Paul Rotterdam: Paintings And Sculptures

Book Description

The first retrospective catalog of this Austrian-born artist's work over the past half-century.

In the nearly five hundred works that make up this luminous collection, Paul Rotterdam's evolution as an artist is strikingly evident. Thematically as well as technically, Rotterdam--whose work has gained increasing acclaim in the U.S. where he has lived since the 1960s--can be called an abstract expressionist. But looking beyond the delicate steeliness of his canvasses, which are reminiscent of Rothko, Kandinsky, and Mondrian, the influence of nature and landscape is readily apparent. Featuring large-scale as well as smaller works—many of which are included in this country's most renowned museums—and complemented by six essays, this monograph displays Rotterdam's creative journey, in which he has found the fragile balance between emotion and reason, imagination and form.

Amazon.com

Artists at Work is the sort of irresistible book that has come along frequently since artists and their working spaces became almost as fascinating as art itself. The first such tome, perhaps, was Brian O'Doherty and Hans Namuth's classic, American Masters: The Voice and the Myth, in which the minds and studios of such giants as Edward Hopper, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko are toured. Artists at Work has an equally illustrious cast: Louise Bourgeois, John Cage, the late Roy Lichtenstein and Joan Mitchell, Terry Winters, Jasper Johns, and, in this context, younger artists like Ross Bleckner, Roni Horn, Philip Taaffe, and Cindy Sherman. Photographer David Seidner visits 20 artists in all, and his pictures are themselves exceedingly artful--balanced, clear, somewhat soulful.

There is a lot to see here--Joan Mitchell's boxes of fat pastels, and her mangled, well-used paint tubes and housepainter's brushes; Terry Winters's glass, flat-bottomed pestles; Richard Serra's cluttered worktable. Artists at Work, however, has the slightly slick look of a fashion project. And, unfortunately, Seidner's brief essays are not illuminating enough. While most are fawning, he is not always kind, mocking Louise Bourgeois with a backhanded, mincing fervor. Some of his observations are irritating for their airiness: "[Brice Marden's] looks and his physique--especially when he has his hair long and wears his black jeans--give him an eternally youthful quality." Others--his continual references to "my good friend," "my dear friend," etc.--make readers appreciate, more than ever, the substantive text Brian O'Doherty offered an earlier generation of artists. --Peggy Moorman

Book Description

Artists at Work provides readers with a rare glimpse into the working studios of twenty of today's most important artists. Seidner beings the readers into the studios, displaying the working space, the tools, and the work-in-progress. For each artist, Seidner includes a striking black and white portrait, as well as color photographs of the studio and his reflections on his personal encounters with the artist.

Among the artists featured are Jasper Johns, John Cage, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Brice Marden, Richard Serra, and Chuck Close.

Customer Reviews:

Good stuff but missing something.......2004-10-14

Very nice book, well done, cool pictures but I wish I had seen more artists actually at work instead of empty, clean studios. That and the texts that were a bit on teh weak side. Besides that, really cool book, I recommend it.
O.

A Disappointment..........2001-04-11

I was so excited when I stumbled upon this book in my local library; rarely do we get a glimpse into the creative worlds of artists - until they're dead and their studio becomes a museum, for example.

As an artist myself, I found the photographs both beautiful and extremely insightful. Even so, I finished the book feeling disappointed and somewhat cheated. The text was not only poorly written, but the content of it had nothing to do with the artists' studios. Instead, the author used the few introductory paragraphs before each featured artist as a way to name drop and tell us when and how and why he met this or that artist. It was almost too difficult for me to read - here I was looking at these beautiful -and rare- photographs of intimate spaces where some of the greatest minds of the 20th century created what will be their lasting contribution to society, and the text said nothing about them. I would have loved to read more about what it was actually like to be in these spaces - what was surprising, exciting, disturbing, etc about them. It would have given much more meaning to the book as a whole.

