Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure

Amazon.com

At the forefront of modern art during the 1950s, painter Willem de Kooning secured his place in art history with the unveiling of his "Woman" series. Colorful, brash paintings composed of bold, violent brush strokes were seen by critics and viewers as vulgar and problematic but unfailingly important in their merging of abstract and representational forms. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles presents, in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name, Willem de Kooning: Tracing the Figure, a collection of drawings and studies that led up to the famous "Woman" paintings. Seen as completed works in their own right, these drawings bear de Kooning's distinctive draftsmanship of powerful lines, erasures, scrapings, and strong color. Blurred images of the figure coming apart at the seams, the works look as if they were made during an emotional explosion, though de Kooning's work process was known to be rather laborious. Four insightful essays complement the arresting images, including a remarkable discussion on the social ramifications of de Kooning's vision of the female form by curator Cornelia H. Butler. This well-crafted book is perfect for any fan of modern painting. --J.P. Cohen

Book Description

Willem de Kooning, one of the great pioneers of Abstract Expressionism, experimented with the human form throughout his career. An artist deeply skeptical about Western ideals of beauty, he focused on anatomical fragmentation and spatial ambiguity to express the fleeting nature of the individual. This strikingly designed book, published in conjunction with an exhibition originating at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, explores de Kooning's drawings of the female form between 1940 and 1955. It reveals an artist who struggled to eliminate traditional barriers between drawing and painting as he explored ambiguities between the figure and its background.

De Kooning relied on early-twentieth-century abstraction in his initial attempts to redefine the figure, drawing and re-drawing the same line until he resolved the image. Beginning in 1947-49, he synthesized abstraction and figuration, dismembering figures and rearranging them with seeming randomness. As his figural compositions developed, geometric configurations transformed into architectural elements (suggesting windows, doors, mirrors, paintings, and furniture) to create ambiguous space. In 1951, de Kooning abruptly returned to depictions of women. Using turbulent brushwork, he turned female figures into monumental, intentionally vulgar, wildly distorted images whose parts read alternately as flat pattern and fully rounded forms. The effect is an almost violent sensuality.

The artist's later style differed dramatically from that of earlier decades. Familiar shapes and hues suggest that women remain in his works, yet they are distorted beyond recognition as if seen from underwater. As put by Thomas Hess, the artist's friend and critic, "Woman, for de Kooning, is the human equivalent of water; more than a vessel, she embodies it in planes of rippling flesh.

June 15 - September 8, 2002

Customer Reviews:

Great study of a master of drawing.......2007-04-09

If you don't like De Kooning, maybe you should rethink and stop to look at his wonderfully traced drawings which exhude life, violence and passion. This book is the first such publication and it may be the only opportunity to see so many drawings together (drawings do not like daylight and therefore are rarely exhibited). Definitely worth it.

Good Book.......2005-06-05

I bought this book as a gift for my girlfriend's birthday and I was shocked by the size of the book. There are tons of images in the book, most seem to span his career from pencil drawings of his wife to the more familiar works like the one on the cover (which take up most of the works in the book, thank goodness.) The images are laid out with great focus, my only complaint is that some of the images aren't bigger, but then they would have to cut across the seam more.

The book is big, it weighs a lot, it has mostly pictures of his works, there is only 1 picture per page (no distracting, busy design), and a small biography in the back. A very good deal for the price, you get your money's worth.

Average customer rating:
The Birth and Rebirth of Pictorial Space (Paperbacks in Art History)
John White
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0674074750

Average customer rating:
THE BIRTH AND REBIRTH OF PICTORIAL SPACE.
John. White
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O8DR3A

Average customer rating:
The Birth and Rebirth of Pictorial Space
John White
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CJPJJ

Average customer rating:
Help Your Community - through PHOTOGRAPHY
Editors of Eastman Kodak Co.
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NU57JG

Average customer rating:
Help your community: Through photography (Kodak publication)
Eastman Kodak Company
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 087985071X

Average customer rating:
Help Your Community Through Photography
Kodak
Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LCGHPE

Book Description

The first boxed supplement for the Bloodline roleplaying game, Bloodline Magicks introduces the powerful use of magic into the game, giving players yet another means to achieve their goal of commanding the most powerful kingdom. Bloodline is a complete boxed roleplaying games which allows players to take the role of a monarch seeking to expand and increase his dominion, while at the same time ensuring that his progeny - his bloodline - survives to take over the most powerful kingdom in the land.

