Isamu Noguchi: A Study of Space

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Two entirely disparate aspects of our present zeitgeist--the embrace of multicultural complexity in place of its former suppression, and the current elision of landscape design with "real" sculpture and art--might seem to be as adolescent as our own postmodern age. Both, however, were fully embodied in the work of the great Japanese-American Isamu Noguchi (1904-88), which as early as the 1930s was finding reconciliation in cultural rootlessness, and eroding the line between landscape and sculpture. Ana Maria Torres's handsome, erudite, and broad-ranging study of Noguchi's public works drives these two points home. Complete with a wealth of black-and-white photographs of both his completed works and models of his unrealized ones, the book prompts us to consider from new angles some of the unique accomplishments of this very enterprising artist who incorporated elements of ancient outdoor sites into exterior work that provided an uncannily fitting complement to the very midcentury-modern architecture that it was commissioned to accompany.

Here, more than 75 projects are presented and considered; they are divided into seven chapters (each of which focuses on a subsection of Noguchi's vast output, including playgrounds; "earthworks"; gardens, plazas, and parks; memorials; fountains; interiors; and public sculptures) and engrossingly narrated by Torres. Each chapter is kick-started by a Noguchi excerpt about the work in question. The thematic organization of the book means that we keep bouncing back to the 1930s just when we are familiarizing ourselves with the projects and artistic preoccupations of Noguchi's final decade. But that format also underscores how his style and ambitions evolved in a uniquely personal manner, even as they seem to reflect perfectly the spirit of their particular age.

The exciting work that is included here is almost too vast and varied to be summarized, although a small sampling of highlights might include Noguchi's gardens for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, for which he convinced architects Marcel Breuer, Pier Luigi Nervi, and Bernard Zehrfuss to relocate a mobile of Alexander Calder in order for him to expand on his own ideas (needless to say that Calder was not pleased); the famous sunken garden for Yale University's Beinecke Library, with its three bold marble sculptures--of a pyramid, a ring, and a cube--and marble paving work that was inspired by that of Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio, which Noguchi adored; the massive pylon water fountain and sprawling circular plaza that he designed for downtown Detroit from 1971-79, much to the delight of legendary mayor Coleman Young, who prompted him to design a subterranean amphitheater just beneath it for the city's annual Ethnical Festival; and, three years before his death, the garden of the Domon Ken Museum of Photography in Sakata, Japan: an enclosed court of water that runs over four stone terraces, with a single granite pillar rising up near the center--surely one of the most serenely beautiful vistas in modern architecture, even as reproduced here (as are all of the photos, somewhat unfortunately) in laconic black and white.

There is some less monumental work here that fascinates and delights, too, including the boldly biomorphic and drop-dead mod undulating ceilings that Noguchi designed for St. Louis's American Stove Company building (1948) and Rockefeller Center's Time-Life Building (1947, now shamefully destroyed), plus potentially terrific unrealized work, such as plans that he devised in the 1960s (with beloved collaborator Louis Kahn) for a playground for New York's Riverside Park.

There is one thing that this very satisfying retrospective makes clear about Noguchi: instead of letting the contradictions of his own ancestry undermine his work, he used them to his advantage in a way that--for all of the diverse global influences of his oeuvre--struck this reviewer as quite distinctly and resourcefully American. --Timothy Murphy

Customer Reviews:

Illuminating a visionary but in black-and-white.......2001-05-27

Noguchi is, unfortunately, not as well known by the public as the major artist that he was. This book does a good job of showing the relationship between conception and the final realization of his major public spaces and public sculptures (the intention of the book), but a full understanding of Noguchi requires seeing his other works, such as his furniture and stage designs. The major drawback of the book is that the illustrations are entirely in black and white. While Noguchi's works were primarily about shape and their relationships and distribution through space, it would have been nice to see the photographs of the finished spaces and sculptures in color to get a better sense of their ambience. This book is appropriate for sculptors, environmental artists, architects, larger public libraries, and libraries in academic institutions with art programs that include instructors open to a broad range of ideas inart....

Book Description

Hunting, fishing and woodsmanship are inscribed in North American culture. Once the survival skills of the Mi’kmaq people, they became recreational pastimes for British officers arriving in Nova Scotia in the nineteenth century. The native people became wilderness guides for these ‘sports’, passing on their guiding skills to others. In this book, using their own words, Mike Parker resurrects how native and white men shared the call of the wilderness, traveling miles on foot or by canoe, hunting moose and deer or fishing trout and salmon. The hair-raising incidents of danger, the funny anecdotes, the skills necessary to succeed, and the personality of these men are collected here with respect and admiration.