More For The Public Than For Artists Themselves.......2001-01-25

I've talked to many buyers of art who believe that if they were to be invited into famous artists' studios, they would be seeing something straight out of the pages of "Architectural Digest." You know, natural wood, soaring spaces, immaculate wood floors, pristine white walls to be hung with dazzling works of art, views of the sea or equivalent and so forth. Nothing could be further from the truth and this book captures that. Although these artists could all afford the best space, their space is as utilitarian as I would expect it to be. The spaces are stark, undecorated, with bare floors, often with paint splattered on them or even gouged. They do have high ceilings but because it makes it better to view and move around their work which is scattered all over the studio. Their tables are utilitarian and used with maybe one chair to sit in; ditto their paint containers and tools. The "view" is what is inside the studio itself as they are in there to look at their own work. Staring at the work can be an important part of the process. The walls are kept light and are simply painted white or even in need of a paint job. Probably over 90% of all artists worldwide could show you space that looked much the same, located in their basements, garages or barns. I don't really see why any artist needs to buy this book but if you have some romantic illusion about artists' studios, and some people do, this book will straighten you out fast!

Beautiful photographs.......2000-03-31

The photographs in this book are beautiful and also revealing about each artist's approach to his/her work. I wish that the text was more elucidating, but it seems the book is more concerned with conveying a sense of each artist's personality rather than a scholarly study of their work. Some might say that it's merely a coffee table book.

Average customer rating:

The Master
This book has to be seen to be believed!
Remember beauty?

Portraits
David Seidner
Manufacturer: Assouline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2843231523

Customer Reviews:

The Master.......2002-07-23

David Seidner had few rivals. His photography is so beautiful, it seems to have a quality that makes you want to consume it slowly, like good wine or a beautiful meal. (Feel free to insert your own metaphor pertaining to something you would like to consume slowly.) He achieved a lighting technique that is particularly notable, as it is so perfect, and the axis of many of his images.

"Potraits" is the perhaps the greatest achievement in his career, cut short by death not too long after they were completed. He worked for a great deal of time on this project, and anyone purchasing this book should be aware that he was in the grip of terrible illness while shooting, but still managed to realize his vision.

If you're not familiar with the photos, they're based on the famed society portraits of John Singer Sergeant using mostly relatives of those subjects, and one or two models. (Such as the luminous Bernadette Jerkowsi doing a superb Josephine/Odalisque on the cover, and inside.)

This book is a reminder and document of the doggedness of a passionate artist: we should all have such determination. David Seidner is sorely missed.

This book has to be seen to be believed!.......2000-05-21

Mr. Seidner's portraits are niether simple documentations nor pretentious blurry art photos. His visions of his subjects are elegantly caught on film as if film were a painter's canvas --carefully conceived and classically composed. He is the "Hans Holbein" of portrait photography. Simply beautiful!

Remember beauty?.......1999-11-06

A disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer; my opinion is only one of an amateur who likes looking at photos.

Remember beauty? When photography began, portrait photography was primarily about showing people at their best. Old American Civil War photographs show proud soldiers in their uniforms about to go to war, or serious young couples about to be separated. Today we seem to live in an age of realism, when photographs of people are considered "better" or more "honest" if you can see their pores and blackhead scars. I'm not saying realism, in itself, is bad; a realistic portrait of a person can tell you more about that person's life than an entire article could (Mary Ellen Mark's photos of the homeless, for example). But portrait photography in general, and celebrity photography in particular, seems to have lost something in this shying away from beauty. Today celebrity portraits either go for shock value (see any David LaChapelle photograph) or play the Look-how-naked-I-am-Pay-attention-to-me game (see almost any Rolling Stone or Maxim magazine cover). David Seidner, whose photos often appeared in Harpers & Queen magazine, takes the opposite track: he creates pictures of people, fully clothed, in gorgeous settings. If you follow pop culture and are use to seeing photos of celebrities wearing old T-shirts and a pair of faded jeans, the pictures in "Portraits" are almost breathtaking to see: lush, sumptuous, extravagant. Most of the pictures in "Portraits" came from a photo essay Seidner did commemorating the recent John Singer Sargent exhibition. Seidner contacted descendants of people who posed for Sargent's paintings, dressed them up in the style of Sargent's time, and took photos of them in the Sargent style (pictures of Samantha and Serena Boardman, Lord Glenconner, and Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni fall into this category). The other photographs in "Portraits" consist of people in formalwear (Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in his British military uniform, the Miller sisters in haute couture dresses). The result is a book of stunning loveliness. It contains the single best photograph of the great Jessye Norman I've ever seen in my entire life. The Helena Bonham Carter picture was choosen for the millennial exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, as one of the hundred great photographs of the century. The only bad part of looking at "Portraits" is the reminder that Mr. Seidner is no longer with us. The world is a poorer place for losing this man who sees beauty in it.

