New
Art Books / Videos
ART
TIMES April 2007
PRESTEL:
Gustav Klimt: The Beethoven Frieze and the Controversy Over the Freedom
of Art by Stephan Koja. 208 pp.; 9 3/8 x 11 7/8; 216 B/W &
Color Illus.; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Using
Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze as a focal point, author Stephan Koja explores
the ramifications of Vienna’s innovative exploration into what has been
called “Art Nouveau.” Lively discussion and a full range of reproductions
make for a very readable history of the time, the art, the culture and
the leading protagonists on the scene. A beautiful book and an important
contribution to art history. *****
YALE
UNIVERSITY PRESS: The Art of Lee Miller by Mark Haworth-Booth. 224
pp.; 10 x 11 5/8; 180 Duotone Illus.; Notes; Bibliography; List of Plates;
Index. $60.00 Hardcover. Model, photographer, war correspondent,
and celebrated beauty, Lee Miller is here celebrated in The Art of
Lee Miller. Includes the range of her career, her many accomplishments,
an overview of her work, and the many notables in her life including
Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich,
among many others. A fitting tribute to an extraordinary woman. *****
Salvador Dalí: The Construction of the Image, 1925-1930 by Fèlix
Fanés. 242 pp.; 8 ½ x 11 ¼; 140 Illus., 30 in Color;
Appendices; Notes; Index. $55.00 Hardcover. From realism to cubism
to surrealism, the career of Salvador Dalí has not always been perceived
or written about in strict accordance with the facts of his life. Fèlix
Fanés here reveals a more complete picture of the man and of the artist,
of his beginnings and of his much-celebrated course, of an artist who,
perhaps for the first time, is given his real due by a serious scholar.
An excellent study and one that is sure to stand as a definitive monograph
on Dalí for some time to come. *****
Thomas Chimes: Adventures in ‘Pataphysics by Michael R. Taylor.
267 pp.; 9 ¼ x 12; 274 Illus., 150 in Color; Notes: Chronology;
Exhibition History; Selected Bibliography; Index of Names. $50.00 Hardcover.
The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art (thru May 6), Adventures in ‘Pataphysics takes
you on a dizzying overview of the art of a man who has found inspiration
from a wide and varied range of sources, including (among others) the
writings of Artaud, Joyce, Jarry and the art of Richt4er, Twombly, van
Gogh, Eakins and Duchamp. Handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated,
this volume celebrates one of our most versatile living artists. *****
Pop Art: Contemporary Perspectives by Johanna Burton et al. 160
pp.; 7 ¾ x 10 ¼; 141 Illus., 96 in Color; Checklist of
Exhibition; Bibliography. $30.00 Hardcover. The first in Princeton
University Art Museum Monograph series, Pop Art is published
in conjunction with an exhibition at Princeton (thru Aug 12). Includes
a sampling of such pop “masters” as Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Roy
Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, and others. Hopefully newer
additions to the series will bring more serious art. **
Masterpieces from the National Gallery by Erika Langmuir. 88 pp.; 7 ¼ x 8 ½; 47 Color Illus.
$14.95 Softcover. With excellent
reproductions and accompanying notes, Masterpieces offers up
a tantalizing teaser of the treasures contained in the National Gallery
of London. Organized by period, this little volume covers a range of
art from 1250 to 1900. *****
UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON PRESS: A Time and Place: Two Centuries of Irish Social
Life by Brendan Rooney et al. 240 pp.; 8 ½ x 10 ½;
100 Color Illus.; Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Softcover. Published
in conjunction with a recent exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland,
A Time and Place offers up some 200 years of Irish social life.
Extensively enhanced by scholarly commentary, the book contains excellent
reproductions of Irish art and imagery. Sure to be revelatory to many
unfamiliar with Ireland’s artistic heritage. *****
George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture: A Retrospective by Valerie Fletcher.
120 pp.; 10 x 11; 160 Color Illus.; 3 Gatefolds; Chronology; Bibliography.
