Art/Photography Books
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Old Masters: Fra Ang...
So, if you're in the mood for a little art quiz, try matching the artist to the picture...and don't worry if you get some wrong. I took a load of art history classes and I got one mixed up (the shame!). Answers below. Fra Angelico: $39.95, Buy it here. or $30.36, here. "Fra Angelico (c.1390/95–1455) was the most celebrated religious painter of the early Italian Renaissance" Ingres (Ingres is pronounced 'ang', fyi): $39.95, Buy it here. or $26.37, here. "A new monograph charting the entire career of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), one of the most influential painters of the French Neo-classical…
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The Polaroid Book
I'm sure everyone's heard that Polaroid has discontinued their instant film, much to the dismay of the general public. This special edition celebrates the medium with 351 pages of over 400 works from the Polaroid Collections. Selections from the Polaroid Collections of Photography 25th Anniversary Special Edition. In existence for over 50 years, the Polaroid Corporation's photography collection is the greatest collection of Polaroid images in the world. Begun by Polaroid founder Edwin Land and photographer Ansel Adams, the collection now includes images by hundreds of photographers throughout the world and contains important pieces by artists such as David Hockney,…
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Creature by Andrew Z...
This looks like it could be an excellent coffee-tablish book, if you're into that kind of thing. Photographer Andrew Zuckerman's striking images of animals from around the world are as arresting as they are inspiring. These 150 astonishing studio portraits of wild creatures - from baby mountain lions to parrots, bears, porcupines & more - depict their subjects with rare sensitivity, insight, humor and wonder. $60.00, Buy it here or for $36.00, here.
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Tatsuki Masaru: Deco...
When I was in art school a fellow classmate once talked about how he thought trucks (in the US) were all about glamour, with their lights and fancy mudflaps and extra reflectors. The whole idea struck me as entirely true, yet also completely funny considering the stereotypical idea of someone that might drive an eighteen wheeler, and how unlikely they might be to admit to decorating their vehicle in order to be seen as "glamorous", an adjective often used to describe young lip-glossed celebrities. Well, these decorated trucks (i.e. Decotora) from Japan are sure celebrations of glamour and their owners…
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Ice Cream
Much like the other 'Cream' books, this looks to have loads of interesting artists. I've not looked through this one yet, but it looks promising. "Continuing the phenomenon established by cream (1988) Fresh Cream (2000) and Cream 3 (2003), Ice Cream identifies the most significant emerging figures in an often confusing world and acts as an expert guide to future trends - Each artist is featured over four pages with a selection of their most interesting work together with a commentary by the curator who selected them, an exhibition history, and a bibliography" To read more about the book, visit…
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A Road Trip Journal,...
If you're serious about collecting (photography specifically), you'll have no doubt already put in your order for this one, but just in case you missed the boat or curiosity has taken hold, here's your chance. "A highly collectible, limited facsimile edition of the journal made by pioneering Stephen Shore during his influential road trip across America in 1973. Limited to 3,300 copies, plus 100 artists proofs, each copy is signed and numbered by the photographer. Shore meticulously itemizes where he stayed, what he ate, what he watched on TV, alongside pasted-in ephemera such as receipts, postcards and parking tickets. Also…
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Salt Dreams by Jimmy...
In a seemingly surreal environment, Jimmy and Dena Katz have captured bizarre yet ordinary scenes from in and around the Salt Flats of northern Utah. The backdrop of such a unique landscape sets off characters and objects, saturating colors with sharp sunlight and providing the rare opportunity for an uncomplicated study of silhouettes. "Again and again they discovered human possessions and personal obsessions flung onto the salt surface against undulating mountains and boundless sky. They became intrigued by the inventors who, with their hand-built hotrods, racecars, and rockets, participate in the annual rituals and races on the Salt Flats—making their…
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Iraq: The Space Betw...
Photographs of the wounded in hospitals, empty playgrounds, and men crying over their dead children do little to assuage the overall feel of emptiness that is brought home with this book of photographs in Iraq. There's beauty to be found in the images of dusty landscapes, but the lonely streets, some scattered with trash, push the previous sense of beauty clear out of the way. The American soldiers outfitted in their layers of gear contrast roughly with the people living in such a war zone, especially since most Iraqis shown are captured, wounded, grieving or dead. There's an honesty that's…
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At a Crossroads: Bet...
With thoughtful watercolor drawings, Kate T. Williamson captures the many moments of her daily life after moving back in with her parents for what was thought to be a three-month stopover but soon became a twenty-three-month stay. Small details and ordinary scenes amount to a personal memoir that catches all the joys and embarrassing episodes of living once again with one's own parents. From spending her twenty-fourth birthday at a Hall&Oates concert with her mother to hiding in the fridge at a floral shop to avoid the 'what are you doing with your life' question, there's a sense of self…
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Bears by Kent Rogows...
Some might say this book leans towards the slightly disturbed category, but I think it's amusing and insightful. Completely worth taking a look at... "Bears, the first book by Kent Rogowski, is a series of portraits of the most unusual sort: ordinary teddy bears that have been turned inside out and restuffed. Each animal’s appearance is determined by the necessities of the manufacturing process. Simple patterns and devices never meant to be seen are now prominent physical characteristics, giving each one a distinctly quirky personality: their fasteners become eyes, their seams become scars, and their stuffing creeps out in the…
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The Story of Art: Po...
If you didn't take Art History in while pursuing your secondary eduction, I'd recommend getting a copy of this book. On it's 16th edition, it gives an excellent introduction to art as a chronological narrative (so, it's easy to read). From Booklist: "Gombrich's The Story of Art has been a treasured standard in the field, selling more than 4 million copies since its first edition in 1950. Now in its 16th edition and available for the first time in paperback, this comprehensive look at Western art from prehistoric times on up to the present has been completely redesigned and extensively…
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By Hand, The Use of ...
Man. I am very impressed with this book. I'm embarrassed to say I've had it for close to a year, and only now have I sat down and read through it. I won't bore you with details, but I will say that these are the artists that stand out: Karen Reimer (her Chicago Tribune September 29, 2002 (0%) is shown bottom right, I absolutely love all of her pieces), Margarita Cabrera (Pink Blender shown top right- and, yes, it looks similar to Claes Oldenburg's work, but she deals with current issues of immigration and factory workers to sum it up…
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30,000 Years of Art
Despite the intimidating title, this book sounds like it would be an excellent resource for anyone looking to understand art in a global sense. Now, I know not many people aspire to be art historians, but it doesn't hurt to know enough to be able to have a decent conversation without sounding like an idiot. Plus, what would it hurt to broaden your horizons a bit? "1000 great works of art from all periods and regions in the world. * Follow-up to Phaidon’s phenomenally successful The Art Book * An accessible, fun and informative compendium of world art, that offers…
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Vitamin Ph: New Pers...
Art is, to me, a necessary component of a home. I've been wanting to add some photography to the mix of art we currently have, and this book has definitely given me some ideas as to what artists we might further investigate (whether we can afford them is another matter). This rather large book offers brief descriptions and examples of each artist's work, so that you are privy to recent developments and theories within photography. "VITAMIN Ph is a global survey of new developments in the medium of photography, featuring 121 living artists who have made a contribution to the…