Average customer rating:
ARTISTS' STUDIOS.
David. Seidner
Manufacturer: Assouline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 2843231620

Average customer rating:

Saw them in person....

Exquisite reproduction of 1940's fashions

Great book, but the pictures aren't so hot...

An Absolute Must-Own

from a British vintage fashion lover

Theatre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture
Edmond Charles-Roux , Herbert R. Lottman , Stanley Garfinkel , and Nadine Gasc
Manufacturer: Palmer/Pletsch Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

European | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Fashion Design | Commercial | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Commercial | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Commercial | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Toys | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Catalogs | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Les Petites Dames de Mode: An Adventure in Design

Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)

Theatre De La Mode

Balenciaga and His Legacy: Haute Couture from the Texas Fashion Collection

ASIN: 0935278567

Book Description

Harnessing the romance of the world of fashion and high art, this fascinating story of a collection of miniature mannequins describes the birth of Théâtre de la Mode, the Theater of Fashion. Full of stars such as Robert Ricci (Nina Ricci's son), filmmaker Jean Cocteau, and other members of the 1944 haute couture industry, the story follows 237 miniature fashion dolls through their epic tour of Europe and North America, bringing fashion, elegance, and beauty into a war-torn world. Also included are new color photographs of the mannequins, the reconstructed sets, and close-up details of clothing so sewers, designers, and fashion mavens can appreciate the creativity of Paris designers at the end of World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Saw them in person...........2007-04-16

I went to the museum that owns this collection... the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington State (About 2 hours outside Portland, OR). The photos don't do these creations justice I must say. The details on such a tiny scale are truely amazing! I've been meaning to get this book, its been on my wish list forever. I ended up getting it at the museum for full price, but it was worth it!

Exquisite reproduction of 1940's fashions.......2007-04-12

I saw an article about these dolls, that had a few tantalizing photos. I am so glad I found this catalog of the show. The fashions are presented on 29" dolls, in a theater setting, and there are so many of them, I have to keep going back to look again. The story behind their creation is equally interesting.

Great book, but the pictures aren't so hot..........2004-05-18

The color and lighting in most of the photographs is poor...I understand this is an 'art' book, but when I am looking for a specific design, if the picture is going to be no bigger than a business card, I would hope it would at least be a straight on shot done in good lighting. If you want that, this is NOT the book for you...check it out from the library, at least then your disappointment won't cost you 20 bucks.

An Absolute Must-Own.......2004-01-06

Whatever your interest that led you to this book, you must purchase it. You'll find yourself studying this book from cover to cover, over and over. The little dolls and their story are mesmerizing.

from a British vintage fashion lover.......2002-11-26

I,m absolutely delighted to see this book back in print as I ,ve been searching for itf for years. The enlarged photos give an even better view of the detail and workmanship in these tiny garments. IIt,s a lovely symbol of postwar renewal and optimism to be treasured always.

Average customer rating:

Lisa Fonssagrives

Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0500017506

Artists at Work: Inside the Studios of Today's Most Celebrated Artists

Average customer rating:

Artists at Work: Inside the Studios of Today's Most Celebrated Artists
David Seidner
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NR95L0

Average customer rating:

David Seidner
Rizzoli
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 084781114X
Release Date: 1989-11-15

Average customer rating:

The Face of Contemporary Art
David Seidner
Manufacturer: Kehayoff Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Contemporary Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 3929078465

Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography

Average customer rating:

Lisa Fonssagrives - A unique icon of the Classic Look Fashion photography era
Simply stunning
SUPERMODEL

Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography
Martin Harrison
Manufacturer: Vendome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fashion | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

Far from simply a "good clothes hanger", as she is known to have described herself, Lisa Fonssagrives brought her considerable talents as a dancer, fashion designer, photographer, and sculptor to her modeling, creating a persona at once earthly and larger than life. Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography chronicles Fonssagrives's modeling years and establishes her role in bringing fashion photography to the level of high art. It's easy to forget the clothes in light of her sleek, athletic form and engaging Mona Lisa smile. While the tall columns of text may dissuade you from reading the essays, plug on. David Seidner's and Martin Harrison's essays are informed and engaging. The beautifully produced illustrations prove her more a muse than a model for fashion photographers such as Richard Avedon, Anton Bruehl, Horst, Man Ray, and Irving Penn. Readers have the pleasure of watching her become more beautiful as she ages.

