Has Modernism Failed?

Average customer rating:

Really interesting

"A Mystical, Priestly, and Political Figure"?!?!?

So many years have passed...

Has Modernism Failed?
Suzi Gablik
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0500284849

Amazon.com

Twenty years ago, a noted art writer lobbed a hand grenade at the smug world of contemporary art. In Has Modernism Failed?, Suzi Gablik castigated a culture in which total submission to "the big, powerful machine" of the art market replaced the artist's independent moral authority. Modern art broke the old rules, creating subversive work intended to shock the viewer into a new way of seeing. But consumer culture eventually co-opted shock value. In Gablik's view, successful artists of the 1970s and early '80s traded their autonomy for the money and security of "institutionalized individuality" offered by aggressive art dealers and museums increasingly reliant on corporate support. Gablik argued that by losing its last vestige of belief in spiritual values, art also lost touch with society as a whole. While praising the "spiritual dignity" of work by Anselm Kiefer and Josef Beuys, she viewed spiritual imagery in neo-expressionist paintings with suspicion. How could artists who didn't actively believe in this imagery invest it with mythical power? In the revised edition of her book---which includes two new chapters---Gablik revisits the issue of moral vision in art. She divides the post-9/11 art world into artists whose work promotes the materialism of Western culture and those few who have found a "socially redeeming purpose" for art. Most controversially, she proposes that "the truly significant product of an artist is his life." Her highest praise goes to artists whose work consists of social service projects, whether attempting to feed the hungry or restore damaged ecosystems. Worthy as these projects may be, Gablik's failure to address the aesthetic component of art undermines her views. Her writing can be repetitive, and her arguments, too narrowly focused. But her passion, fearlessness and inclusion of the diverse viewpoints of artists, critics, dealers and others make her book compelling reading. —-Cathy Curtis

Book Description

In 1984, Suzi Gablik's Has Modernism Failed? was one of the first books to confront the social situation of contemporary art. In describing a world whose central aesthetic paradigm of modernism had lost its vitality, with an "avant-garde" that reflected the culture of consumerism, her book struck a chord in an audience that had once responded to the heroic idealism of modernism. Reprinted many times, Has Modernism Failed? became one of the most popular and influential works of contemporary art criticism.

Now Gablik has revised and expanded her work to encompass developments over the last two decades. A new prologue looks at changes in the cultural context of art, especially at the radical split between artists who still proclaim the self-sufficiency of art, "in defiance of the social good," and artists who want art to have some worthy agenda outside of itself. In a new chapter, "Globalization," she looks at the ruthless cultural homogenization of a universal consumer society and how a number of artists and curators are challenging it. And in a passionate new chapter called "Transdisciplinarity" she offers a way forward for individuals to break free of the limiting ideologies of modernism and consumerism and shows how some artists are reflecting both spiritual and social concerns in their art.

Customer Reviews:

Really interesting.......2005-12-20

This book was very interesting for me. I'm an artist and have always felt a bit uneasy about the marketing culture surrounding contemporary art. Gablik raises some very good points about the consumerism culture we live in and the its relationship to the art world. She also discusses the consequent loss of tradition, links to spiritual issues, and connection with the general public. Gablic is a very good writer; most of the time I can't make it through art criticism writing, but this is fairly easy to read.

It also helps that there are some good art history references in the essays and interesting philosophical references.

My only issue with this book is that Goblik tends to focus solely on having more of a traditional/spiritual foundation and making a link to general society and making a difference. But she forgets that there is a lot of purely aestheticly beautiful art that makes peoples lives more pleasant just because they are "transcendent" in their beauty. You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think it's good to focus on the spiritual and spur people and the general art community to take a look at how we can reach out, but we also need to value the strides taken on a purely aesthetic level and see how to meld the two somehow... It can't just be about fixing the environment and helping the poor; there's art that enriches people's lives just because it's awesome to look at.

