Moroccan Interiors: 25th Anniversary edition

Book Description

This book explores contemporary interiors in the sun-soaked land that stretches from the Sahara to the Mediterranean: Morocco. The diversity is breathtaking: the rural pisé architecture of the south is a far cry from the Hispano-Mooresque ornamental beauty of the imperial cities.

Moroccan interiors are as endlessly varied as the country itself, from the restored palaces in the medina of Marrakesh (where aesthetes of the international set now live) to humble troglodyte fishermen's homes at Sidi Moussa d'Aglou.

The colorful palette of this country and the light there itself suffuse these very different homes with a vitality that is as distinctive to modern Morocco as it is a reflection of contemporary trends in décor worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

Awsome!.......2006-02-06

This book features some very interesting residences. Many of the exotic homes featured in this book are loaded with color and texture. Each property is unique and full of character. The book is fairly large and the photos are awsome and the price was great too!

Tiny, unreadable print.......2006-01-04

Absolutely georgeous photography and Lovatt-Smith has obviously hiked all across Morocco searching for homes. I was most impressed with the variety of homes, especially the cave homes.

I'm sure there is a great deal of useful information in this book, but I gave it three stars because the print was tiny and itallicized. In places where it was superimpossed over sand, water or some other scenery, it was unreadable. Why didn't an editor catch that?

This is an OH WOW, LOOK AT THAT book.......2001-03-09

Preservation or desecration of certain architectural styles and decorative heritage goes in and out of fashion the world over. It's not only Morocco that wanted to demolish the old and over-value the new. How much of the beauty and culture of the East has been lost in the name of "progress"? The situation is not simple, however. In the latter part of the 20th century there was an urgent need throughout the Mediterranean for affordable, modern housing for quickly expanding populations and growing economies strapped for cash, skills and resources. Unfortunately aesthetics and the traditions of artisans often got trampled in the rush. Lisa Lovett-Smith's sumptuous Moroccan Interiors reminds us that embracing preservation has so much to offer the present and the future. While she focuses on the homes of the rich, ex-patriate and famous and could therefore be accused of being elitist, she also illuminates the beauty of the simplest of objects that could be found in any home, rich or poor. Lovett-Smith has divided Morocco into regions and cities and celebrated the best of each, appreciating the exquisite, ornate beauty of Islamic art and the colour schemes reflecting the dramatic terrain of the Mediterranean: desert ochre and blistering reds, turquoise, azure, sapphire, gold, saffron and cinnamon to name a few. Lovett-Smith is aware that a picture tells a thousand words and her accompanying text in several languages is brief. The photography is faultless and the lighting of the interiors unobtrusive. This is not just an ornate coffee table book. It is a valuable archive, a celebration of great style and a treasure trove of inspiration for interior architects, artists and designers.

contents.......2000-05-27

I would like to add to my previous reveiw some more practical notes on the contents of the book. The book is seperated into different regions and cities of Morocco and almost all the homes featured are renovations of delightful, but previously run down, Moroccan palaces and estates. In all but one home the owners are Europeans who have settled, or reside much of the year, in Morocco. This is important because, until recently, the Moroccans themselves weren't much interested in preserving thier architectural history, preferring to knock down old buildings and replace them with new ones. Neither were they much interested in preserving thier own style. The Europeans however were devoted to preserving both and created a movement, over time, within the country for Moroccans to begin to do the same. Each home featured reveals the owners deep love for Morocco and for its history. The photographs are lush and beautiful, and the wealth of ideas for interior design and architecture are matched by few books available today.

gorgeous and inspiring.......2000-05-26

The first time I saw this book I couldn't stop looking at it. I was entirely engrossed with the beauty of the interiors, the use of color, texture and interior architecture in these homes. In a word...MESMERIZED! I should say that the interior design in this book is not my 'style'. It doesn't matter in the least. I have integrated, and plan to integrate, many of the ideas into my own home (Colonial - which couldn't be more different) and have, and will, simply do it in my own way. To add to my point I have shown this book to my mother-in-law who is extremely traditional and conservative in her tastes and she was delighted and inspired. I showed it to my sister, who's taste run to the super modern Italian leather look, and she loved it and plans to use some of the ideas for color in her own home. I showed this to another friend who's tastes are essentially 'the cottage look' (she is very good at it) and she was thrilled with the wealth of ideas she obtained. This book can be used as the ultimate coffee table book or the launching pad for new ideas for decorating your own home. Opening this book is like entering a dream world, where magic and graceful living really do exist.

