Not only did I purchase this book, I purchased one for a friend of mine who is a quilter. The quilts and the incredible stories behind them are powerful motivators for those who wish to accomplish anything, not just quilting. It is the triumph of the human spirit and proves that deep down, each of us has an indominable core. I am envious of the skill that these women posessed and of the oral history and cultural traditions which have been created and passed down. It's a reminder of the scope of human potential.

I am an Alabama native. I have visited Gee's Bend, Alabama many times, but mainly to EAT!! They have more than pretty quilts in Gee's Bend. I have seen the quilts but because I love quilts and even tried unsuccessully to make one but, not being an expert, I guess I did not appreciate how popular the Gee's Bend quilts would become until I saw the story on CBS's Sunday Morning about the quilts being on display at the Whitney Museum in New York. The current quilters visited the opening at the museum and song those old gospel songs to their many fans.

The book itself is filled with stories and lovely photographs of the quilts. All the quilts are hand-stitched, of course. I couldn't imagine anyone creating such beauty with a needle and thread.

I am so happy I pre-ordered the book from Amazon. It will be a prized part of my collection.

Congratulations!!!! A few of these women are my aunts and they have been working so hard at this all their lives, I am so happy that they are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. They used to make so many quilts when we were younger and just give them away to family members as Xmas gifts, now they are being hung in museums around the US and I have proudly displayed my childhood quilts so everyone will know just how proud I am of them!!! Now I know the Pettway woman will always be remembered for the proud and strong women they are.

Im really happy with this book for personal interest. But I had shown picture to my students-40~50age old wemen do flower art-, then they toke a deep sigh. This book is really good for everyone who interest in flowers, trees, art and design.

what a gloriously handsome book. the book shares its name with an eponymous show during the summer of 1997. i was in charleston and able to see this great, spread out exhibit. i was unsure how the book could capture the beauty of this show and was very surprised to see that the book enhanced my memories of the show. this book will make a great addition to the library or coffee table of anyone interested in contemporary art of the world. curator and author beardsley selected a diverse group of artists from all parts of the globe, and includes ironwork, site specific installations, video, and beautiful sculpture and painting. i was fortunate to have seen this exhibit, but if you missed this fabulous exhibit, get your hands on this book. i have bought several copies of this book and given them as gifts to family and friends.

i saw the exihibit of his work at the museum of modern art in S.F. it was magnificent! i could have spent days going over all the detail - i got so engrossed in every detail of his work and writings about his life..that i went back a second day ....what a sad and wonderful life this man had.

In terms of originality, vision, skill, and dedication A.G. Rizzoli may eventually stand as one of the true masters of the 20th century. An extravagant claim, perhaps, but when I compare Rizzoli with Picasso, Dali, Klee, Miro, or Duchamp I cannot help but feel that they would have all welcomed him into their august company as a true original who has expanded the creative realm of possibilites in art. Of equal interest is the manner in which Rizzoli, faced with a desolate life of lonliness due to his inability to function in a social realm, or for that matter a sexual one, took these circumstances and created an alternate reality of sublime beauty and wonder. This superb book allows all of us to share in this utopian vision and, for at least a little while, daydream, ponder, and wonder at this remarkable vision of an alternate reality. The authors, curators and restorers who have brought Rizzoli's life work to light are to be highly commended as preserving and exposing this incredible and wonderful work.

a crusader of public art and the outsider's view and place within the landscape, beardsley once again publishes a magnificent chronicle of uniquely driven individuals and their art. highly recommended - excellent for anyone interested in art, landscape, theory, pop culture, sociology...incredibly well done!

This is a fabulous book. It is a comprehensive and respectful treatment of outsider artists from the US and abroad. The photos are exquisite and the text is well-written and informative. If you are at all interested in outsider art, this book will be a cherished addition to your library.

The Quilts of Gee;s Bend is much more than a beautiful coffee table book. It is that, too, of course. The book is filled with social history of this small place near Selma, Alabama. I've been lucky enough to visit Gee's Bend and see the quilt-making process. The Whitney Museum exhibit must have been wonderful. Sunday Morning on CBS did a story on the exhibit. The quilters traveled to New York for the opening and entertained the guests with their singing. That's what Gee's Bend is like: A rich yet poor stop on the road where women made the best of what they had and turned out great art in the process.

