The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene 1974-1984

Book Description

Downtown is more than just a location, it's an attitude--and in the 1970s and '80s, that attitude forever changed the face of America. This book charts the intricate web of influences that shaped the generation of experimental and outsider artists working in Downtown New York during the crucial decade from 1974 to 1984. Published in conjunction with the first major exhibition of downtown art (organized by New York University's Grey Art Gallery and Fales Library), The Downtown Book brings the Downtown art scene to life, exploring everything from Punk rock to performance art.

The book probes trends that arose in the 1970s and solidified New York's reputation as arbiter of the postmodern American avant-garde. By 1974, the hippie euphoria of the previous decade, with its optimism, free love, and paeans to personal fulfillment, was over. In its place emerged a new kind of experimentation--in art, sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The seven essays featured here examine from different perspectives how Downtown artists constantly pushed the limits of both traditional media and the art world. Art critic Carlo McCormick addresses the energy, power, drugs, and nonstop erotic motion that propelled the scene. Music historian Bernard Gendron explores how minimalism, loft jazz, and Punk all occupied the same Downtown spaces. RoseLee Goldberg, the noted scholar and critic of performance art, looks back at ten years of its ascendancy Downtown. English professor Robert Siegle casts a critical eye on the literature of the Downtown scene. Librarian and archivist Marvin J. Taylor surveys Downtown as both geography and metaphor, and grapples with the question of how best to organize and preserve materials that often challenge the very notion of the archive. The book also includes seminal essays on the critical theories underlying Downtown art, by Brian Wallis; and on Downtown film, by Matthew Yokobosky.

The essays are intercut with personal reminiscences by such renowned pioneers of the Downtown scene as Eric Bogosian, Richard Hell, Lydia Lunch, Ann Magnuson, Michael Musto, and Martha Wilson. More than 150 striking photographs feature Downtown denizens and galleries; works by Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, and many other artists; and hotspots such as CBGBs and Club 57. Hip and provocative, The Downtown Book provides a rare glimpse into the cauldron of the New York artistic counterculture--and the colorful characters who inhabited it.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Grey Art Gallery and the Fales Library
New York University
January 10 - April 1, 2006

The Andy Warhol Museum
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mid-May to September 4, 2006

Austin Museum of Art
Austin, Texas
November 11, 2006 - January 28, 2007 (tentative dates)

Customer Reviews:

A great cross-section, but where's Basquiat???.......2006-11-30

This book indeed contains a good cross-section of the artists, writers & performers navigating around the downtown NY art scene between 74 & 84. Great photographs & an excellent Chronology feature at the end of the book. BUT: How do you get by sub-titling a book The New York Art Scene 1974-1984 without showing one photo of or one piece of work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, or writing one full paragraph concerning him? There are only scattered mentions of him here & there & the only photo we get are a couple of stills from Downtown 81. It's true that I didn't buy this book expecting in-depth Basquiat coverage, but still, there could have been at least a bit more on him. I'm only knocking off one rating star for that since besides the lack of Basquiat pictures, this book is an excellent summary/chronology of an increasingly important & often overlooked period of American art.

The Book of Meissen (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Average customer rating:

I'm kind with this book

A History Book of Meissen

A must have for the Meissen collector.

Simply the best book in English dealing with Meissen.

The Book of Meissen (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Robert E. Rontgen
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Meissen Porcelain Identification And Value Guide

Meissen Figures 1730-1775: The Kaendler Period (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

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Dresden Porcelain Studios: Identification & Value Guide

Hand Painted Porcelain Plates: Nineteenth Century to the Present

ASIN: 0764301705

Book Description

This book traces the history of Meissen porcelain from the "goldmaker" Johann Freidrich Bottger's first tests to the latest design, "Japan Form", for oriental dishes, that was first shown in 1983. Both the most typical and the most beautiful creations of Meissen are shown and described. Special attention is given to the 19th and 20th century products, neglected in most books about Meissen. In thirteen chapters the book describes all facets of the Meissen manufactory: The present state of the manufactory and its latest creations, Bottger's first ceramic invention, the red stoneware and its re-discovery in the 20th century, sculptural Meissen art, the different shapes and forms of tableware, Meissen painting and decorations, and often-neglected little things the manufactory made like medals and coins, lithopanes, tiles, knick-knacks and technical porcelain.

