Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing (Themes)

Book Description

Drawing has recently experienced a renewal of importance in the art world; in fact, it has rarely been as widely represented in the biennials, art fairs, and exhibitions as it is now. Similar in concept, scope and structure to Phaidon's successful volume Vitamin P, Vitamin D presents, in A to Z order, the work of 109 artists who have emerged internationally since 1990 using the medium of drawing. Whether representational or abstract, small or large in scale, using only one line or rich in colors and pattern, drawings have a highly descriptive and meticulously detailed quality that is being explored by an increasing number of contemporary artists. Extending beyond the traditional image associated with this medium, Vitamin D hopes to illustrate the complexity, variety, and relevance of the practice of drawing today.

Customer Reviews:

Emperor's New Clothes.......2007-09-25

Anyone who would call this art is either lacking an objective sensibility or has some measure of vested interest in the sales of this book. The "drawings" (lol) in this book are fine examples of why mainstream Americans no longer care about the fine arts.

One reviewer actually used the word "refreshing" in describing the contents. Are you kidding me? Refreshing, perhaps, if I had only been exposed to blank pages my entire life.

This is not art. This is the Emperor's New Clothes.

On reproductions.......2007-06-07

Vitamin D is an outstanding publication of drawings from contemporary artists which shows great depth in both subjectivity and theme, the one overwhelming issue seems to be the quality of the reproductions within. Context gives us the reason for this.. in that these are works by CONTEMPORARY artists and as such have not been digitized as throughly as say the often if not OVER reproduced imagery of Leonardo or Michelangelo, so yes some of the reproductions are less stunning however they are more than adequate and what is more important, they are reproduced well enough to spark interest in seeing the original. Artwork can never truly be reproduced, you must experience the original to truly appreciate the pieces. However Vitamin D does what it was designed to, as did it's predecessor Vitamin P, giving a contemporary overview of works and the artists who create them which have yet to be studied. These books are history in the making and that alone gives them more merit than most art publications. This series is more than worth owning and will prove to be volumes you will return to again and again.

Great book!.......2007-04-03

If you are interested in a wide range of edgy drawings..this book is terrific. It is inspiring, informative and current...not a "how-to" but a survey of all the wonderful and strange drawings being done today.

Collectable.......2007-02-04

Vitamin D, is complete inside and out. The binding is terrific, the type, the torn paper edges, the layout, everything that went into designing this book was well thought out. Its not only fabulous, but a pleasure to look through. The artists chosen are all exceptionally talented, and each with a unique edge. Nevertheless, all work presented will be a definite point of reference for many many years to come, including the work by my own mentor,and teacher.

If you have any sort of an interest in art..........2006-11-12

Then you will absolutely fall in love with this book. This book is full of images from a wide range of media and artists. The short bios on the artists are short but informative and don't take up much space (more room for pictures). If you're something of an artist yourself then you can certainly pull lots of ideas from this book. I definitely am glad I bought this book.

Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)

Average customer rating:

overrated and wordy
They really need a Zero Star category for books like this one
Review by P Hutchings, Melbourne, Australia
Abstraction clarified
If You Could Have Only One Art Book...

Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)
Kirk Varnedoe
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Contemporary Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 069112678X

Book Description

"What is abstract art good for? What's the use--for us as individuals, or for any society--of pictures of nothing, of paintings and sculptures or prints or drawings that do not seem to show anything except themselves?" In this invigorating account of abstract art since Jackson Pollock, eminent art historian Kirk Varnedoe, the former chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, asks these and other questions as he frankly confronts the uncertainties we may have about the nonrepresentational art produced in the last five decades. He makes a compelling argument for its history and value, much as E. H. Gombrich tackled representation fifty years ago in Art and Illusion, another landmark A. W. Mellon Lectures volume. Realizing that these lectures might be his final work, Varnedoe conceived of them as a statement of his faith in modern art and as the culminating example of his lucidly pragmatic and philosophical approach to art history. He delivered the lectures, edited and reproduced here with their illustrations, to overflowing crowds at the National Gallery of Art in Washington in the spring of 2003, just months before his death.