New Moroccan Style: The Art of Sensual Living

Average customer rating:

Good, but not great...
Gorgeous!

New Moroccan Style: The Art of Sensual Living
Susan Sully
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh
The Villas and Riads of Morocco
Moroccan Interiors: 25th Anniversary edition
Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials
Exotic Style: Great Ideas for Bringing Global Style Home

ASIN: 0609610457
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

Perched atop the African continent where East meets West, Morocco has been a destination for Europeans and Americans since before the turn of the last century. With its intoxicating mix of Berber, Arab, Spanish, and French Art Deco styles influencing and informing both homes and hotels, this country may be the birthplace of fusion. And as new waves of travelers succumb to Morocco’s charms and make it their home, they have added their own styles to the mix, respecting the roots of Moroccan design, yet altering it in subtle ways.

In New Moroccan Style, author Susan Sully reveals four emerging trends in this world of design: Delirium, Fusion, Minimalism, and Repose. Each represents a different aesthetic—whether it be the clean, elegant lines of Minimalism or the mingling, sinuous Asian and Islamic notes in Fusion—yet all are distinctly Moroccan. In chapters replete with gorgeous photographs by Jean Cazals, Sully takes readers on an unprecedented tour through private homes, stylish resorts, and intimate guest houses—many never before published.

We visit Dar Tamsna, outside Marrakech, the epitome of Moroccan fusion, and a riad, or courtyard dwelling, that is a meditation in gray and white. Orientalism reigns in a villa in a date palm grove and an old stone house outside of Essaouira has been transformed into a sensually rustic retreat. Sully catalogs both traditional crafts and contemporary arts to show readers how to introduce the beauty and spirit of Morocco into their home décor—as Gogo Ferguson has in her Martha’s Vineyard house.

Entertainment is as much a part of the Moroccan experience as the glorious rugs and intricate furnishings. Complementing the various houses are twenty-five recipes and tips for entertaining Moroccan-style, as well as a comprehensive source guide for travelers and shoppers.

A treasure trove of ideas and images, New Moroccan Style is a treat for the eyes, palate, and imagination, brought to light by a fresh new voice in design.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not great..........2005-02-15

I confess that I was a bit disappointed by this book. I was hoping for a book about sumptuous Moroccan decorating and living the Moroccan lifestyle. This book really only barely touches on that. The actual focus of the book is concentrated on a few hotels and restaurants located in Morocco but owned mostly by people foreign to Morocco, with the addition of a few homes of wealthy people in the United States who have been somewhat influenced by Moroccan style. This book contains no pictures of the interiors of homes of the average Moroccan citizen at all.

Also, the decorating style advocated in this book is one of an overall Contemporary style with Moroccan influences. In the case of this book, "New" Moroccan Style equals an almost Asian minimalist approach with a few Moroccan handicrafts thrown in. If you're looking for a book with pictures featuring the more well-known "More is better!" Moroccan decorating approach, with layer on top of layer of textile and color, you are bound to be as disappointed as I was. The decorating style featured in this book is very restrained compared to most other books on Moroccan style that I have encountered.

I still give the book four stars overall for content and information. For what the book actually is, it's not a bad book at all. It just isn't exactly what you'd expect it to be, either. The text discussing the origins of Moroccan style, from the Berber influence to Andalusian style, is especially informative. The recipes included in the book, along with pictures, are also a nice bonus.

Gorgeous!.......2004-05-17

This is such a great book! Spare yet sensual interiors, there are ideas for interiors in here that everyone can do. Moroccan interior design is not based on lots of money, or elaborate settings, but rather arranging things you have in unexpected ways - decide what's pleasing to you, and get bold with color!

Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh

Average customer rating:

LIVING IN MOROCCO
Aboslutely Stunning
A completely different take on interior design
Wonderful Examples

Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh
Landt Dennis
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Morocco | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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The Villas and Riads of Morocco
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ASIN: 0500282641

Book Description

Morocco is an exhilarating combination of vivid sensuality and intense spirituality, an intoxicating blend of cultures. Berber, Arab, French, English, and Spanish: the country's rich mixture of heritages is matched by its geography, which ranges from coast to mountain to desert. This revised edition of Living in Morocco celebrates the indigenous arts of a country at the height of a cultural renaissance. Morocco is known for fine leather and for pottery that dates back a thousand years. Berber rugs are justly famous, and there is a thriving tradition of woodworking, especially in the native thuya wood. Most extraordinary, though, is Morocco's decorative painting and tilework, where, forbidden by religion to depict human figures, craftsmen have developed a vocabulary of pattern and ornament. The book is filled with brightly colored ceilings, decorated courtyards and walls, plaster of Paris carved and painted in intricate geometrics, tiles so small that 150 could fit in a matchbox. Lavishly illustrated chapters on decorative and folk arts alternate with chapters on Moroccan life today. We visit Chaouen in the Rif Mountains (a city only recently open to Westerners), where the town's undulating surfaces are painted a bone-chilling blue-tinted white. We peer into an abandoned kasbah in the Sahara, and absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of the frenzied souk. We take time out in the shady blue-and-pink environs of the Majorelle Gardens, laid out by French painter Jacques Majorelle, and explore the story behind La Mamounia, the famous hotel that has welcomed such guests as Winston Churchill. Most important, we see Morocco's arts brought to life in its homes—from former harems to traditional Hispano-Moorish houses. Glorious photographs make this a treasure for the armchair traveler, while the documentation of Morocco's houses, arts, and crafts make it an invaluable resource for decorators and designers. Published in hardcover under the title Morocco: Designs from Casablanca to Marrakesh. 346 color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

LIVING IN MOROCCO.......2007-08-24

BOOK ARRIVED IN POOR CONDITION WITH THE BACK UNGLUED. OTHERWISE IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PHOTO ESSAY

Aboslutely Stunning.......2007-06-13

The photography is inspirational -- whether you are a shutter bug or trying to grasp the details that make this part of the world's interiors so beautiful. Striking colors, well-chosen compossions -- this book is a must have. My only regret is the lack of printed information that would educate me on the fine details and intricate subtilies of this design form.

Still, a must have for anyone with interest in photography or the striking vistas on can create for their home or garden.

A completely different take on interior design.......2007-05-14

This book is really very beautiful. I have transgressed Asian and southwestern design and this book is just what I wished for.

Wonderful Examples.......2001-09-04

I really liked this book, as well as Moroccan Style. I felt this book was a little more comprehensive on the styles by region of Morocco and showed more traditional design.

Architecture and Design Library: Moroccan Style (Arch & Design Library)

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Enthralling....
Beautiful!!!!
Morocco = World
Beautiful Photography

Architecture and Design Library: Moroccan Style (Arch & Design Library)
Alexandra Bonfante-Warren
Manufacturer: Friedman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Garten Marokkos/Moroccan Gardens/Jardins Du Maroc

ASIN: 1567999565

Amazon.com

A stunning pictorial of architecture and design, Moroccan Style takes us to a hot, dry land bordered on the east and south by the Sahara, on the west by the Atlantic, and on the north by the Mediterranean Sea. Forbidden by the Koran to depict any living part of creation literally, Moroccans have created inventive designs, which are seen in rugs, pottery, woodwork, and especially in the famous tilework zillij. The contrast of warm earth tones with the vivid blue of the sea and sky repeats time and again in the interiors and exteriors of the sumptuous villas presented in Moroccan Style. "Moroccan décor is a sublime balancing act," says author Alexandra Bonfante-Warren. "A harmony of simplicity and elegant profusion."

