RSS FeedTen new and interesting art books
February 6, 2007
1. Unembedded : four independent photojournalists on the war in Iraq / Ghaith Abdul-Ahad ...[et al.] foreword by Philip Jones Griffiths ; introduction by Philip Robertson.
All four of these photojournalists worked independently of one another and outside official U.S. military authorities in Iraq from 2003 to 2005. Three of them-Kael Alford, Thorne Anderson, and Rita Leister-first came to Iraq during or just before the current war; and Abdul-Ahad is a native Iraqi who has spent the majority of his life in Baghdad. Taken together, their color photographs-captioned here with the date, location, and subject-evoke shock, disbelief, and possibly anger. No further words indeed prove necessary in elaboration of the graphic nature of the presentation. There are no military actions or official political scenes shown, only the suffering of individual Iraqis and the carnage of war for civilian men, women, and children. From city streets, hospitals, and homes, the huge cost in lives and continual fear of death is vividly portrayed. Included are short bios of the contributors, with each giving a brief statement on his or her work and a separately authored foreword and introduction, both helpful in establishing the "unembedded" parameters of the book. Whether one opposes or supports the war in Iraq, this is recommended reading-or viewing-for the thought-provoking and wrenching photographs. Library Journal -- David Alperstein
2. Listening to our Ancestors : the art of native life along the north Pacific coast / introduction by Chief Robert Joseph.
The Pacific Northwest First Nations are known for distinctive artistic traditions: majestic totem poles, intricate wood carvings, and cedar bark textiles. But what lies behind these creations? Why were they created? Why are they important? Listening seeks to reestablish these rich and varied cultural heritages lost during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, not only for the various tribes but also for the world at large... The exhibition catalog is divided by tribal group, each reflecting not only what is unique for that group, but also which basic ideas join them into a regional group. An elder's perspective (introduction) pulls the entire exhibition and region study together. Excellently crafted and well-placed color illustrations, as well as scenic views, enhance understanding of a region often cloaked in as much mystery as it is in fog. An excellent addition. Choice -- A. Wirkkala, New Hampshire Technical Institute
3. Beyond the naked eye : details from the National Gallery / Jill Dunkerton and Rachel Billinge.
Offering details from the National Gallery, this book was clearly intended to spark the imagination, charging readers to look closely at fine details of Renaissance artworks. Such close looking benefits from the magnifying powers of lenses. Most of the brief essay that introduces the book gives a capsule history of lenses, cameras, microscopes, and other technologies of vision. Most of the book is illustrations of the amazing details that these devices record. Without the pages at the book's end it would be difficult for most to recognize the source of these miniature birds, dogs, flowers, and figures. These interpretive "keys" (each complete with a small reproduction of the larger painting that maps the locations of the varied detail illustrations) and brief introductions to each artist and artwork make the details even more interesting. The analysis of painted hair, hands, eyes, and ears is visually interesting, yet also leads to the origins of modern art history (via Giovanni Morelli's connoisseurship). This is especially interesting for painters or for those investigating the Renaissance works from London's National Gallery, yet it is designed to inspire new generations (children included) to discover the magic that master painters practice. Choice -- J. E. Housefield, Texas State University-San Marcos
4. Pop / edited by Mark Francis ; survey by Hal Foster
[This book is]... an important survey of the international Pop movement in the period between the 1950s and 1970s. Foster's eloquent 35-page essay lays out the development of the Pop image, focusing on the assemblage of artists and intellectuals known as the Independent Group; Richard Hamilton, its founding member; Roy Lichtenstein; Andy Warhol; Gerhard Richter; Ed Ruscha; and the postmodern adoption of Pop imagery. Five chronological selections of artworks with extended commentary by Foster are then followed by a parallel selection of excerpts from documents, artists' statements, and other contemporary contextual writings. Despite its awkward-to-hold square shape and a difficult-to-read sans serif type and layout, this work is an important consideration of the electric--and, er, popular-period it chronicles. Highly recommended for all libraries. Library Journal -- Jack Perry Brown
5. Elizabeth Peyton / Elizabeth Peyton
Peyton (b. 1965) has quietly made a name for herself among the top American contemporary artists with small, intense portraits. These passionately colored, dreamlike paintings depict friends, associates, and her mainstays-"rockers and royals" (almost-famous musicians and members of the royal family). Collected here by the artist herself are nearly 250 paintings and drawings spanning ten years of Peyton's life, from her first serious works in 1995 to paintings dated 2005 (and no doubt still drying on the canvas). All are beautifully reproduced, many in full color and on full pages. The introduction and "Conversation with the Artist" provide a good look into Peyton's life and inspirations; the biography and complete bibliography are invaluable. Though Peyton is gaining in popularity and is increasingly being represented in major museum collections, there are relatively few publications devoted to her. This monograph represents the first major work of its kind and includes a biographical essay, two reprinted journal articles, and a bibliography. Recommended for all contemporary art collections. Library Journal -- Kraig Binkowski.