With brilliance, passion, and humor, Varnedoe addresses the skeptical attitudes and misunderstandings that we often bring to our experience of abstract art. Resisting grand generalizations, he makes a deliberate and scholarly case for abstraction--showing us that more than just pure looking is necessary to understand the self-made symbolic language of abstract art. Proceeding decade by decade, he brings alive the history and biography that inform the art while also challenging the received wisdom about distinctions between abstraction and representation, modernism and postmodernism, and minimalism and pop. The result is a fascinating and ultimately moving tour through a half century of abstract art, concluding with an unforgettable description of one of Varnedoe's favorite works.

Customer Reviews:

overrated and wordy.......2007-09-19

a disappointing book - pretentious and unenlightening - get hilton kramer's "the trium of modernism" instead!

They really need a Zero Star category for books like this one.......2007-07-24

I watched the excellent series on art on DVD called "Power of Art" by Simon Schama. The last episode of the series is on Mark Rothko, an abstract painter. It made me want to learn more about abstract art, so I bought this book. Annnt! Thanks for playing. This book is a dog. It didnt help me understand abstract art one bit . In fact, it goes on and on about pieces of "art," but does not explain them beyond being smears or smudges or works of technique. The basis of abstract art is not explained at all.

BTW, it appears from this book that these guys were often making paintings just as rude jabs at one another's work.

I found the book a total waste.

Review by P Hutchings, Melbourne, Australia.......2007-06-13

Kirk Varnedoe's Pictures of Nothing is a masterpiece of empirical art chronology/criticism. It is gritty and on the ground. This is a relief after Danto's warmed-over Hegel and Clement Greenberg's star-spangled marx with a small M. If one might venture any hypothesis about the artists about whom Varnedoe wrote it would have to face, square on, any counter-instances. No Zeitgeist, just Popperian falsifiablility. Good. It is of course a pity for those of us who were not in New York at the right time. But, that's life.

Patrick Hutchings
Department of Philopsophy
University of Melbourne
Australia

Abstraction clarified.......2007-02-07

A brilliant and thorough explication of contemporary abstract art. The lectures were not intended for
arts professionals but are a literate and enjoyable guide to the visual arts since Jackson Pollock.

If You Could Have Only One Art Book..........2007-01-14

I'm married to a librarian and between the two of us, we have at least 8,000 books (we both love books just about more than anything), but if I could only have one book - this would definitely be it. The late Kirk Varnedoe, former Chief Curator of MoMA, has so clearly, easily and deliciously put into one gorgeous volume the whole picture of what I've been studying my you-know-what off to understand over the past 7 years. I've been The Menil Collection's Twombly Guard during those 7 years, so you can believe that I am especially enthusiastic with Varnedoe's illuminating explanations on Cy Twombly's art! Buy this book and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. The reproductions are also first-class. Varnedoe gave these lectures knowing that he was dying of cancer; his last sentence is "And now I am done." Three months later he did die and was never able to see them published. This book may be the best book that has ever been written about abstract art.

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) (Design Classics)

Average customer rating:

Literally Drew Blood!
Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set)
Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set
Superb book with ironic packaging
Five stars for content; 0 stars for shipping

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) (Design Classics)
Editors of Phaidon Press
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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10 X 10 _ 2
Design Your Self: Rethinking the Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play
Andy Warhol: Giant Size
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Art Invention House

ASIN: 0714843997

Book Description

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is the first comprehensive and authoritative collection of classic design objects. This beautifully illustrated three-volume set of books presents 999 industrially manufactured products, carefully selected by a group of experts. It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail.

From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before. PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS tells the story of design's evolution around the world from the late 1600's to the present, bringing together patents, prototypes, old advertisements, original drawings, images showing the process of manufacturing, as well as rare archival photographs. The anthology features an astonishing 4,000 images.

The objects are presented chronologically, beginning with an elegant pair of Chinese bonsai scissors from the early 1600s, still in production today, and ending with Barber Osgerby's Lunar bath accessories, destined to become a classic. Glancing through the volumes, the reader will gain an understanding not only of the history of design, but a history of taste and culture. The book is an extraordinary journey through the objects that have shaped our society, from the first attempts to combine function and beauty in the nineteenth century, through the machine aesthetics of the thirties, the advent of plastic and other new materials in the fifties and sixties, up to the classics-to-be of the last ten years.