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Wonderful artwork and great story.

People of Salmon and Cedar
Ron Hirschi
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0525651837

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful artwork and great story........1999-09-10

This book was so good I gave it to my childrens elementary library. My sons class was studying native americans and this was just perfect. The artwork was simply beautiful. A very talented artist.

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Beachcombing for Japanese Glass Floats
Amos L. Wood
Manufacturer: Binford & Mort Pubs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Beachcombing the Pacific
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Back in print. Experience the Adventure & Delight of Beachcombing. Here is a beachcomber classic any salty beachcomber will love. The fourth edition is enlarged and updated with an additional chapter, 60 new photographs of unusual beach finds, 50 additional float trademarks. This edition is the most up-to-date and readable source of information for novice, seasoned, and "armchair" beachcombers. It is truly a must for any coastal outdoor enthusiast and beach walker. Find out how to find these elusive Oriental floats, and how to read the markings, plus the fascinating story of how they are made. Bibliography. Illustrated. Index.

Father Water, Mother Woods : Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods

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Father Water, Mother Woods : Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Laurel Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0440910889

Average customer rating:

Bringing The Outside In
Review of Father Water, Mother Woods
Excellent Book
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods
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Manufacturer: Tandem Library
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ASIN: 0785781080

Book Description

Survival in the wilderness--Gary Paulsen writes about it so powerfully in his novels Hatchet and The River because he's lived it. These essays recount his adventures alone and with friends, along the rivers and in the woods of northern Minnesota. There, fishing and hunting are serious business, requiring skill, secrets, and inspiration. Luck, too--not every big one gets away.

This book takes readers through the seasons, from the incredible taste of a spring fish fresh from the smokehouse, to the first sight of the first deer, to the peace of the winter days spent dreaming by the stove in a fishhouse on the ice. In Paulsen's north country, every expedition is a major one, and often hilarious.

Once again Gary Paulsen demonstrates why he is one of America's most beloved writers, for he shows us fishing and hunting as pleasure, as art, as companionship, and as sources of life's deepest lessons.

Customer Reviews:

Bringing The Outside In.......2003-01-23

This book truly brings nature to your fingertips. As a reader, I felt as if I was out in the wild, experiencing everything of which Paulsen wrote. With the descriptive settings and easy-to-relate-to tales, Paulsen makes the reader feel as if they have entered the woods along with the characters in the story. The essays on fishing and hunting in the northern woods are definitely his best work yet! This book is easy to follow, yet has very deep and interesting accounts.
I recommend this illustration to anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. If you want to learn about cold, winter morning fishing excursions, or hot, summer days in the woods, this is the perfect book to help fulfill your curiosity. Father Water Mother Woods is worth your time of reading and is definitely a classic.

Review of Father Water, Mother Woods.......2001-01-21

Paulsen writes about seasons in his hometown being determined by types of fish caught down by the dam, under the Ninth street bridge, or in frozen lakes, and not by dates on calendars. When fishing ends, hunting is the obsession for Paulsen and friends he calls "orphans of the woods." He explains, "When we were in the woods or fishing the rivers and lakes our lives didn't hurt."

This book is a nature lover's choice. Paulsen writes of growing up in a small Minnesota town and he intertwines this town's life with stories of adventurous boys. Two of my favorite essays are "Running the River" and "Bow Hunting." The first is a hilarious tale of an overplanned camping trip gone wrong when the boat, full of supplies and boys, sinks, forcing the boys to walk back to town. "Bow Hunting" is a coming of age essay in which a boy, after killing his first doe, poignantly describes his realization that while his life will continue, hers will not.

Excellent Book.......1999-09-21

This is an excellent book. The book is written in such detail that it is easy to imagine yourself being there. This is a great book for those of any age. It will bring back some good memories of your childhood.

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......1999-04-02

This is one of the best books I have read about outdoors. The stories were exellently written and engulfed me in the happnings. I felt as if I could smell the crisp morning air on the first day of hunting season.I would give this book 50 stars but there is only five on the sheet.

