One of our leading postmodern critics captures, in decorous prose, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe's putatively outrageous social and aesthetic vision. As art critic for the Nation, Danto (Philosophy/Columbia Univ.; Embodied Meanings, 1994, etc.) reviewed the now legendary retrospective of Mapplethorpe's work held at the Whitney in 1988, shortly before the photographer's death from AIDS. This appreciative but tentative review (the first to be written of the three included here) serves as a benchmark, showing how far Danto's understanding of Mapplethorpe has traveled since. In an introductory essay, Danto recreates how the Whitney exhibition's ``brilliant syntax'' spoke to him. Coming upon Mapplethorpe's disturbing images unawares, Danto felt that he truly encountered the photographer as he passed through the galleries. Soon thereafter, attacks from the cultural right on exhibitions of his sexually explicit work brought Mapplethorpe posthumous celebrity. Writing a long essay on Mapplethorpe for an art book, Danto came to believe that the photographer ``embodied the seventies in America . . . artistically the most important decade of the century.'' Reprinted here, that essay forms this book's core. Sparse reproductions nail down Danto's points without distracting from his argument. Characterizing Mapplethorpe as ``playing with the edge,'' Danto refers not only to his search for transcendence through transgression, but also to his rigorous delineation of his subjects. This disciplined aesthetic has been denigrated by art world insiders who consider formal accomplishment politically suspect. Having compromised neither his extreme lifestyle nor his artistic ethic, Mapplethorpe was outside the bounds of both mainstream American sexuality and elite cultural taste. Danto's accomplishment here is to suggest how his life and work address the central concerns of both. Incisive and passionate, Danto's testimony makes an important intervention in debates over Mapplethorpe's importance. (31 duotones)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-520-20051-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Univ. of California
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1995
Small in scope, but will attract readers interested particularly in dogs, moving, and Manhattan.
Nicely varied pictures support a story that will appeal specifically to dog-lovers, children who have just moved houses (or are just about to), and readers familiar with New York City and Central Park.
Beau, a Dalmatian, moves from "a house with a great big yard and lots of grass and trees" to an apartment on the West Side of Manhattan. Sitting in the new apartment, ignored by the movers and surrounded by boxes, Beau wonders sadly where his favorite objects are and whether he’ll ever make new friends. He looks mournfully out the window and sees a huge park—and there are dogs running around! He immediately runs out the door and onto the city streets all by himself. Traffic and streetlights intimidate him briefly, but he soon latches on to a dog-walker and her dogs. Beau joins them for Frisbee and "leap dog," digging holes, and chasing squirrels and pigeons. His new pals jump into a fountain, but Beau decides he better not track muddy paws into his new apartment. Returning home with a promised play-date for the next day, he takes a refreshing drink from the toilet bowl and curls up on his favorite couch. Margolis winks at readers as Beau's owners (appearing for the first time) lament how boring and lonely Beau's day must have been. Frequent misplaced and missing commas are a distraction, but the illustrations use color well for cheer and atmosphere, and angles and perspective vary and remain interesting.
Small in scope, but will attract readers interested particularly in dogs, moving, and Manhattan. (3-5)Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 1-4134-6361-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In definite need of editorial direction but makes a case for the author–whatever his name is–getting his own...
Step-by-step instructions on how to build a home in an economical and artistically unique way.
Owning a home doesn’t have to be a trying ordeal, says Madison, who reports that he built his own house with little more than his own muscle power and ingenuity. Though he claims not to be particularly handy, he managed to create a fully functional cabin complete with electricity, running water and Internet access as part of a journey that was both fulfilling and therapeutic. He takes readers through the process, from cutting down trees and laying the foundation for the floor to installing the piping and electricity to detailing plans to build additional modules. Pictures and diagrams complement the text, and the author even discusses his future plans to fully automate the cabin. In addition to the down-and-dirty details, he uses quotes from a number of philosophers–Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others–to help explain his motivation: It was as much about testing his own abilities as it was about creating a physical shelter. On one level, this is a practical guide that contains pertinent information for people who actually want to build their own cabin. On another, it’s a fascinating look inside the mind of a man who chose to go against the grain and who writes with such folksy charm and comical practicality that you can’t help but applaud him for bucking the system. Those not interested in building their own homes will be bored senseless by the technical details and some of the long-winded endnotes, but entertaining anecdotes–such as how the author munches on blackberries while simultaneously trimming his beard in his yard to lay down a barrier of human scent that deters snakes–keep the pages turning.
In definite need of editorial direction but makes a case for the author–whatever his name is–getting his own home-improvement show.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2006
ISBN: 1-4196-1593-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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