What are you reading in 2014?

[Heather]

Thank you, Lobstergirl, for reminding me to make another topic! Of course, we are already in the second month of the year...sorry everyone.

This is your thread to comment, review, or criticize any book you are or have read this year. It doesn't have to be art related. Let's hear from you!

[Ed]

Maybe the subject of representation versus abstraction is in my subconscious or something, because I have been reading three books about three artists who pursued both the representation of external things and abstraction.

I am reading, pondering two art books right now, from the library. The other pondered upon, but returned, was on Gerhard Richter. Richter was an interesting guy in that he lived through two totalitarian regimes, and I think developed an innate skepticism, so that his paintings appeared to be rather Seinfeld-like, painting about nothing, photo realist paintings with a certain deadpan, and abstractions that seem to have a certain light, but almost seem to be paintings of paintings. Unlike most artists who seem to work in mostly one style at a time, he did these works simultaneously. I am not sure I am totally sold on Richter, although I like individual works a lot.

One is a fairly nice one on Turner, Turner in His Time, Revised and Updated Edition. Some tidbits of bio, some work I haven't seen before, and really nice reproductions. It's amazing the degree to which he pushed his paintings into what we would call today abstraction in some of his later visionary landscapes in the 1840s. Turner was notorious for turning up for varnishing day at the Royal Society with his painting barely started, and then executing it on the spot. (Varnishing day was the day artists would show up, put a final touch on a painting or varnish it, or hobnob with other artists.)

The other is The Art of Richard Diebenkorn. Diebenkorn is a well known 20th century California painter who had painted in an abstract expressionist manner, then became a figurative painter, a member of the California figurative movement, in which the figure and representation was used, but with much of the freedom of abstract painting, he then returned to abstraction again, most notably in his Ocean Park series which were over 100 monumental, open and sparse, geometrical, yet sensuous paintings, with some of the feel of Matisse and some of the grid like the organization of Mondrian.

[Lobstergirl]

I finished Seeing Through Clothes and reviewed it.

[Heather]

Ed wrote: "Maybe the subject of representation versus abstraction is in my subconscious or something, because I have been reading three books about three artists who pursued both the representation of externa..."

Thank you for your post, Ed. I read it at the time you commented but didn't have enough time to respond.

I appreciate your opinion on the works of Gerhard Richter. Personally, I'm not familiar with him and though I probably should form an opinion of my own, I think I will put that on a back shelf for now. There is just too much time-worthy creativity out there, I would rather learn more about say, Turner. I have always enjoyed his work, I will look forward to investigating the book you mentioned.

I have also added The Art of Richard Diebenkorn. I'm not familiar with his work either, but I do enjoy abstract art! Thanks to your review, I'm intrigued to read about how he began as an abstract expressionist painter turned figurative then back to abstraction.

[Lobstergirl]

There is a Richter room in the new wing of the Art Institute of Chicago which I visited recently. It has several of his just slightly blurred but otherwise photorealist paintings, his woman descending a staircase, several large squeegee paintings, and a few others. I'm not wild about the squeegee paintings just from an aesthetic standpoint, but with Richter I'm willing to give him the doubt because he has so much talent and skill and artistic seriousness.

At 180º from that is Damien Hirst, who I'm not willing to give any benefit of doubt to...the one work of his I saw the same day was this enormous painting (?) - I'm not sure if there was a canvas or something else behind it, or if he had used oil paint or what, but the whole surface was a severely glossy orange-colored finish (so glossy it could have been the enamel paint on a new car) with real dead butterflies attached all over it. I didn't care enough to wonder what the point of the work was. I doubt I would have that same attitude about a Richter work.

[Heather]

Lobstergirl wrote: "I finished Seeing Through Clothes and reviewed it."

That's quite a review, Lobstergirl! Wonderful, I say! I'm not the most observant person, which doesn't do me any favors when appreciating art, but the first thing you pointed out about her dress looking like it had been folded in a square right before she put it on, is actually rather humorous. And I agree.

I don't know what more I could say. Based on your observations from reading the book, I feel that you gave her an honor in actually rating the book with 3 stars. I have absolutely no desire to read Seeing Through Clothes but I am glad I got to read your entertaining review, thank you!

[Lobstergirl]

You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it! It was actually kind of a struggle to get through the book. But it had been sitting on my shelf forever, plus as I said I am interested not just in art but also in fashion, so it seemed like the type of book I might enjoy.

[Susan]

I'm reading two books right now. The first is Awakening (Children of the After, #1)by Jeremy Laszlo. I think it's an exciting book about three children who were placed in a security vault by their father in Chicago to keep them safe, with the promise of his return because of some outside catastrophe. They have to leave because they run out of food after six months.

And then I read the free chapters on my Kindle of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I have it on reserve at my library. It's about a 13-year-old boy in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother when a bomb goes off. Looking forward to reading more of this book.

I'll write reviews of both when I've finished them.

Susan Bernhardt

[Ed]

I'm reading the Goldfinch, now too.

[Susan]

Ed wrote: "I'm reading the Goldfinch, now too."

Are you enjoying it, Ed? Are you far into it? It has 5,000+ reviews on Amazon with 2,300+ 5 stars.

I loved the beginning because of where it started.

[Lobstergirl]

I'm reading two non art books: The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason which is excellent, and The Charterhouse of Parma which I'm finding very slow going, rather impenetrable...I've read The Red and the Black and don't remember it being like this. I just can't tell what Stendhal is up to and it makes the reading difficult. I don't understand the motivations of most of the characters...I don't know if he's being ironic or straight...it's just confusing.