Book Description

Imagine this: Five eminently stylish and hilariously witty gay men -- authoritative experts in food and wine, grooming, decorating, fashion, and culture -- invade your life, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and, in the course of a day, make you better dressed, better groomed, better mannered, and a better cook, living in a better home. All of this is painless (unless you have a really egregious body-hair situation), liberating, and downright fun.

This is what Queer Eye for the Straight Guy does each week on one of the hottest TV shows in memory, as the Fab 5 -- Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez -- turn an everyman frog into an every-girl's-dream prince. And this is what the book offers: the essential "make better" advice from each of the Fab 5. Just like the show, the book focuses on easy but lasting lifestyle transformation -- the tasks, the projects, the modest purchases, and, most important, the new attitudes that immediately make a noticeable difference.

From Kyan's instructions on how often to wash your hair to Carson's explanation of why shirts are the new ties, from Ted's strategies for ordering wine and Thom's suggestions on a better bathroom to Jai's hints on shaking hands, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is filled with clear, direct advice on the issues that confront every man. But Queer Eye doesn't try to make you dress like Carson or dance like Jai; it's about teaching you how to refine your own personal style, without throwing away your entire closet and buying a whole new everything. It's about helping you realize the best expression of yourself -- the real you.

Queer Eye introduces men to the rewards that women -- and a lot of gay men -- have long reaped by thinking about the day-to-day details that make them look better, feel better, and get more out of life. Many straight men have long felt that these subjects are not for them. Nothing could be sillier. In this book, the Fab 5 sets them straight (so to speak).

Customer Reviews:

Quite useful for the straight (or gay) man.......2006-01-01

Now first off, I have to get something off my chest. I am not a homophobe - I had a homosexual roommate sophomore year of college and we got along fine - but I get tired of people (most commonly women) who either drool at anything or anyone homosexual or having this belief that homosexuals are inherently good at anything involving home decor or style. I hate to break it to you, but homosexuals are like you and me, and not all are like the Fab Five. Remember my homosexual roommate? His side of the room was the messiest I have ever seen a human being make. The Fab Five would have had collective heart attacks upon seeing the state of it. By the logic of the homofangirls, I was the homosexual. Not to mention that half the things said in this book I have also read in "straight" men's magazines including "Men's Health" or the alternate "Men's Fitness." I'm sorry folks, but there's no Cult of Gays out there in brown robes meeting in caves and passing down tablets written by God that tell you what brand of shaving cream to use. The reason the Fab Five are so good at what they do is because they have had the training or education and DO know what they are talking about. For example, Thom Filicia founded an interior design company, and Kyan Douglas has had experience in professional and commercial salons.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me talk about the book itself. Like the show, it offers some great insight into better living and hygiene. A lot of it is just resourceful, showing you different types of styles or ideas to open up what you might be comfortable with. There's also some pretty decent advice here, from what grooming products to use and not use, how to treat your hosts at a party, (and more importantly, what to bring as a gift) some all-important social tips, (and boy do I know a few people who need some of those) right down to what to think about arranging your furniture and eating out. It's entertaining and well written, making it at easy read that's good if you want something to just sit down with and glance through for a few minutes or so.

Well worth the money. I wish I could have given it to my sophomore roommate, maybe then I could have gotten from my bed to the door.

Excellent.......2005-09-27

Fun format, visually appealing (of course!), useful information in all subjects, even some really delicious, simple-to-cook but impressive-to-serve recipes, and take it from a girl: what these guys say about what appeals to women (or turns us off) is absolutely true. Best of all, it's never about changing who or what the reader is, but about bringing out the best that's already in him.

Plenty of useful advise here!.......2004-11-30

Heard the taped version of QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY by Ted Allen et al. . . . I must admit to not being a big favorite of the TV show (of the same name); however, that said,
this was an engaging program with lots of useful advice about food and wine, grooming, decorating, fashion, and culture.

