July 2023 MBR The Art Shelf

The Art Shelf

The Fantastic Gustave Dore
Alix Pare, author
Valerie Sueur-Hermel, author
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379630, $65.00, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Gustave-Dor%C3%A9-Alix-Par%C3%A9/dp/3791379631

Synopsis: "The Fantastic Gustave Dore" is comprised of an informative and unique retrospective of the best and most representative of French artist Gustave Dore's prints and pictures selected from an archive of more than 10,000 pieces of his work. Originally published by: Editions du Chene - Hachette Livre, this new large format hard cover, half-linen, edition (20.5 x 26.0 cm, 23) of The Fantastic Dore by co-authors Vaalerie Sueur-Hermel and Alix Pare is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 23 color illustrations and 380 b/w illustrations by the legendary French artist, print maker, illustrator, and sculpture Gustave Dore (6 January 1832 - 23 January 1883).

Critique: Simply stated, this magnificent an informative volume showcasing the artistry and imagery of Gustave Dore is a singular and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Art History collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Gustave Dore studies lists in particular.

Editorial Note #1: Alix Pare is a lecturer specializing in 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th century Western painting. She held previous positions at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Chƒteau de Versailles, France.

Editorial Note #2: Valerie Sueur-Hermel is curator of the Department of Prints and Photography at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, in Paris, France. She has curated numerous exhibitions such as: Daumier (2008), Gustave Dore (2014), Odilon Redon (2011).

Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle
Eleanor Nairne
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379661, $29.95, HC, 152pp

https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Neel-Hot-Off-Griddle/dp/3791379666

Synopsis: Alice Neel (January 28, 1900 - October 13, 1984) was one of the great American painters of the twentieth century and a pioneer among women artists. A painter of people, landscape and still life, Neel was never fashionable or in step with avant-garde movements. "One of the reasons I painted was to catch life as it goes by," she explained, "right hot off the griddle."

"Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle" by Eleanor Nairne is a beautifully designed volume that takes a unique approach to the exhibition catalog, highlighting Neel's understanding of the fundamentally political nature of how we look at others, and what it means to feel seen.

Long a favorite of portrait lovers, Neel has recently gained an even wider 21st-century audience appreciative of the searing candor with which she viewed the world, the depth of her humanity, and her championing of the underdog.

This beautifully produced catalog from Prestel Publishing features a thoroughly modern design, as well as an essay by renowned critic Hilton Als and poetry by Daisy Lafarge.

Critique: A unique, informative, and fascinating study of Alice Neel and her work by art gallery curator Eleanor Nairne, "Alice Neel: Hott Off The Griddle" is full color compendium of her artwork is further enhanced for the reader with a chronology of her life and accomplishments and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists for art students as well as community, college, and university library 20th Century American Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Eleanor Nairne (https://artuk.org/discover/profile/eleanor-nairne) is Curator at Barbican Art Gallery, London. She is a contributor to the London Review of Books, has written for magazines including frieze and is a previous Jerwood Writer in Residence. Her previous books with Prestel include Jean Dubuffet and Basquiat: Boom for Real! She live in London, England.

Creative Wanderlust
Kasia Avery
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9780760381434, $24.99, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Wanderlust-Mixed-Media-Journaling-Techniques/dp/0760381437

Synopsis: With the publication of "Creative Wanderlust: Unlock Your Artistic Potential Through Mixed-Media Art Journaling Techniques", mixed-media artist and author Kasia Avery shows how to set up and begin an art journaling practice, and then how to fully enjoy and benefit from it with ideas and tools for moving beyond obstacles such as perfectionism, self-criticism, and finding space and time to create.

The founder of the Everything Art mixed-media online learning platform and the lead teacher of its yearlong mixed-media course Wanderlust, Kasia knows what artists need, having coached thousands of students over the years and listened to their struggles while helping them break through and find joy in art.

"Creative Wanderlust" is includes: Comprehensive information on supplies and the fundamentals for getting started in an art journaling practice; Sections focusing on overcoming common creative and personal issues, supported by related prompts, lessons, and projects that incorporate a diverse range of mixed-media techniques; Insights and inspirational artworks offering a variety of styles and ideas from well-known Wanderlust artist-teachers, including Helen Colebrook, Finnabair, Amy Maricle, and Dyan Reaveley.

Critique: Profusely and effectively illustrated throughout in full color, "Creative Wanderlust: Unlock Your Artistic Potential Through Mixed-Media Art Journaling Techniques" is an ideal DIY instructional guide to mixed media artwork and the development of your personal style. Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Creative Wanderlust" is an ideal instructional guide and 'how to' manual for personal use and as a textbook for art school curriculums. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Creative Wanderlust" is a highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and art school library collections.

