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Fantasy Worlds
Book by John Maizels
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 13, 2019
First, because Taschen often releases its books in a variety of formats, some basics on the copy I'm reviewing - this is a large-format hardcover (9 1/4" x 12 3/4") with a hot pink binding and a large white "25" in interlaced design on the cover to mark Taschen's 25th anniversary as a publisher. It is dated 2007; all of the text is in English, French and German.
The book is essentially a visual introduction to the "fantasy worlds" of a variety of (mostly) self-taught "outsider artists" around the world, with anywhere from 2-8 pages each devoted to large and generally excellently shot photographs from 62 total sites in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It doesn't pretend to be "complete" (impossible) or even comprehensive (difficult at best), so the lack of sites from Australia or South America, or certain other famous pieces in the parts of the world that are covered shouldn't be seen as a problem. The brief introduction sets the tone, linking the work theoretically to that of the French artist and writer Jean Dubuffet and the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, among others in the last century, and tracing a little bit the history of such white elephant works as King Ludwig's Bavarian castles of the mid-19th century, which may have helped to set the stage for some of the more grandiose geniuses represented here.
A great many of the works seem to fall into the religiously-inspired category; others are clearly made by utopianists; still others seem to have no specific spiritual or social intentions - or at least, none that were revealed by the artists themselves. More than half of the environments were created in either the United States or France - such dominance might reflect the authors' chauvanism I suppose, but it could also be a sign of the dominance of the two countries' attitudes towards Democracy and freedom of expression, coupled with a certain yearning for a better future (whether in Heaven or on Earth) that might perhaps be more prevalent in these places than in certain other, older, more stolid cultures. The book doesn't really give answers to these questions, though in the case of France it's clear that the French attitude towards the preservation of art has something to do with it as well.
Everybody will have their own favorites here; mine include the works from my home state, Wisconsin, home to an unusually high number of such oddities. Among those represented here are the crazy science fiction-metalwork "Forevertron" and the wonderful Catholic grotto in Dickeyville, a sister of sorts to an larger and more fabulous Grotto of the Redemption in Iowa. The Georgian artist Howard Finster is represented by his famous Paradise Garden; the Watts Tower in Los Angeles is one of the few big-city pieces portrayed. I also love La Scarzuola, a Utopian arts complex in Italy that never got finished (many of these wonderful places are the visions of single individuals who spent whole lifetimes on them), and the weird mix of medieval European and Asian feudal influences on the castles of Le jardin de nous deux in France. But really, I'd love to visit every single place in the book someday.
Hours and hours of delight, then, for the architecture or art-lover. As I said, it's really more a visual introduction to the subject than anything else; some of the individual fantasy worlds have entire books devoted to them, and the text can't hope to provide any kind of detailed understanding as to what drove most of these artists, or the contexts of their works. There is a fairly long bibliography, though alas it's just a listing, and doesn't give any information as to the contents of the dozens of books and journals listed. But don't let these minor caveats deter you from getting this fabulous book.
The book is essentially a visual introduction to the "fantasy worlds" of a variety of (mostly) self-taught "outsider artists" around the world, with anywhere from 2-8 pages each devoted to large and generally excellently shot photographs from 62 total sites in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It doesn't pretend to be "complete" (impossible) or even comprehensive (difficult at best), so the lack of sites from Australia or South America, or certain other famous pieces in the parts of the world that are covered shouldn't be seen as a problem. The brief introduction sets the tone, linking the work theoretically to that of the French artist and writer Jean Dubuffet and the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, among others in the last century, and tracing a little bit the history of such white elephant works as King Ludwig's Bavarian castles of the mid-19th century, which may have helped to set the stage for some of the more grandiose geniuses represented here.
A great many of the works seem to fall into the religiously-inspired category; others are clearly made by utopianists; still others seem to have no specific spiritual or social intentions - or at least, none that were revealed by the artists themselves. More than half of the environments were created in either the United States or France - such dominance might reflect the authors' chauvanism I suppose, but it could also be a sign of the dominance of the two countries' attitudes towards Democracy and freedom of expression, coupled with a certain yearning for a better future (whether in Heaven or on Earth) that might perhaps be more prevalent in these places than in certain other, older, more stolid cultures. The book doesn't really give answers to these questions, though in the case of France it's clear that the French attitude towards the preservation of art has something to do with it as well.
Everybody will have their own favorites here; mine include the works from my home state, Wisconsin, home to an unusually high number of such oddities. Among those represented here are the crazy science fiction-metalwork "Forevertron" and the wonderful Catholic grotto in Dickeyville, a sister of sorts to an larger and more fabulous Grotto of the Redemption in Iowa. The Georgian artist Howard Finster is represented by his famous Paradise Garden; the Watts Tower in Los Angeles is one of the few big-city pieces portrayed. I also love La Scarzuola, a Utopian arts complex in Italy that never got finished (many of these wonderful places are the visions of single individuals who spent whole lifetimes on them), and the weird mix of medieval European and Asian feudal influences on the castles of Le jardin de nous deux in France. But really, I'd love to visit every single place in the book someday.