The book includes not only objects created by internationally renowned designers, such as Breuer, Le Corbusier, Dreyfuss, Eames, Yanagi and Castiglioni, but also anonymously designed pieces, such as the clothes peg, the corkscrew and the chopstick, which, in spite of lacking a specific designer, have achieved such perfection in design and functionality that they have eliminated the possibility of improvement.

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is a laboriously selected examination of some of the world's best products ever made, most of which are still in production. The objects truly encapsulate what design is and what it will be for decades to come. It is a key reference tool for the designer or architect, as well as a fascinating and accessible design history for the newcomer.

The collection comes in a specifically commissioned carrying unit exclusively designed by Konstantin Gricic.

Customer Reviews:

Literally Drew Blood!.......2007-10-02

I thought when I ordered the books that all this thrash about the packaging MUST be overblown. But this is, without a doubt the worst packaging I've ever dealt with. Though the plastic case was damaged in shipping it was still a struggle to free the books. When pulled apart (which is what a small sticker on one of the books advises) the plastic shattered. One piece dug into the palm of my hand and gave me a pretty decent gash. Other smaller fragments ended up all over my room. All I could think was thank God I didn't lose an eye! Even then I only succeeded in liberating one book.

The books themselves are very nice, and were only slighty damaged in the ludicrous struggle to liberate them from the case. It's comical that they come in the worst designed packaging you can imagine.

So while I would recommend the books, I also strongly suggest protective eye wear for the unboxing.

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set).......2007-09-21

Hello,
the Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) is state of art issue must have in any designer office/house, or those how like design.
it give you an whole review with pics & explantion.
i really love this product and its worth the money and even more.
brgds,
Eran

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set.......2007-02-22

Books are great overview of classic designs, but Amazon service is horrible. The carry case is one of the worst designs ever but customers would be lucky to see it. The way Amazon ships the product, the carry case (a flimsy pastic) breaks in shipping. Amazon refuses to ship the carry case alone and states that it is not their problem but that of the manufacturer. They will offer to send a replacement set once (books and carry case), but it will come broken again as they do not ship it differently and you have to set up return shipment of the original package.

Superb book with ironic packaging.......2007-02-10

Superlative book; goes well with the Domus 12 volume set for enough design related material to keep even an avid reader occupied for years to come...

The packaging understandably gets more comment than the books themselves. I suspect it is deliberately ironic - coverage of 999 objects blending form and function, coupled with a piece of something else.

I'm surprised at the complaints regarding the packaging being broken in shipment - I would have appreciated someone saving me the trouble, as mine went straight in the recycling bin. I'd rather liberate my books than imprison them.

Five stars for content; 0 stars for shipping.......2007-02-06

Beautiful books and production value, but the plastic carrying case--being especially vulnerable--didn't survive two shipping attempts. On both occasions, the books arrived with their carrying case shattered and the books damaged. You might do better getting these some other way. You'll take your chances if you decide to have them shipped via Amazon (or any other online shipper). Beware.

Twentieth-Century Russian and East European Painting: The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection

Average customer rating:

Twentieth-Century Russian and East European Painting: The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection
Johne E. Bowlt , and Nicoletta Misler
Manufacturer: Philip Wilson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0302006192

Book Description

At the heart of this pioneering study - the result of exhaustive comparative research in Russian, European and American collections - is an illustrated catalogue which provides detailed descriptions of each work in the context of the artist's career and the broader artistic developments of the age. The condition, provenance, and previous location of the works are also detailed.

The catalogue is introduced by three essays: The Russian Avant-Garde, the Hungarian Avant-Garde, and the history of the collecting of Russian Avant-Garde art. The volume concludes with artists' biographies, bibliographical information, a glossary and index.

A catalogue of 59 works, written by two of the most eminent scholars in the field.

