ABBEVILLE
PRESS: Egyptian Wall Painting by Francesco Tiradritti. 392 pp.;
11 x 13; 250 Color Illus.; Chronology; Bibliography; Indices. $150.00
Hardcover. A work of art in itself, Egyptian Wall Painting is about as close-up and personal a viewing of these ancient works of art
that you might desire — some reproductions printed on a special
matte paper to give the reader a tactile sense of the limestone on which
many of the images have been painted. Tiradritti, author and scholar,
shares a comprehensive overview of art, the technology, the techniques,
the history and culture of Egyptian wall-art. Highly impressive. *****
A Museum of Their Own: National Museum of Women in the Arts by
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay. 240 pp.; 10 x 11; 170 Illus., 130 in Color;
Index. As an attendee as a member of the press in April of 1987
at their Inaugural Opening, it is gratifying to see that “A Museum of
Their Own” now have a fully-illustrated catalogue of their own. Presents
a history, an overview of their purpose and holdings, and some fifty
reproductions from their collection. ****
PRESTEL:
Andy Warhol Live by Stéphane Aquin, et al. 272 pp.; 12 x 12;
360 Color Illus.; Works in Exhibition; Figures; Timeline. $75.00 Hardcover
(and) Andy Warhol: The Record Covers, 1949-1987 by
Paul Maréchal. 280 pp.; 12 x 12; 300 Color Illus.; Notes; Selected
Bibliography. $65.00 Hardcover. Love him or hate him, Andy Warhol
still garners attention as these latest books from Prestel attest. Oversize
and lavishly produced, both of these books are designed to impress.
They do. ***** Alfred Kubin: Graphic Works 1897-1910 by
Annegret Hoberg. 212 pp.; 9 1/4; x 11 1/2;; 100 Color Illus.; Plates;
Checklist; Biography; Index of Names. $60.00 Hardcover. Published
to coincide with an exhibition at the Neue Galerie New York (thru Jan
26, ’09), this fully-illustrated catalogue also commemorates
the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death. Hauntingly grotesque
in their dark undertones, these images linger in the mind long after
the book is closed. Riveting. ****
Cornelia Schleime: Love Affairs by Christiane Bühling-Schultz, Martin
Hellmold. 144 pp.; 9 1/2; x 11; 60 Color Illus.; German/English text.
$49.95 Hardcover. From the conventional to the outré, Love
Affairs by Cornelia Schleime reflects
the course of her life from living under the oppression of communist
rule in East Berlin to her latest explorations in daring technique and
materials. Published with German and English text. ***
Being and Essence: the Unknown A.R. Penck (Eds.) Gisbert Portsmann
and Johannes Schmidt. 260 pp.; 8 1/4; x 9; 500 Color Illus.; Biographical
and Historical Notes; Biographies; List of Abbreviations. $49.95 Hardcover.
A survivor of the 1945 destruction of Dresden, artist A.R. Penck
(born Ralf Winkler) has his life and work reviewed in Being and Essence,
taking the reader from its
earlier stages under communist rule to his emigration from
East Germany to the present. Published in conjunction with an exhibition
at the Staedtische Galerie Dresden. ***
A Year in Art: A Masterpiece a Day (Eds.) Katharina Haderer and
Claudia Stäuble. 736 pp.; 9 1/2; x 6 3/4;; 400 Color Illus.; List
of Artists. $29.95 Hardcover. The second (that I’ve seen) in Prestel’s
impressive “A Year in Art” Series, A Masterpiece a Day offers
an image-rich daybook that contains some of the world’s most famous
and beautiful masterworks. A wealth of art at a very modest cost! *****
YALE
UNIVERSITY PRESS: European Tapestries in The Art Institute of Chicago
by Koenraad Brosens, et al. 416 pp.; 10 x 12 1/4;; 297 Illus.,
138 in Color; Marks and Signatures; Bibliography; Contributors; Concordance;
Index. $75.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition,
“The Divine Art: Four Centuries of Tapestries in the Art Institute of
Chicago” (thru Jan 4, ’09), European Tapestries is a
visually lush overview of the Medieval, Renaissance, and
Baroque collection of tapestries in the Art Institute’s holdings. Scholarly
and comprehensive. *****
African Art from the Menil Collection (Ed.) Kristina Van Dyke. 240
pp.; 10 x 11 1/2;; 179 Illus., 150 in Color; Works Cited; Index of Objects.
$65.00 Hardcover. This handsomely-produced volume catalogues some
115 pieces — masks, headdresses, ivories, bronzes, etc. —
of the extensive Menil Collection. Lavishly and beautifully illustrated.
*****
Brought to Light: Photography and the Invisible, 1840-1900 (Ed.)
Corey Keller. 216 pp.; 207 Color Illus.; Plates; Selected Bibliography;
Catalogue of Exhibition. $50.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide
with an exhibition presently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
(thru Jan 4, ’09), which will travel to the Albertina Museum, Vienna
(Mar 20—Jun 6, ’09), Brought to Light takes us back to a time
when photography was at its infancy. A visual journey that will delight,
dazzle, and intrigue. *****
First Doubt: Optical Confusion in Modern Photography: Selections from
the Allan Chasanoff Collection by Joshua Chang. 220 pp.; 9 3/8
x 11 ¼; 96 Illus., 8 in Color; Plates. $50.00 Hardcover. The
accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name currently at
the Yale University Art Gallery (thru Jan 4, ’09), First Doubt offers
a selection of photographs from the collection of Allan Chasanoff. Visually
engrossing. ****
The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 to the Present by Felice Fischer.
60 pp.; 8 1/8 x 11; 140 Color Illus.; Checklist; Selected Bibliography.
$19.95 Softcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art (6 Dec — Fall ’09), this little book
is itself a beautifully-crafted work, among one of the first illustrated
surveys of modern-era Japanese crafts. Excellent reproductions illustrate
works in wood, metal, ceramics, and lacquerware. ****
THE
BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART: Gary T. Erbe: 40 Year Retrospective
by Howard J. Godel, et al. 100 pp.; 9 1/2; x 11; Color Illus.;
Chronology; List of Lenders. $25.00 Softcover. The accompanying
catalogue to his 40-year retrospective, Gary T. Erbe: 40 Year Retrospective
presents an overview of Erbe’s work and excellent reproductions of some
of his signature work. ***