Art Architecture Photography Books

As a freshman architecture student, this book was exactly at my level. The photographs are splendid, and the dialogue informative. This book provides a complete history of architecture in every area of the world, as well as some theory. Great for anyone truly interested in architecture, but not an expert (yet!)

THis is a very, very good introduction to the complexities of architecture, at about the freshman level of college. Starting with the dawn of civilization (in what is now Iraq), Glancey takes the reader on a tour of human history from the angle of what we build to worship, work, and live in. THe basics are covered extremely well, providing a context for further research.

Glancey writes with grace and clarity, dividing each major movement into regular cuts of two pages, each with brilliant images. While this format shoehorns things into categories that are a bit too sharply delineated, that kind of reductionism is a necessity in this kind of survey. In the latter part of the book, some of the distinctions appear artificial, but then we are in a period where no dominating style - you get post-modern, decontructivist, and organic, etc. - has emerged and the author had to make some decisions regarding how to put them in the format. To his credit, Glancey does not ignore the exceptions and quirks.

One thing I enjoyed about the book is that Glancey does not shy away from making strikingly loud judgements, many of which I did not share. Corbusier, he writes, "was the most inventive and poetic architect who ever lived." Now that is strong stuff and I would never have expected it in a routine survey! (While I can respect and understand what Corbusier did, I don't love it like Glancey.) But that is what makes this book more than a run of the mill overview - it adds flavor and stimulates. Also, while international, because Glancey is a Brit, much of it focuses on Britain and contemporary Europe, which provides a valuable contrast to more US-centric views.

Recommended.

Great book to review the history of architecture, it is concise and well illustrated.

I was looking for a readable inroduction to varied styles and history of architecture that was jargon free but not overly simplified. This book did the job well. Perhaps Glancey could have provided a bit more text to go along with the beautiful pictures, but he still informs.

Recommended for newcomers or those with an incomplete education in the field of architecture.

An excellent primer on the 19th and early 20th century sources of Modern Architecture, but a little thin when it comes to the underlying theories that set the stage for the movement that began after WWI. Pevsner starts with the British Arts and Crafts Movement and ends with the Deutscher Werkbund, which the Arts and Crafts Movement inspired. He covers the short Art Nouveau era, making some interesting comments on the role Gaugin played in it by inspiring a return to primitivism in the early stages of the movement. He notes the strong impact Frank Lloyd Wright had on the European architects at the turn of the century with the publication of the Wasmuth monograph, and the further impact of Cubism in leading to the further abstraction of architectural form. But, for the most part the book is a catalog of buildings and decorative designs that will give the reader a good starting point for investigating the roots of the Modern Movement.

I like this book so much: we used it for an art history course at Yale on art, architecture, and design from 1890-1940. Pevsner's goal, seemingly quite simple but really so complex, is to show the SOURCES of modernism, its origins. This is what the title suggests. Yet it seems he does so much more - he teaches, he gives things dignity, he makes clear intricate connections reaching across space, time, and place in architecture and the applied arts. Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, industrialism, the International Style - everything. Plus the illustrations are fitting and so beautiful. Pevsner gives mention to things often neglected - jewelry, ceramics, etc. It's a compact work, slim, beautiful, easy to read, and great to have as a reference.

Having been in the web industry for some time, I thought I'd purchase this book to possibly increase my design skills.

Apart from the samples at the back, this book came across as very basic to me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has experience in this area, rather, those who are looking to get into web developement/design.

I was initially attracted to this book by it's colorful cover and beautiful full color pages with 500 illustrations. Then, as I read through it, I realized that the author knows a lot about color theory and design.

The great thing is that unlike most books on color, he doesn't get overly detailed and overly scientific. He presents all the relevant information about color and how to use it to more effectively design your websites.

Another great part of this book is the gallery of "featured" websites. There are some 300 websites that he has pictures of that show some of the very best websites on the web. This is very inspirational.

This book is ideal for web designer who does not have visual art or art background. It gives a good amount of details about choosing color. If you are expert in web coding like html, css, javascript, this books gives you best to choose perfact color for your design.
I recommend this book. It's like "good-to-have" kind of book.

The first few chapters are filled with technical information on color. I found the explanations to be helpful reminders of how color works. The side-by-side screen shots of the differences in GIF and JPEG settings were also very useful as well as the comparisons between Mac and PC monitor views. However, I found the 300 website examples to be the most inspiring. I'm sure they will be great for brainstorming color combinations and styles. Not only are some great designs pictured, but the author's comments on each site's color usage made me realize WHY the colors look good together.

The lovely Rockefeller Center rightly kicks of this photographic Deco tour of New York. The exteriors of the six buildings have delights everywhere, for all to see, too.

The book though is very generalised and probably aimed at the tourist market because it has no contents, index or bibliography. What it does have are plenty of close-ups of the detail work that seems to adorn so many Manhattan buildings, frequently way above street level so that these gems are mostly missed. There is a super shot of one of the Chrysler eagles on pages 148-9, or the ornamental metalwork of a lightning bolt and a bird on the General Electric Tower, page fifty-one.

The one hundred and thirty eight photos are all in color and each has an informative caption. Between the photos text pages contain thoughts on Big Apple by a variety of writers and historical personalities, which again suggest the title is really a keepsake aimed at the visitor.

A similar photo book by Carla Breeze New York Deco, though lacking in so many close-ups takes a more guide book approach with copy and photos covering commercial, residential, entertainment, public and religious buildings plus an index and bibliography. If your curiosity goes further David Garrard Lowe's fascinating Art Deco New York, sums it all up within a serious historical perspective.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

A wonderful book to carry around with you in Rome. The book provides very detailed maps of the City with brief descriptions of what seems like every building in Rome. It is a great format for wandering and discovering as you go.

Ms. Mowry is a talented artist, with great finesse in shaping dramatic landscapes. This book is filled with fine, instructive examples of her work. She does tend to get carried away, though, as she writes about the significance of Art, and Life, and Stuff. All that palaver tends to wear thin after awhile. But the pictures are well worth studying.

I found that this book was one of the best art books that I have read in a long time.Ms. Mowry's insights into the poetic landscape will stay with you .Though I do not work in pastels I found that the ideas expressed by the author will be of insight to all artists regardless of medium used.The paintings illustrated are beautifull and express the meaning of the poetic landscape.This is a great book for artists looking to make thier own statement.If you do not paint this book will be of help in appreciating art and it may make you want to start painting!I strongly recommend this book to landscape painters and anyone who appreciates fine art.It will become one of your most read books.

I became lost in this book. Better than any "how-to" book on painting landscapes, Ms. Mowry opens ones mind to the poetry and philosophy of creating great art. The time spent reading this book is like attending a very, very good workshop where one learns to paint with his or her heart. And even if you never read the first word of this book, it's worth owning for the exquisite reproductions of Ms. Mowry's landscapes.

Ms. Mowry is a talented artist, with great finesse in shaping dramatic landscapes. This book is filled with fine, instructive examples of her work. She does tend to get carried away, though, as she writes about the significance of Art, and Life, and Stuff. All that palaver tends to wear thin after awhile. But the pictures are well worth studying.

I became lost in this book. Better than any "how-to" book on painting landscapes, Ms. Mowry opens ones mind to the poetry and philosophy of creating great art. The time spent reading this book is like attending a very, very good workshop where one learns to paint with his or her heart. And even if you never read the first word of this book, it's worth owning for the exquisite reproductions of Ms. Mowry's landscapes.

This is an amazing book on a great designer/architect. There are other OOP books on Jacobsen but this one describes every detail of this great project. It also describes other related buildings and objects so that you can get a good overview of his work. A must have for any design fan.

The Dalai Lama was staying at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel when I was in Copenhagen, a month ago, but happily Room 606 was unoccupied and I was able to see this one surviving fragment of Arne Jacobsen's gesamtkunstwerk. Denmark's leading architect designed this hotel-terminal in 1960 as the flagship of SAS, a major patron of progressive design, when air travel was still a civilized experience for a fortunate few. Fabrics, lighting, and furniture-most famously the Egg, Swan, and Drop chairs-even the stainless steel flatware and door handles were custom designed by Jacobsen for the hotel. Everything but the one room (which rents for about $575 a night) and the spiral stair in the lobby has now been changed. Sheridan, a New York architect, employs a wealth of period photos and sketches to recreate every facet of the original and places it in the context of Jacobsen's earlier work. The result is a gem of lucid scholarship. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)