In the Pink: Dorothy Draper--America's Most Fabulous Decorator

Average customer rating:

The Height of Glamour
The gorgeous terror of excess, or "How I was blinded with ornament"
Absolutely gorgeous book
As History & Biography: Bravo! As Design Inspiration: Blah!
MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT

In the Pink: Dorothy Draper--America's Most Fabulous Decorator
Carleton Varney
Manufacturer: Pointed Leaf Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0972766189

Book Description

From the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and Quitandinha in Brazil to her important fabrics for F. Schumacher & Co. and her automobile and airplane interiors of the 1950s, Draper continues to influence designers today.

Customer Reviews:

The Height of Glamour.......2007-07-12

When High STYLE was "in-style" Dorothy Draper was the queen of design... Every page reflects her understanding of space, light and perfection!!! This isa great read for the design professional as well as the casual reader. Her life story and her work are inseperable - she loved beautiful things and had an un-erring eye for the dramatic. "In the Pink: Dorothy Draper --America's Most Fabulous Decorator" is a visual treat as much as it is a fun read! As an iterior designer I see her design principles are as easily applied today as it was in the age of glamour. I would give it a 5!!! all across the board.

The gorgeous terror of excess, or "How I was blinded with ornament".......2007-06-01

While Kelly Wearstler was still in the womb, Dorothy Draper was jetsetting the style world in a solid gold Deusenburg that was fueled exclusively on Chanel no. 5. Her contribution to the interiors and custom fabricated furnitures and fixtures has forever seared a scar into the homes of hollywood and beyond. Liberace himself would be sent into a seizure over Dorothy's hallucinagenic oppulence and fearless approach to her indulgent, decorative torture chambers. Get this book and blow your mind.

Absolutely gorgeous book.......2007-04-06

It took a while for me to finally decide to drop that kind of coin on a book, but its absolutely gorgeous and worth the price. Very cool to page through and see her imprint on decorating and design through the 30's up to now. You page through a Domino magazine and see a cool black and white modern print on a white french chair and think 'wow' and then you page through the book and see that she was doing it in the 40's. Just makes me wish I had my own chandelier fabricator and my own master plasterer as those seem to be her tricks of the trade. Beautifully put together and one of the few decorating books I actually wanted to READ every word and not just page through for the pretty pics.

As History & Biography: Bravo! As Design Inspiration: Blah!.......2007-04-02

I bought this book for my wife, who is an artist and color consultant, because I thought she'd enjoy seeing an iconic designer known for her bold use of color and thematic environments -- especially done on a grand scale. And, yes, you will find page after page after page of grand ballrooms, hotel lobbies, mansion-size dining rooms, and so on here.

80% of them, unfortunately, are photographed in black & white. So much for the bold use of color.

There are two great color photos -- pages 161 and 207 -- that show off Draper's lush, vibrant style. But the rest of the book is either slightly out of focus color photos, color illustrations and old ads, or black & white photos. It's just sad in how it under-represents Dorothy Draper.

"But be fair," you say. "Dorothy Draper's peak took place before the advent of color photography." That's fine. But this book is a perfect example of the rare publishing project that truly is BEGGING for Photoshop colorization. On page 53, for example, the text refers to a House & Garden magazine article which declared one of Draper's most visible design projects, Hampshire House, to be "a gold mine of decorating ideas, particularly in color." And yet all four photos on that spread are in black & white, as are the spreads before and after it. A very good Photoshop artist -- and several do perfect, true-to-life work -- could give those old black & white shots the vivid, vibrant colors that would represent Dorothy Draper properly and accurately without changing Draper's style one iota.

As I say in my title, as a history (of the advent of superstar designers) and a biography (of Draper), this is a very good book that should not be overlooked. But how can you do a history of bold interior design, or a biography of a top interior designer, without SHOWING the vivacious use of color which was central to both? That's like doing a bio of Abe Lincoln without including the Gettysburg Address.

So is this worth seeing? Definitely. Worth buying used? Probably. Worth buying new? Only if you're rich.

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT.......2007-03-19

I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND NOW I AM SO DISAPPOINTED.....WHILE THE COVER IS STUNNING AND IT PULLS YOU IN TO LOOK AT THE REST OF THE BOOK THE PHOTOGRAPHS INSIDE ARE NOT GOOD AT ALL...I AM SURPRISED WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY THE PHOTOS WERE NOT BETTER....IT ALSO SHOWED ME THAT THE DORTHY DRAPER STYLE WAS NOT AS CLASSICAL AND LONG LASTING, EXCEPT FOR THE GREENBRIAR HOTEL WHICH IS STILL BEAUTIFUL...MOST OF THE INTERIORS THAT SHE EXECUTED AND WERE SHOWN WERE LIKE AN AMATEUR DID THEM..SORRY D.D. AND MR. VARNEY.....SOMEONE OK'D A BOOK THAT NEEDED TO BE RE-THOUGHT AND RE-EXECUTED BEFORE IT WAS PUBLISHED......MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT..........

The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough (American Institute Architects)

Average customer rating:

Houses that live large for their owners
Eye-opening book
Defines the concept of a 'simple home'
Great Book!
Hmmm?

The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough (American Institute Architects)
Sarah Nettleton
Manufacturer: Taunton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Do-It-Yourself | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living
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ASIN: 1561588318
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

For everyone who craves a simpler lifestyle, not only in how they live but also where they live, The Simple Home features 21 houses and presents six different approaches to creating a home that realizes its full potential both simply and elegantly.

We are living in complex times, in a commodified, virtual, and overstimulated culture. One response to high levels of complexity and overstimulation is to look for yet another gadget or closet organizer to simplify our lives. But the answer lies somewhere else. The road to a simpler more satisfying life begins with a clear-eyed examination of the choices we are making for our time--and that includes choices about where we want to live.

The Simple Home presents six paths to simplicity, each illustrated by human-scaled, unadorned homes with straightforward floor plans and forms. These are open, light-filled homes (with rooms or spaces that are often multipurpose) that express their beauty in their utility and practicality. Simple homes are low maintenance and often green, designed for homeowners who wish to embody a different set of values in their housing choices than the run-of-the-mill starter castles littering the landscape.

The 6 Paths to Simplicity:
    1. Simple is Enough
    2. Simple is Thrifty
    3. Simple is Flexible
    4. Simple is Timeless
    5. Simple is Sustainable
    6. Simple is Refined

Customer Reviews:

Houses that live large for their owners.......2007-08-17

Wonderful case studies about 20 homes with good explanations about material choices, site considerations, and the people who own them. It's a Taunton Press book, so the photos are great, of course. I especially like the floor plan illustrations that support the photos and give a sense of flow through the houses.

Eye-opening book.......2007-08-04

This book is amazing! The pictures are great, and so well coordinated with the text that the reader can truly "see" each house. For anyone dreaming of a second home, or a more efficient first home, this is an ideal volume.

Defines the concept of a 'simple home' .......2007-07-08

Sarah Nettleton's THE SIMPLE HOME: THE LUXURY OF ENOUGH defines the concept of a 'simple home' and offers interior design tips to achieving satisfaction from a basic home design. This involves eliminating non-essentials and practicing restraint: six avenues to achieving a 'greener' lifestyle from this approach blends full-page color photos with comments on designs which refine and simplify the home - perfect for new students of interior design and homeowners contemplating reconstruction.

Great Book!.......2007-05-14

Wonderful pictures! This book has so many great stories of the home and how people really make their houses simple and comfortable.

Hmmm?.......2007-05-12

My copy came with many scratches on the dust cover and a broken binding when I opened the book. As far as the contents...I was expecting more of a layman friendly simple life-style type approach. Instead I felt like I was buying a book a self-contractor could use. My perusal indicated more about architecture as opposed to simplifying home content. Not a happy camper with this book. I returned it.

Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York

Average customer rating:

A top pick not just for New York libraries
ITS A WONDER HE DID NOT TRY TO PART THE EAST RIVER
A modern take on the metropolis that Moses crafted

Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York

Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
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Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies
The Death and Life of Great American Cities

ASIN: 0393732061

Book Description

A fresh look at the greatest builder in the history of New York City and one of its most controversial figures.

