3 comments about Willem De Kooning: Paintings 1960-1980.

1. This book contains numerous illustrations of many rarely seen works from what is perhaps the seminal period of this masters work. There are numerous essays by leading scholars of de Koonings art. The design is a little heavy handed, for example the ideosyncratic typeface, but it does not get in the way of viewing the plates. The uncoated paper is a nice touch. Many other books reproduce de Koonings paintings with oversaturated colors; this one does not.



2. Great book showing the best paintings from the greatest modern painter from his greatest artistic period, the sixties and seventies. Wish I had visited the exhibition. This book is a must have for every de Kooning lover.



3. Book is in English and German.Good photographs with some works I had not seen before.Also a couple pictures of de Koonings studio inside and out.Includes an interview by Harold Rosenberg.Loved it, of course I am De Koonings biggest fan!

5 comments about The Great Encyclopedia Of Faeries.

1. I was looking for a good reference book on faeries for some research I am conducting on a book. I was not interested in the sugary, victorian faerie-types you commonly find in children's books and Walt Disney films. I was more interested in how faeries have evolved historically from ancient myth as elemental and fate spirits. This book truly captures the essence of faerie lore, adopting a global, world spanning view of faeries, not merely a western European one (herein you'll find faeries from China, India, Japan, South and Central America as well as Europe). If you are a fan of Brian Froud then you may not like this book. These are the true faeries and faerie tale legends of old, the ones the brothers Grimm wrote about. Some are benevolent (but strange), some are vengeful and destructive. I was reticent to buy this book because other reviewers were critical of the art used to illustrate this book. Let me say that I am not disappointed. If you are looking for something similar (again) to Brian Froud then you not going to be satisfied. The style of illustrations is colorful and done in a line art/ink style. It is not caricaturish or cartoonish, as some have written, however. Overall I think this book is now my favorite reference book on the subject of faeries and faerie tales and I am extremely happy I purchased this.



2. I'VE REALLY ENJOY THIS BOOK. IT'S SO GOOD.I CAN'T HARDLY PUT IT DOWN.
   THANK YOU
   PEGGY BOND



3. I purchased this book for my daughter in hope that it would turn out a bit better than reviews i had read but I am sad to say it wasn't. It has a beautiful cover but that is it. The information is good but the pictures are absolutely terrible. They are so basic and look like they have been drawn by a child or teenager not an artist. Looking at the pictures didn't even make me want to read the book because i was so disappointed.



4. Not a faeries book for kids - but very interesting. There is a fundamental notion here, not really addressed in the book, that fairy-tales are some form of "code" carrying very old folk tales and mythology through the dark ages and into the modern age. Could go with a lot more exegesis and color, but if you are interested in folk tales, this is useful.



5. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to the fairy world, you will be hard-pressed to find a better book than this. An encyclopedia is exactly what this book is- an artistic encyclopedia. It provides a thorough description of each mythical being, including its history, characteristics, magical powers, habitat, and even dietary preferences. And all the descriptions are surrounded by beautiful illustrations.
   
   If you are looking for a fairy art book, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. The illustrations are wonderful, but they are not the primary focus of the book- the information is.

5 comments about Andreas Gursky.

1. This book included some good photos of Gursky.
   Also having a detail explanation and script fro Gursky's work.



2. The pictures are jaw dropping. Exquisite. Incredible. Six stars pictures.. The most important thing to me is that his photography is SUCH that I turn pages very very slowly... Each picture contains majestic details... such a level of detail in each photo is what makes his photo craft so unique...
   
   However, there are too few pictures and many pages devoted to words and words... essays that ramble on art, pictures and blabla... I mean, I love words, i love books, but this, to me, misses the point of a book tha's mean for beautiful pictures...
   
   That's it...



