Book Description
This comprehensive and detailed reference guide to Rolex's sports model watches is an indispensable asset to watch collectors and dealers. The only work of its kind, it covers the history of the Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Turn-O-Graph, Milgauss, and Cosmograph watches, from 1952 to 1990. The history of more than a hundred and forty vintage models is described in detail, with the watches shown in chronological order. Color photographs illustrate every watch model, with hundreds of diagrams providing clear and useful information. Twenty-two rare Rolex brochures from private collections are shown, in addition to numerous catalog photographs and the sale prices of sports models sold at Christie's and Sotheby's over the last four years. Also included is a current price guide for every model shown in the book. At a time when Rolex watches dominate the collecting market, this authoritative volume is an essential and timely addition to the library of the Rolex collector and dealer.
Customer Reviews:
Cant miss this book for Rolex fans!.......2007-08-26
This book is completely stated sports models and really can help user when buying a vintage Rolex!
Everything you need to know about Rolex sports models........2007-08-23
A most impressively comprehensive and finely detailed reference that will prove to be of great usefulness and interest to me when handling Rolex watches, and when talking to and advising collectors and enthusiasts.
Nice book to add to the collection.......2007-08-18
Pictures are of good quality. A good book to add to the collection, each watch has good description and on the watch movement.
It is a limited market, you have to remember its a book on the vintage watches and not modern Rolex watches.
Saying that I would not be without it, But I am a watch Nut.
Nice book, although outdated?.......2007-08-15
Great book for watch enhusiast. Although it only takes us up to 1997, so I was dispointed, The pictures are good, the history covers the basics. I would recommend to add to the collection
A "must-have" for all fans of vintage Rolex sports watches.......2007-01-17
The authors describe this book as a "comprehensive and detailed reference guide to Rolex's sports model watches" and "an indispensable asset to watch collectors and dealers". Modest? No. Correct? Absolutely!
The book is divided into 18 chapters, starting with Rolex chronology and the tool watch concept, followed by chronological descriptions of all models in the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, Explorer, Milgauss, Turn-O-Graph and Cosmograph model ranges respectively. More brief chapters are dealing with bracelets, boxes, paperwork, and movements. Statistical data in the form of production dates and a price guide is also included.
What I particularly like
First of all, the great advantage of this book is the fact that all watches depicted are from the authors' own collections - this has allowed them to photograph all watches in the exact same position and size, making comparisons between the different model variants very easy. This is important when comparing with other books on Rolex, that mainly use 3rd party photos.
All models are described in chronological order, with information on model number, production period, movement number, bracelet type and size, and some 5-15 lines of specifics for that particular model, pointing towards the - often small - details distinguishing it from previous or later models. I.e. for the 6263 Daytona such text reads: "In 1971 the 6263 model replaced the 6264 model. The model was available with either the standard or exotic dial, and had T Swiss T at the bottom of the dial. On this example, the word Cosmograph is written in a semicircle around the upper half of the lower recording dial." Essential knowledge, really ;-)
Secondly, all models are accompanied by a detailed profile drawing, allowing comparisons of the shapes of glass and bezel, as well as case thickness. Important, when you want to identify the "Superdome" glass profile.
Third, there are 40+ pages of reprints of vintage Rolex brochures, advertisments, owners booklets, catalogues etc. For Sea-Dweller afficionados it will be great to see the 1981 owner's booklet reprint on page 178, showing the 1665 with acrylic lens and 2000 feet rating, alongside the 16660 with sapphire crystal and 4000 feet rating. Later that year, the 1665 was discontinued, leaving only the 16660.
Last, but not least, I really enjoy chapter 18, "Watches sold at Auction" - 50 pages of pictures and details of Rolex watches sold at auctions at Christie's and Sothebys's, in the period 1997-2004. In 1998, a "Red" Submariner 1680 was sold for mere USD 2165. Read and weep... or start collecting right away.
Ahh - not to forget - this is a relatively new book, published in 2005.
Any drawbacks, then?
Not really - or at least nothing major. Although given the title "COMPLETE Visual Reference", one would expect the book to contain pictures of ALL known model variantions. This is apparently not the case, as the military issue of the Submariner 5513 is shown only with the special "high visibility" hand design - while Rolex collectors, as well as James Dowling's Rolex book, will tell, that the military models were also available with the standard "Mercedes" hands. This would have been nice to know, before one accuses eBay sellers of vintage Rolex watches for selling un-original or Frankenstein watches. I won't do that again...
One should note, though, that this books deals with "vintage" models only - that excludes any model currently in production, obviously. For the reason of comparing model evolution, I for one would like to see the current version (i.e. the one on my wrist) pictured alongside it's ancestors, in order to compare those small, but essential details on the dial layout. But then again...
How does it compare to other Rolex books, then?
This will depend on how BROAD one's Rolex interest is, and in which STAGE of Rolex ownership one is.
