tiny pillowcases, amber suns, and real lit candles, Landmann evokes shetl life with a hearty love. Then it's off to Paris where the sun and sky are a vibrant red-orange and tiny cardboard boxes become art exhibitions. What impressed me the most about Landmann's art was that she wasn't afraid to reproduce Chagall's artworks into teeny tiny paintings. So many biographies for children (especially the picture books) will talk and talk and talk about an artist and never show you a single painting they actually did. But in this book you might see, "I and the Village" held by a tiny Chagall on the streets of Paris then see "The Green Fiddler" on a cart sometime later. Even the settings and the images in Chagall's day-to-day life remain faithful to the artwork found in his paintings. I don't think any artist would dare invoke Chagall at such length, even if they were doing a biography of his life. So this brazen tribute is stunning precisely because it praises him so highly and replicates him so accurately. A second reading and you just sit staring at the pictures, lost for words.

Now Landmann chose to write this book in the first-person, which makes the book rather troublesome. On the title page we see that the text was, "loosely inspired by `My Life' by Marc Chagall". That's fine and all, but that means that even if Landmann is quoting him directly throughout the entire book, she doesn't cite those quotations at the back. So if, "I Am Marc Chagall" says he thought this or wondered that, we have no proof. Is this book a biography or a fictional biography, then? In spite of the lackadaisical citing, I vote "biography". After all, Landmann has cited her ultimate source (though the "loosely based" mention makes me feel kind of woozy). And there's a lovely timeline at the back that does wonders to allay a reviewer's fears. I especially liked the multiple Chagalls that appear at the bottom of the page. They grow up and grow old as the timeline progresses, ending with a white (rather than purple) haired Chagall smiling cheekily at the finish.

In many ways this book reminded me of two other wacky three-dimensional alternative material-illustrated picture books published in 2006. There was Lauren Child's, "The Princess and the Pea" (done in a shadowbox format, much like those found in "Chagall"), and "City Beats" by S. Kelly Rammell. Bimba Landmann hasn't quite reached household name status yet here in the United States, but books like "I Am Marc Chagall" may certainly start to pave her way. One of the finest publications of 2006 and a truly wonderful book to boot. It makes even the sequins in the sky look like beautiful stars above.

This book is a beautiful tool in helping me recognize teh influence that many international designers have had on the average gardens in the US today.

I think this book is a great overview and introduction for anyone interested in garden design and landscape architecture. The commentary is insightful and gives the reader a good jumping off point for further expoloration into different design styles. The pictures are beautiful and the list of 20th designers is the most comprehensive that I have seen to date. I would recommend this book be used in college courses to introduce students to the field of garden/landscape design.

This is a beautiful coffee table book: large format with luscious photography. The writer has focussed on the people who influenced garden design in the twentieth century, from Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-West to designers who are only now hitting their stride. He concentrates on designers from Western Europe and North America and he has grouped the 56 designers by different aspects of garden design - for example, planting, form and texture.

I have to admit I'm not a fan of the self-consciously self-important school of garden design. Of course a beautiful garden requires careful planning, but if the finished result smacks you in the face with geometric shapes and larger-than-life hard structures then I might call it a piece of art, but I wouldn't call it a garden. O.K, I'm prejudiced, but I'd run screaming from some of the gardens in illustrated in this book.

That said, the writer is knowledgeable; he has selected his subjects carefully and arranged them in logical sequence. His introductory comments to each section of the book are comprehensive and concise.

I went to the public library and looked through dozens of books before choosing three to buy. This was one of the three. The author first introduces color theory -- basic (attributes, temperature, mixing) and advanced (color interaction, hierarchy, proportion, harmony) -- and then moves on to schemes (monotonic, monochromatic, analogous, complementary, discordant). The second (and lengthier) part of the book contains 36 color photographs illustrating the various schemes, each accompanied by more than a few alternative color chip palettes.

I learned a lot and enjoyed doing so. Great photos!

(The other two books I chose at the library were C. Barnes's Color for Your Home and J. Miller's Color: Period and Regional Style From Around the World.)

At last a book where color theory is well and fully explained! They cover what tints, shades, pastels and other terms used to describe and build colors. Excellent!

This really explained the mysteries of color wheels, chroma and values, monotone color schemes and all the color terms that always mystified me in decorating books.
In some cases it was a little difficult to see the range of colors in the photos or the sample rooms were a bit bizarre. That distracted from understanding how a real person could use tetrad or discordant colors. I certainly wouldn't want a room looking like some they showed.
Overall it was helpful, I just wanted more room photos showing how some of the color schemes look when applied.

I read this to my pre-k and she loved it. We read this AFTER we saw David in Florence. I wish we had read it before as it would have built up the excitement of seeing the statue, but no matter, it was fun for her to learn about how Michelangelo grew up to become one of the most famous artists in the world. It also made us both appreciate his works of art. There was just enough text to tell his story, but short enough to not lose a child's attention. We are reading the others in the series.