3. This is a fairly inexpensive way to acquire one of Andreas Gursky's books. Most of his other books are fairly expensive and seem to be increasing in value. The quality of the images is excellent and the only issue I have with the book is the size of the offerings. If you have ever seen one of Gursky's images in the flesh you will quickly realize that this book only hints at what his prints really look like. But an oversized book would have been more costly and even then would not have approached the scale that Gursky prefers. All in all, I would recommend purchasing this book which is something that I have obviously done.



4. Probably the most innovative and gifted
   photographer of our time Mr. Gursky's work is
   selected, edited and presented by equally competent
   eyes at MOMA. It is a 'must have' for those who
   enjoy photography and contemporary art.



5. Gursky's prints in person are astounding--words fail to capture not only their size, but their detail. This book does an excellent job of taking those gigantic prints and putting them into a manageable size. Plus, this is a comprehensive overview of Gursky's work.

5 comments about Good Faeries Bad Faeries.

1. I checked this book out because I liked the book Faeries by Froud and Lee, and found this one to be equally enjoyable. Froud's artwork is absolutely beautiful, and the world he creates in which these faeries live is so interesting, fun at times, and at other times scary, I couldn't help but loving the book. Faerie lovers ought to take a look at this book.



2. I absolutely LOVE this book, as I have his other two, "Lady Cottinigton's Pressed Fairie Book" and "Good Fairies, Bad Fairies." Froud's fairies seem more real to me than the cutsey fairies you see elsewhere, and I love his stories and descriptions. Had me giggling for hours.



3. This serious of books is amazing if you like the artists style, which i love, a great addition to your art book collection.



4. This is another great book by Brian Froud. Beautifully illustrated, as I've come to expect. I like the way that the good fairies are on the front of the book, and the bad fairies start the same way, but on the opposite end / side. Very interesting idea.



5. Like several others, I bought the book for the illustrations. They are not disappointing. There are color illustrations and pencil sketch illustrations in quantity.
   What I did not expect was a dose of depth psychology. Faeries are manifestations, according to the author, of unconscious aspects of a person. Faeries are not purely good or purely bad. A Little Panic, who is a cute boy-goat hybrid, causes confusion and free-floating anxiety but also reminds one s/he is part of nature. By accepting and befriending faeries in both their good and bad aspects, one has a easier time of it. Faeries ignored will do all sorts of things and it is best to see to it the faeries do not have to work as hard to get one's attention.

5 comments about Alberto Vargas: Works from the Max Vargas Collection.

1. Great pictures from his best work!
   If you are a fan of Pin Ups, this is the Classic!!!!
   Foreword by Hugh Heffner who published a lot of Vargas Work in his Magazin.
   Worth every penny!



2. Vargas inspired many people to do pin up art, his early work of the long torso's were great, I love his work



3. Perhaps my expectations were too high based on the many 5 star reviews. The book is beautifully done and anyone who appreciates Vargas will be pleased with the presentation of his work. But, it seemed to me that it was a much abbreviated representation of his best work. This collection lacks most of his previously published works; these being illustrations in the estate. However, what I think the book needs the most is editing. The pictures are in chronological order, but few offer any biographical information other than the title. On a practical note, the book is very large: 10.25"X13.25" which is over sized even for a collection of illustrations.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and reading about Alberto Vargas, his work, his relationships with his publisher(s) and his wife. The man was an amazing talent. The size of these illustrations were incredible, sorry to see a seam going down the middle ... If I could I'd take them out and hang them in poster frames!
   
   I wish there were even more drawings to enjoy.



5. The Max Vargas Collection is an excellent collection of his finest commercial works. The illistrations and the commentary offers excellent backgroung on his life and body of work. The only thing I found wanting was the large collection of Vargas art that invariably made it onto the noses of many warbirds in WW2 and Korea. There's little refernece to this.

2 comments about Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures.

