Columbus Museum of Art

Claude Raguet Hirst; transforming the American still life.

This volume is published to accompany an exhibition of the same title, appearing at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. in 2004, and at the Columbus Museum of Art in 2005. The exhibit and catalogue are the first devoted to the paintings of Claude Hirst (1855-1942) — born Claudine — the only female acclaimed for working in the trompe l'oeil style of still-life painting. A detailed essay analyzing the artist and her work is accompanied by 90-plus color and b&w reproductions, a timeline of key events in Hirst's life, a selected exhibition chronology, a catalogue of known works, and a detailed bibliography. Co-published by the Columbus Museum of Art and Hudson Hills Press. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Family album; the James Rutkowski collection of American photographs.

Published to accompany a late-2004 exhibit of the same name at the Columbus Museum of Art, this book presents two essays, by noted art historian Michael Hall and history professor Shirley Wajda, and an interview with Rutkowski, vernacular photographer par excellence, giving context to his ideas and guiding impulses. The images, most by unknown photographers, are gleaned from flea markets and family collections; they are amazingly evocative, reflecting Rutkowski's sensitive eye. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)