For example, I liked the suggestion to have two bottle openers in case one disappears at a party--as it usually does.

Also, I took note of such other ideas as:
* On how to button jackets, remember: sometimes, always, never. If a three button jacket, that's how to button it; if a two button jacket, skip the first word (sometimes).

* Jeans should fit you as you leave the store. Don't buy them too short or long, as they are now most often preshrunk.

* Give more compliments. They strengthen relationships and show you care.

* At a party, hire somebody to help.

* If you get a cellphone call, say, "Hi, I'm with someone. Can I call you back later?"

* Don't take a call while dining!

* Read COSMOPOLITAN to learn about relationships.

Family of Fab Five Fans.......2004-10-01

Having become a Fab Five Family Fan Club, we had to have this book. I'm a wife and mother living in an otherwise male household. These fantastic guys offer advice for the betterment of all of us..from the inside-out. The truly wonderful thing about this book, and about these men, is that they are just that, men..who happen to 'get it.' They aren't afraid to pass along hints which simply elude many people. They gently encourage us to make the attempts to broaden and enrich our lives. This isn't just about men, either. Face it, girls, we don't understand men any better than they understand us. This book has cleared up many a confusion for me. In fact, I've learned a little more about all five areas these charming men discuss. This book is on our family reference shelf, and has served us all well. Thanks, Fab Five, for putting into the simplest terms, and with the most well-placed humor, all the little things we need to know to raise the bar. Hats off to the boys! Cheers!

Turning yourself up two notches.......2004-07-24

I bought this book having seen only 20 minutes of one episode -- you don't need to be a fan of the TV show. It helped that I have a few gay male friends who have taste, so it was not a tremendous step to take advice from five gay men. The easiset chapters to put into practice are on grooming, clothes, and culture. Who knew that plucking eyebrows (gently) and caring for one's face twice a day would have people notice? The chapter on clothes is helping to get me out of a predictable clothing rut, and the chapter on culture has some really action-provoking suggestions on going out, even if it's just you by yourself. The point of the book is to gently nudge you into a different direction. The first step is being open to new things. You'll find your confidence increasing and that you secretly covet other men's clothing and hair styles. Check out the music CD, also -- you can dance around while you get ready to go out.

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better and Living Better

Average customer rating:

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better and Living Better
Ted; Douglas, Kyan; etc. Allen
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORTTOC

Average customer rating:

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Douglas, Filicia, Kressley, Rodriguez, Ted, Kyan, Thom, Carson, Jai Allen
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B0001KIH40

Book Description

This comprehensive guide is a must-have for the multitude of fans of this best-selling genre of popular music. Uncloudy Days is a treasure chest of substantial profiles on the influential names in gospel music history such as Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, the Hawkins family, Clara Ward, James Cleveland, and the Winans. It also uncovers the history of one hit wonders and others who are not as familiar to gospel music fans. Everyone has a story to share and this book tells more than 500 of them, many based on personal interviews, including the trials and tribulations endured by so many gospel artists. The author offers entertaining and informative reviews that lead readers to the best recordings by their favorite artists and help them find new music to explore. A glossary of terms and numerous charts showing the best-selling gospel recordings and videos of all time round out this entertaining and indispensable resource for current fans and new converts alike.

Customer Reviews:

Good effort. Not a home run, but maybe second base........2006-07-09

I believe the book can best be summed up as 'hit and miss'. I'm a tradional gospel music fan who favors quartet singing. I felt that most of the writeups on this style of music fell in the 'miss' category. A lot of the traditional singer's history was very basic and didn't seem to give justice to the struggles, trials, and tribulations many of these groups have endured to deliver God's music. However, I think that as far as contempory gospel music, the author did well. The writeups seemed to be longer and more concise. For example, the Canton Spirituals began signing 44 years before Lil iRocc was born and I'm sure most gospel fans have heard of them and their music. However, it seems that there was more than twice as much to say about Lil iRoc than the Canton Spirituals. I'm not hating on Lil Iroc; I just think that the Canton Spirituals may have a more rich and extensive gospel music history. Also, a group I was interested in learning something about is the Dixie Hummingbirds. However, the 70+ year old group did not make it into the book.
On another note, throughout the book the author gave what seemed to be his opinion on what many of the groups best albums were. I don't know if these opinions came from his own personal taste in music or from actual record sales. Either way, I felt that it was unneccesary and often only represented the casual or commercial listeners taste. Fans of any artist music know that many times they feel that the artist's best work or show of talent isn't what is played most or becomes most popular. My personal opinion is that the book would be better off if the author just dealt with the facts and left the rest out.
All in all, I fell this is a good basic reference book that has room for improvement. However, this is coming from someone whose interest is in traditional gospel and not contemporary. Fan's of contemporary music may have a quite different opinion.