1. The Afghanis have gone through a lot. They have suffered for about 30 years now. Their culture and heritage have been destroyed and the Taliban have tried to force their beliefs on everyone. This culture throughout history has been pretty progressive in many ways but have always had rightist movements that kept it down. Several rulers and leaders have tried to promote the rights of women only to be successful for a short time before being slapped down by more conservative forces. This book is great for those wanting to learn about the ancient history of Afghanistan when it was a kingdom of Alexander The Great and the Greek rulers who came after him. The Silk Road also was a great influence on the culture. Much of the items would have been lost in the 70s except for the savvy museum employees who hid as much treasure as they could in the vault of the central bank. Much treasure and historic sites were destroyed but this treasure survived and it is a wonder to behold. I have some Afghani students who will love to look at this book and enjoy it. It will bring them pride.



2. *****I have tried to correct the star error without any success.I apologize for that.The book is a must to have.Exquisitely written and the pictures are a dream.It is not often that we see archeological discoveries of Afghanistan,let alone a book that we can keep looking at.I went to the exhibit,and I must say that the book did wonders for the exhibit.
   The details of the pieces that you see with your own eyes,and then dream of were they were discovered how and by whom and look at the book.Oh I wish I discovered them myself.The pictures are very detailed,and come in different sizes.It is a collector's book which does credit to the writer.Very very well done.the history is written the pictures of the graveyards,how the skeletons were discovered with these fantastic pieces of gold.Everything is detailed.
   A must have book.

5 comments about Phaidon Atlas Of Contemporary World Architecture: Travel Edition.

1. This is a very thorough little book so put your glasses on to read it. Over
   all though is a lot cheaper than the big Phaidon Atlas.



2. I build houses for a hobby, various types and sizes (26 total). I am an engineer.
   
   Buy the travel edition, and go to any university library for the huge atlas. I have found it at 6 so far around the country. It takes a little extra time, but hey - so does building, especially a house not well thought out :(,
   
   Currently I have a bluff lot overlooking the pacific, next to a cemetary with a ton of open space around it, in a funky town (mobile homes below???). Green is in in So Cal (LA is going green? yea right...pigs fly). I would like to put Fallingwater on the bluff..hee hee.
   
   This book rocks and has become my companion along with the Wright companion, Survey and Hogue. I am fairly proficient with Auodesk Arch. Desktop (now 2008). My dream - have all this material importable into Arch desktop for 3d orbits on a iPhone - those flying pigs :)



3. This nice little book lists some architecturally interesting building, but is missing nearly all my favorites. Listing geographically is a good idea, but I prefer online databases.



4. For those of you interested in the praticality of this as a travel companion, trust me, it works. The maps are not enough alone to find buildings in their respective cities but between knowing their general locations and addresses you can easily navigate your way to find them. I carried this book in my pocket around Europe and can say first hand that it was the best travel guide I had. A must for any Architect or student planning on traveling.



5. When the original Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture was released in My 2004, several reviews were more enticed with the size of the tome in contrast to its contents. Frankly, I was put off by the price tag (albeit well deserved).
   
   However, the recently released Travel Edition of the tome has become one of the essential resources of my library.
   
   First, don't be put off of the fact that the softcover book is referred to as a Travel Edition as it contains a wealth of projects (subdivided by continents then countries). For each project there is a single project photo, project address, and the project architect. With each building a sentence or two states the significance of the project to 'Contemporary World Architecture' (an overly broad subject in itself).
   
   Second, there is a grand diversity to the projects profiled in the Travel Edition in terms of project types and locations. I haven't come across another book to date that offers such a variety of projects within the covers.
   
   Lastly, the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture Travel Edition provides project insights and narratives that are free of any bias or criticism. The lack of both is something that is rarely found in a subject as subjective as architecture, and is welcomed in this context.
   
   The Atlas suffers from a minor foreseeable problems. The book limits itself to projects that were complete as of the time when the book went to press. Any building completed during its printing or afterwards suffers the fate of being excluded from the Atlas; perhaps it/they will be included in future editions.

