Tidying Up Art

Book Description

Who says great masterpieces can't be improved upon? In his hilarioyus reconfigurations of important paintings, comedian Ursus Wehrli deconstructs the works of famous artists and reconstructs them to fit his own slightly more orderly view of the world.

Art is messy, and it's about time someone did something about it. Sort those shapes, arrange those colors and for goodness' sake, can't Van Gogh straighten up his bedroom? Neatniks and art lovers alike will delight in the whimsical playfulness of this book. Whether he's rearranging Magritte's apples, chromatically stacking Klee's vibrant squares, or depopulating Breugel's busy village, Wehrli's tongue-in-cheek editing of classic artworks is the next best thing to painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

Customer Reviews:

funniest picture book ever.......2005-12-19

this may be the most amusing gift i've ever received
i know it will cheer me up in the future

The art of a neat book.......2005-03-04

Ursus Wehrli got there first with this wonderful idea but I was rather disappointed that there are only nineteen examples of his artistic tidiness and really less than ten are worth a second look. Seurat's 'Models' is the best example I think, the painting is on the left-hand page and opposite is a photo of a big plastic bag of colored chocolate buttons, just brilliant!

Mondrain, Klee, Picasso, Heering and Lichenstein all get fascinating tidy versions and the Van Gogh (see the book cover above) is another winner. I was though, expecting to see many more like the Van Gogh, that is keeping the basic painting and moving objects within it. Too many of the examples are just moving one or two items, like the three apples in Magritte's 'Young love', placed in a triangular shape in the original with Wehrli's version just having the apples in a straight line. Why are there no examples of tidy sculpture?

'Tidying up art' is a great idea and the book is well printed and designed but I wish there were lots more examples of Wehrli's creative fun. Maybe a second edition is on the way.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Engineer art..........2004-02-29

This is about the funniest book I've seen any time lately. I haven't yet bought it but got the gist of it in a recent visit to a local bookstore; I have to get it, on further reflection. The back cover of the Magritte...well, let's just say I am an engineer, and this one has got to go on my wall at work. I think at least maybe one of the guys I work with will get it...

Very amusing!.......2004-02-12

For any one who has ever taken an art history class or spent hours at a museum studying fine art, this book is for you. The author takes familiar, iconagraphic works and rearranges the elements in surprising and unexpected ways. Wonderful!

Beyond genius.......2003-12-19

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. What thrills me about this book is that I or anyone could have done it if only I'd thought of it.

Book Description

Who says masterpieces can't be improved upon? In his hilarious reconfigurations of important art works, comedian Ursus Wehrli deconstructs the works of famous artists and reconstructs them to fit in his own slightly more orderly view of the world. Art is messy, and it's about time someone did something about it. Whether by pouring Pollock's splatters back into their respective paint cans, or returning the fur coat from Oppenheim's famous tea cup to its rightful owner, Wehrli's tongue-in-cheek editing of classic artworks is the next best thing to painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa. Neatniks and art lovers alike will delight in the whimsical playfulness of this book.

Customer Reviews:

The best "coffee table" book on East Africa.......2003-04-13

This is by far the best "coffee table" book on East Africa. The pictures are one of the best I have seen on the region and I should know for I have lived here for 37 years. The pictures encompass a whole spectrum of landscapes, peoples etc, taken without any journalistic prejudice or bias which otherwise most foreigners cannot seem to shake off - lending their views in their pictures. The narration is also very simplistic and on an "as is" basis. I am fed up of reading about and seeing Africa from a foreigner's point of view who tends to spend a few weeks or months in a place and feels best qualified to compile a tome about the subject. Just because these foreigners have easier access to the international publishing houses, their egos are forced on the general public in the form of expensive books.

Tim Beddow on the other hand has managed to capture East Africa at its best and lets the reader form his/her own opinion on the region. It is a pity that I have given away my copy as a present to an Africa-lover who left the country as I cannot get my hands on another one in Kenya!