Steeped in traditional Islamic culture, Morocco is nonetheless a very modern country, and its homes reflect this dichotomy. One home sports a modern brass door flanked by two traditional lanterns. In another, a clean-lined wrought iron and glass dining set is placed in the middle of a palatial outdoor courtyard surrounded by carved white columns. Windows are most often covered with wooden or iron openwork grilles both to block out the bright sun and to add natural ornamentation from the resulting shadows.

The number of intricate patterns used in one room can be overwhelming to the Western eye, but when an elaborately tiled floor is tempered by a dusty saffron wall, the result is both elegance and austerity. A book for those who yearn for a month in Tangiers, Moroccan Style offers a tantalizing glimpse into the distinctive artistry of one of the world's oldest cultures. --Dana Van Nest

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2006-02-26

This book, despite its short length,is packed with great information and ideas. The pictures are beautiful and the text is concise. As an aspiring designer, using this book for a residential project, however-the only drawback is that there are no citations for the furniture, etc.

Enthralling...........2004-03-02

I've owned this book for about a year now and can't get enough of it. The pictures are so vibrant and beautiful, it's become a favorite in my "library". I recently ordered the India Style book and look forward to it's arrival. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in exotic design ideas or if you simply love Moroccan design.

Beautiful!!!!.......2003-02-09

This book is full of beautiful pictures. The book focuses more on the interior of one's home, then in outside structure. You can get ideas for livingrooms, bedrooms, and more. I really love some of the color combinations used. Stunning! Why 4 stars, not 5? I wish the book had more content. The content was wonderful to look at, but the book is definately not thick, and the pictures come to an end too quickly.

Morocco = World.......2003-01-16

Even before I ever dreamed of stepping foot into Morocco, I was in love with its style. Even before I knew it was a style, it bewitched me. Ornate carved tables, ceilings, doorways, and niches surrounded by vibrant draperies, curtains, tableclothes, and throws- these are the earmarks of Moroccan style (North African style might be a better term). Little hidden bits of whimsy and "mountain" style tucked into corners, window sills and hidden, peeking over doors and from under furniture- these are the details of Moroccan style.

All of this appeals to my inner-ongoing sense of style. As a child, the things I completely and without abandon loved- Morocco, and her style, are these things! We all have an innate style within us, things that appeal to us from the time we might first see it, at a young age and then rediscover upon adulthood, and find to our surprise that we still love it, whether it is current, in vogue or the 'it' style. This is Morocco, indeed all of North Africa, to me.

You'll find, among native pieces, tables carved from Syria, candlesticks from Egypt, billowing fabrics from India, Kenya, and beyond. You'll see motifs that have followed humans since time began. A gathered grass/twig broom on a mantlepiece designed in Spain, coarsely styled wooden bowls surrounded by brilliantly gilded tea glasses used by the King himself. You'll find a niche that you swear wasn't there five minutes ago, painted a moving indigo blue, filled with miniature candle holders, filigree jewelry, and carved wooden boxes. You'll walk on floors painted with the same knotwork you saw at the masjid (mosque). You'll walk into a bathroom covered in tiles ceiling to floor, all 15 different colours. One minute you'll think you're in a palace that has been collecting things for hundreds of years, next you'll be in a tiny home that is so small, you cannot understand how its simple design and vibrant colour makes it feel so extraordinarily huge.

Exasperatingly simple Berber rugs lie side by side topped with exquisite, nearly painfully detailed Zemmouri pillows. A large simple brass tray holds a stunning antique teapot. Your host's simple yellow slippers lie next to his wife's lush velour heeled slippers with glittering jeweled toes.

If I cannot be in Morocco on a regular, that is, daily basis, I can at least surround myself with her beauty. Look at this book and suddenly, you can see the Morocco in every piece you have, whether it is from Taiwan, New Jersey, Finland or Indonesia. Every item that comes to Morocco is granted immediate "Morocco-ness" and believe me, once you look through this book and think about all you know that is Morocco, you'll understand. Once a visitor, you'll be able to confer this feeling on every piece you own. With this guide, it won't be hard at all!