John Brozek's "Rolex report" provides excellent value for money for the first-time buyer of a modern Rolex, who doesn't want to get "eScrewed" - John's expression, not mine. Lot of stuff on identifying fakes, as well as tons of statistical data and pricelists - showing retail as well as wholesale amounts. Quite good to know the latter, when someone is offering you a never worn NIB Rolex for less... Why, it should make you wonder.
Many people praise James Dowlings book "The Best of Time" as THE Rolex book to get. Maybe so - but not my cup of tea. Far too much emphasis on the very early Prince and Bubbleback models and only brief descriptions of the tool watches.
For some buyers, the overall Rolex history in this book will be too brief, or the statistics on production dates incomplete (as they end in 1998). Do not despair - buy this book anyway, and read the rest on the various Rolex internet forums.
So, my personal view is, that if you are a current or potential owner of a "Professional" series model, Martin Skeet and Nick Urul's excellent book will give you the most relevant insights. It's certainly my favorite, and the one I would chose over all other Rolex books I have seen so far.
Buy and enjoy - You will not be disappointed!
Book Description
Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 is a unique introduction to several important themes that have recurred in art over the past few decades. Examining visual art from 1980 to the present, it takes an intriguing and accessible approach that motivates students and other readers to think actively about and discuss contemporary art--what it means and how it means what it does. The opening chapter provides a concise overview of the period, analyzing how four key changes (the rise of new media, a growing awareness of diversity, the influence of theory, and interactions with everyday visual culture) have resulted in an art world with dramatically expanded boundaries. Reflecting the paradigm shift from a formalist way of teaching studio art to more varied and open-ended concepts, the remaining six chapters each deal with a key theme--time, place, the body, language, identity, and spirituality. Each chapter features an introduction to the thematic topic; a brief look at historical precedents and influences; a detailed analysis of how contemporary artists have responded to and embodied aspects of the theme in specific works; and an in-depth and fascinating profile of an artist who has extensively explored aspects of the theme in his or her work. Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 shows how art can be interpreted from several different angles: techniques and materials, historical circumstances, aesthetic qualities, theoretical issues, and an artist's ideas and intentions. Writing in a lucid and engaging style, the authors skillfully reveal the multiple levels of meaning in artworks, drawing connections between contemporary art, art of the past, and everyday existence. The volume is enhanced by 87 illustrations--19 in full color--that demonstrate an immense variety of materials, subjects, and styles. These well-chosen examples will help readers learn to critically describe, interpret, and evaluate contemporary visual art. A bibliography and a timeline that situates contemporary art in the context of major events in world history, art, and popular culture are also included. An ideal core text for courses in contemporary art history, Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 can also be used as a supplement in modern art, art appreciation, art criticism/theory, and studio art courses.
Book Description
From the early years of the American Republic to the present, art and architecture have consistently aroused major disputes among artists, critics, scholars, politicians, and ordinary citizens. Now one of our most respected cultural historians chronicles these clamorous debates about the public appropriateness of paintings, sculpture, memorials, and monuments.
Michael Kammen examines the nature, diversity, and persistence of major disputes generated by art and artists and shows what has changed since the 1830s and why. He looks at the role of artists and patrons, local and national governments, conservatives and liberals, and the media in creating and sustaining heated controversies. We see the notable acceleration of such episodes since the 1960s; the effect of the democratization of American museums; the quest for provocative shows to attract crowds; the increased visibility resulting from the public art movement that has stirred anger and created some of our stormiest battles; the desire of many artists and galleries to shock, provoke, and contest, engendering the perplexity, if not outright hostility, of audiences; the use of art as social criticism; the effort to include and appeal to minorities; the threat of litigation and the role of courts; and the commercialization stemming from dependence on corporate sponsorship.
Kammen’s central themes include such questions as, What kind of art is most appropriate for a democratic society? What should our relationship be to Old World criteria of excellence in the arts? How can we achieve a distinctively American art? Why have so many controversies hinged upon issues of nudity, decency, and sexuality? Why has public art (most notably sculpture) become so politicized that began in the late 1960s? He explores the “death-of-art” debate since the 1970s and issues of censorship that have arisen over time. Finally, he asks whether art controversies have invariably had a negative effect—noticing the interesting ways in which minds have been changed and museums have overcome difficult episodes. He also reminds us that when New York’s Museum of Modern Art celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary, President Dwight Eisenhower declared “as long as artists are at liberty to feel with high personal intensity, as long as our artists are free to create with sincerity and conviction, there will be healthy controversy and progress in art.” Kammen agrees.
Customer Reviews:
Michael Kammen's Visual Shock.......2007-01-08
As a national experiment able and eager to invent itself from a relatively clean slate, and as a democracy open to multiple voices, America has been and continues to be a country where the nature and purpose of art is hotly debated. In his recently published book, Visual Shock: A History of Art Controversies in American Culture, Pulitzer-prize winning cultural historian Michael Kammen turns his insightful attention to American controversies over the visual arts to discover what these controversies reveal about the nature of America and its public discourse.
