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out of the ordinary; Whether dedicated to cultural legends or treasured tales, the best gift books offer something for everyone.
Byline: Megan O'grady
A fashionphile of any generation would be delighted to receive Balenciaga Paris (Thames & Hudson), by Pamela Golbin and Fabien Baron, an elegant catalog of pictures and archival sketches ranging from the heyday of Balenciaga's salon to the label's revival under Nicolas Ghesquiere. Fans of the cinema will treasure _Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever (Rizzoli), in which Peter Cowie explains, with the help of film stills and rare photographs, how a girl with black eyes and moxie to burn became a Jazz Age icon. For those with a passion for architecture and interiors, the gift to end all gifts is Charlotte and Peter Fiell's Domus 1928-1999, Vol. I-XII (Taschen), a beautiful set of highlights from the Gio Ponti-founded design journal, while those making plans for spring will find inspiration in American Gardens: 1890-1930 (Acanthus), by Sam Watters, the first of three sumptuous surveys of estate grounds of the period, from this continent's grandest of grandes allees to the singularly romantic pergola Stanford White built for his wife at Box Hill. Few books capture the feverish heights of horticultural connoisseurship as well as Florilegium Imperiale: Botanical Illustrations for Francis I of Austria (Prestel), by H. Walter Lack: 160 lush, life-size watercolors commissioned by the green-thumbed monarch.
For those whose bedside table is never without a biography, Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn (Henry Holt), by William J. Mann, is an incisive look at the blue-blooded screen legend whose deft creation of her own myth may startle even a Hollywood insider, while Amanda Vaill's superlative Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins (Broadway Books) is a vivid account of a theatrical wizard. Humanists and animal lovers will appreciate Dale Peterson's generous tribute Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man (Houghton Mifflin). For your favorite master of the universe, there's David Cannadine's Mellon: An American Life (Knopf), a compelling study of the formidable financier. But the personal history likely destined to be talked about most this season isn't quite a biography. Dave Eggers's What Is the What (McSweeney's Books), his best effort since A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, is an unforgettable coming-of-age story based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan.
Public and private experience interweave to stunning effect in Annie Leibovitz's A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 (Random House), a retrospective of renowned celebrity portraits, dramatic landscapes, and luminous candids of Leibovitz's own family-as well as a moving tribute to Susan Sontag. Photography aficionados will also appreciate Lola Alvarez Bravo (Aperture), by Elizabeth Ferrer, on the Mexican lenswoman known for her atmospheric street scenes and naturalistic portraiture-think Frida Kahlo with her beloved Xoloitzcuintle pups.
Shaking up the art-book genre is Tom Sachs (Fondazione Prada), by Germano Celant, a look at the sculptor known for his adroit satire of consumer culture-past works have included a Chanel guillotine-with commentaries by Malcolm Gladwell and Miuccia Prada. Two gorgeous monographs find fresh takes on ...
- Children's art for children's literature.(art)(Brief Article)
- Magazine article from: School Arts Harvilla, Louise Lascek, Rose December 1, 2001 700+ words
...students would like to tell in a relief tile. They discussed their personal childhood favorites, classic fairytales, cultural legends, and more contemporary titles. Each student completed four thumbnail sketches to experiment with shapes, space, textures...
- Retelling our selves: collective memory and the body in Charlotte Watson...
- Magazine article from: African American Review Sloboda, Nicholas June 22, 1998 700+ words
...1989), juxtaposes life in Willow Springs, an...Sherman intertwines life in the small town of...the local pond, where cultural legends and ancient spirituality...s Sin-Sin choosing lives that mediate between...American familial and social life. The active bond Celie...
- seeworthy; ROXANNE JACKSON: WE BELIEVE IN SOMETHING.(VARIETY)
- Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) Abbe, Mary August 28, 2009 700+ words
...today in the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program. Her ceramic sculptures, installations and videos allude to cross-cultural legends, folklore and superstitions, including stories of albino buffalo cherished in American Indian cultures. Her ceramic...
- Desiring Necessities.(ue)(name of exhibition)
- Magazine article from: Art Monthly O'Reilly, Sally June 1, 2009 700+ words
...though, according to curator Ilaria Gianni, is that they are of a generation that questions 'the potential strength of cultural legends that have perpetuated idealism and systems of belief'. Some might suggest that the thematic group show as cultural...
- `Nuclear Warrior' Producer/Lyricist Promotes Ultimate Musical Moving Image.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire January 21, 2003 700+ words
...000 rock enthusiasts at the Ontario (CA) Motor Speedway, a concert televised by ABC-TV and featuring such musical/cultural legends as The Eagles, Deep Purple and Earth, Wind and Fire in live performances over a 12-hour period. Only recently has...
- Travel Environment Watch.
- Magazine article from: Airguide Online May 25, 2009 700+ words
...to name a few of the features. The tour includes close encounters with PalauOs endemic plants and animals; lessons on cultural legends; tours of historical remains such as stone monoliths; and a Palauan lunch. isebong@hawaii.edu or visit www.Dolphinspacific...
- Musical excursion.(WASHINGTON WEEKEND)(OUT & ABOUT)
- Newspaper article from: The Washington Times May 2, 2002 700+ words
...through a number of highs and lows in his life as a musician, before suffering a major...a musical version of Mr. Wilson's life in "The Jackie Wilson Story" at 2 and...as they photographed numerous pop-cultural legends. Before now, though, their works...
- American Institute of Physics explores the moon and moods.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire January 18, 1990 700+ words
...More likely it's 1 percent or even less," states Morris. One reason for this study, Morris adds, is to determine if cultural legends have some factual basis to them. He cautions that there might not be a direct relation between bleeding ulcers and phases...