I have seen the exhibition of the Gee's Bend quilts at the Whitney museum three times. The quilts of Gee's Bend are simple, graphic, and stunning. Although I own the smaller of the Gee's Bend quilt books and the video about the quiltmakers, I find that I want to know and see much more. I have thumbed through this book at the museum and am delighted that it is full of lush photographs of so many more quilts. At the top of my holiday list of things I must have, is this, the larger of the Gee's Bend quilt books.

African-American folk art, and more specifically the twenty African-American folk artists of this book, were the subject of a large traveling exhibition which began at The Corcoran Gallery in Washington, and traveled across the country for the next 15 months, in 1982-3. This beautiful and in-depth book is lavishly illustrated both with plates of the actual art works, and photos of the artists. There is much painting and wooden sculpture, and also mixed media pieces. In addition, biographical material is presented with great respect and focus. The authors are committed to promoting a deep understanding and appreciation for their subject, Black American Folk Art, and succeed. John Beardsley's essay, "Spiritual Epics: The Voyage and the Vision in Black Folk Art" discusses funerary art, and is both moving and erudite. A wonderful book.

a vital survey of the world of land art/architecture. everyone moving about the built environment should check this out to get a new understanding of our common landscape and what it can be/can become. highly recommended!

This very beautiful book is a good introduction to Manuel Neri's sculptures, but it is also cherished by those who have followed his career for years.

The book is filled with fantastic photographs! The elegant photographs of his work (going back to the 50's) are magnificent. It is an art in itself to photograph sculpture, and I am sorry to say that my search for the photographer's name ended in frustration. He or she deserves a lot of credit.

There are also wonderful snapshots from Neri's life, with many nice photos of the artist with second wife Joan Brown (see Tsujimoto, Karen: The Art of Joan Brown). It's a real slice of an exciting era in west coast art: the 50's, 60's and 70's.

What Neri has done for figurative art covers a greater scope than that of the San Francisco Bay Area, yet he is firmly part of the Bay Area figurative tradition. All the contributors speak of the atmosphere into which Neri arrived as an art student, but particularly Beardsly places him in a unique, thriving artists' society. He does this by writing about how Neri's relationships with Joan Brown and Mark DeSuvero impacted his work; their images live and breathe with profundity in certain of Neri's sculptures (shown with the text).

The book is divided in two: the artist's work and the artist's life; both are compelling enough, it would have been unwise to mix them. The book is very well organized.

Neri's work may at first appear too rough to the eye that only knows Rodin and Donatello, but a second look will discover the grace and energy the artist creates in every work. It is a great book for anyone interested in figurative art. Neri's studies and drawings are quite beautiful by themselves... A great book for any artist who enjoys capturing the figure, either the one who just likes to dabble in life drawing or the serious and technically-minded draftsman. Anyone at all can find in Neri's work a new way to look at line and the figure. Also great for anyone who wants to get to know Bay Area art.

It would hardly be proper for me to write a true review of "A Pious Bacchanal," but perhaps a few personal words will suffice. As editor and widow of the author, Daniel Orth Bell, Ph.D., I was involved with every aspect of the book's creation, from title page to index. Daniel, myself and our daughter Katie lived and breathed the wonderful drawings of Mr. Beardsley and Mr. Flaxman for over a decade. In fact, at the age of five, the works of these fascinating, if eccentric, British geniuses were probably as familiar to Katie as the characters of "Sesame Street". But though the manuscript itself was nearly done, the tragic death of my husband at the age of 41 left many details incomplete. As a tribute to Daniel's indomitable spirit, I vowed to finish what he could not, and with Katie's help, the book went to press at last. Never before linked by any art historian, Flaxman and Beardsley are compared with skill and empathy. The health problems and deep spiritual questions these artists faced are examined in depth, and Beardsley scholars in particular will derive a plethora of new insights from "A Pious Bacchanal". In every sense of the phrase, this book was a labor of love, and it is my fondest hope that readers across the world will give it the acclaim it truly deserves. Thank you!

this is a novel which is a good example of how not to write one. it is about a dandy tanhauser who visits the goddess venus and and his exploits in her realm.

The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle which makes this book all the more fascinating,instead of repulsive as some works of erotica are.All in all,a must buy for collectors of erotica and a vintage literary gem.

This erotic fiction is a very fine piece of work.For the collector of erotica this book is a must buy.The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle, which makes the book all the more fascinating instead of disgusting as some works of erotica are.All in all,a vintage literary gem.