New Art Books / Videos Compiled By RAYMOND
J. STEINER DETROIT
INSTITUTE OF ARTS/D GILES LTD: Forging a Modern Identity: Masters
of American Painting Born After 1847 (Ed.) James W. Tottis.
304 pp.; 9 x 12; 129 Color Illus.; Bibliography; Index. $70.00
Hardcover. The third and final Volume that focuses on the collection
of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Forging a Modern Identity covers
the work of over eighty American artists, all active up to and including
the early 20th century. Since I have never seen the first
two volumes, I cannot compare the quality of the entire set. Handsomely
produced and lavishly illustrated, this volume features excellent
reproductions and commentary on both the artists and the work represented.
**** PRESTEL:
Picasso: Art Can Only Be Erotic by Diana Widmaier Picasso. 144
pp.; 11 5/8 x 13 3/4; 100 Illus., 80 in Color; Biography; List of
Illustrations. $60.00 Hardcover. This gorgeous book, printed
with plush cover and large-scale reproductions, features a selection
of Picasso’s masterpieces of eroticism. Selected and written
by the master’s granddaughter, Diana Widmaier Picasso —
art historian and author — Art Can Only Be Erotic is
sure to quickly become a coveted collector’s item. *****
YALE
UNIVERSITY PRESS: Irving Penn: The Platinum Prints by Sarah
Greenough. 200 pp.; 9 1/2 x 11 1/4; 120 Illus., 17 in Color;
83 Tritones, 20 Duotones; Plates; Chronology; Checklist; Selected
Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. Celebrities, still lifes,
and “portraits” of indigenous peoples of Peru and New
Guinea adorn this catalogue of Platinum prints by photographer Irving
Penn. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the National
Gallery of Art (thru 2 Oct), Irving Penn offers a stunning
array of the artist’s work. ***** GEORGE
BRAZILLER, INC., PUBLISHERS: Get Real: Real Time+Art+Theory+Practice+History
(Ed.) Morten Sondergaard. 200 pp.; 8 x 10; 125 Illus., 15
in Color; List of Contributors; DVD. $49.95 Softcover. Some
17 international professionals offer insights and commentary on
the ever-shifting relationship between art and reality. Exploratory
and, at times, thought provoking. *** INTERNATIONAL
ARTIST PUBL: Everett Raymond Kinstler: My Brush with History by
Everett Raymond Kinstler. 156 pp.; 10 1/4 x 12 3/4; B/W &
Color Illus. $49.00 Hardcover. An artist’s journey from
drawing “cowboys and cleavage” of comics and pulp fiction
to painting portraits of celebrities and cinema stars, My Brush
With History traces the steadily rising career of artist Everett
Raymond Kinstler. In addition to a portrait gallery of “names
in the news”, this handsomely produced volume also includes
some of Kinstler’s finest work, a selection of landscapes
that rivals some of the best practitioners in the genre. **** RUTGERS
UNIVERSITY PRESS: Into Performance: Japanese Women Artists in New
York by Midori Yoshimoto. 248 pp.; 7 x 10; 76 B/W Photographs;
Epilogue; Notes; Index. $27.95 Softcover. The first serious
look into the breakthrough of Japanese women artists in New York,
Into Performance explores the work of five pioneers in the
genre: Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Takako Saito, Mieko Shiomi and Shigeko
Kubato. Author Yoshimoto is assistant professor of art history and
director of two galleries at New Jersey City University. *** W.W.NORTON
& CO.: American Gothic: The Life of America’s Most Famous
Painting by Steven Biel. 215 pp.; 5 3/4 x 8 1/2; B/W &
Color Illus.; Notes; Index. $21.95 Hardcover. Published to coincide
with the 75th anniversary of “American Gothic”
by Grant Wood, The Life of America’s Most Famous Painting
is a highly readable study of both the painting and its almost
ubiquitous impact on a wide range of American culture. Witty. ***** ALLWORTH
PRESS: The Education of a Comics Artist (Eds.) Michael Dooley
and Steven Heller. 256 pp.; 6 x 9; B/W Illus.; Resources; Contributor’s
Biographies; Index. $19.95 Softcover. Drawing from the expertise
of over 60 professionals in the field, editors Dooley and Heller
serve up a compendium of tips, ideas, suggestions, and guidance
to help begin or improve your own comic strip/book. As with all
of Allworth’s helpful volumes for the working artist, this
is just one more bargain for the perplexed. ***** PENGUIN/PERIGEE:
Mangaquest: Join the Adventure and Learn How to Draw It by Ben
Gibson and Serge Marcos. 108 pp.; 8 1/2 x 11; B/W Illus.; Sketchbook
Pages. $15.95 Softcover. A how-to book on the comics industry’s
latest craze, manga art. Easy-to-follow directions for the young
at heart. *** PENGUIN/CHAMBERLAIN:
American Gothic: The Biography of Grant Wood’s American Masterpiece
by Thomas Hoving. A slightly soberer look than that written
by Steven Biel (see above, W.W. Norton’s book of the same
subject), The Biography of Grant Wood’s American Masterpiece
by Thomas Hoving, former director of The Metropolitan Museum
of Art in NYC, traces the impact and influence of the painting “American
Gothic”. Carefully crafted. **** |