"A Mystical, Priestly, and Political Figure"?!?!?.......2002-08-02

Gablik's book takes off with the question of whether art in the 1960s and 1970s actually has any social function. Gablik is of the opinion that, for the most part, modern art has become little more than a commodity in Western society and, hence, "the avant-garde, and its modes of protest and resistance, have become obsolete or irrelevant" - pg 70. Gablik maintains that a shift late in the century has "transformed the avant-garde from an ethical into an aesthetic movement" - pg 74. She makes little allowance for art objects whose aim is to challenge viewers through estrangement ("violently antisocial works intended to defy the ruling ideology" - pg 43), because these works (particularly during the 60s and 70s) were so often filtered through the gallery system to be bought and sold at astounding prices. "Art which lodges itself firmly in a world of superabundance and excess . . . can hardly serve as a model of cultural resistance" - pg 43. She quotes Carl Andre here: "As artists we have sold off inspiration to buy influence" - pg 46.

These things all make sense, but Gablik's attempt to offer solutions didn't seem to me like any kind of improvement, which is where this book really stumbled for me. Gablik calls for reasonable things - social responsibility, goodness, anti-consumerism, etc. She continually glances past politics, instead suggesting again and again that what modernism really needs is a return to "soul." She argues for "reintroducing the artist in his role as shaman - a mystical, priestly, and political figure" - pg 126. This, she tells us, is useful because it will help define our culture's relationship to the cosmos. Huh. She holds up Neo-Expressionism's reversion to classic pictorialism as heroic in this manner, which to me is enormously ironic when you consider how much repetitious blue-chip painting spilled onto gallery floors throughout the 1980s under that way-too-much-lauded banner. Additionally, she seems to view Neo-Expressionism as the harkening of an end to experimentation in modernism, which to me seems quite beside the point. "Rebellion and freedom are not enough," she tells us. "Modernism has moved us too far in the direction of radical subjectivity and a destructive relativism. At this point we might do well to make the most of a few well-observed rules again" - pg 127. If this seems to you like a solution for a better modernism free from commerce, maybe this book is for you. Not so much to me. But to be fair, there is a lot of good information in this book, and I applaud her for questioning the validity of some of our most canonized modernists, hence the second star.

So many years have passed..........2002-05-29

... from my University days ( well, just ten or eleven, I'm still young and slim), but I remember perfectly the good impression this book caused to me. I strongly recommend it. For contemporary art fans and also for those who hate it.

Average customer rating:

Has Modernism Failed
Suzi Gablik
Manufacturer: THAMES & HUDSON @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SIFERS

Average customer rating:

Has Modernism Failed
Gablik
Manufacturer: Thames and Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0500233918

Book Description

David Stoecklein's latest volume in the "Cowboy Gear" series showcases all the different types of Western cowboy hats. For working cowboys and cowgirls, a hat is first and foremost an essential tool for the jobs they do, but it can also be a personal statement of style. These photographs pay a lasting tribute to this vital piece of gear.

Customer Reviews:

Misleading: little on the history, art, culture, function.......2006-10-11

The book is an attractive coffee table picture book of old and new western hats but contains almost no information at all. A much better and cheaper book is the Cowboy Hat Book by Reynolds which has excellent pictures as well but also provides useful introductory information throughout.

Average customer rating:

Another Great book ...

Brilliant Cartoonist - All in the Animated Family

A let down from the previous book..

you're on the ball again, Lynn!!

Another "reality check" From Lynn

Reality Check: A For Better or For Worse Collection
Lynn Johnston
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0740738100

Book Description

They say life is what happens while you're busy making other plans. And in the latest update of the Patterson family, life is 'happening' and a few new realities have set in. ' Still adjusting to their status as newlyweds, Mike and Deanna find that two cannot live as cheaply as one, and then learn an unexpected baby is on the way. ' After discovering that her live-in boyfriend was cheating on her, Elizabeth swaps steady date for blank slate. ' And Grandpa Jim catches everyone (including himself) off-guard when he and Iris elope to England. Life, it seems, always has a new surprise in store.Lynn Johnston has been bringing life to the Patterson clan for nearly 25 years, and for readers of more than 2,000 newspapers around the world, life just wouldn't seem right without her daily dispatch. This is the magic of For Better of For Worse: it is real life at its most realistic. Like real life, it is unpredictable, enlightening, heartwarming, honest, sometimes sad, and often very funny. Reality Check gives readers more of what they've come to expect from Johnston's beloved cartoon: a sense of connection, a shared intimacy with a family as familiar as their own, and a front-row seat to the enduring, endearing comic saga called life. Like the many For Better or For Worse collections that have preceded it, Reality Check is sure to resonate with fans around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Another Great book ..........2007-03-30

Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.