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Fishing In The North Woods
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ProductGroup: Book
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Release Date: 1995-10-15

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North Woods Fly Fishing
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Raising hackles on the Hattie's Fork: And other tales of mishaps and misdeeds while fishing and hunting in the North Woods
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Venture targets North's assets in non-timber forest products.(NEWS): An article from: Northern Ontario Business

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Venture targets North's assets in non-timber forest products.(NEWS): An article from: Northern Ontario Business
Ian Ross
Manufacturer: Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Northern Ontario Business, published by Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc. on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 612 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Venture targets North's assets in non-timber forest products.(NEWS)
Author: Ian Ross
Publication: Northern Ontario Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc.
Volume: 24 Issue: 13 Page: 9(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Father Water, Mother Woods : Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Random House Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KMC41Q

Customer Reviews:

A realistic look at Tent Show Circus life behind the scenes.......1999-08-28

As a former Circus Clown who traveled with a "Mud Show" in the late 1970's, I have read many books on the subject. None of them capture the true sense, and feeling of what is was like in the "back yard" of a tent show as this one does. It brought back many memories, some good and some bad. So if you are looking for a true and complete picture of what it is like to run away and join the Circus from behind the scenes, then this is the book for you.

Book Description

An insider's critical account of modern media. Richardson tells the fascinating story of his work, starting in 1945, as a journalist and filmmaker in New Zealand, Australia, India, Britain, and Canada. From the first, he found himself out of synch with the commercial ethos of the mainstream media; yet, as his career propelled him across the world, he became sympathetic to the pressures and changes within his field -- though still devoted to higher goals. He once said: `Although I have worked in the media most of my life, in a wide variety of functions, my distaste for it has grown with every year, until today I have no hesitation in describing it as appalling.' A prolific author and film director, Richardson's work has focused on Aboriginal peoples, the environment, and human rights.

Book Description

Landlording is more popular than ever as low interest rates and stock market volatility inspire people to move money into real estate. While higher returns and stability are the attractions, a multitude of factors affect landlord success. Many of these factors may appear particularly daunting to nonprofessionals.

Real estate veterans and authors Daniel Goodwin and Richard Rusdorf offer all the resources and information any landlord needs in a single book. The Landlord's Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Small Residential and Commercial Properties, 3rd edition, is an updated and expanded volume, featuring expert guidance on all aspects of the landlord business. The narrative, examples, and stories make up a valuable guidebook for landlords, property managers, real estate agents, appraisers, mortgage lenders, insurance agents, and accountants who want to:

ò Find the best tenants.

ò Collect rent and effectively manage accounts.

ò Make sense of insurance and taxes.

ò Address environmental issues associated with properties.

ò Buy, sell, and remodel more profitably.

All the details needed to master landlording are outlined in easy-to-follow steps, written in an intelligible, approachable style. The authors also include tips on trouble-free maintenance, as well as information on the latest tenants' rights issues concerning leases, riders, security deposits, evictions, and more.

Customer Reviews:

a must read for real estate investors.......2002-04-25

THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND EASY TO READ. IT IS MORE FOR THE EXPERIENCED INVESTOR AS IT IS WRITTEN FOR THOSE THAT ALREADY OWN PROPERTIES. IT HAD SOME GOOD INFORMATION ON PROPERTY TAX PROTESTS. ALSO ON LANDLORDS RESPONSIBILITIES. EXPLAINS ON WHAT TO DO WHEN THE TENANTS MOVE OUT. THERE WAS MORE ON LEASES(copies in book) THAN I CARED TO REVIEW, BUT IT ALSO HAD CHECKLISTS ON OTHER TOPICS THAT I BELEAVE ARE IMPORTANT TO THE LANDLORD. I HAVE BEEN AN INVESTOR FOR MANY YEARS AND THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN BY INVESTORS THAT HAD EXPERIENCE IN THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT.IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOK THAT HAS CREATIVE FINANCING ON HOW TO AQUIRE THE PROPERTIES THIS IS NOT THE BOOK THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

Solid, common-sense advice and a couple of secrets.......2001-08-20

The author gave a good covering of landlording topics. Most of it was common sense information, but there were a couple of little treasures thrown in. The advice on handling troublesome tenants was interesting, but I have never needed it (so far!). For the beginning landlord, this will provide a wealth of information on topics you may not have considered. For the experienced landlord, there might be a few nuggets of gold, but don't expect a bonanza.

THE "MUST HAVE" MANUAL OF LANDLORDING.......1999-04-28

THIS BOOK GIVES THE READER AN A-Z SYNOPSIS OF EVERY ASPECT A PROSPECTIVE AND CURRENT LANDLORD NEEDS TO KNOW,AFTER READING THIS BOOK,YOU WILL BE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE ANY POSSIBLE SCENARIO A LANLORD MIGHT FACE

Great advice on how to prepare leases, notices, etc........1998-02-05

This book taught me how to handle difficult tenants and prepare myself when new tenants move in. I knew what to ask and forms to use. I would recommend this book for experienced landlords as well as landlords who are just starting out.

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