Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Art, Architecture and Photography Editor, Jordana Moskowitz FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * What We're Reading: "Rembrandt's Eyes" by Simon Schama, "Lee Krasner" by Robert Hobbs, and "Hotel LaChapelle" by David LaChapelle * Building Modernity: Mini-monographs of the work of architectural photographer Ezra Stoller--his images of Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal and Le Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp among them * Flight of Fancy: Flair magazine editor and bon vivant Fleur Cowles chats with Amazon.com about Lucian Freud, Salvador Dali, and more * The Best Photography Books of 1999 * Hot Titles: Architecture and design, photography, and visual art bestsellers WHAT WE'RE READING ****************** "Rembrandt's Eyes" by Simon Schama http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067940256X/entertainmentsit In Simon Schama's skillful hands, Rembrandt's conflicted relationship with fellow painter Peter Paul Rubens, his ambitions, and his great loves emerge--along with the stories of his paintings--from the shadows of history. "Rembrandt's Eyes" is a potent blend of traditional biography and art history that expands our understanding of the famously mysterious artist. "Lee Krasner" by Robert Hobbs http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810963957/entertainmentsit This richly illustrated and expertly written monograph illuminates the work of painter Lee Krasner, whose artistic accomplishments are often overshadowed by the renown of her husband, Jackson Pollock. "Hotel LaChapelle" by David LaChapelle http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821226363/entertainmentsit Within the wildly surreal pages of "Hotel LaChapelle" lurk a rock star curled into an embryonic bubble, a movie star breaking into a dollhouse, and a bodybuilder chewing on a golden slipper--intricately stylized images that bring photographer David LaChapelle's imagination into clear focus. BUILDING MODERNITY ****************** Photographer Ezra Stoller is nearly as important in the history of architecture as Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, or Louis I. Kahn, as it was he who presented their work to most of the world. With a rare talent for capturing the essence of space, he photographed Saarinen's TWA Terminal and Le Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp, among other iconic buildings of the mid 20th century. In a series of mini-monographs, Stoller collects his favorite images of eight different buildings and shares with readers his impressions of those spaces. Amazon.com's John Pastier leads a virtual tour to some of the most famous buildings in the world. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=entertainmentsit&path=tg/feature/-/15820 "The TWA Terminal" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568981821/entertainmentsit "The Chapel at Ronchamp" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568981848/entertainmentsit FLIGHT OF FANCY *************** Flair magazine had an unnaturally short life--just a dozen issues published between 1950 and 1951. During its run, though, Flair's indomitable editor Fleur Cowles pressed artists like Lucian Freud and Salvador Dali and writers such as Tennessee Williams and Colette into service to create a magazine that appealed to lovers of art, literature, and culture. On the occasion of the publication of "The Best of Flair"--a faithful reprint of the entire set--Cowles chatted with Amazon.com's Jordana Moskowitz about the trouble with barbershop magazines and contemporary fashion photography and her singular flair for life. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=entertainmentsit&path=tg/feature/-/14420 "The Best of Flair" edited by Fleur Cowles http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/084782229X/entertainmentsit THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS OF 1999 ********************************** The end is near, so it seems apt to begin our annual assessment of the year that was (or will have been). Monographs on Edward Steichen, Annie Leibovitz, and Richard Avedon--along with less well known photographers like Lady Clementina Hawarden and David Doubilet--are among the best photography books of the year. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=entertainmentsit&path=tg/feature/-/14539 "Edward Steichen: The Early Years" by Joel Smith http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691048738/entertainmentsit "Women" by Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375500200/entertainmentsit "The Sixties" by Richard Avedon and Doon Arbus http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679409238/entertainmentsit "Lady Hawarden: Studies from Life, 1857-1864" by Virginia Dodier http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0893818151/entertainmentsit "Water Light Time" by David Doubilet http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714838284/entertainmentsit HOT TITLES ********** Architecture and Design Bestsellers: "Frank O. Gehry: The Complete Works" by Francesco Dal Co and Kurt W. Forster http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1885254636/entertainmentsit One of the world's greatest architects, Frank O. Gehry has produced an astonishing body of work over the past 40 years. This pioneering designer continues to receive worldwide praise from both peers and critics as the most talented and influential architect working today. "A World Without Words" by Jasper Morrison http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3907044827/entertainmentsit It's a good place to find an idea, within the pages of this little book called "A World Without Words." True to its name, it contains not a single complete sentence. Instead, it is composed of more than 100 pages filled with captivating images. "Minimum" by John Pawson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714838179/entertainmentsit Architect John Pawson delves into all aspects of minimalism in this compact (five-by-five-inch) but thick (325-page) format. Reading "Minimum" is almost like sitting in on a slide lecture given by a passionate professor of pared-down design. Photography Bestsellers: "Century" edited by Bruce Bernard http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714838489/entertainmentsit The impact of photography, with its permutations and manipulations, has created incredible images of human hope and suffering throughout the 20th century. Inured as readers may be to the sights of our age, anyone who leafs through the astonishing chronicle that is Bruce Bernard's "Century" cannot fail to be impressed and moved by this vast visual document of the past 100 years. "Physiognomy" by Mark Seliger http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821225987/entertainmentsit Mark Seliger's book is filled with a riveting cast of characters culled from the celebrity subjects he shoots as the chief photographer for both Rolling Stone and US magazines. His portraits of musicians range from seldom-photographed country stars like Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells to Marilyn Manson, Tom Petty, Curtis Mayfield, and Courtney Love. "The Model Wife" by Arthur Ollman http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821221701/entertainmentsit Photographer and author Arthur Ollman explores nine couples whose collaborations as photographer and wife have resulted in a series of pictures that speak volumes about marriage itself, the distinction between self and other, the observer and the observed. The photographers are Baron Adolph de Meyer, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, Harry Callahan, Emmet Gowin, Lee Friedlander, Masahisa Fukase, Seiichi Furuya, and Nicholas Nixon--three of whom still photograph the wives whose long-lost, limber years are included here. Visual Art Bestsellers: "The American Century: Art and Culture, 1950-2000" by Lisa Phillips http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393048152/entertainmentsit This lively compendium is the catalog for the second half of the Whitney Museum of American Art's nine-month, two-part exhibition on American culture of the last 100 years. Like the first, this volume pulls together an array of cultural icons, defined inclusively. This being the Whitney's gig, the visual arts are appropriately dominant. "The American Century: Art and Culture, 1900-1950" by Barbara Haskell http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393047237/entertainmentsit "The American Century: Art and Culture, 1900-1950," by curator Barbara Haskell, is the catalog for the first part of a tremendous nine-month exhibition. Included are images from painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and design, providing a comprehensive overview of artistic and cultural ideas in the first half of this century. "Life Is Paradise: The Portraits of Francesco Clemente" by Francesco Clemente http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576870537/entertainmentsit "Life Is Paradise" is a gorgeous book, one that any Clemente aficionado would not want to be without. It includes a sensitive, smart essay by Vincent Katz, an illuminating interview with the artist, and nearly 100 very large, beautifully printed reproductions of Clemente's portraits in watercolor, oil, and dry media. As Katz writes, "One can wallow for days in these faces." ****** Looking for power tools? From screwdrivers to scroll saws, our brand-new Home Improvement Store offers the planet's best selection of tools and more. Home Improvement ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's Art, Architecture & Photography section at Art & Architecture ******
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