He Can't Put the Book Down.......2006-01-15

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for my husband who has been a faithful Gospel music fan for years and he knows ALL of the old singers and groups. He has not been able to put the book down. Everyday since Christmas he has been reading and sharing the stories with me. I have to admit that I had to pick up the book a few times and read for myself because he had peaked my interest. It was definitely one of the best gifts that I bought him this year. The only one disappointment for me was that I expected more pictures. Otherwise, I am very pleased.

Stop nit-picking and give this book its due.......2006-01-14

Some reviewers have noted (correctly so) significant Gospel artists missing from this encyclopedia. Others have also noted (again correctly) factual inaccuracies (though they are FAR outweighed by dead-on, correct facts and information). This book is the first credible attempt to bring to Gospel that which most every other genre has boasted for decades: a serious compendium of a MASSIVE amount of information. Carpenter, the author, has publicly and repeatedly affirmed that he is assiduously taking careful notes regarding EVERY discrepancy brought to his attention, and that all will be addressed, corrected, and included in this amazing book's second edition. Give the man (and his book) its due. This is a laudable, and HIGHLY readable attempt at bringing a vast genre of music, and the people who made and make it, into one volume. It reads like a great book, not a series of disjointed blurbs. I suggest Gospel fans stop complaining, sit back and enjoy the read, and simply contact the author, c/o his publisher I'm sure, with any corrections. This is a great start, and it only promises to get better.

Uncloudy Days a little Overcast.......2005-11-18

Uncloudy Days is hit and miss. While I applaud Bil Carpenter's efforts to compile such a volume -- hey, he even included information from my on-line article about the Helen Robinson Youth Chorus and borrowed liberally from my gospel website, though without attribution -- the book left a bit to be desired.

My concerns are twofold. First, there are signficant factual inaccuracies. For example, Father of Gospel Music Thomas A. Dorsey's date of death is listed as 1999 instead of the real date, 1993) and incomplete information (Hulah Gene Dunklin Hurley is listed in "G" and there is no mention at all of her most important work as a vocalist with Detroit's Rev. Charles Craig and the Voices of Tabernacle).

There are also questionable inclusions. Lola Falana and Lauryn Hill are two names I would not normally think of, but they are listed; meanwhile, where are the Argo Singers? The Patterson Singers? Rev. Cobb and the First Church of Deliverance? The latter brought the Hammond Organ into prominence as a gospel music instrument in 1939, launched the careers of several gospel artists, and provided initial funding for the famed publishing house of Martin and Morris. All are unfortunately missing.

You get my point. Uncloudy Day has some very important information: I was particularly pleased to see entries on Chicago's darling Bertha Melson and South Africa's amazing Rebecca Malope. I just wish there had been a more concerted effort to double-check facts and rethink important inclusions before publication. There is enough inaccurate and incomplete information on gospel music out there. No need to add to the confusion.

An Amazing Amount of Material.......2005-11-04

Writing an encyclopedia of Gospel music (or really of any other kind) has to be an almost impossible task. Where would even start to find out who did Gospel songs? And just how do you define Gospel anyway? Some Gospel is awfully close to Country & Western. And what about a predominately C&W singer who does a Gospel song once in a while.

Bil Carpenter has put together this encyclopedia. He lists about 650 singers. Are they the 650 he should have listed. Of course not. Everyone is going to have ideas for other people he should have listed, and would take out some that he did list. Of course if he had doubled the size of the book to 800 pages and put in 1,300 artists, he'd have covered them all - NOT.