6. Anselm Kiefer : Heaven and Earth / organized by Michael Auping.
There are many books available on Anselm Kiefer. This book by Auping (chief curator, Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX) is the result of an exhibition that concentrates on Kiefer's central theme: considerations of heaven, an effective narrowing of subject matter. Kiefer's work, seen through the prism of this narrowly focused theme, takes on new power. The early work and the more recent pieces are unified in content. The reader sees a continuing, vigorously maintained thread through the artist's life. Of special note is the interview with Kiefer, which is extremely effective in deepening the reader's appreciation for Kiefer's emotional (often darkly somber) expression. Auping's work should be on the A-list when it comes to Kiefer. Taking a broader perspective, Daniel Arasse's Anselm Kiefer (CH, May'02, 39-4987) is a very good book to purchase as a companion volume. Choice -- S. Skaggs, University of Louisville
7. Vitamin D : new perspectives on drawing
This book is a global, up-to-the-minute survey of drawing that focuses on 110 artists selected by a group of prominent international art critics, curators, and museum directors. In her excellent introduction, Emma Dexter (senior curator, Tate Modern, London) defines the importance of contemporary drawing by convincingly arguing that for the first time in history, artists can rely on drawing as their primary medium of expression without their work suffering in status as a result (whereas before, drawing was often considered inferior to painting or sculpture). As an intimate, honest, direct, and expressive form, drawing is a medium these artists use to connect with aspects of culture--e.g., narrative and national identity-previously repressed under High Modernism. Highlighted here in A-to-Z order are eminent contemporary artists such as Kara Walker, Elizabeth Peyton, and Gabriel Orozco as well as less well-known but emerging artists from around the world. With more than 500 illustrations and comprehensive biographical and stylistic essays on each artist, this book is highly recommended for any library with a contemporary art collection. Library Journal -- Sandra Rothenberg
8. Swiss graphic design : the origins and growth of an international style, 1920-1965 / Richard Hollis
Hollis has made an important contribution to the rapidly expanding field of graphic design history. Although there have long been books on the history of printing, or typography, or photography, historical views that treat graphic design as a separate enterprise have only appeared in the past quarter century. Philip B. Meggs's History of Graphic Design (CH, Oct'83) is still the best survey on the market and a must-have for any library. Hollis's book takes its place with two other recent classics as required reading for those filling in the gaps. (The other two necessary works are Rick Poynor's No More Rules, CH, Jun'04,41-5691; and Roger Remington's American Modernism, CH, Jun'04,41-569Ia). Swiss graphic design dominated the period from 1955 to 1970 and its influences are still being felt. Hollis assesses its rise after WWI and its ascendancy as an international style after WW II. The book is exceptionally well researched, very accessible to the serious reader, and reproduced in a manner that flatters the work. If libraries have limited budgets and could purchase only a handful of books on the history of what is arguably the driving force of contemporary visual culture, this book would be among them. Choice -- S. Skaggs, University of Louisville
9. Dada : Zurich, Berlin, Hannover, Cologne, New York, Paris / Leah Dickerson ; with essays by Brigid Doherty... [et al.]
The disillusionment intellectuals experienced during World War I gave rise to Dada, one of the first artistic movements that questioned the fundamental assumptions forged during the Enlightenment. This opulently illustrated and cleanly designed exhibition catalog, published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, accompanies an eponymous show traveling to Paris, New York, and Washington. Editor and contributor Dickerman (associate curator, modern & contemporary art, National Gallery of Art) examines Dada's historical development through the juxtaposition of the six titular cites from which the movement emerged. Six art historians provide brief essays on Dada's trajectory, carefully tracing the complex network of personal relationships and artistic strategies that gave Dada its unique character. And some 40 artists whose paintings, sculptures, photographs, collages, and other works date from 1916 to 1926 are profiled. The innovative, clearly reasoned scholarship, along with the hundreds of high-quality plates, make this an essential investment for any library collecting in art, cultural history, or modernism. It would complement more general texts, like Steve Edwards and Paul Wood's Art of the Avant-Gardes or Greil Marcus's now-classic Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century. Library Journal -- Katherine C. Adams
10. Luke Swank, modernist photographer / Howard Bossen
This beautiful book combines a rich selection of Swank's photographs with a very informative and intelligent essay setting Swank's life and photographic accomplishments into historical perspective. Journalism professor Bossen admirably succeeds in restoring Swank to his rightful place in the history of modernist photography. Swank was once a well-known and highly respected photographer of industrial sites, rural architectural styles, and urban and circus scenes whose work graced the pages of U.S. Camera Magazine alongside Dorothea Lange's. He fell into obscurity after his untimely death at age 54 in 1944. Bossen's essay details Swank's shift from store manager of a family business to fine arts and commercial photographer, his different photographic styles, and his importance to the modernist movement. Bossen argues that Swank was especially attracted to documenting facets of American culture that were passing, such as old rural buildings and the circus as a centerpiece of community entertainment. Bossen carefully reconstructs Swank's artistic influences, his personal and professional relationships with Edgar Kaufmann and the H. J. Heinz Company, and his efforts to making a living at his chosen profession. Bossen's commentary is well reasoned and well substantiated. For novice and expert, this book deserves a wide readership. Choice -- Greenwald, University of Pittsburgh
back to News and Highlights