Editorial Note: Kasia Avery (www.everything-art.com) is the co-founder of Everything Art, an online art education platform that offers classes in all aspects of mixed-media art and features well-known guest artists. She started Wanderlust, an online yearlong course in mixed-media art journaling, in 2016, which has attracted more than 25,000 students. Kasia has also designed stencils for The Crafter's Workshop and stamps for The Scrapbook Diaries, and has worked with Prima Marketing Inc. as a design team member and educator. Her work has been published in Somerset Life, Somerset Apprentice, and Art Journaling magazines.

Burning Man: Art on Fire, revised edition
Jennifer Raiser, author
Scott London, photographer
Sidney Erthal, photographer
Epic Ink
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760379837, $45.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Man-Fire-Revised-Updated/dp/0760379831

Synopsis: For one week a year, a remote desert lakebed in Nevada becomes Black Rock City, the home of Burning Man, where 80,000 participants create a temporary community devoted to expression and play. There is no money, no running water -- and no constraints. Artists bring enormous sculptures for participants to climb. Outrageous Mutant Vehicles glide through an opulent mirage. This is a dreamscape of permission. For seven days and nights, the artistic movement of our time materializes -- and then disappears without a trace.

Now in a newly updated and revised edition, "Burning Man: Art on Fire" features: Over 150 new photographs and descriptions of individual pieces of Burning Man art from over two decades, including art from the 2022 Burning Man event; Over 32 new pages featuring incredible sculptures and Mutant Vehicles; A fully updated text, which considers Burning Man's evolving significance in the art world, and how Burning Man is the art movement of our time; A foreword from Burning Man CEO and Co-Founder Marian Goodell; A new epilogue about the growing importance of Burning Man art beyond Black Rock City, including museum exhibits, public art, and over 100 regional Burning Man events worldwide; A tribute to Burning Man Founder Larry Harvey, with highlights of his philosophical approach to art.

Critique. Published in a large format (7.99 x 10 x 1.85 inches, 3.9 pounds), this new, hardcover edition of "Burning Man: Art on Fire" is brilliantly visual and impressively informative homage to an annual ephemeral event is unreservedly recommended to the attention of Burners, artists, creative thinkers, and anyone who has ever imagined a visit to Burning Man -- one of the most extraordinary places on earth. While a valued pick for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Art/Sculpture/Pop Culture history collections, it should be noted that this newly revised and updated edition of "Burning Man: Art on Fire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.75).

Editorial Note #1: Jennifer Raiser (https://bentlyfoundation.org/leadership-team/jennifer-raiser) is a writer, nonprofit leader, and Burner. Burning Man: Art on Fire (2014/2016/2023, Quarto/Epic Ink,) is a love letter to her happiest place on earth, Black Rock City. Known on playa as CocoCabana, she volunteers with the Black Rock Rangers and Gate, Perimeter, and Exodus departments; she has served as the Treasurer and Board Member of the nonprofit Burning Man Project since its founding.

Editorial Note #2: Scott London (https://www.scottlondon.com/photography/about) has been documenting the art and culture of Burning Man for nearly two decades. His images from the event have appeared in many books, newspapers, and magazines, including Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Architectural Digest, San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times. They have also been exhibited at museums and shows across the United States and Europe.

Editorial Note #3: Sidney Erthal (https://www.facebook.com/SidneyErthalPhotography) is acclaimed for his photography, with a special emphasis on spontaneous portraiture. His work has been featured in many international publications and an increasing number of exhibits. He has spent the last decade engaging with and photographing the people and phenomenon of Burning Man.

The Spirit of the City
Janna Jones
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611864540, $49.99, HC, 240pp

https://msupress.org/9781611864540/the-spirit-of-the-city

Synopsis: Marshall Fredericks's Detroit sculptures capture the spirit of the Motor City and its dramatic transformation from the 1950s to the present day.

With the publication of "The Spirit of the City: Marshall Fredericks Sculptures in Detroit ", Janna Jones analyzes eight of these enormous works of public art, situating them and their structures in metro Detroit's distinctive mid-century milieu and bringing much-needed critical attention to this sculptor's oeuvre.

Sadly, some of these artworks have suffered along with the city as it shrank from its postwar zenith. Both the buildings and the sculptures erected for them deserve to be rescued from neglect, and then maintained and preserved for the future.

Critique: Of particular and special interest to readers concerned with public art and the appreciation of sculpture, "The Spirit of the City: Marshall Fredericks Sculptures in Detroit" is an extraordinary study that is enhanced with the inclusion of black/white images and illustrations. While also available for personal reading lists from Michigan State University Press in a paperback edition (9781611864557, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45), "The Spirit of the City" will prove a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to community, college, and university library American Public Art & Architecture History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Janna Jones (https://www.networkisa.org/profile/janna-jones) is Professor of Creative Media and Film in the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University. She is also the author of the books The Southern Movie Palace: Rise, Fall, and Resurrection and The Past Is a Moving Picture: Preserving the Twentieth Century on Film. She has published dozens of journal articles and book chapters, which include articles in the Journal of Curatorial Studies, Liminalities, The Moving Image, and the Michigan Historical Review.

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