Brilliant Cartoonist - All in the Animated Family.......2005-05-13

Lynn Johnston and Robb Armstrong of "Jump Start" fame are comic geniuses in a class by themselves. No two ways about that.

Johnston has created a believeable and appealing family who, unlike most strips contend with controversial issues such as homosexuality; divorce; infidelity; physical challenges; racial issues; crime; death. It is always a treat to read her strip in the daily paper and it makes for something to anticipate daily.

Michael, the oldest Patterson child, now married has a child on the way. Readers follow Deanna's pregnancy up to the birth of daughter Meredith Anne. It makes for a riveting story line that is sure to delight most readers and maintain their interest.

Middle Patterson child, Elizabeth, now an adult and working towards her teaching degree moves in with her boyfriend, only to discover what a mistake that was. Her way of exacting revenge upon him was funny and resourceful.

April, the youngest Patterson child went from obnoxious pain to obnoxious teen and patriarch Grandpa Jim, a delightful character marries a woman whom he meets at a senior citizens' gathering.

A truly delightful collection that will not only evoke smiles, but will undoubtedly remind readers of milestones in their own lives.

A let down from the previous book.........2004-05-18

This book picks up where "With This Ring" finishes. I was actually disappointed with this book after reading the first one. There was no introduction, and the book goes from Michael and Deanna adjusting as newlyweds, only to 1 strip after Baby Meridith is born. I thought that this book would be more towards the baby's birth, but it wasn't. I enjoyed it however, more so for the other storylines in the book.

you're on the ball again, Lynn!!.......2004-05-16

This, like all the FBorFW books, is fine comfortable family viewing. It is such a shame that everyone who reads it can't see the simple beauty of having a family (though 'fictional')like the Pattersons who really care for each other, their friends and their pets. Some of the other "reviews" I have read of this book seem extremely bitter and anxious to put down those of us who enjoy simple comics and stories of families where no one is on drugs or in prison for a hate crime or murder. If you want "gruesome", go watch TV and leave our Lynn Johnston alone!

Another "reality check" From Lynn.......2003-11-18

I became a fan of FBOFW after reading "Lives Behind the Lines". My favorite aspect of the strip is that, while Johnston generally sticks with chronicalling the so-called "normal, everyday day occurances" of nucular family life, she isn't afraid to write about serious issues. Aside from the well known (and VERY well done) story dealing with Lawrence, Johnston has dealt with such issues as the death of a parent and the ethics of journalism ( when Michael and Weed photographed a vehicle accident, then later learned that Deanna Sobieski had been involved). Lynn continues that tradition in ths book by addressing an issue that I, for one, have NEVER seen addressed in a mainstream, syndicated comic strip - sexual abuse. This story, which involves Elizabeth's roommate Candace, was published in December 2001. As usual, Johnston wrote the story well, and showed a great deal of sensitivity. As a survivor of abuse, this story has alot of meaning to me.
Another issue brought up in the book is the fact that Elly's father is showing signs of Alzheimer's. I look forward to seeing how Johnston deals with this.

P.S. : As Elizabeth continues her training to become a teacher, I was pleased to FINALLYsee the adition of some First Nations characters. Given that Johnston's strip is both Canadian and, usually multicultural, this omission had always struck me as odd.

Book Description

Hardly Working is for anyone lucky enough to have a job, smart enough to want to keep it, and savvy enough to know there's a better way than giving in to the daily grind.

Author Chris Morran, soon to be hailed as an idol of idleness, has penned the definitive guide to doing as little as possible in the office. His do-nothing know-how has been honed by years of dodging supervisors, avoiding responsibility, and crafting elaborate schemes to squeeze some "me" time into a workday dominated by corporate concerns.