Customer Reviews:

I'm kind with this book.......2007-01-03

I'm very kind with this book,there are many snaps,perfectly made,and the description for the english spoken collectors is really perfect.There is the best guide for the beginners end the advanced..This book will help to everybody for first time.For more professional knowledges you need special book (private and corporate edition from Meissen).I recommend it to anybody for firsts steps.Amazon shop is very grave seller.Thanks

A History Book of Meissen.......2004-04-13

I liked this book, but it was a little different than I had anticipated. I was expecting a pictoral history of Meissen porcelain and while the book does have numerous pictures including many in black and white, it really is primarily a history book of Meissen through the ages. It does not attempt to show any sort of survey of Meissen pieces, but rather through text and line drawings of marks and pattern details traces the lineage of "true Meissen" from the 1700's to the present. The chapter on imitations and forgeries was interesting. One would be very unlikely to "look up" a suspected piece of Meissen porcelain in this book. The text explaining the making of porcelain, the impressing of marks and the design process are the main parts of the book. It has a rather exhaustive discussion of the development and change over time of the Meissen maker's mark. It is useful as a historical reference, but not as a collector's identification guide.

A must have for the Meissen collector........1999-07-07

The best reference book on Meissen I have in my collection. The detailed chapter on marks, both fake and true, has proven invaluable. Buy the book you won't regret it.

Simply the best book in English dealing with Meissen........1997-10-28

This is simply the best book on Meissen porcelain in the English language. Rontgen covers the history of the firm, including information concerning Meissen during the time of the GDR. Photographs, including many in color, make this an important contribution to art literature.

Painting Porcelain in the Meissen Style (Schiffer Craft Book)

Average customer rating:

Appropiate porcelian book for the beginners

Painting Porcelain in the Meissen Style (Schiffer Craft Book)
Uwe Geissler
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Porzellanmalerei - Obst und Gemüse. Porcelain Painting - Fruit and Vegetables.

ASIN: 0764302809

Book Description

The classic porcelain painting from Meissen ranks among the most beautiful and precious of all that the porcelain art has produced. The author shows, in many colored step-by-step illustrations, how the porcelain painter can personally create decorations in the Meissen manner. Especially popular are the thirty-six flower motifs and the classic onion pattern, as well as the green grapevine decoration.

Customer Reviews:

Appropiate porcelian book for the beginners.......2007-04-03

For whom beginning porcelain painting, this is proper guide book.
We can catch a sample to follow..

Meissen Figures 1730-1775: The Kaendler Period (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Average customer rating:

Meissen Figures 1730-1775: The Kaendler Period (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Yvonne Adams
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Meissen Porcelain Identification And Value Guide
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ASIN: 0764312405

Average customer rating:

Porcelain From Dresden
Pleasant Read
The development of Europe
Splendidly told history always pleases
A substance more valuable than gold

Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story
Janet Gleeson
Manufacturer: Warner Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Ten Thousand Years of Pottery
Three Plays : The Weavers, Hannele, the Beaver Coat
Ceramics
The Serpent in the Garden: A Novel
The Marquise of O and Other Stories (The Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 1570426554

Amazon.com

Since the middle ages, Western Europeans have practiced alchemy, a primitive form of chemistry, in the great hope of transforming base metal into gold. In the early 18th century, a second great secret puzzled Western Europe's early scientists: how to make porcelain. Recently arrived from the Orient, porcelain quickly became a symbol of power, prestige, and good taste. In The Arcanum, Janet Gleeson presents an entertaining and informative account of the invention of European porcelain and the founding of the Meissen Porcelain Manufacture outside Dresden, Germany.