[Ed]

Susan wrote: "Ed wrote: "I'm reading the Goldfinch, now too."

Are you enjoying it, Ed? Are you far into it? It has 5,000+ reviews on Amazon with 2,300+ 5 stars.

I loved the beginning because of where it started."

It's pretty intriguing. There are some pretty dark moments.
The plot takes sudden turns. And of course the way his mother was killed was the way that Carel Fabritius was killed (explosion).

[Lobstergirl]

No spoilers.........!

[Susan]

Ed wrote: "Susan wrote: "Ed wrote: "I'm reading the Goldfinch, now too."

Are you enjoying it, Ed? Are you far into it? It has 5,000+ reviews on Amazon with 2,300+ 5 stars.

I loved the beginning because of w..."

Ed, I looked at the link. Wow! That is interesting! Thanks.

[Dvora]

I recently finished Life with Picasso by Francoise Gilot who lived with Picasso for several years, had two children with him (Paloma and Claude) and was the only woman who ever left him. I thought it was an excellent memoir that talked about their relationship, their friends, and much about his character. Gilot is also a painter and talks quite a bit about the how and why of Picasso's work.

I am now reading The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor. This is the history of the Gustav Klimpt painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, that we all know. It talks about the artist and the sitter, their mileu, their lives, and what subsequently happened to the painting when the Nazis took over Austria and stole this and thousands of other works of art and grand properties from the Jews of Austria. It's not very well written, in my opinion, but the subject is so interesting that in spite of that it makes for a very interesting read.

[Heather]

These are great comments!Thank you all for enlightening us on what you are reading.

And Lobstergirl thank you for mentioning two books that aren't art-related. Sometimes I feel like I'm in the wrong group with some of the non-art books I'm reading.

On the other hand, Dvora, Ed, and Susan, you have brought about the excitement in me to read again about the artists, works and stories relating to the art world. So many books, so little time!

[Dvora]

I enjoy reading biographies and I find that artists make some of the most interesting subjects. As for the Klimpt painting, it's kind of like reading a mystery or a thriller. The Nazis stole a lot of art works. Whereas the Germans paid reparations and made restitutions, the Austrians, for some reason, weren't held accountable were never very willing to give theirs up.
Heather wrote: "These are great comments!Thank you all for enlightening us on what you are reading.

And Lobstergirl thank you for mentioning two books that aren't art-related. Sometimes I feel like I'm in the wr..."

[Greg]

I'm reading Matisse, His Art and His Public, a comprehensive catalogue published by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Also reading The Journal of Eugene Delacroix
Also enjoying reading a book of George Orwell's Essays Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays

[Susan]

Greg wrote: "I'm reading Matisse, His Art and His Public, a comprehensive catalogue published by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Also reading The Journal of Eugene Delacroix
Als..."

There is a Matisse exhibit going on right now at MIA...Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It's the largest collection ever assembled in Minneapolis.

Susan Bernhardt

[Heather]

Susan wrote: "Greg wrote: "I'm reading Matisse, His Art and His Public, a comprehensive catalogue published by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Also reading [book:The Journal of Eugene Delacroi..."

Nice!

[Lobstergirl]

I just started Arthur Rubinstein's first memoir My Young Years. It's a big fat book but only covers up to WWI (he was born in 1887). I guess I'll have to read the sequel. Arthur was quite the ladies' man, beginning at a very early age - I think he's about 14 now and he has already kissed the married woman who is lodging him, and touched her breasts. (Arthur moved from Lodz, Poland to Berlin for musical training and was housed in the homes of various benefactors.)

I also just started The Skin.

[Heather]

I am so excited to find this book that encompasses both of my passions in one volume: Proust Was a Neuroscientist!

It is an audiobook and I'm still in the preface but I would like to quote what I was just listening to:
"This book is about artists who anticipated the discoveries of neuroscience...writers and painters and composers who discovered truth about the human mind...As scientists were beginning to separate thoughts into anatomical parts, these artists wanted to understand consciousness from the inside."

Whitman and Eliot contemplated Darwin and Proust admired Einstein but they all had different methods to discovering truth. For example "Marcel Proust spent hours in bed ruminating on his past, Paul Cezanne would stare at an apple for hours, Gertrude Stein would like to play with words..."

In my recent studies of the mind and the brain, I am learning how in the not so distant past and even somewhat in the present, the will or conscience has been all but extinguished due to modern discoveries of the physical workings of the brain. This book promises to bring consciousness back to life through the eyes of artists.

[Carol]

I just finished reading an interesting memoir (gave it 5 stars, thought it was very good!)

Unstill Life: A Daughter's Memoir of Art and Love in the Age of Abstraction
by Gabrielle Selz.

Excellent read! If you like MoMA, art, NYC, Berkley, bohemian Greenwich Village, and artists like Rothko, Motherwell, Kline, de Kooning, etc . . . then you might be interested in reading this book.

http://gabrielleselz.com/unstill-life/
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0...

[Greg]

Thanks Carol, for recommending Unstill Life: A Daughter's Memoir of Art and Love in the Age of Abstraction.
This looks an interesting read.

[Heather]

Carol wrote: "I just finished reading an interesting memoir (gave it 5 stars, thought it was very good!)

[book:..."

I agree, though I don't care much for the works of some of the artists mentioned, that may be another reason I would be interested in reading the book. Thank you Carol!