Your favorite coffee table books (photography, artist monographs, fashion bible, etc)

[galia]

I don't have it, but I read it at my aunts. one of the only coffe table books I've read cover to cover in a couple of sittings

[Tafkap]

^ i was actually going to ask in the "favorite art pieces" section what everyone thought of Anselm. I haven't figured out if I love him or not. I read a Jerry Saltz review comparing his work to sort of a Tim Burton kitsch style, that the emotion and power is sort of lost.
I sort of feel that way, but I also sort of feel that it's not at all. I've had my eye on a few of his books....hmmm....kitsch or not kitsch? someone decide for me! I'm leaning towards not kitsch but his art is so frustrating at times for me!

[galia]

I can see the kitsh in it for sure. but I think the notion of kitsh is irrelevant to his work. it's there, but it doesn't matter, because the strength is also there and they are not in the same place. I don't know how to express myself, this is why I don't post a lot

[droussin]

I've never really preferred Anselm brand of sort of overly staged and decorative work, i can definitely understand the word kitsch being used in regards to his work and i think that may also be apart of his appeal.The issues his work deals with at the foreground (the holocaust, death, memory, etc.) are in some way made palatable by the "kitsch" nature of his work, i mean i think its a distinct choice he's made in order to communicate with the viewer in a certain way and i think it has largely attributed to his success. It's just for me sometimes his work can be overly theatrical and has lessened the actual emotional impact of his work but i think its preference because i know other people who find his work deeply impacting

[Tafkap]

yeah, i think the subject matter can be a bit much. i think the more he beats you over the head with it the less it works. whereas someone like christian boltanski or richter can give you bits and pieces of it and mix it up a bit, so it feels a bit more "real". not bad though. and nice collection steph.

[galia]

yes, thank god for boltanski's reality

[laughed]

mark borthwick

[Tafkap]

i saw that very show in person. It was great actually.
i see your boltanski sarcasm and raise you an anselm sarcasm..



Lord have mercy, thank God for Anselm's reality.

[galia]

I didn't use the word real, I don't think it means anything in this context. (I did use it just to make fun of you in my last post, but that was paraphrase)
and if you liked that monumenta, I don't think we'll ever agree on anything art-related. the only good thing about that show was the sound. the rest was ridiculously bad

[Tafkap]

^ sounds to me like you just have something against the french. anyway, i don't even like boltanski. the thing is, i'm from the midwest so when i first found out about him i was pronouncing his name wrong - Christian. That is until i moved to the city and had a french roommate (he was verryy artsy..you know the artsy type don't you?)...anyway, he told me it's not pronounced "Christian" [kríschən] - like us from the midwest say - but more like a christ - yawn...even without the "n" - christ-yaw.
So you can't really tell, but when i say I like Christian Boltanski, it's only because I remember how silly I felt, that for years I was pronouncing his name wrong and now that I know how to say his name right, I like to say that he is one of my favorite artists. Only now I say it "the right way".

Maybe I should have been more specific when I brought up Boltanski and Richter. But I assumed from the way you write and what you say that you had a firm understanding of Gestalt, thus, I figured if I gave you the two dots you could draw the line, hmm? But I guess not - it happens. Well, back to the books kiddos!

[Fade to Black]

^ sounds to me like you just have something against the french.

lmao.

[Faust]

What, he's right. Don't all French have something against the French?

[Tafkap]

faust...you're right ....and wrong!
i thought that i drove the point home that i knew she was french, at the same time letting my feelings known about the french. if my words were taken seriously....well....we're not that naive or we? come on…you're better than that.
read it again, and have a laugh about it.
i had a french girlfriend so i unfortunately i know the french all too well.
and yes, i had to clean up after her often.
zzozoooooooommmmmm!! there it went.

[Faust]

I wasn't taking you seriously.

[galia]

the myth of the self-hating french

ha




also, I do understand gestalt. I just think that using the adjective "real" in that context was completely inaccurate and lazy. also I think boltanski is a hack, that installation being a particularly painful example. but back to the books, as you say