Marina Vaizey is well qualified as an editor to co-author a book with Christo; she's a much-published art editor.

Christo's work struck me at first as just plain nuts. Wrap a bridge in cloth? Surround an island with pink, floating plastic? Run a fence for miles? Stack oil drums into a mountain? Then I saw the photos of the Key Biscayne islands, each emerald drop surrounded by a flamingo pink halo and I got it. This is art on a monumental scale. And the temporary nature of it makes it even more special; to see these works most people must rely on photos or sketches of the proposed concept by Christo; the actual work of art only exists for a short period of time and of course by nature, cannot travel to exhibitions. How I wish I could have flown over the Keys to see their complete transformation by this incredible artist. Once you study the photos and drawings in this book, you'll have a great idea of Christo's unique genius and the role of his partner Jeanne-Claude (who only recently began to gain credit for her part in his work.)

There aren't enough books on Christo, so this is an important work. Don't miss it.

Illuminating, fascinating, with thoughtful and thought-provoking commentary... definitely. Unfortunately, there's one glaring flaw worth your attention- the quality of the reproductions is simply abysmal. An example- if you can get your hands on a copy, look at the Canaletto reproduction. Compare it with the fine reproduction in the very different 1000 Masterpieces book by Sister Wendy, and it seems almost devoid of it's magic. Despite this, what these critics have to say is still worth your time and money if you're into art history.

Marina Vaizey's Art: The Critics' Choice provides a chronological arrangement as it tells the story of art through works selected and explained by world-renowned experts. Established images and works representative of different periods are analyzed in general overviews followed by essays on 15 selected works.