Kammen's examination includes controversies familiar to most informed readers -- Diego Rivera's murals for Rockefeller Center or the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe, for example -- but also finds lesser known controversies -- such as John Singer's Sargent's own troubles with murals or the initial Washington monument, a half-nude neo-classical statue -- equally fruitful for his scholarly inquest.
This meticulously researched and cogently argued book is not another repeat of the history of American art. Kammen's book follows a unique trajectory because Kammen's interest in the subject is as a cultural rather than art historian. He is more interested in how the public talks about art than the art itself; so that in Visual Shock discussions of the art that changed the art world give way to the art controversies that changed the way Americans discuss art, and what those discussion say about America.
Kammen divides his investigation into nine chapters, each of which follows a chronological examination of a particular form of art controversy -- from issues of monumentalism and memorialization and nudity and decency, which were prominent in the 19th century, to the debates on public art, political art and the nature of the museums in more recent times.
Within the scope of the entire work, Kammen identifies four main themes that interest him as a cultural historian: the way art controversies are symptomatic of social change in the U.S.; the debate over art's role in a democratic society and expectation such a society has of art and architecture; the impulse for the origins of art controversies and how they have changed over time; and the outcome, negative or positive, of controversies.
Kammen's book reveals that America has a fairly short cultural memory and that what causes an initial stir and even ideological battle usually becomes, within a generation, an established part of our cultural framework. Many of us will know the controversy regarding Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial, but fewer will remember or have learned that practically every other monument along D.C.'s Mall -- now endeared landmarks of our country's capitol -- was controversial as well.
What moves America to discourse also changes over time. In the 19th century, issues of nudity and moral decency were hotly debated, even when, as in the case of Thomas Eakins' use of nude models in a classroom, the offending practices occurred in non-public settings. In our own time, nudity per se rarely causes a stir (BYU's selective editing of a Rodin exhibit in 1997 being an exception Kammen notes) and issues of moral decency spring up only in the case of government funding, as in the furor of NEA funding during the 80s.
As a cultural historian, Kammen is particularly interested in public art, where the full force of community discussion takes place. His chapter, "The Dimension and Dilemmas of Public Sculpture," which examines controversial public sculptures such as Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc" in lower Manhattan, is particularly interesting reading. Another element of the public realm Kammen illuminates is the changing nature of the Museum, which Kammen examines in a chapter in its own right. The author demonstrates that museums recover rather quickly from any initial uproar over a controversial exhibit and usually achieve higher turnout because of the controversy. Many museums, galleries, and artists understand this and create their own uproar; and when they don't, the media, knowing controversy makes for good copy, often stokes the flames of discontent.
Whatever part of his topic Kammen examines, his arguments are always well illustrated with particular cases. Too often, however, what he illustrates in prose is not illustrated by images, an unfortunate deficiency in a book whose main focus is the visual arts.
For the most part, Kammen keeps his own feelings about the merits of the artworks discussed to himself and does his job as historian in parsing out the factors that influenced the controversies examined. At times Kammen's writing style can be overly academic and his expositions can be lengthy, causing the casual reader to wish for a condensed version. But whether skimmed over for its salient kernels or examined in detail for its double-helix intricacies, Visual Shock has a great deal to offer both specialized art audiences and general ones interested in American culture. The book will teach you as much about America as it will about art.
An outstanding survey........2007-01-04
Art and architectural aspirations have long aroused disputes among artists, scholars and the common citizen over the appropriateness of paintings, memorials and monuments: for the first time these debates are surveyed in VISUAL SHOCK: A HISTORY OF ART CONTROVERSIES IN AMERICAN CULTURE. Here are the social and political disputes which have taken place from the 1830s to modern times, with central themes and relationships including questions on the types of art appropriate for a democratic society, and how to assess and possibly regulate its appearance. Changes in policies, opinions, and conflicts between trustees of the arts and the general public are chronicled in chapters surveying the wild world of art history. An outstanding survey.
A History of the Culture Wars.......2006-11-22
Artist George Braque said, "Art is meant to disturb." This is a profoundly twentieth-century view of what art should accomplish, and clashes with the views of most Americans who enjoy going to a museum or contemplating a commemorative civic sculpture, and do not do so for any advantage of being disturbed. There has certainly been an acceleration of controversy in America regarding art; the Brooklyn Museum's notorious show "Sensation" of 1999, which Rudolph Giuliani tried repeatedly to close down, is a good example, as are countless shows picketed, boycotted, vandalized, or censored in the past couple of decades. But although art controversies in America may have increased, they did not begin only in the recent years, but have been ongoing for at least two centuries. In _Visual Shock: A History of Art Controversies in American Culture_, critic Michael Kammen has written a detailed account of the art and architecture that has bothered Americans. It is a surprise to learn how many buildings, sculptures, and paintings were notorious in the past and have become beloved icons, but it is no surprise to learn how indignation comes in various forms against the sexuality, politics, or religious feelings which the art portrays.
It is hard to imagine that anyone could ever have objected to the Lincoln Memorial but it was not just die-hard Confederates that did so when the nation prepared to honor Lincoln at the centennial of his birth. Many hated the location selected, as if America was deliberately sticking its greatest president into a marsh. A Grecian temple was not a universally accepted choice; members of Congress pointed out, for instance, that Lincoln never would have even learned the Greek alphabet, so why honor him with a modern Parthenon? There have always been people who are convinced that any depiction of nudity is scandalous, despite the persistence of artists over the centuries who found the human form worthy of representation. It is surprising, however, that the first controversy over nudity mentioned here is for a memorial to George Washington. Horace Greenough got a commission in 1833 to sculpt the Father of Our Country to stand in the Capitol, and although Washington wasn't actually nude in the huge marble statue that resulted, except above the waist; he had a toga wrapped around the rest of him, and the statue was a figure of ridicule. Age did not bring acceptance to the statue, which after placements other than the Capitol, was condemned to the Smithsonian. There are, to be sure, other controversies of nudity in art described here, especially regarding such photographs as those of Robert Mapplethorpe, and the displays of performance artists who do shows in the buff. It does not take nudity to make controversy, however; sometimes just a style will do so. Until recent years, the most controversial art show in America was the Armory Show of 1913, which was literally set up in an armory building in New York City by an ad hoc group of artists. It was the first chance for the modernism that had grown up in Europe to be seen here, and people didn't like it. Influential critics did not like the exhibit, and their writings gave justification for the public to disdain modernism for two subsequent generations. Eventually in the witch-hunting years after World War II, the generally progressive politics of modern artists was decried, with anti-communists declaring that modern art was Marxist at its core, ignoring that Stalin could abide nothing but artistic realism.
Art museums are more popular than ever, and one of the best bits of good news in Kammen's wide-ranging survey is that Americans cannot agree on what is good art, or even what is art. There has not been complete agreement on such matters in previous centuries or now. This is why reading Kammen's book is such fun; it is full of optimism. There were angry controversies about art in previous years, and those have been settled, with the controversial pieces now widely accepted and even loved. Freedom of expression is strong, and creativity is rewarded even when it is controversial. We can learn from art that is made deliberately to provoke. The controversies described here have not produced bland conformity and have resulted only in occasionally regional, not national, censorship. We can withstand the visual shocks, and we are ready for more.
Amazon.com
Opening with a photograph of a 1950s Disneyland home designed in the shape of a TV (by those fun-loving futurists at MIT), this book's text and photos consistently maintain a balance between insightful social commentary and critique and sensitive recapturing of the essence of visual broadcast's dawn.
Book Description
America in the 1950s: the world was not so much a stage as a setpiece for TV, the new national phenomenon. It was a time when how things looked--and how we looked--mattered, a decade of design that comes to vibrant life in As Seen on TV. From the painting-by-numbers fad to the public fascination with the First Lady's apparel to the television sensation of Elvis Presley to the sculptural refinement of the automobile, Marling explores what Americans saw and what they looked for with a gaze newly trained by TV. A study in style, in material culture, in art history at eye level, this book shows us as never before those artful everyday objects that stood for American life in the 1950s, as seen on TV.
Customer Reviews:
"Life In The Age Of Television Was A Feast For The Eye...".......2000-09-06
Karal Ann Martling tucks her mission in writing "As Seen On TV" in that last sentence of the next-to-last chapter of her fascinating book. She tours the 1950s' TV-raised images, from First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's dress closet to her husband's paintings to garish car in the garage, ready-made food in the kitchen, and herky-jerky TV images pointing to changed American culture and aestetic. Hers is a more entertaining, breezier read than recent books from, respectively, David Halberstam on the 1950s or historian Michael Kammen on American preference.(Marling shared time at Cornell with Kammen, thanking his students in her acknowledgements for "challenging lunchtime conversation.")
Marling merges era icons, fads, and seminal events more seamlessly into social statement than Halberstam did or Kammen attempted. Her understanding of cars evolving into social statements segues best into the image of Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll" for whom the "gorp"-covered Cadillac was chariot of choice. (she also credits Martin and Lewis with exposing the entertainment's dual sensibilities during early TV).
Marling also writes of home convenience from new appliances and quick dinners colliding with the rustic, more honorable life many felt had been replaced. This clash inspired and popularized Grandma Moses' idealized portraits of American country life, Walt Disney's scale model re-creation of small-town America at Disneyland (and on the accompanying TV program), and Betty Crocker's shorthand version of motherly mentoring through General Mills' best-selling cookbook. Marling's chapter on Walt Disney's inspirations for creating the park is among the book's most fascinating. But a chapter on "American Bandstand," should Marling have chosen to include it, may have tied even more loose ends together.