"One of the things that made Michelangelo such a great artist was his ability to give a special energy and strength to the people he painted and sculpted," p.29

The young reader will learn about Michelangelo's beginnings in a city near Florence, the brief time he spent as a baby with a family of stonecutters, his years of study at the workshop of Ghirlandaio, his years under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici and his years working for Pope Julius II.

Michelangelo did things on a grand scale. His "David" of Goliath fame is 16 ft., 10 in. in height and took 2.5 years to complete. His "Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel" is 5800 sq. ft. in area and took 4 years to complete. The young when doing an art piece are frequently never able to complete it within the allotted time, regardless of the length of the allotted time. It seems there is a reluctance on the young's part to feel it is complete, because it seems there is always some additional work required. They share Michelangelo's art ethic and will appreciate his dedication.

My favorite sculpture in the book is Michelangelo's "Pieta," sculpted in 1498-1499. There is both an expressed fragility to Jesus' body and an overwhelming gentle strength in Mary's holding of him. It gives testimony to Michelangelo's complete oneness with the roughness and hardness of marble. The marble was putty in his hands.

Venezia's illustrations are humorous. His narrative is delightfully entertaining. His approach brings the artist within reach of the young. His portrayal of Pope Julius II in the Sistine Chapel offering unsolicited comments on Michelangelo's work jokingly brings to the fore the conflict that existed between the two.

The size of the book is perfect for smaller hands. It enables the young to have art within their grasp. Venezia gives the locations of the paintings and as result if the child lives near one of the museums or will be near one on vacation, she/he would be able to see the original.

This is the 11th in Venezia's "Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" series. He also has a similar series on composers. Venezia's back cover illustration ties back to the subject. "Mike found it easy to relate to Michelangelo's painting the Sistine Chapel ...".

The price of the book is well worth paying. The book contains the following: Michelangelo's sculptures (5), chapel ceiling fresco (1), chapel wall fresco (1), marble relief (1), dome from building plan (1), and sculptures unfinished (2), Venezia's illustrations (7), Others' sculptures (2), frescoes (2) and gilt bronze panel (1).

A book intended for ages 4-10, the book attempts to introduce the artist and his paintings. A very dry attempt at that, but it is a great spring board to start. A very simple book with cartoons to atract young readers. Samples paints with breif explainations of each work. I have used this book only as an introduction. I do follow up with more books that give a deep explaination. This book is an inexpesive way for children to experience various paintings and engage their natural curiosity to investigate further. To introduce the artists and his works of art this is an average book for the young.

I can never put Jill Gregory's books down. I love all of her books.

Description from back of book:

Josy Warner has to get out of town--fast. A favor for a friend has plunged her into deadly danger--and sent the topflight fashion designer fleeing New York to a place where no one knows her name. The tiny Wyoming town of Thunder Creek may be more than the answer to a prayer. It could hold the key to her past...and the only family she has left in the world. The last thing she expects is to fall for a rugged man of the land--a handsome widowed sheriff who calls to the wild places in her own heart.

Josy Warner's arrival in Thunder Creek has set tongues wagging and ranchers vying for her attention. But if there's one thing Ty Barclay knows, it's a woman in trouble. As his attraction to the secretive beauty deepens into fierce desire, Ty vows to keep Josy safe at all costs...even when the dangers of his job bring a killer after them. Now, with perilous night crashing around them, Ty and Josy are fighting for their lives--and a love that can lead to the most glorious future of all: forever in each other's arms.

* Book #1 in this series, Thunder Creek, was amazing. I gave it a 5 star rating. This book although I only gave it a 4 star, it was almost as great as the first. The chemistry & romance wasn't as deep and for the most part it was more of a mystery than the relationship between Josy & Ty. The mystery part was really good though. I usually figure out everything but I kept being surprised by who was who. I highly recommend this 3 book series.

New York City fashion designer Josy Warner struggles with her current assignment as nothing creative seems to come to her mind. Josy, an orphan whose parents died when she was a child, wonders if the news that she has a living grandmother Ada Scott nee Timmons in Thunder Creek, Wyoming has impacted her concentration. Her best friend Ricky Sabatini, a cop under internal affairs investigation for being dirty, sends a package that exonerates him to Josy to deliver to a third party in Brooklyn. However, when she arrives at the delivery destination, Josy finds her contact murdered and she fleeing for her life. She decides it is time to meet her grandmother.

While hiding in Thunder Creek awaiting an email in code from Ricky, Josy hesitates about introducing herself to Ada though she wants to know why her grandmother gave up her daughter up for adoption. She also finds herself attracted to local sheriff Ty Barclay, a former Philly cop still mourning the death of his wife, who feels guilty that he reciprocates her feelings. As Ty and Josy fall in love, her New York roots place her in danger in Wyoming with only a small town sheriff to keep her safe.

The return to Thunder Creek will elate fans as Ada meets her granddaughter in a four-tissue box gathering inside of a fabulous police procedural romantic suspense. The action-packed tale never slows down even when Josy debates whether she should approach Ada or not. The cast is solid so that the audience receives a strong angst-laden subplot intermingled with a thundering thriller that never slows down until the climax. Jill Gregory provides readers with a fabulous New York-Wyoming connection.

Harriet Klausner