In various roles in city and state government from 1930 to 1965, Robert Moses reshaped the fabric of the city. From Lincoln Center to the Triborough Bridge, the West Side Highway to the Cross Bronx Expressway, his public projects, reassessed in this book by notable urbanists, continue to exert a strong influence in the lives of New Yorkers. 250 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

A top pick not just for New York libraries.......2007-07-07

ROBERT MOSES AND THE MODERN CITY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF NEW YORK, which offers a new look at legendary architect Robert Moses, who reshaped the skyline of New York City. Readers familiar with New York will readily recognize some of his major contributions from the Lincoln Center to the Cross Bronx Expressway - so it's surprising to note this is the first major publication since the 1974 biography THE POWER BROKER appeared - and ROBERT MOSES AND THE MODERN CITY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF NEW YORK comes packed with photos that his biography doesn't provide. Far from hastening the demise of New York, this book shows how his works strengthened the central city and brought it into modern times, altering road systems and creating an urban design plan to foster changes. Plenty of detailed history surround the photos and descriptions of each project's special challenges, making this a top pick not just for New York libraries, but for any college-level art or urban planning collection.

ITS A WONDER HE DID NOT TRY TO PART THE EAST RIVER.......2007-03-22

Now this man had POWER. It is amazing how much control he had over the building of infastructure in NYC, he was the first and last word. He was like a 20th century Baron Hausemann. This book is well written and scholarly and frankly just fascinating. I saw a documentary on Robert Moses one time and was just blown away at his hubris and power. His reign over NYC spanned several powerful mayors and to this day no person has ever had so much power of the cities infrastructure. Great book, highly recommended.

A modern take on the metropolis that Moses crafted.......2007-03-19

The Power Broker (another prominent work on Moses) is a product of the 1970s pessimism concerning the death of the city, saying that Moses helped bring about the downfall experienced in 1974 when the book was published. In Ballon's book, we have the experience that 30 years of hindsight provides, and the tone is radically different Ballon and other essayists provide a more modern insight to Moses and his achievements. Do not be fooled, this is not a coffee table book, but almost a text book for urban planners on the practices employed by Moses. The book was inspired by the museum exhibits going on currently in New York City concerning Moses and his works, and is an excellent supplement to them. If you are interested in NYC, public works, or Urban History- this is a must buy, and will become more important as time wears on.
I also recommend The Power Broker and Moses' own book Public Works: A Dangerous Trade

Furniture 2000: Modern Classics and New Designs in Production (Schiffer Design Book)

Average customer rating:

Furniture 2000: Modern Classics and New Designs in Production (Schiffer Design Book)
Leslie A. Pina
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0764304968

Book Description

Many of the great modern classic furniture designs of the twentieth century are still in production and available to the public in America and abroad. There are also many recent designs destined to become classics, because they share many of the same qualities of modern furniture already in museum collections and sought after by collectors. This volume, with 600 color photographs and detailed captions of a representative sample of the best modern furniture available, is the first source book to focus only on designs that are currently in production, and to present them in full color. It is both a history of modern design and an international shopping catalog. The indexes of 250 designers and companies and the list of sources will enable the reader to locate each item for purchase or for additional information. This book will serve as an indispensable and handy reference for decorators, interior designers, architects, and collectors, plus acquaint the general public with extraordinary designs that are generally only known to the trade.

Average customer rating:

Buy this book. Period.
Filling the gaps

Carlo Scarpa: Architecture and Design

Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Louis I. Kahn: Beyond Time and Style: A Life in Architecture
Carlo Scarpa--Layers
Peter Zumthor Therme Vals
Alvaro Siza: Complete Works
Tom Kundig: Houses

ASIN: 0847829111
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

Carlo Scarpa was a virtuoso of light, a master of detail, and a connoisseur of materials. Today he is known as a 20th-century master of architecture. To mark the first centenary of Scarpa's birth, all his works are presented here for the first time. The 250 illustrations cover all 58 of his structures, including the Castelvecchio Museum (Verona), the Olivetti showroom (Venice), and the Brion Tomb in San Vito d'Altivole (Treviso), as well as his important glass designs. The book includes essays by leading architects and architecture critics, offering an extensive overview of Scarpa's life as well as interpretations of his architecture. Known as the "Frank Lloyd Wright of Italy," Scarpa's decorative style has become a model for architects wishing to revive craft and luscious materials in the contemporary manner.

