|
by: Francesco Clemente, Vincent Katz
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 759.5
EAN: 9781576870532
ISBN: 1576870537
Label: powerHouse Books
Manufacturer: powerHouse Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 193
Publication Date: October 06, 1999
Publisher: powerHouse Books
Sales Rank: 567454
Studio: powerHouse Books
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Life is Paradise gathers for the first time a mostly private collection of contemporary artist Francesco Clementes rarely seen oil, pastel, and watercolor portraits of personalities from the worlds of pop culture, high society, and art. The revealing depictions of friends and acquaintances who have passed through Clemente's studio include the likes of Lauren Hutton, Henry Geldzhaler, Toni Morrison, Bryan Ferry, Robert Mapplethorpe, William Burroughs, Fab 5 Freddy, Robert DeNiro, Fran Lebowitz, Gus Van Sant, Edit De Ak, John Ashbery, Andy Warhol, the Baronesa Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, Enzo Cucchi, Christy Turlington, Rene Ricard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Allen Ginsberg, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Michael McClure and many, many more.
Interspersed amongst this ravishing collection of surprising portraits are several of Clementes more well known self-portraits, in various mediums, which have become signature pieces for the artist. But its the compelling portraitures of a widely divergent circle--artists, writers, film actors, fashion industry icons, business and society headliners, done by Clemente for amusement or for special commissions--that offer a fascinating insight into another side of Francesco Clemente: the internationally famous artist who for years has been a fixture on the New York scene.
For almost two decades, Clemente has divided his time between New York, Italy, and Madras, India, and his art readily acknowledges the influence of these cultures. Clemente is widely considered one of the foremost contemporary artists in America, and his work is celebrated in art collections all over the world. The portraits in Life is Paradise span Clementes entire career as a visual artist, and showcase his versatility with various mediums. This collection gathers together and examines for the first time in detail a little known element of Clemente's oeuvre.
Amazon.com Review:
Life Is Paradise is a gorgeous book, one that any Clemente aficionado would not want to be without. It includes a sensitive, smart essay by Vincent Katz, an illuminating interview with the artist, and nearly 100 very large, beautifully printed reproductions of Clemente's portraits in watercolor, oil, and dry media. As Katz writes, 'One can wallow for days in these faces.'
Lavishly produced and designed (with one egregious exception: in a series of watercolors the face of the subject falls within the 'gutter,' or centerfold, of the book, making it absolutely impossible to see), Life Is Paradise is divided into thematic chapters. Some rubrics--'Poets,' 'Oil on Wood,' 'Great Expectations,' 'Children,' 'Devi,' 'New York Muses,' 'Voices'--are literal: Robert Creeley and the late Allen Ginsberg are in the 'Poets' section, for example. However, some are more wide-ranging: the watercolors include a vast selection of famous faces (as well as more poets, like John Ashbery). And the number of celebrities is staggering: Anne Bancroft, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Morrison, Fran Lebowitz, Philip Glass, and dozens of others. But it is the art that mesmerizes the reader. Some of Clemente's portraits are phenomenally precise and delicate; some are violent, dark, and wild; the eyes are always dominant; but all are 'done' differently, seen differently, presented differently--masklike on one page, psychologically engaging on the next. Clemente's inventiveness--and this book represents only a small part of his vast output--can leave a reader breathless, wondering how many ways there are to approach the combination of a human countenance and a blank page. --Peggy Moorman
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Artist Is A Great Talent But His Publisher Is A Butcher
This is wonderful painting and you will find yourself sighing over what should have been. I must agree with the other reviewers at Amazon, who say this is the worst designed book they've ever seen. It's too true. Yes, the dead center, binding portion of the book (called the gutter) is where you'll find the crucial part of many of the portraits! To say this hinders the viewing experience is about as mild a statement as one can make. If I were Clemente, I would want this book recalled as ... Read More
Rating:  - Francesco Clemente's Paradise
The first thing to note about this book is its gorgeousness. There is simply no other word for the stunning graphic presentation, beginning inside the front cover and continuing throughout. Orchids Unfolding could easily be a subtitle.
The portraits are compelling and would be even if many of them were not of the rich and famous. Whether oil on wood or watercolor, whether lean of line or voluptuous in intensity, they leave no doubt as to Clemente's talent.
If there is any ... Read More
Rating: - You Have to See This!
This is a beautiful book. The pages are a large but not cumbersome size that enables the reader to truly see the work. Some paintings are unfortunately split by the binding, but the rest of the book makes up for it. Clemente's style is so emotive and beautiful. If you like Francesco Clemente, this is a definite must for your collection.
Rating: - All is not lost in the staples!
I've just seen Clemente's work (some 200 images) at the Guggenheim, and though the book isn't like standing in the presence of this powerful body of work, it is the next best thing. True, some horizontal portraits cover two pages and lose some visual experience because of that. Most do not, especially the floating images such as the one of his wife, whose face graces the cover. I especially like his series Muses, which are vertical presentations, part of which made it into this book. Clemente's ... Read More
Rating:  - I love this book
I received this book as a gift and although I was unfamiliar with the artist I found the portraits sensitive and compelling--spectacular colors-- the book made me take a trip to the Guggenheim to see more of Clemente's work. I also enjoyed the essay which was an informative and lively complement to the pictures.
|