Her narrative focuses on three individuals: Alchemist Johann Frederick Böttger inadvertently discovered the arcanum, or secret formula, for making porcelain; Johan Gregor Herold, an ambitious artist, developed colors and patterns of unparalleled brilliance at the newly established Meissen Porcelain Manufacture; Johann Joachim Kaendler, a virtuoso sculptor, used the Meissen porcelain to invent a new art form. Interwoven with the story of Augustus the Strong, the greedy and ambitious king of the Kingdom of Saxony, who held Böttger captive until he discovered the formula, Gleeson's tale reads easily and maintains a high level of suspense and intrigue throughout. --Bertina Loeffler

Customer Reviews:

Porcelain From Dresden.......2004-09-07

Porcelain, the ceramics world's equivalent of gold, is among humankind's most celebrated and beautiful inventions: the perfect porcelain item is translucent, and infinite variations of usage exist for it. It was notoriously expensive because for centuries it could only be obtained overland, through China - some thought it was created by magic, and even among educated people despaired that the sands and clays necessary to make it would be unavailable in the West. All until a rather mad semi-conman, who had already been chucked out of one royal house, lucked upon the patronage of the Elector of Saxony, and then lucked upon the winning formula, thus bringing the art of porcelain-making to the West. For about a generation, Dresden had the monopoly on porcelain manufacturing; following that, industrial spies were able to sell the secret to France (Sevres) and various other European capitals. Nevertheless, Meissen porcelain is still celebrated as Europe's best. Gleeson's story is an excellent recapturing of the strange conventions of the seventeenth and eighteenth century economies and the strange means by which one might make one's fortune under the ancien regime. She is also blessed by some truly colorful characters: Bottger the fortunate (if not accidental)inventor; Herold the painter (who found a way of decorating and tinting the porcelain), and the Elector himself, who was ruthless enough to hold Bottger prisoner until he yielded the formula.

Pleasant Read.......2004-03-24

Janet Gleeson is not a storyteller. This becomes apparent as she pops between explaining the arcanum, porcelain making, political strife and the lives of the people involved. The subjects are so compelling, however, that you will not mind too much. It is apparent, too, that she has a passion for the subject of porcelain making, and she does manage to infuse the reader with her interest.

The development of Europe.......2003-08-06

There were many advances during the rennaisance era in Europe that are far reaching. You would think that something so ephemeral as a luxury item wouldn't have much impact, but history demonstrates otherwise. Deception, espionage, war, and even treason were common occurences in 17th and 18th century Europe. All that in pursuit of the secrets for making porcelain is conceptually challenging to say the least.

When one alchemist searching for the legendary philospher's stone performs one illusion too many, he finds himself a "guest" of Augustus the Strong until he provides him with the gold he needs to pay for his extravagantly decadent life style. Fortunately, for the alchemist, he's bright and talented, and just may provide the king with another type of gold to keep the executioner at bay.

The Arcanum, is well written and researched with an extensive bibliography. I was very impressed with the level of scholarship exhibited by Ms. Gleeson. Considering the subject matter, and my preconceptions, I was suitably suprised and impressed at what I learned.

Splendidly told history always pleases.......2002-06-26

If you enjoy splendidly written historical stories, this is a must read. I must admit that the story started to lose its lustre around the time that Meissen loses its lustre; but, in its entirety, the book is a must read. If you've read The Professor and the Madman, this story is equally enthralling.

A substance more valuable than gold.......2002-06-21

Today, porcelain, china, and dinnerwares are common items in a household. This was not always true. Once, hard paste porcelain, the world's best, was literally as valuable as gold. But only the Chinese knew the formula, and they kept their secret from Europeans for nearly 1000 years. So it is fitting that the person responsible for discovering the Chinese's secret was an alchemist, whose true quest was to find the secret for making gold from other less expensive metals.

This swashbuckling tale of adventure, double-dealing, and final victory, is a basic manual for porcelain collectors and dealers, and it is a must for antiques enthusiasts, no matter where their interests lie. Porcelain and its history touch every collecting area to some degree. The knowlege contained in this short history is a must for anyone who aspires to a full education in the decorative arts.