Everyone could use a little more time to browse the Web, play Solitaire, or sleep off a big lunch. Hardly Working teaches you how to do it consequence-free, with strategies for arriving late without being noticed; techniques for stretching your lunch break to three hours or more; advice on arranging office clutter to appear hopelessly busy; and much, much more!

Customer Reviews:

Office humor at it's best..........2005-02-25

Well from what I can say, being an employee in the corporate environment, this book is pretty entertaining. A lot of the humor in this little "guide" seems like something out of the movie Office Space. It basically details how to do as little as possible, while getting credit for as much as possible, in the most humorous way. If you've ever worked, still work, or want to work in the corporate world, take a look at this for a quick laugh.

Amazon.com

This is a book about how to produce a high quality feature film on a budget of less than $30,000. The authors start out by saying "Buying this book was your first mistake" and go on to explain the first two tenets of their philosophy: 1) Never pay full price for anything, and 2) Never ever buy what you can borrow or get for free. Their points are well taken, and I don't mean to be disagreeable, but I think this book is still worth buying. Filled with good humor and healthy skepticism about commonly held beliefs and instructions for potential filmmakers, this is a book any would-be movie maker would do well to read. While debunking many myths and misconceptions about making films, it is not a dry manual, but rather, a realistic how-to book written by two guys who know what they are talking about from personal experience, including their admitted mistakes. I never gave filmmaking a thought previously, but now? Maybe. Could happen.

Book Description

The ultimate low budget "how-to" film book on the market.

Customer Reviews:

Showing its age.......2005-05-19

While this is still a good book and certainly has reafirmed my desire to see what I have created on screen the Impractical guide is showing its age a little.

My main problem with the text is the way they dismissed video out of hand, and thus little of what they have written pertains to digital film creation. The modern indy film maker will be well versed in the film vs digital dilemma, when this was written that didn't even seen to be an issue.

However it also details with finding actors, crew and resources and all the other fundimentals of pulling together whatever you can find to make your picture.

awesome book!.......2001-12-26

I own about 20 books on filmaking, and this book is very good, probably the best out of the 20. The writers of the book have made a couple of film features (not digital), and they detail everything that they did in the process. Robert Rodriguez's book "rebel without a crew" is a very, very inspirational book. But this book explains every step in the process from starting out writing, to making a camera dolly for $80, to using the canadian exchange rates to your advantage. I got the book used here on amazon for $15. Buy the book, then write a review here, and then go out and make your film!

Decent, but way overpriced.......2001-03-09

There's enough practical information here that you could probably go out and do it - the only meaningful test for a how-to book. But the pages are small, the type is large, the filler is plentiful, and the cover price is exorbitant. Your call.

Worthwhile.......1999-12-27

I've read this book and have found it quite useful - I'm using it as the starting point for my own forays in this area - and the best thing I can say about it is the spirit it engenders. There are probley a million ways to make a film but you'll never make one unless you believe you can - and this book by showing you very effecive means goes along way into making you believe you can. It's quite comprehensive and goes into good detail though I wouldn't say it was the last word on film-making but then nor does it - and that's not the point because it gives you enough to not just get started with but to make an actual film with - and whatever more you want or need you're natural learning and further exploration will take you to. I reccomend it.

Persistence of Vision: An Impractical Guide to Producing a Feature Film for Under $30,000

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Persistence of Vision: An Impractical Guide to Producing a Feature Film for Under $30,000
John; Newton, Dale Gaspard
Manufacturer: Michael Wiese Film Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KZCPT4