Customer Reviews:

Lisa Fonssagrives - A unique icon of the Classic Look Fashion photography era.......2007-08-31

Despite the fact that all the photographs in this book are of one person, this is the best collection of fashion photographs from the 1930s to 1950s era that I have seen.

This collection shows the beauty of a woman who had unique physical attributes to depict, what was regarded at the time as the ultimate in femininity and fashions of that era. Images, captured by a number of the most highly regarded fashion photographers of the day - such as Richard Avedon, Lillian Bassman, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Erwin Blumenfeld, Horst P. Horst, Clifford Coffin and Irving Penn - provide a wonderful testimony, to this unique and naturally beautiful woman. In addition to this, there are pictures of Lisa as she was in her later life.

At her most popular, pictures of Lisa Fonssagrives were splashed across the covers and editorials of such magazines as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Indeed, Lisa was the first fashion model to be featured on the cover of Time magazine in September 1949. The book also includes a short essay from the distinguished photo-historian Martin Harrison, which details Lisa's involvement in fashion, and the photographing of it.

The book's collection of images includes a number of nude depictions of Lisa. However, if it is sexual titillation you are looking for, then this book is not for you. If on the other hand, if you wish to see nude images created by Horst P. Horst and Fernand Fonssagrives, for example, that provides strong evidence why such nude images can only be described as art, then this book is for you.

In all, this book features a unique collection of photo images that in themselves provide a unique visual history of what was regarded as the ultimate in fashions of the Classic Look period. Buy it - gaze in wonderment at some of the best fashion photographs ever taken!

Simply stunning.......2004-08-13

Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn was a beautiful woman and the world's first top model. This book is a collection of her most beautiful photos taken by some of the world's best photographers, including Lisa's husband, Irving Penn. There is some nice biographical information in the book, but it focuses primarily on the photographs, which are breathtaking. It's hard to find a nice copy of this book these days since it's been out of print for a while, but I highly suggest you do some searching on Amazon Marketplace or ebay: the book is totally worth it.

SUPERMODEL.......2001-10-25

Lisa Fonssagrives was the first true supermodel. She had a cool easiness to her modeling, she was almost surreal. Her beauty was perfection. I do not believe there has ever been a model that can compare to her. The supermodels of today, Cindy, Naomi, Claudia are all beautiful, but not in the same way that Lisa was perfect. Its so nice to see her images captured in a book. I hope that in the future more will be done to regenerate her place in history.

Average customer rating:

Nudes
David Seidner
Manufacturer: Kehayoff Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Erotic Photography | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 3929078201

Book Description

Things to do with beer bottles is a really, really dumb book. So dumb it took a smart poet to write it. It is a great and really cheap $4 gift for anyone that isn't worth anything better. They will learn how beer is made, the history of Oktoberfest, cost of a beer bath with imported beer and some really bad pickup lines.

Customer Reviews:

A National Slam Poet writes a goofy BEER book.......2007-07-26

I saw Zork perform in a Memphis Bookstore after he held a SLAM poetry workshop at my son's high school and then held a ZorkSlam at a Memphis Barnes & Noble store [where Zork spotlighted my son & other student poets]. I was expecting at the Barnes & Noble event that Zork would be selling his book of poetry ["Stolen Snapshots: I am NOT a poet"], BUT I was not expecting that he had written a dumb $4 beer book. This book is pricelessly funny. I bought 6 copies to give to my lamer friends for Christmas. I particularly loved the page on "Beer Breakfast." I like Zork's poetry and performance and my son says he gives a great poetry workshop, but, if I were a betting man, I would bet that Zork has made MUCH more money selling a great goofy book like this. It's sad that poetry isn't appreciated enough in our society [although I love seeing our Memphis Schools trying to change this], but I have to think that Zork writing this dumb book was a smart thing. It was the best $4 I ever spent in a bookstore.
-- Howard D.