Beautiful Photography.......2002-06-11

The photography in this book is breathtaking. I hadn't realized that the book was only 96 pages when I ordered it. I zipped through it so fast - the end comes too quickly. A good inspiration for those interested in Moroccan style.

Morocco Modern (Ypma, Herbert J. M. World Design, 4.)

Average customer rating:

Heavy on history and tradition, light on design.
Incredible pictures, I love it!
Inspirational, I want to go to Morocco...

Morocco Modern (Ypma, Herbert J. M. World Design, 4.)
Herbert J. M. Ypma
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criticism | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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The Villas and Riads of Morocco
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Irish Georgian (World Design)

ASIN: 1556705018

Customer Reviews:

Heavy on history and tradition, light on design........2005-04-07

Don't let yourself be fooled by the title. This isn't really an interior design book at all. It's more of a Moroccan themed photography book, filled with artsy camera angles, photos of random people, and extreme closeup shots of architecture, while also focusing on the history and various exports of Morocco. As a Moroccan sourcebook, it's not half bad. It's very informative and written in a very informal style that's easily digested by the average reader. I really enjoyed reading the historical information and looking at the gorgeous pictures, hence the 4 stars.

However, if you are thinking of picking this up as a resource for Moroccan style interior decorating, I wouldn't recommend this as one of your top picks. There are many other interior decorating books out there which are so much better for that purpose... "Moroccan Style" by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren, "Moroccan Interiors" by Lisa Lovatt-Smith, and "Exotic Style" by Sara Bliss, to name just a few. I picked this up to add to my Moroccan decorating collection, and was pretty disappointed with it as a design book. It hardly focuses on design at all.

There aren't any interior pictures at all of average Moroccan homes. The few interior pictures featured are limited to public buildings such as mosques, historical sites, hotels, and government buildings. Most of the photographs in this book are exterior shots combined with closeup pictures of tilework, grillework, calligraphy, pottery, and textiles. To get a better idea of what I mean, take a look at the back cover of the book. The 6 pictures featured on the back cover of the book give a pretty fair overview of most of the photographic content of this book. The pictures are very lovely, but most of them aren't going to be too terrible helpful as design inspiration.

Incredible pictures, I love it!.......2002-02-12

I bought this book for its colorful, lush photography, high production values, and because I just really wanted it when I saw it. As a book collector, I had to have it. As an artist, I can't walk by it on the shelf without picking it up and looking inside - it's very inspiring. Makes me want to go to Morocco !

Inspirational, I want to go to Morocco..........1997-09-11

The richness of the colors, the incredible patterns for the tiles, the bountiful King's Palmeraie... I was just inspired. Immensily superior to Moroccan Interiors, better photos and no comparison in terms of the tex

Average customer rating:

The Bijoux Specialists' Book ever

Bijoux Du Maroc LA Beaute Des Diables
Francis Ramirez , and Christian Rolot
Manufacturer: Art Creation Realisation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Morocco | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 2867701546

Customer Reviews:

The Bijoux Specialists' Book ever.......2004-05-31

I am collecting Ethnic jewelry myself, with a specialisation in North Africa and Middle East. I was surprised to find such a beauty and variety in a single book. I strongly recommend it for anyone who is interested in this subject.

Book Description

Reproduced from a rare French portfolio: 59 exquisite motifs created for the silk sashes worn on holidays by Moroccan women. Mainly stylized florals and foliates in an immense variety of configurations, the designs incorporate Romanesque, Persian, Byzantine, and Far Eastern elements, and characteristic Moroccan motifs. Royalty-free.

Customer Reviews:

what to think...........2007-08-16

I bought this book and was very excited to recieve it...... unfortunately I was disapointed.... it was not what I expected.... usually I like the Dover books.... I am not sure if I like this one.... it feels out-dated and everything (patterns and color palettes) look the same.

Not as Varied as Expected.......2001-09-04

I was excited that this book was in color and could not wait to recieve it, but was very disappointed. Not only did all the fabrics seem similar, but I felt the patterns were not very different from one example to the next.