So here you have 650 (or so) of the Gospel singers that Bil Carpenter has selected, and with each one you get a mini-biography of their lives and careers. There are pictures in the book, perhaps a hundred or more. But they are small and most pages are just text. A lot of text. I find it hard to imagine how one person could put together so much information. It's an amazing book.

Average customer rating:

Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music
W. K. McNeil
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Music | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Religion | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0415941792

Book Description

A revivalist music that appeared around 1870, this American music genre has grown into popular culture and is known worldwide. The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is the first comprehensive reference to cover all aspects of gospel music in the United States, highlighting how African-American and white gospel tradition interconnect. By adopting an inclusive approach that incorporates both African-American and white gospel music, this work is a complete survey of this important genre, relating its origins and development.

Coverage includes all aspects of both African-American and white gospel from history and performers to recording techniques and styles as well as the influence of gospel on different musical genres and cultural trends. Organized alphabetically to facilitate searching, this Encyclopedia also contains many reference tools to aid the user such as bibliographic and "see also" references at the end of entries; a thorough, analytical index; and black-and-white illustrations.

African-American Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel and Zydeco on Film and Video, 1926-1977 & Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups.(Review) (book review): An article from: Notes

Average customer rating:

African-American Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel and Zydeco on Film and Video, 1926-1977 & Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups.(Review) (book review): An article from: Notes
Suzanne Flandreau
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Encyclopedias | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Music | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on March 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1304 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: African-American Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel and Zydeco on Film and Video, 1926-1977 & Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups.(Review) (book review)
Author: Suzanne Flandreau
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2001
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 57 Issue: 3 Page: 613

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia (w/CD accompaniment).(Book review) : An article from: American Music Teacher

Average customer rating:

Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia (w/CD accompaniment).(Book review) : An article from: American Music Teacher
Mryna Capp
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Music | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Music Teacher, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2006. The length of the article is 432 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: Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia (w/CD accompaniment).(Book review)
Author: Mryna Capp
Publication: American Music Teacher (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Page: 92(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Lyrics of the Afro-American Spiritual: A Documentary Collection (The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Black Music)

Average customer rating:

Lyrics of the Afro-American Spiritual: A Documentary Collection (The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Black Music)
Erskine Peters
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Antiques & Collectibles | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Music | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Religion | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Under the rubric "spirituals" are subsumed sorrow songs, jubilee songs, shout songs, chants, homilies, mantras, affirmations, and collective, personal, and historical allegories. Their lyrics tell an impassioned story of an embattled people, while presenting a theology of salvation; in general, they encompass crucial aspects of the Afro-American world view. This research collection contains lyrics of 978 spirituals, including some variants, culled from numerous anthologies and collections. Codes are provided to guide the researcher to an original source with musical notations. The songs are organized in nine thematic categories as follows: lyrics of sorrow, alienation, and desolation; consolation and faith; resistance and defiance; deliverance; jubilation and triumph; judgment and reckoning; regeneration; spiritual progress; and transcendence. Each thematic section is prefaced by an interpretive statement, and the volume introduction discusses the historical background and analyzes the basic poetics of the spirituals with regard to structure, prosody, and figures of speech. Selective bibliographies of song collections and historical and theoretical works are included as well. The lyrics are indexed by title and by first line, and a general index provides access to topics, themes, persons, and places. The spirituals are pervasive in Afro-American life, and this collection will be a basic resource for researchers in all aspects of Afro-American culture, religion, and history, and useful, as well, for musicologists.

Book Description

"Geezers" are the lifeblood of modern football, for income and atmosphere. But who are they? And how does a reasonably sane male transform himself into a sexist, elitist, and abusive yob every time he walks though a turnstile? This is an in-depth examination of this misunderstood group.

Book Description

This is a behind-the-scenes account of several quality programs for the British television. With a lighthearted perspective, writer/producer Christopher Neame recounts the challenges and rewards of working on such productions as Danger U.X.B., The Knowledge, Q.E.D., The Irish R.M., Monsignor Quixote, and The Flame Trees of Thika.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books