Book Description

Recreating the complete story of the punk phenomenon — including where it came from and what it turned into — Punk is a massive and visually stunning record of five years that changed the world: from 1975 to 1979. Collecting the testimony of more than 260 artists, record producers, designers, and journalists — including John Cale, Debbie Harry, Joe Strummer, Maureen Tucker, Gerard Malanga, Lou Reed, Johnny Rotten, Danny Fields, Legs McNeil, Bob Gruen, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Tommy Ramone, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, Cherry Vanilla, and Malcolm McLaren, former manager and ringleader of the Sex Pistols — Punk brings to life the profound effect punk music had on global popular culture in the words of those who created it. With reverberations in style, fashion, attitude and philosophy, the birth of punk music released the greatest shockwaves in the popular culture since The Beatles. Punk tells the story through the words of the people who were closely tied to the mania and through hundreds of contemporaneous color and black-and-white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Stupid and boring, sidney, boring.......2006-12-31

The dust jacket of this book would have you believing it's a retrospective of all the great bands of the punk rebellion, but so many greats are overlooked or just not mentioned, even if one were content to look at the UK only, PLUS the massive pics make it look more like an ode to the Pistols PR machine than anything else. Great as a coffee table book, but low on substance and accuracy. Don't leave it out when your mom comes to visit, however, as the big black and white dildo photo might just send her over the edge...precisely the kind of sensationalist schlock that made punk so misunderstood in the first place. Are we certain Malcom McLaren didn't write this trite? Really, you could spend your money on a lot better, and you'd probably have a better chance at staying awake, too!

No future.......2005-09-19

Mostly photos and quotations, many of the quotations apparently from interviews the authors conducted with insiders. Seems okay being such a large book given that the alternative would have been several volumes and with smaller photos.

A Sex-Pistols-centric, British view of Punk, but with a good opening on Warhol, the Velvet Undergound, the New York Dolls, Ramones and other U.S. influences. By stopping with 1979, however, such American bands as the Plasmatics, the Circle Jerks and Black Flag aren't covered.

Finding out what happened to Sid Vicious's remains may be the best value from this book for me.

What ever happened to rock n' roll, punk or otherwise? One of the best things about this book is that it can bring you to that time. It's sad that Coldplay passes as good music nowadays. However remarkable the fashion and the events, 70's Punk was basically lots of great music. Who knew what a vacuum would follow it?

EXCELLENT PHOTOS.......2005-04-22

If youre looking for punk history, well, you know punk was born in different parts of the world at the same time, so its not very accurate,in how it really emerged. Anyhow, you get lots of history telling from the most important punk era 1976 - 1979, and some background in the bands that influenced punk bands (1960's The velvet underground - the stooges and MC5 )such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols and more. A great collection of interviews actually, and the pictures, oh the pictures are great!. This book its huge! its so big you wont be able to hold it in your hands and try to read it. The photos are worth the price alone, i recommend this one.

Hardly Definitive.......2004-06-22

There were some good things here. Great pictures and some interesting historical information I wasn't previously aware of. However, the amount of attention given to the Ramones/Sex Pistols is way over the top. I was expecting a comprehensive review of the life and times of Punk in the mid-late 70's. In the end what I got was a biography of 2 bands and Malcom McLaren with fairly brief (comparitavely) impersonal descriptions of other icons of the time. Additionally the collaborators of this book leave the reader the impression that there were only 2 places in the world (New York and London) that were producing anything worth writing about.

Worth the buy? Yes I would purchase it again. Disappointing? Again Yes. It could have been so much more.

Punk's Dead - Live With It!.......2004-05-28

Most of us whose salvation and saving grace in the late 1970's came in the form of punk rock never thought it would come to this: a coffee table-style book on the genre so large it almost requires a truss to pick up and read. Exploding with stark black-and-white photos, the authors rightfully trace punk's origins back to the Stooges/MC5/Velvet Underground unholy triumvirate and primarily use quotes from musicians, hangers-on, and the fans to tell the story of the music so many thought would change if not the world, then at least the industry. Although an integral part of the whole sordid saga, it would have been nice if the authors had sacrificed some of the space devoted to The Sex Pistols and the Sodom and Gomorrah of punk (New York and London) and examined the scenes in Australia and elsewhere. Nonetheless, despite the small quibble, this is a glorious addition to the library of any music lover, punk or otherwise, and another testimonial to why music in the 70's casts such a huge shadow over everything that's come along since.