Average customer rating:

Small books with great ideas
You get what you pay for

Morocco Style (Icons)
Christiane Reiter
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Greece Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details (Icons S.)
Moroccan Interiors: 25th Anniversary edition
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Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh
The Villas and Riads of Morocco

ASIN: 3822834637

Customer Reviews:

Small books with great ideas.......2007-06-01

Love this little book.
I first borrow it from the local library as the previous comment make me think.
But now that I know how it is and I love it I'm going to buy it!
Is a small book, so you don't need to bring around lots of weight.
It has "only" pictures so, if you are looking for a book to read then this is not for you.
But if you are looking for inspiration and great pics go for it.
I'm a landscape designer and therefore find this little book very useful but I would suggest anyone who is interested in some inspiring pictures from Morocco to get this book as is cheap as chips and offers more than its price!
Hope you enjoy!

You get what you pay for.......2007-05-13

Except for a few titles such as the Web Design Collection, Taschen's Icons book series have a very annoying habit of not being comprehensive enough in the material they cover and using a format much too small for a picture book. The low price one pays for them is not worth the expense. I rather spend more in other larger, thicker books Taschen publishes that cover the same subjects.

The Morocco Style book is a tipical example of what I mean, much too many photos of the same residence or two, and a great deal of them having no architectural or photographic interest whatsoever.

Amazigh Arts in Morocco: Women Shaping Berber Identity

Average customer rating:

Berber Arts

Amazigh Arts in Morocco: Women Shaping Berber Identity
Cynthia Becker
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Morocco | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0292712952

Book Description

In southeastern Morocco, around the oasis of Tafilalet, the Ait Khabbash people weave brightly colored carpets, embroider indigo head coverings, paint their faces with saffron, and wear ornate jewelry. Their extraordinarily detailed arts are rich in cultural symbolism; they are always breathtakingly beautiful—and they are typically made by women. Like other Amazigh (Berber) groups (but in contrast to the Arab societies of North Africa), the Ait Khabbash have entrusted their artistic responsibilities to women. Cynthia Becker spent years in Morocco living among these women and, through family connections and female fellowship, achieved unprecedented access to the artistic rituals of the Ait Khabbash. The result is more than a stunning examination of the arts themselves, it is also an illumination of women's roles in Islamic North Africa and the many ways in which women negotiate complex social and religious issues.

One of the reasons Amazigh women are artists is that the arts are expressions of ethnic identity, and it follows that the guardians of Amazigh identity ought to be those who literally ensure its continuation from generation to generation, the Amazigh women. Not surprisingly, the arts are visual expressions of womanhood, and fertility symbols are prevalent. Controlling the visual symbols of Amazigh identity has given these women power and prestige. Their clothing, tattoos, and jewelry are public identity statements; such public artistic expressions contrast with the stereotype that women in the Islamic world are secluded and veiled. But their role as public identity symbols can also be restrictive, and history (French colonialism, the subsequent rise of an Arab-dominated government in Morocco, and the recent emergence of a transnational Berber movement) has forced Ait Khabbash women to adapt their arts as their people adapt to the contemporary world. By framing Amazigh arts with historical and cultural context, Cynthia Becker allows the reader to see the full measure of these fascinating artworks.

Customer Reviews:

Berber Arts.......2007-01-05

This book presents the role of women in Berber culture. It goes into great depth concerning the symbolism found in the arts of Berber women. For those who first glimpsed this world in Imazighen, the Vanishing Traditions of Berber Women, by Margaret Courtney-Clarke, the present work provides a study in great detail.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful hyperrealistic, surrealistic paintings.

Claudio Bravo And Morocco
Tahar Ben Jelloun , and Claudio Bravo
Manufacturer: Marlborough Gallery/Institut du Monde Arabe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings
Vincent Desiderio: Paintings 1975-2005
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Jenny Saville

ASIN: 0897972627
Release Date: 2004-07-02

Book Description

Realist painter Claudio Bravo has lived and worked in Morocco for over thirty years and has been greatly influenced by his adopted country. The Moroccan people as well as the country's textiles, pottery, architecture, plants, and flowers form the subjects of many of Bravo's exquisite paintings and drawings. Suffused with the special light of Morocco, they testify to a grand lineage of artistic inspiration and exploration between Western and Arabic worlds. But along with dazzling technique and refined beauty, Bravo's paintings also manifest a transcendental spirituality and an exceptional fidelity to both the magnificent and the homely. Claudio Bravo and Morocco is the English-language edition of the important catalogue published on the occasion of the artist's solo exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. This major exhibition presented 67 paintings that specifically related to Bravo's relationship with Morocco--all are reproduced here. Included as well are an illustrated biography, scholarly essays, and an extensive interview conducted especially for this publication.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful hyperrealistic, surrealistic paintings........2004-10-19

Claudio Bravo is a Chilean born artist who began his career as a popular portrait painter. In 1961 he immigrated to Spain where his talents as a portraitist only increased the demand for his work and became a doubled edged sword: his popularity made him wealthy but the hectic lifestyle this imposed proved distracting and he sought a more tranquil life by relocating to Tangier in 1972 so that he could concentrate on his work without distraction. With only intermittant travels elswhere (Chile, Madrid and New York) Morocco has be his home for the past 30 years. As implied by its title, the stated purpose of this book is to address the impact living in Morocco has had on Claudio Bravo's art.

The book itself is divided into five main sections: three essays at the front, the catalog of pictures and finally a short biography of the artist follows at the back. The preface by Brahim Alaoui is just an even shorter version on the biography at the book's end. The interview with the artist provides the only insight into his work found in these essays The other two essays shed more light on their authors' concerns than they do on Bravo or his work, as these quotes should demonstrate: CLAUDIO BRAVO, ARCHITECT OF LIGHT by Ben Jelloun-"Art doesn't announce itself; it imposes itself." ... "He (Bravo) renders isolation in an ambiguous bond between his fantasy and the viewer's way of looking." CLAUDIO BRAVO: REALIST IN THE ARAB WORLD by Edward J. Sullivan -"From our current, more nuanced critical perspective we now understand how these images, such as Gerome's famous depictions of Napoleon in Egypt, served as concrete affirmation of th imposition fo European Hegemony on Islamic nations." ... "This exhibition of Claudio Bravo's Moroccan subjects is an essential cultural event. These paintings link two worlds and serves [sic] as bridges of continuity between pictorial and cultural traditions of places that are in close physical proximity yet, because of misconceptions and political machinations, are conceived of as impossibly separate."

The curtorial aims of this book are dubious and not too successful but, fortunately, they don't matter because the real reason to get this book is the opportunity it gives for looking at the artist's marvelous paintings. It contains 67 full page high quality reproductions covering portrait (only one, alas), figure (no real nudes though), landscape, interior and still lifes (42 of the 67 are still lifes) which amply display Bravo's superb artistry.

Bravo admits that he draws inspiration from Classic Renaissance Italian, Spanish Baroque and Surrealists masters. From the Italian masters, particularly Raphael, he learned precision and the wisdom of craftsmanship; from the 17th century Spanish Baroque masters, Francisco de Zubaran and Fray Juan Sanchez Cotan, he learned a scrupulous study of details and play of light and from the surrealists such as Salvador Dali he gleaned intensity and bizarre juxtapositions.

This hodgepodge sounds like a recipe for chaos, but Bravo's genious not only synthesized these disparate elements but made something unique to himself from them. This is especially apparent in his still lifes where his near obsessive reverance for detail, texture and atmosphere are combined with an meticulously realistic treatment of light (His paintings are all about light handled in an intensely, and astoundingly, realistic style,) are hallmarks of his style.

This is the only book currently in print showcasing Bravo's work and at Amazon's bargain price it should prove irresistible to admirers of Claudio Bravo's art and to anyone passionate about beautiful, realistic painting.

Buy it before it goes out of print.

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