Schiffer Books.(Meissen's Blue and White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(The World of Flourescent Minerals)(Frederick Carder's Steuben Glass: ... review): An article from: The Bookwatch
Average customer rating:
Schiffer Books.(Meissen's Blue and White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(The World of Flourescent Minerals)(Frederick Carder's Steuben Glass: ... review): An article from: The Bookwatch
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000MTDO4S
Release Date: 2007-01-19

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 514 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: Schiffer Books.(Meissen's Blue and White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(The World of Flourescent Minerals)(Frederick Carder's Steuben Glass: Guide to Shakes, Numbers, Colors, Finishes, and Values, 2d ed.)(The Glass of Frederick Carder)(American Machine-Made Marbles)(Fun Handbags)(The Artistic Glassware of Dalzell, Gilmore, and Leighton)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Schiffer Books.(The Artistic Glassware of Dalzell, Gilmore and Leighton)(Meissen's Blue And White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(Brief article)(Book ... review): An article from: Internet Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Schiffer Books.(The Artistic Glassware of Dalzell, Gilmore and Leighton)(Meissen's Blue And White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(Brief article)(Book ... review): An article from: Internet Bookwatch
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Internet Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 514 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: Schiffer Books.(The Artistic Glassware of Dalzell, Gilmore and Leighton)(Meissen's Blue And White Porcelain)(Rock Posters of Jim Phillips)(Brief article)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Internet Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book review, Brief article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This exquisite photographic book takes readers on a colourful journey through Nelson/Marlborough -one of the fastest growing tourist and lifestyle regions in New Zealand. With wine, food, and scenery galore, the authors travel this stunning area, capturing perfect images.

Average customer rating:

The New Joy of Photography
Kodak
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0201116928

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The New Joy of Photography
Eastman Kodak Company
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0201116936

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THE NEW JOY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
editors Of The Eastman Kodak Company
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HHVQBS

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The New Joy of Photography
Eastman Kodak Co
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co Inc, Reading, MA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O7W8OU

Average customer rating:

The New Joy of Photography
Eastman Kodak Company
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKVTT2

Average customer rating:

The New Joy of Photography
Eastman Kodak Company
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OL94WK

Average customer rating:

The New Joy of Photography
Kodak
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OLENTE

Book Description

With over 200 line drawings by the author. This ultimate book for the millions of Gilbert & Sullivan fans across the country offers the complete text and lyrics of all the operettas of this most original, creative and much-loved musical team.

Now both veteran and new fans can catch all the nuances of the quick moving wit, satire and wisdom often missed during performances and on recordings.

This book covers all of this dynamic duo's plays including: Thespis, Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer, Patience, Utopia, Limited, The Grand Duke, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Gondoliers.

Delightful illustrations by W. S. Gilbert adorn the pages, and an introduction by Deems Taylor brings new insight to the text.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but the Bradley book upstages it........2000-07-22

When I compare this edition of the libretto to the Ian Bradley edition of the collected librettos (Oxford), I find that this has more weak points compared to the Bradley book. Of course, both books suffer from inaccuracies in the libretto, but here is a more serious case. Also, the print of the book is a little bit hard to read, because of its age from many years ago. The Bradley book seems to be easier. Yet even despite these shortcomings I am happy to know that you can still sing along to ANY G&S song in here, or find your favourite passage, be it from MIKADO, PIRATES or PINAFORE, or any other opera. But this book still has two advantages to it - containg the librettist's drawings, and its cheaper price compared to the Bradley book. As well as the libretto for the never-before-heard THESPIS opera. Overall, while I am prepared to recommend this to the true Savoyard, I am not really prepared to recommend this to a beginner, except those who cannot afford to spend more money on the Bradley book. Still, this edition is an easy one with which you can live.

The most witty and civilized entertainment ever devised........1998-10-09

If you are a Savoyard, or even if you know what that means, this jumbo collection is one you will treasure. With a preface by esteemed music critic, Deems Taylor, and illustrations by W. S. Gilbert himself, the complete librettos from all fourteen Gilbert & Sullivan operettas is the perfect companion at a great low price. You'll find yourself humming the Arthur Sullivan melodies as you read "I polished up the handles so carefully," "Let the punishment fit the crime," and "I'm called little Buttercup, Sweet little Buttercup." In one attractive volume are the complete and unabridged texts of "The Mikado," "The Pirates of Penzance, "H.M.S Pinafore," and the eleven other operettas that set a world standard for intelligent musical theatre.

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