The book may also have done with some re-arrangement; the closing chapter accurately and humorously chronicles the 1959 Richard Nixon-Nikita Krushchev "kitchen debate." But its tale of form of function, argued by its most important leaders at the peak of Cold War hysteria, may have been more effective introducing Marling's tale. The book may then have received more social context by stating sooner Nixon's belief, according to Marling, in "style as a manifestation or a symbol of difference and, in difference, multiplicity - the possibility of choice - as...connecting idle consumer fetishism to ideology." This would also have more closely tied the 1950s' garish color imagery with its parallel, grainier black-and-white images (Nixon, the Cold War, and Joe McCarthy, a standout 50s figure seen on TV but not in this book.) Nonetheless, "As Seen On TV" is a fun, informative read for those wishing to understand the reasoning behind an era's unforgettable images.
Very interesting book with wonderful photographs.......1999-05-26
Very interesting reading. It is amazing to actually see how television has changed American life. I can't even fathom how life would be today, without TV. A great read for all who are interested in American pop culture in the 1950s.
Book Description
The influence of music on the development of abstract and mixed-media visual art forms from the early twentieth century to the present day.
This ground-breaking new book and the exhibition it accompanies trace the history of a revolutionary idea: that fine art should attain the abstract purity of music. Over the past one hundred years some of the most adventurous modern and contemporary artists have explored unorthodox means to invent a kinetic, non-representational art modeled upon pure instrumental music.
Music has inspired some of the most progressive art of our time—from the abstract painting of Wassily Kandinsky and Frantisek Kupka to the mid-century experimental films of Oskar Fischinger and Harry Smith to contemporary installations by Jennifer Steinkamp and Jim Hodges. While early abstract paintings tended to approach music metonymically, the color organs, films, light shows, and installations from the mid-twentieth century to the present day engage a range of perceptual faculties simultaneously to create a plethora of sensations in the viewer.
The most complete examination of this phenomenon to date, Visual Music features ninety major works of art plus related documentation, focusing on abstract and mixed-media art and the connections to musical forms as varied as classical, jazz, and electronic. The book includes three scholarly essays, each discussing a distinct art historical period in depth, and an additional essay by Olivia Mattis that approaches the subject from a musicologist's perspective, as well as a chronology, artist biographies, and a selected bibliography. 250 illustrations, 200 in color.
With contributions by: Kerry Brougher, Hirshhorn; Jeremy Strick, MOCA; Ari Wiseman, MOCA; Judith Zilczer, Hirshhorn.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive, Novel Approach to a History of Abstract Art.......2005-05-24
VISUAL MUSIC is first and foremost a traveling exhibition currently ensconced in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and as an exhibition it is informative, enlightening, well curated, and a unique way to study the history of Abstract Art from 1900 to 2004. One enters the large multi-room experience with a stop in a darkened theater where films dating back to the early part of the 20th century explore pulsating, rhythmic, liquid and explosive images, some in black and white, some in color, some 'illustrating' music from Brahms to Dizzy Gillespie and some in complete silence. The works are by such experimental artists as Oscar Fischinger, Len Lye and Harvey Smith and the films have been restored admirably.
The remainder of the walk through this marriage or courtship of visual images and music includes copious works by Kandinsky, Picabia, Klee, Ciurlionis, Kupka and many others, artists who sought to visualize the effect music has on the intellect and visual/aural 'synaesthesia' as the exhibition repeatedly explains. Some rooms are for framed works, other rooms for video forms of digitalized art in motion, some are simply walls of lines and abstractions and others the idiosyncratic color organs - the true synthesis of visual art and musical performance. The works representing today are from Jennifer Steinkamp in an elegant installation, Cindy Bernard, and Jim Hodges.
Though this is not meant to be a survey of an exhibition, knowing the presentation of this VISUAL MUSIC concept heightens the appreciation of the stunning catalogue that accompanies this show. From the sumptuous design elements to the splendid color reproductions to the scholarly essays, this is a book that is not an easy read but an important one. From Jeremy Strick's cogent introduction to the book through essays on the history of abstraction and the concept of what stimulated artists to relate to music and why, to the significant 'in defense of pure music' essay by Olivia Mattis, this is a magnum opus on abstract art that is unique in every phase. Kudos to the curators from the Hirschhorn (Kerry Brougher, Ari Wiseman) and MOCA's own Jeremy Strick. Grady Harp, May 05.
Book Description
A Cultural History of Latin America brings together chapters from Volumes III, IV, and X of The Cambridge History of Latin America. The essays place Latin American literature, music and visual arts in historical context, from the early nineteenth century through the late twentieth century. Topics include narrative fiction and poetry; indigenous literatures and culture; the development of music, sculpture, painting, mural art, and architecture; and the history of Latin American film. Each chapter is accompanied by a bibliographical essay.
Customer Reviews:
Both poor and excellent essays re the region's "culture".......1999-10-12
While the latest edition of Leslie Bethell's Oxford "History Of Latin America" series suffers by comparison with others of the series it does provide insight and information on an aspect of Latin America which is often slighted by economic or political analyses of the region. The anthology covers (in order) literature, poetry, Native American art, plastic art, architecture and film. The calibre of the essays varies greatly. Martin's insights into the region's literary trends remind me of Jean Franco's excellent work whereas other sections, such as those on architecture and the plastic, come across as a mere listing of works and their creators. One reason for this is that the various authors were faced with the dilemma of either accurately portraying the region's culture as disparate or tying the various artists together into overall patterns. The authors who sacrificed accuracy were able to analyze in an engaging manner, while those who, correctly, recognized that patterns are few in the region suffered from chaotic and incoherent essays.
Average customer rating:
- In reply to review no.1
- not what I expected
- A "must" for all Salvador Dali fans.
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Dali's Optical Illusions
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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ASIN: 0300081774 |
Book Description
Fascinated with optical effects and visual perception, Salvador Dali created paintings of gripping intensity and astonishing variety. This book focuses on Dali`s use of such pictorial techniques as distorted perspective, double images, and three-dimensional illusions, as well as photographs and holograms, to explore perception, perspective, and the ways that optical illusion affects our sense of reality.
Customer Reviews:
In reply to review no.1.......2001-09-23
Hallucinagenic Toreador is a painting that can never leave the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, and therefore could not, sadly, be included in the exhibition (and catalogue). Plenty of other double images were though.
not what I expected.......2001-07-25
I have an earlier book from author Ades that had text that was very good. I bought this book thinking Hallucenogenic Torreador would definately be in it- one of his most interesting optical illusions...and it wasn't in there!Pictures are big but I think she could have used more that she didnt. I sent it back as it wasnt worth $40... if it would have been in paperback and cheaper, I would have thought twice. Hope this helps.
A "must" for all Salvador Dali fans........2000-04-04
Dali's Optical Illusions is the first to probe Dali's fascination with optical effects and perception, packing in examples of Dali's works and commenting on his sources, inspiration, and methods. Accompanying discussions to each page of illustration comment on technique, inspiration, and visual impact of Deli's images. Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- Yes I Love It, Sam-I-Am!
- The many facets of Dr. Seuss
- A Grown-up Biography of a Children's Hero
- Fabulous!
- Gorgeous book
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The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel
Charles D. Cohen
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Dr. Seuss: American Icon
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Oh, the Places He Went: A Story About Dr. Seuss-Theodor Seuss Geisel (Carolrhoda Creative Minds Book)
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Seuss-Isms (Life Favors(TM))
ASIN: 0375822488
Release Date: 2004-02-24 |
Amazon.com
Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was one of the titans of 20th century American children's literature--a legacy that shows no sign of diminishing in the 21st. But such epochal fare as The Cat in the Hat and enduring, whimsical characters as Horton, The Grinch and Sam-I-Am represent but one corner of the late writer/artist's vast artistic universe. Other Geisel biographies have detailed his remarkable life and vibrant art, but Massachusetts dentist/Seussiana collector nonpareil Richard D. Cohen serves up a "visual biography" that's part lovingly illustrated coffee table book and part insightful analysis of a creative mind and the various historical and cultural forces that shaped it. Cohen richly illustrates his compelling tribute with key, telling artifacts from his own massive collection. No corner of the author/artist's life has escaped Cohen's obsessive collector's eye, including: turn-of the-century bottles of the Geisel family brewery, Geisel's teenage writings and illustrations, later work that spans careers in cartooning advertising (successful campaigns for Esso, Flit and others), wartime propaganda (including uncredited work on the Oscar-winning Hitler Lives!) and Hollywood (The 5000 Finger of Dr. T). Indeed, in Cohen's thoughtful, lavishly illustrated analysis, Geisel's latter-day incarnation as children's author supreme was but the logical distillation of a lifetime devoted to wit, wordplay and whimsical art. --Jerry McCulley
Book Description
Theodor Seuss Geisel, creator of Horton the Elephant, the Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, and a madcap menagerie of the best-loved children’s characters of all time, stands alone as the preeminent figure of children’s literature. But Geisel was a private man who was happier at the drawing table than he was across from any reporter or would-be biographer. Under the thoughtful scrutiny of Charles D. Cohen, Geisel’s lesser known works yield valuable insights into the imaginative and creative processes of one of the 20th century’s most original thinkers.
Customer Reviews:
Yes I Love It, Sam-I-Am!.......2004-05-29
As we celebrate the centennial of Ted Geisel's birth, material is appearing that looks at the influence of Dr. Seuss on generations of American readers. Dr. Cohen brings us what is obviously a labor of love. Drawing inspiration on his extensive collection of Seussiana, he has produced one of the most lavishly illustrated and broadly scoped book on the life and works of the good doctor.
Cohen reaches back to Geisel's school days and illustrates the development of the artist's style and humor. Continually he will point out how pieces done at various points in Geisel's life can be traced as part of the development of what would become some of his trademark images and beloved characters, including the Grinch. Instead of focusing heavily on Seuss's books, he draws attention to the vast collection of other artwork that was drawn, mostly before the books even came into being. Seuss's work as a humorist, advertising artist, sculptor, and cartoonist (political and otherwise) are shown here as he continued to improve and hone his craft. The end results are the books that are so beloved to multitudes of people who were lucky enough to grow up with Seuss in the house.
The book would be worth it for the pictures alone, but the accompanying text helps get below the surface of many of the pieces, and to tie them together into a artist's whole output. Even if you only look at the pictures and read the captions to the pictures, you will get a whole new appreciation of Dr. Seuss's work over the years. If I any complaint, it is that in some ways the books almost get shorted too much in this narrative, and too often the captions for the illustrations are repetitive to the text. But these are minor quibbles that in no way detract from the glorious whole.
For the Seuss lover, and for the casual reader, this book brings the reader a whole new appreciation of a beloved illustrator's work and the genius that was Dr. Seuss.
The many facets of Dr. Seuss.......2004-05-17
Since 2004 is the Seussentennial, or the hundredth anniversary of Dr. Seuss' birth, this is a great time to get to know more about one of America's most popular icons of children's literature. Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was far more than an author and illustrator of children's books and movies. His career includes humorist, journalist, advertising genius, magazine and political cartoonist, creator of wartime training and propaganda films, president of a publishing company, and spokesman for children's education.
Author Charles Cohen, a dentist and avid collector of Seussiana, is well qualified to write this visual biography of Ted Geisel. Through lavish illustrations, many from his own collection, Cohen shows the many facets of Geisel's art and imagination. The reader is treated to Geisel's earliest works from long before his first published children's book. These include examples of his college newspaper cartoons and his many successful advertising campaigns that blended humor and salesmanship. These creations are juxtaposed with his later children's books to provide the reader a deeper understanding of how culture and history shaped the evolution of his ideas and whimsical bestiary, and to point out the same themes cropping up over and over again in his works.
Although this book provides a fascinating view into many unusual perspectives of Dr. Seuss the artist and innovator, there is little here about Ted Geisel the man. In the introduction, Cohen says that he neither met Geisel nor interviewed anyone who knew him. Instead he delved into Geisel's works to discover what made him tick. As a result, there are many facts missing about Geisel's personal life and friendships. The few personal facts that were thrown in, mostly towards the end of the book, came from out of nowhere and made me crave more details. It is for this reason, especially since this book is called a "visual biography," that I rated it four stars instead of five. It is more a visual exploration of Geisel's works than a biography. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this book. It will open your eyes to a creatively obsessed man that you never realized existed. It will also rekindle your fond memories of the Dr. Seuss books you read as a child. Perhaps it will even shed a bit of light on why you loved those books so much.
Eileen Rieback
A Grown-up Biography of a Children's Hero.......2004-03-20
With the awful, distorted, contrived pile of wasted film, conjured up in the form of Mike Myers' take on the "Cat in the Hat," it would be nice to know why, in the beginning of it all, Dr. Seuss was ever popular at all. He was a great writer and cartoonist before his famous cat's striped hat became chic fashion among post-grunge era teenagers.
In "The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel" by Charles Cohen, we are shown the greatness of Seuss -- of Theodor Geisel, through drawings, paintings and text. We get to learn about his early days at Dartmouth, as he toyed with hybridic animals, wit and satire.
Not every idea worked. Seuss, an experimenter, evolved from being a talented but rustic styler of odd creatures into a sophisticated artist of odd, if not bizarre beasts that had genuine identity.
Before he write and drew books about green eggs, grinches, and elephants named Horton, he was an editorial cartoonist. His language in many of the cartoons was far from being politically correct, but his social commentary decrying racism was right on. He hard-handed racist thought with no evidence of his sweet children's characters kindness.
Cohen has produced an array of research. Samples of Seuss' art grace most pages. We also get a look at the vast merchandising, parodies, and unlicensed knock-offs.
This is not a children's book. Don't be fooled by the name of the publisher. It is for someone interested in reading a serious look at the history of one of America's beloved cartoonists.
I fully recommend "The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel." by Charles D. Cohen.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
Fabulous!.......2004-03-05
This book is not all about reiterating the Seuss stories we've already read, but instead an objective well researched pictoral and written account of the man so many love. Cohen does a great job researching the possible meanings of Geisel's cartoons and later texts. There are many, many Judge magazine and other political cartoons that are absolutely hilarious, and absolutely adult in nature (similar to alot of his "childrens" stories).
I highly recommend this book to anyone what likes to drop into a chapter then skip to another at an opposite end of the book because they are somewhat independent although chronological, it is easy to skip around to the parts you feel like reading for that day.
Also, at 400 pages full color, who can pass up the bargain?
f.y.i. This biography seems to coincide a lot with *In Search of Dr. Seuss* the movie that just came out in dvd
Gorgeous book.......2004-02-26
Kudos to Dr. Cohen. The writing is insightful, the illustrations and pictures are outstanding, the sheer volume of content is overwhelming and of course, the dedication is tear-jerking. A must have for any Seuss fan. Read the inside jacket-I'm guessing someday there will be a Poem Repair Shop.
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful resources for feminists!
- a visual history of the American women's movement
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Suffragettes to She Devils
Liz McQuiston
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics
ASIN: 0714836192 |
Amazon.com
Not a history book, but a compilation of sparkling, hard-hitting graphics on the international women's movement drawn from the fine arts, fashion, and advertising to comics, broadsheets, and cyberart. Liz McQuiston's vivid text and selections center on how design furthered campaigns exalting or denigrating a woman's place in the world. Biting humor and anger crop up throughout. An automaker's billboard boasting "If it were a lady it would get its bottom pinched" draws the memorable spray-painted response: "If this lady was a car, she'd run you down." Voting rights, abuse, girl power, abortion, and parity are a few of the subjects touched on in this wide-ranging, freewheeling book on design and propaganda.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful resources for feminists!.......2006-10-25
This book has been an unending resource for me. As an activist I am always looking for ways to pay homage to the women who came before as well as create new graphics to communicate ideas. This book is an amazing encyclopedia of little know visual history from throughout the women's movement. Not only should any feminist own this book, but any girl or woman who loves the old school suffrage warriors, rosie the riviter, and the explosive energy of riot grrls.
I do not go anywhere without this book.
a visual history of the American women's movement.......2000-04-08
While the introduction by Germaine Greer is a little disappointing precisely because it lacks the edge of the rest of the book, overall I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the women's movement. Suffragettes and She-Devils incorporates a visual history with short commentary, but unlike other texts, we see the biting and often wacky side of feminism. Instead of photos of activists and protests, the focus is instead on politically-themed visual and commercial art of the movement. An edgy, eye-catching coffee table book for any feminist.
Book Description
A hands-on book design students and designers alike will welcome. Elements of Design is a tribute to an exceptional teacher and a study of the abstract visual relationships that were her lifelong pursuit. Rowena Reed Kiostellow taught industrial design at Pratt Institute for more than fifty years and the designers she trained-and the designers they're training today-have changed the face of American design. This succinct, instructive, invaluable book reconstructs the series of exercises that led Kostellow's students from the manipulation of simple forms to the creation of complex solutions to difficult design problems. It includes her exercises and commentary along with selected student solutions, and concludes with examples of work from former students who became leaders in the field, including such well-known figures as Tucker Viemeisater, Ralph Applebaum, Ted Muehling, and many others.
Customer Reviews:
very good seller.......2007-09-28
It was very fast to get the product and I experience a very good seller!
Excellent companion, but missing something important..........2007-03-28
To truly get the most out of this book, you need one of Rowena's dwindling number of students still left at Pratt teaching to stand over your shoulder. The exercises in this book can all produce amazing results in terms of beautiful abstract relationships but to "know" what is right or wrong with an object using this visual language really takes someone showing you what is wrong with a transition or how this proportion is too similar to that one or how this spacial relationship is not quite right. In the end, you need to know what is wrong in order to really be able to see what is right and it takes someone to show these things to you over and over again. The book is an excellent companion and record of Rowena's interesting and effective exercises, but it's difficult to use as a guide for someone not dialogging with one of her former students and even that is challenging because each one delivers her gospel of 3D a little differently.
Form Analysis.......2007-03-19
This book is a nice window into a professional display of techniques and exercises that garner superior forms and shapes. I bought this book for an industrial design class, it was not mandatory, but completley necessary and helpful. i highly recommend it.
visual exercises - for serious designers.......2004-05-04
This is a technical book that is an attempt to teach what RRK developed over a lifetime obsession with visual compositions. She did one thing, over and over, refining it over a long and productive career at Pratt, in Brooklyn. As such, I believe that it would best be used in the classroom, rather than as a simple read for those who want to understand modern design. Being ignorent about issues in studio design - really doing it, rather than observing it like I do - I got a lot out of it. But I will need to refer to it and read through many more times to truly absorb the exercises. For what it is, the book is a masterpiece as an exercise in visual thinking and the method left its imprint on many of the greatest American designers from before WWII to the 1980s.
Recommended, but for designers rather than design critics.
A Good Guide.......2004-04-14
I agree with one of the reviewers in that the rules presented in this text should not be applied loosely and expected to produce "a beautiful design". As far as industrial design goes it still is not even so great. HOWEVER what it does teach is basic 3-dimensional design. There are lessons in here that anyone who works in a 3-d medium (interior, industrial, fashion, sculpture, etc) should be fluent in. I did the exercises and it has allowed me to get such a tighter grasp on my work and understand all the subtle effects I can produce in it. It is also invaluable to me as a reference guide. Study this book in order to help develop your sense of 3 dimensional structure and compositions but not as a base for design education (only because design incorporates much more than "beauty").
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