Distributed Art Publishers

The architecture of hospitals.

This volume contains 62 essays that explore the relationship between the architecture of a hospital and the health of patients. It is the final publication, partly based on conferences held in Delft in April of 2004, of a project initiated by the U. Medical Center of Groningen in the Netherlands that was in response to the design of their new building. Subjects discussed are the culture of hospitals, the hospital as an urban institution, air quality, healing environments, healthcare models and concepts, and examples of architecture in several countries in Europe. Contributors work in architecture and other fields and are based in Europe and North America. Many color photos and illustrations are incorporated. There is no index. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

An atlas of drawings; transforming chronologies.

To encourage the pleasures of unexpected connections and comparisons, explains Glenn D. Lowry (director of the Museum of Modern Art, NY) in his brief foreword, the 2006 exhibition (for which this publication is the catalogue) presented drawings dating from 1886 to 2004, organized by theme rather than by chronology. As the exhibition departed from the conventional, so does the catalog: instead of a binding, a folded cardboard box houses the material. First, a pamphlet, with an essay by curator Luis Perez-Oramas, a checklist of the exhibited drawings, a few photos of the exhibition, and a bibliography. The drawings themselves are presented in six accordion-folded booklets (unbound, 7x9 inches), which can be stretched out to display the works side by side. Each is devoted to a theme — tectonics, faces, digital, figures, constructions, and movement — and each theme is represented by 25 to 30 drawings. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The devil drives and other true stories.

Three series by Dutch artist Jasper de Beijer displayed here depict three distinct worlds drawn from photographs depicting the Dutch East Indies in 1920, a Victorian explorer's search for the source of the Nile, and a former rubber boomtown in the South American jungle. Each is editorialized by the artist's often grotesque embellishments that seem to tell more truth than a simple photo. Combining photography, paper models, computer imaging, and cinema techniques, the works recreate the encounters of far-off places with Europeans, and capture time in such stillness and detail as to unnerve the viewer. Study models are included for each series. Text and an interview in both English and Dutch shed light on de Beijer's fascination for each subject and his singular technique. Distributed by Distributed Art Publishers. Oversize: 9.25x11.75 inches. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Douglas Gordon; timeline.

The exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (June-September 2006), featured film and video installations by Douglas Gordon (b.1966), as well as some of his key works in other media including text, photography, books, and his own body. In this catalog curator Biesebach provides a substantial essay describing and offering interpretation of the artist's works, year by year. Full-page plates occupy most of the book, with video installations represented in multiple pages. A timeline, list of exhibitions, and bibliography round out the volume. The format is oversize: 10.5x10.5 inches. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Jasper Johns; a retrospective. (reprint, 1996)

The Museum of Modern Art wisely chose to reprint the catalogue for the 1996 exhibition; a quick online search shows only one copy of the original 1996 publication, at a cost of $385! Now a wider audience can experience what a book can convey of the enormous vitality of painter Jasper Johns (b. 1930). Appropriately, it's a big book (9.25x12.25 inches), with 482 illustrations (275 in color). Providing background, context, and interpretation, the essays by Roberta Bernstein and Kirk Varnedoe include a generous allotment of small images showing works by artists who influenced Johns and those who were influenced by him. The heart of the book of course lies in the chronologically arranged full-page plates, beginning with the period 1930-1958, and ending with 1990-1995, representing the many stages of Johns' creative output. Notes to the chronology and a bibliography round out the volume. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

On-site; new architecture in Spain.

This volume surveys 35 projects in Spain that are or will be constructed and presents photos of 18 recently completed buildings from around the country, including single-family homes, the new Madrid airport, stadiums, museums, and city hall. Following an introductory essay on contemporary architecture in the country, photos and plans for the new projects are presented, along with brief descriptions and the names of architects and firms. The book is part of a series of five exhibitions sponsored by the Lily Auchincloss Fund for Contemporary Architecture. Riley is a curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art. There is no index. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Rembrandt's nose; of flesh & spirit in the master's portraits.

Taylor analyzes the work of Rembrandt, looking specifically at how he painted noses in his portraits and how they work with other features to add life to the paintings. He examines paintings from the artist's early to late years: the 1620s to the 1660s. All paintings and drawings are shown in b&w. No index is provided. Taylor, a translator and author, teaches at Parsons School of Design in Paris. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Without boundary; seventeen ways of looking.

Published in conjunction with the Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of Looking exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art, February 26-May 22, 2006, this catalog showcases the diverse work of contemporary Islamic artists who live in the West. Against the backdrop of more traditional Islamic art, curator Daftari and the artists address the issue of what constitutes such art. The volume includes a foreword by MOMA's director and biographies of artists, including Shirazeh Houshiary, Mona Hatoum, and Bill Viola. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)