Customer Reviews:

Buy this book. Period........2007-03-12

Excellent coverage of Scarpa's work. There are great shots of Scarpa's intricate detailing as well as shots expressing his space making abilities. Scarpa combined the spirit of the international style, the warmth of Finish modernist materiality, and the passion of Italian arts and crafts tradition. He was a modernist with heart. One of the men listed in the acknowledgements gave my studio group a tour of some if his best works in northern Italy including the Brion tomb. The man cried during his lecture. Scarpa brought heart to a building aesthetic that seems largely sterile when comparing his contemporaries on the other side of the Alps. I hope this book popularizes this truely skilled architect and draws greater attention to what he accomplished during his career. This book is pertinent to anyone interested in architecture, interior design, or decorative arts. His genious was as much in the process of design as it was in the completed product. He developed decades long relationships with builders and craftsmen. Buy this book and spend hours studying every detail in the photos. You are going to learn something. You might even shed a tear after leaning how he passed away.

Filling the gaps.......2007-02-16

This book fulfills the promise that "Carlo Scarpa: The Complete Works" did not deliver in that it is a very complete survey of Scarpa's built work. Among the things the book does very well includes the photography, which even of works as well documented as the Brion Cemetery and the Castlevecchio, shows very different angles than what has typically been seen elsewhere. I also really appreciate the inclusion of diagrams indicating from where the images are taken.
The book is structured as a chronological survey of Scapra's work, with accompanying text explaining the brief history of the project, Scarpa's involvement (often done as a collaboration or in the case of posthumously completed buildings, the people involved), as well as the structure's current condition (to the extent of showing the Venezuela Pavilion's shocking dilapidation in hopes of spurring a restoration).
I only hope that this book provokes enough interest in Scarpa's work that a comprehensive book on his drawings is produced.

Average customer rating:

Midcentury Modern Lover's Porn
Atomic Dressing
Mid Century Gem
Wonderful book on Ranch Homes
Mid century modern for the real world!

Atomic Ranch
Michelle Gringeri-Brown
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1423600029

Book Description

Atomic Ranch is an in-depth exploration of post-World War II residential architecture in America. Mid-century ranches (1946-1970) range from the decidedly modern gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area and butterfly wing houses in Palm Springs, Florida, to the unassuming brick or stucco L-shaped ranches and split-levels so common throughout the United States.

Customer Reviews:

Midcentury Modern Lover's Porn.......2007-05-05

Page after page of delicious midcentury modern yumminess. Unlike many architecture and design books, this one is actually well written.

Atomic Dressing.......2007-03-21

Eye candy of the past that we loved, environments we create from what we thought were futuristic but now an echo in the past. Great assortment of houses on display to tickle your midcentury fantasies that we can't afford now.

Mid Century Gem.......2007-03-05

I love this book! Every page is graced with mid century ranch homes lovingly photographed and described. If you have any interest at all in architecture, add this book to your collection.

Wonderful book on Ranch Homes.......2007-02-20

As a subscriber of the "Atomic Ranch" magazine, published by the same authors of this book, I had high expectations on its content, which were more than fulfilled, as i simply loved the book. It highlighted many homes that have been previously published on the magazine pages, but it had many others that I have not seen before in print, probably from the earlier issues I missed. The photos are superb, the book format is so elegant and perfect for Coffee Table display and the content is just wonderful. From Amazon, I have also purchased the Alan Hess book on Ranch Homes and the one from Katherine Samon on decorating Ranch homes, but "Atomic Ranch" is by far, my favorite of those three.

Mid century modern for the real world!.......2007-01-26

I have purchased many books on mid century modern style to get ideas for my remodeling project and while they were full of excellant examples of the style the biggest part of them only showed examples of high dollar showcase homes. (example: Frank lloyd Wright's creations) While they are beautiful they are far beyond my means and impractical for my life style. Atomic ranch fills the gap of real world affordable design and livablity that I was seeking. I have gotten many great ideas from Atomic ranch that I will likely use in my own home remodel. The book is excellant to browse, to read, or to use as an example when conveying your ideas to contractors or builders. Atomic ranch is a joy to any fan of serious modern, mid century, googie, or boom generation cold war living and style!! I can't recommend it more. Nuff said.

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