An amusing little anthem to beer, and by implication, poetry.......2004-04-07

This is a charming little book. It's amusing to flip through, especially when one is utterly loop-de-looped. It's a good conversation-starter around the table in a pub, or at home. The models used on the cover are just absolutely stunning. They're the talented artist friends of the author: an eccentric, up-and-coming poet who is steadily making a name for himself in the poetry venues of NY and CT. So give it a try; buy the book! Support the arts! Support the arts! Support the arts!

Average customer rating:

An intriguing survey of the science and music's of sound in a new environment

Virtual Music: How the Web Got Wired for Sound
William Duckworth
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Composition | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Strange Sounds: Music, Technology and Culture

Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae (Music Culture)

Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music

Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music (Roth Family Foundation Music in America Book)

The Art of Digital Music: 56 Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets

ASIN: 0415966752

Book Description

· Must-reading for all interested in the world of web-based music
· Highlights diverse artists from John Cage to Moby to Scanner
· Includes unique CD sampler highlighting the composers and works discussed in the book

Virtual Music: How the Web Got Wired for Sound is a personal story of how one composer has created new music on the web, a history of interactive music, and a guide for aspiring musicians who want to harness the new creative opportunities offered by web composing.

For Bill Duckworth, the journey began in 1996 when he developed the idea for an interactive webcast, named "Cathedral," which was developed over a period of 5 years. On its completion, "Cathedral" won numerous awards, including the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for composition, and has already inspired further experimentation.

But this is more than the story of one composer or one piece of music. The book traces the development of interactive music through the 20th century from Erik Satie through John Cage, Brian Eno, Moby, and Scanner. The technology itself is described as it has inspired experimentation by artists, including composers who have developed new ways to involve the audience in their music, plus possibilities for the non-musically trained to "play the Web." Challenges facing the web composer-from copyright issues to commercialization-are analyzed with new solutions suggested.

Virtual Music is a fascinating story that will appeal to fans of new music, creators, performers, and anyone interested in how technology is transforming the arts. Also includes a 4-page color insert.

Customer Reviews:

An intriguing survey of the science and music's of sound in a new environment.......2005-12-04

William Duckworth's Virtual Music could have been featured in our Computer Corner area but is reviewed here for its strong study of how music came to the Web as a blend of interactive sound bytes, and how it moved into cell phones and now iTunes. This history covers everything from file sharing and the creation of one of the first interactive works of music and art on the web by composer/musician Duckworth to the possibilities of nanotechnology and controversial new musics developing in the online world only. An intriguing survey of the science and music's of sound in a new environment.

Book Description

The Prix Volney Essay Series analyzes and reproduces, often for the first time, essays submitted for this most prestigious of linguistic prizes, awarded since 1822 by the Institut de France to recognize work in general and comparative linguistics.

In Volume II, the focus is on the authors who competed for the prize of 1835, the only year in which the theme of the contest was restricted to Amerindian (particularly Delaware) linguistics. The two competitors, Peter Stephen Du Ponceau and Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, both lived in the United States, but were of French and Swiss extraction and able to write their essays in French.

R.H. Robins, of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, describes the life of Du Ponceau and his views on general linguistics and phonological theory as seen in his first Volney essay, for the competition of 1826, `Essai de solution du problème philologique proposé en 1823 par la Commission ...', which is published here for the first time.

Pierre Swiggers, of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, introduces Du Ponceau's Amerindian researches and their relationship to contemporary scholarship. Then follows a reprint with annotations of Du Ponceau's famous `Mémoire sur le système grammatical des langues de quelques nations indiennes de l'Amérique du Nord', published in 1838 and based upon his prizewinning 1835 Volney manuscript which is no longer extant.

This volume shows the Prix Volney Commissioners reaching out to the Western hemisphere and selecting some of the best linguistic scholarship it could offer.

Customer Reviews:

Great book treating deep esoteric subjects........1998-07-16

Great book treating deep esoteric subjects.

The stories/Sage advices are simple and have a strong effect. I love it.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books