Punk: The Definitive Record of a Revolution

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Punk: The Definitive Record of a Revolution
Stephen Colegrave
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU5A9Y

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Stan's Saturday Crosswords, Volume 1 (Stan Newman)
Stanley Newman
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0812936612
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Book Description

Stan's Saturday Crosswords is perfect for the legions of solvers who enjoy puzzles edited by Stanley Newman and are ready for a fun mental workout!

• 100 daily-size crosswords in an economical, convenient, "take anywhere" package
• These crosswords are by far the most popular of all the daily-size puzzles that appear in Newsday

[PuzzleMeter: Difficulty—Difficult;
Style—Contemporary]

Book Description

One of America's top real estate authorities explains the inside secrets of the mortgage business

Each year, more than ten million American homebuyers, homeowners, and realty investors enter the mortgage arena to finance or refinance their homes and rental properties. And each year, millions of borrowers pay more than they have to. But you won't be one of them with Gary Eldred's 106 Mortgage Secrets All Homebuyers Must Learn-But Lenders Don't Tell.

Eldred explains all of your mortgage options and gives you the inside information you need to make the most intelligent money-saving choices. He simplifies the complicated math of mortgage financing and tells you how to make sure your loan rep is being honest with you. He covers every aspect of the mortgage process and highlights the key criteria you should always consider when making your decision. With these 106 secrets, you'll have the confidence and the knowledge to:

Increase your borrowing power
Get the lowest interest rate
Understand ARMs
Cut the cost of mortgage insurance
Save big with seller financing, foreclosures, and REOs
Perfect your credit profile
Avoid getting taken by the fine print
Get maximum return on your home investment

There's no reason to get a good mortgage, when you can get the perfect one for you. Simple, concise, and comprehensive, this book covers everything mortgage hunters should know-especially the 106 secrets lenders don't want to reveal.

Customer Reviews:

Great resource.......2007-02-28

I found (most of) this book to be extremely helpful as I entered the realm of buying real estate. Some of the tips are geared towards investment properties, but I found it to be a great source of information for anyone interested in purchasing property. This may not be ideal for someone with extensive knowledge, but it was great for my purpose, which was learning a little more about how things work and tricks to keep from losing your shirt in a real estate deal.

I liked it.......2005-03-17

I read this book in its entirety. I liked it very much. It gives concise, direct, and objective advice to the novice. I do not see how someone may give this book 1 star. At least this book is useful.

The author writes like a used car salesman.......2004-06-23

The author writes like a hustler who is trying to con you into believing he is something he isn't. From the quality of the information in this book, the author certainly seems to understand mortgage. Yet, the street-wise tone of the author actually curbs his own credibility. He uses phrases such as "Avoid the bang of a bursting balloon","How to borrow jumbo amounts without paying jumbo rates", and "[author] simplifies complicated math...[and] make sure your loan rep is being honest with you". Such lingo belongs in an infomercial. Beyond his own hoopla, the book does contain valuable information. Just don't buy into his own hype.

Wealth of knowledge for the amateur.......2004-06-03

I am new to real estate investing and I have minor experience as a loan officer. This book provides in depth detail and easy to understand knowledge on the most effective ways to obtain the correct mortgage financing for an individual based on their situation or need. The books also gives you a great amount of resources to obtain more help and knowledge on the subject of mortgages. I would highly recommend this book, and I might also add it is very easy to read and comprehend the concepts discussed in the book.

Thorough and objective guide.......2004-02-04

I just closed a loan on my first home and I found this book to be a helpful guide. It's not as sensationalistic as the title might imply, but it prepared me to know what questions to ask and how to get my credit,income, and bills in shape before I put in my loan application. Although I took out a new loan, this book goes into assumptions, seller financing, and other financing choices that I didn't know much about. I think a lot of people looking to buy might find these alternatives worthwhile. Overall, a profitable read.
P.S. This book is not an "infomercial" or "get rich quick" hype. It also strongly warns against misleading a lender--none of the advice is "fraudulent." I find it interesting to read other reviews and sometimes wonder if they actually read the book they are reviewing. Not just here, but with many other popular authors. Oh well, such is life.

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