$40.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of
the same name presently at the Vero Beach Museum of Art (May 20), this
volume presents an overview of the life and work of George Rickey. Handsomely
produced and illustrated with excellent reproductions — many of
the selections photographed in situ. ****
Guercino: Stylistic Evolution in Focus by Shilpa Prasad. 64 pp.; 8 x 10 ½; 45 Color
Illus.; Notes; Catalogue of Exhibition. $27.50 Softcover. Although
only seven plates make up the exhibition for which this catalogue was
prepared (Timken Museum of Art, San Diego), Stylistic Evolution in
Focus goes a long way toward showing us why Guercino enjoys the
reputation of being one of the leading painters of the “mannerist” school.
Scholarly and informative. ****
Norman Lundin: Selections from Three Decades of Drawing and Painting
by Richard V. West et al. 60 pp.; 11 x 11; 54 Color Illus.; Biography.
$24.95 Softcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition at the Francine Seders Gallery,
Seattle, Norman Lundin,
as its title suggests, offers up an overview of some 30 years of his
work. Almost starkly simplistic in their impression, the authors argue
for a “deeper” meaning that exists for them. Includes an interview with
the artist. ***
UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Modernism and the Feminine Voice: O’Keeffe and
the Women of the Stieglitz Circle by Kathleen Pyne. 378 pp.;
8 x 10; 166 Illus., 97 in Color; Notes; Index. $34.95 Softcover. An
in-depth and close-up look at the “other” women in the Stieglitz/O’Keeffe
Circle, Modernism and the Feminine Voice broadens our scope of
knowledge and insight into the role of women in the history of American
art. Includes the work of such artists as Anne Brigman, Pamela Colman
Smith, Gertrude Käsebier, and Katharine Nash. *****
Mumford on Modern Art in the 1930s by Lewis Mumford. 277 pp.;
6 ¼ x 9 ¼; 8 B/W Photographs; Index. $29.95 Hardcover.
Although more widely known for his writings on American architecture
and urbanism, Lewis Mumford is here celebrated for his lesser-known
essays on art and artists. Interesting insights and commentary on a
range of figures that covers Matisse to Reginald Marsh. ****
KATLAN
CONSERVATOR, INC: The Black and White Exhibitions of the Salmagundi
Sketch Club 1878-1887: A Guide to Etchings, Engravings, Drawings, Sculpture,
Ceramics, Oils and Monotypes by Alexander W. Katlan. 272 pp.;
6 x 9; 33 B/W Illustrations; List of Members; List of Presidents; Symbols;
List of Exhibiting Artists; List of Illustrations. $29.95 Hardcover.
This comprehensive guide to the extensive list of art and artists
of the Salmagundi Sketch Club (one of New York City’s oldest art clubs)
extends our knowledge and appreciation of one of our most prestigious
arts organizations. An important reference tool, it includes a host
of “name” American artists that have affected the course of art in this
country. ****
NEW
YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS: Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical
Guide by Dianne L. Durante. 302 pp.; 5 ½ x 8 ¼;
B/W Illus.; Map; Appendices; Index. $18.95 Softcover. A guide book,
a primer on looking at sculpture, and a brief historical overview of
New York City’s monuments, Dianne L. Durante’s Outdoor Monuments
of Manhattan offers up a wealth of information for both resident
and tourist in search of sites along New York’s Streets and Avenues.
Includes photos and information on some fifty-four sculptural monuments.
****
UNIVERSITY
OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESS: Form Radiating Life: The Paintings of Charles
Rosen by Brian H. Peterson. 198 pp.; 9 7/8 x 12 ¼; B/W
& Color Illus.; Chronology; Appendices; Index. $45.00 Hardcover.
The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name currently
at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz (thru May 20), Form
Radiating Life traces the career of Charles Rosen from his early
days as a “Pennsylvania Impressionist” to that of a full-fledged “modernist.”
****
Kiln Construction: A Brick by Brick Approach by Joe Finch. 112
pp.; 7 ½ x 9 ½; 211 Color Illus.; Kiln Materials; List
of Suppliers; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. $32.50 Softcover. A
step-by-step (or, brick-by-brick) guide to constructing your own pottery
kiln by a veteran who has built them in Wales, South Africa, Australia,
and India. Clearly illustrated and presented. *****