Hours and hours of delight, then, for the architecture or art-lover. As I said, it's really more a visual introduction to the subject than anything else; some of the individual fantasy worlds have entire books devoted to them, and the text can't hope to provide any kind of detailed understanding as to what drove most of these artists, or the contexts of their works. There is a fairly long bibliography, though alas it's just a listing, and doesn't give any information as to the contents of the dozens of books and journals listed. But don't let these minor caveats deter you from getting this fabulous book.
February 22, 2010
I have read this more times than I can count. I got a copy in 1999 (it must have been 1999 because it was in Olympia) A fascinating collection of self-created environments" (including Centralia's own Rich Art). Being of the 'more is more' school of thought, I appreciate the tendency toward over-ornamentation of most of the spaces. Alas, I don't think my partner shares my zeal for adorning every square inch of our house with 'outsider' art.
January 5, 2008
I am a huge fan of Taschen, but I'm beginning to wonder about the quality of this 25th Anniversary "series". This is a decent book, and I love the Totem guy, but overall just so-so.
March 12, 2015
THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK. MAGICAL IS REAL AND IT IS MADE BY WEIRD HERMITS AND 90 YEAR OLD FRENCH MEN.
August 25, 2023
Published by Taschen, this is a gorgeous book, of course. Vibrant, colourful pages and short but surprisingly useful descriptions give a rich overview of these art brut locations. Many locations have been made by zealots, crazy people, mystics, artists or all of the above and share a naiveness, making many of the buildings look similar: concrete, glass or ceramic shards and other assorted junk. Some seem to stem more from collecting or even hoarding than from artistry. Some “landscapes” consist of a single building. Some are basically refuse, stacked or a lot of graffiti on a rock or set of walls.
This makes over half of the locations distinctly underwhelming. Especially the ones to which only two pages are devoted are often quite forgettable.
The photographs, though beautiful, can not always capture the actual scope of a place, sometimes focussing on pretty details rather than giving a view of the location as a whole.
All that makes the book great to leaf through, look at pictures and read the odd description when something catches your eye, rather than reading it cover to cover.
This makes over half of the locations distinctly underwhelming. Especially the ones to which only two pages are devoted are often quite forgettable.
The photographs, though beautiful, can not always capture the actual scope of a place, sometimes focussing on pretty details rather than giving a view of the location as a whole.
All that makes the book great to leaf through, look at pictures and read the odd description when something catches your eye, rather than reading it cover to cover.
August 5, 2019
I have some conflicting ideas about the book, and I apologize for none:
1) I love that this book has been made, as it casts lights on fantastical places built by hard-working people, along many decades. Those people deserve the recognition and I hope it drives tourism to those oddities.
2) That being said, and always appreciating the dedication and time spent, the truth is that most of the places are of small interest to most people. Some seem to be more about the hoarding tendency of the original owner.
3) The most artistic and ambitious ones are rarer in the book; they also make the whole thing worthwhile. I marked 5 sites as ones that I would love to visit one day, all of them places I had never heard about. Those houses and gardens tell a narrative, have their own artistic merits and build a sense of wonder unlike anywhere else. They are unique and proud!
Long story short, most of the fantasy worlds are underwhelming, valuable mostly their background history. A few places are marvellous, and you'll be glad you know them now.
1) I love that this book has been made, as it casts lights on fantastical places built by hard-working people, along many decades. Those people deserve the recognition and I hope it drives tourism to those oddities.
2) That being said, and always appreciating the dedication and time spent, the truth is that most of the places are of small interest to most people. Some seem to be more about the hoarding tendency of the original owner.
3) The most artistic and ambitious ones are rarer in the book; they also make the whole thing worthwhile. I marked 5 sites as ones that I would love to visit one day, all of them places I had never heard about. Those houses and gardens tell a narrative, have their own artistic merits and build a sense of wonder unlike anywhere else. They are unique and proud!
Long story short, most of the fantasy worlds are underwhelming, valuable mostly their background history. A few places are marvellous, and you'll be glad you know them now.
February 25, 2011
i wish there was more information on each of the projects that are presented. one or two paragraphs are really very short, and even though it's cool that they are written in three languages, that does not really make up for it.
diving into the fantasy worlds presented is lots of fun, but i found that after 3/4 of the book, my head was spinning, and i had to put it away. (and i kind of felt like i had seen it all by then.) maybe i'll pick it up again and read up on the last projects.
overall, definitely interesting and enjoyable.
diving into the fantasy worlds presented is lots of fun, but i found that after 3/4 of the book, my head was spinning, and i had to put it away. (and i kind of felt like i had seen it all by then.) maybe i'll pick it up again and read up on the last projects.
overall, definitely interesting and enjoyable.
Read
May 25, 2007Huge book of hand made and obessive fantasy worlds, houses, and structures. best collection ive seen. a must have.
Want to read
February 6, 2010This sounds awesome! Can't wait to read it!
Read
December 19, 2014720 M2329 2007
September 9, 2010
Fabulous book on craziness and eccentricity in architecture.
October 6, 2012
Great resource of fantastical architecture.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews