Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations

by Ingrid Schaffner, C. Gould (Introduction), D. Ghelerter (Contributor)

From children's books to Germanyer covers, fashion to philosophical musings, this first retrospective book on the beloved illustrator, author, and designer Maira Kalman is an inventory of imaginative genius certain to delight her many fans. The world as seen through Kalman's eyes is a quirky, slightly off-kilter place as colourful and varied as a kaleidoscope. For decades this brilliant artist has captured our hearts with her whimsical illustrations and engaged our minds with her trenchant observations. A companion to a travelling exhibition, this monograph on Kalman's work features hundreds of paintings, drawings, sketchbook pages, and journal entries as well as rarely glimpsed photographs, stills from performance pieces, and examples of her newest project, embroidery. Kalman was born in Tel Aviv in 1949 and moved to Germany at the age of four. Among her varied body of work are illustrated books for children and adults, clocks she designed with her late husband Tibor Kalman, columns for The Germany Times, fabrics for Maharam and Isaac Mizrahi, and sets for the choreographer Mark Morris. In this book, Kalman offers commentary on her life as an artist, collector, observer, traveller, and maker of lists, while essays by curator Ingrid Schaffner and art historian Kenneth Silver explore her unique gift for distilling the extraordinary from the merely ordinary. From the youngest readers to the most discerning critics, Kalman's many admirers will embrace this wonderful celebration of a life dedicated to making art.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Graphic Novels, Memoir, Womens, Art Design

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Kalman's irreverent, tender wit + wisdom. Her illustrations remind me of childhood fantasies and her sense of color is genius. A must-read//own for any fans.

[jessica wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, yes & yes! A gorgeous book for an amazing lady full of story, history, art and quirk. It's also quite charming to look at.

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The woman who is Maira Kalman, and her art. ❤️

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of paintings from Kalman, very colorful and entertaining and New York.. amusing, inventive. These are paintings from an exhibition, with accompanying commentary on her work, not stories. I liked it; feels like a throw-back to another time, like of Coco Chanel, a world of colorful hip fashion and a slightly surreal pop vision. Fun stuff!

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving Maira Kalman lately. She can be poignant, funny, deep, silly and thought-provoking - simply with her paintbrush and a few words. I read this book in small bites at lunchtime over a week or so and really did not want to go back to my desk... a cozy chair and afternoon of reading was very tempting!

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no such thing as too much Maira Kalman. This beautiful book of her illustrations plus essays by many who revere her and enjoy her work gave me a firmer understanding of just who Maira Kalman is. See me edified in all things MK. I LOVE this book. The more I discover about her, the more I am enthralled by her art. She was unknown to me until 1994 when my coworker Dan introduced me to one of her 'childrens' books...hah...they aren't really for children - they are for me, for adults:) Surely there will be more MK books in my hands. I'll just have to keep looking. My library fulfills my requests through the magnificent Interlibrary Loan program, with books coming from all across the US.

[Barb Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dear friend introduced me to Maira Kalman - it seems I cannot get enough of her work!

Her fonts, her creativity, her way of making the ordinary feel EXTRAordinary.

As with all of her books, I seem to linger on every page and often have to get a fresh cup of coffee.

It's equal parts playful and profound, and every illustration I want to rip all the illustrations out and hang them on my wall!!

[Sherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should have paid more attention when I picked this book - it’s not by Maira Kalman but rather about her art. I so wanted to inhabit her magically quirky world for a bit, but had to settle for this rather dry catalog from a 2010 exhibition of her work instead. Still, the illustrations and occasional “appearances” by Maira added enough color and sparkle to keep me going.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading/looking through this book was a delightful experience! I'd never read a graphic non-fiction nor fiction graphic book before age 70. I'm hooked now! Picky, but hooked. I wish Austin Public Library would buy more graphic non-fiction books for adults - middle-aged to older adults.
Off to find more graphic books by Kalman now!

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally love Maira Kalman and her style of creating beauty! :-)

[Jay Alvarrez03 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is really hard to put down

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore MK. I've loved every book she's written that I've read. So simple, so poignant, understated yet profound. I'm reading the next one now...

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you spray a perfume onto your wrists and know it’s perfect, that’s effect of Maira Kalman’s illustrations. Charming.

[CharityJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of Kalman's colorful, avant-garde illustrations. Wonderful.

[Aljujosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book were unquestionably great.

[Tracy O · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Maira Kalman you will love this book. I saw the exhibit of her work and collections at the Skirball and because I didn't get to see anything for as long as I'd have liked to (having been physically pushed out by my little boy), I pull this out all of the time. It's got everything from Goethe: An Embroidery in Four Parts to paintings of a dog reading and photos of her random collections. Plus it has an interesting overview of her career and influences. She just has a great sensibility.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book created as an exhibit catalog. The book captures Kalman's quirkiness, skill and mastery, philosophy. It's informative in its text and essays, full of gorgeous reproductions of her works (and photos of the installation for the 2010 exhibit in Philadelphia), and ends with a Kalman chronology. The book also demonstrates how many of the illustrations from her children's books also stand strongly on their own - it's helpful to see them outside the context of a narrative.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the reasons I love Maira Kalman's work, this book is wonderful. Providing an overview of her body of work to date (I hope this is just the beginning), the book provides insights into her mind, her world and days.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I must say, this is the first exhibition catalog I have read cover to cover! Love, love, love Maira Kalman and this book is lovely. Art, history, her story, and with an annontated-by-Maira chronology at the back, I may just have to buy this book for my collection.

[NZBook Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep coming back to Maira Kalman again and again, and here is a look at her view on life and why she paints the way, and the things, she does. Her philosophy makes so much sense to me and she always makes me want to create myself.

[Deborah]

If you really, really can't get yourself to this most wonderful exhibit, then the catalogue will have to do!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I have to say is Rosalie is OBSESSED with this book. Who needs picture books when there are coffee table art books like this?

[pea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

...

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was on the adult shelf of my library. The cover is electric. I checked the book out. Maira Kalman is just so cool. I want to be her, too. Very good summary of Kalman's life and work.

[Jessica Rosner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that anyone who does not know her art work, her writing, and a bit about her life is missing something wonderful and inspiring.

[Lisa Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes me want to jump! She is delightful

[Rhode PVD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Maira Kalman, and this coffee table book with its marvelous cover hits the spot for me.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author, journalist, columnist, artist you should know.