2 comments about Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities.

1. I just saw this show at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. The show was very well put together, except that the Ansel Adams photographs were over matted covering a slight amount of the border and Ansel's signature.
   
   Copies of this book were available at the show and after seeing the actual art I was very disappointed in the quality of the book. The color reproductions of O'Keeffe's work were OK, but the reproductions of the photographs were just awful. The reproductions appeared flat in comparison to the photographs but also in comparison to many other better reproductions of Ansel's work. No only that but there appeared to be a lot of dust on the photographs when they were reproduced. For instance the black sky in his iconic 'Moonrise Over Hernandez New Mexico' has several dozen white spots in the sky. Other photographs suffer from this same problem. It is unfortunate since the show included a couple images I had not seen reproduced before.
   
   The publisher of this book (Little Brown) has recently published several of Ansel's books in the past including 'Trees' and the excellent '400 photographs.' Both of these books were printed in Western Europe. For some reason (probably to save money) they decided to go with a printer in Singapore for this book, the quality unfortunately suffered.



2. Natural Affinities
   Written by: Barabara Buhler Lynes, Sandra S. Phillips, and Richard B. Woodward
   Published b "Insightful" y: Little, Brown, and Company
   Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 9/2008
   ISBN: 978-0-316-11832-3
   "Insightful" 5 stars
   I was familiar with Ansel Adams, but I did not know about Georgia O'Keeffe. I suppose that alone tells you that I am not an art fan. Anyone, even those who do not typically appreciate art, will love this book. Adams and O'Keeffe produce art for the masses.
   Both focus their work on the South Western part of America. O'Keeffe is described as more aloof. Perhaps the most interesting fact in this book is that both O'Keeffe and Adams have vivid memories from even their infancy.
   The majority of this book is paintings and photographs. That makes this a great coffee table book for both home and the office. This would also make a great gift.

5 comments about Licensing Art 101, Third Edition: Publishing and Licensing Your Artwork for Profit (Licensing Art 101).

1. This book is a great resource. I wish it had included more specifics in the Presentation section regarding how to put together a solid portfolio/presentation package for the first contact.



2. My wife is a a fine artist who sells art all over the world
   as well as fine prints and has licensed products .
   The book is a great referennce.



3. This book will help you to make that decision and give you the 'how-tos'.
   It's an average book, but it does excel in showing the steps to license your art.



4. I am not a fine artist, I am more of a commercial artist/illustrator/surface pattern designer. When I got this book, I couldn't put it down! It has extremely helpful information in it for all types of artists who are wanting to license their artwork in a variety of markets. It is a fast read too, packed full of great advice and resources. It's a book I will keep going back to because it's a good reference manual. If you are thinking of entering into the licensing world, I would HIGHLY recommend that you get this book - it's a MUST, especially for the price!



5. Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "Licensing Art 101: Publishing And Licensing Your Artwork For Profit" takes up where most art classes leave off -- how to make a living as an artist. Drawing upon his more than 31 years of experience and expertise in the licensing industry, Michael Woodward clearly covers such fundamental issues for aspiring artists as how to negotiate fees for their services, how to approach various markets with their artworks, targeting a presentation, exhibiting in trade shows, and protecting their rights as artists. "Licensing Art 101" is enhanced with some 300 contacts including calendar publishers, art licensing agents, greeting card publishers, fin are publishers, and book publishers. Taking a comprehensive, step-by-step, real-world approach to the subject of licensing art, this basic introduction is thoroughly 'user friendly' and should be considered essential, mandatory reading for anyone seeking to pursue a professional career as an artist regardless of the medium in which they work.

1 comments about Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications).

1. It was great to purchase this book through Amazon. It was a gift for my daughter's birthday and it was going to cost $90 in an art bookshop in the city so I was thrilled to purchase it through Amazon at less that half this cost. Keep up the great work guys. I'll definitely use your service again.