Book Description

At the center of this epic tale of Heaven and Hell and forbidden love is high-school student Setsuna Mudo. He's no angel - he's completely tactless around girls, has an unpredictable temper, and can become extremely violent. That he comes from a broken home and is in love with his sister Sara just makes matters worse. Add teenage hormones and major issues with his mother, and you've got the recipe for one troubled kid. And then Setuna's reality becomes seriously twisted when his past life as an angel comes to plague the present and threatens to destroy the future...

Customer Reviews:

Has Everything.......2006-02-07

I had the good fortune of using this book for a seminar paper. Truly, all that can be said is this is the most comprehensive source on Roman comedy you will find anywhere. It is well written and easy to use. Some knowledge of latin is a plus, but not really required. I would recomend this book to anyone looking for serious scholarship on Roman comedy.

Nature of Roman Comedy: A Study in Popular Entertainment.

Average customer rating:

Nature of Roman Comedy: A Study in Popular Entertainment.
George E. Duckworth
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UY9RH8

Average customer rating:

Nature of Roman Comedy: A Study in Popular Entertainment.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IBL30C

Average customer rating:

Stil Influencing my life

Absolutely the BEST inspirational educator alive...

The Joy of Inspired Teaching
Tim Lautzenheiser
Manufacturer: GIA Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Instruction & Study | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0941050505

Customer Reviews:

Stil Influencing my life.......2000-10-20

I saw Dr. Tim as a Freshman and sophomore in High School during one of his clinics. He greatly inspired me then to be the best that I can in all of my endeavors. Today, as a 22-year-old working my first full time job doing what I love (arts administration), I still refer to my notebooks from the clinics to inspire and remind me how to handle situations. I am looking forward to reading this book.

Absolutely the BEST inspirational educator alive..........1997-11-15

Dr. Tim has inspired many through his clinics and books, and you should not let this one pass you by. His passion for education is ever-present, and his is a true God-sent in my own life. Tim, my dear friend, I love you, you have meant the world to me. Thank you for all you do.

Average customer rating:

The Joy of Inspired Teaching (G-4041CS)
Tim Lautzenheiser
Manufacturer: GIA Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000WA1X54

Product Description

tis very special tape set touches our core values, tantalizes us with fresh insights, and sustains us wth the knowledge and courage to become the truly outstanding mentors we aspire to be. Tim Lautzenheiser is a renowned name in the music education world as a teacher, clinician, author, composer, consultatnt, adjusdicator, and a trusted friend to anyone interested in working with young people to develop a desire for excellence.

Book Description

An anthology of zines from and about New Orleans. For years the punk and zine community has thrived, producing beautifully rendered volumes of stories and artwork. Over the years these authors have poured their hearts out and shared their thoughts and opinions on music, politics, bikes, gentrification, gender,class and, of course, the city itself. Reprinted here in their original format are selections from over a dozen zines including: Chainbreaker, Nosedive, Crude Noise, Rocket Queen, Emergency, I Hate This Part of Texas and Chihuahua and Pitbull, as well as author introductions about their experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina. Many of the originals have been lost or destroyed and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, this book serves not only as a preservation of writing and artwork, but also as an attempt to aid in rebuilding the city that inspired and shaped this body of work. Proceeds from Stories Care Forgot will be split amongst grassroots New Orleans groups.

Customer Reviews:

What's a zine?.......2006-04-19

I was amazed to discover zines (after an article in NY Times and help from my kids). Using techniques that hit some complicated intersection of folk art, literature, journalism, essay and memoir, the authors of the pieces in this book show clearly why people want to restore New Orleans, despite everything, after Katrina. These writers set the culture of the city before us in all its splendid and sometimes frightening wackiness, its wonder and diversity.

Customer Reviews:

This Book Is Wonderful.......2002-02-21

As a parent of a sexually abused child, I found this book greatly informative. I wish every parent could read this book, so that what happened to my child would never have to happen again. I also appreciated the section on laws, and how we, as parents, can get involved. I've read a lot of books on this subject, and this one is by far the best.

Book Description

A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer -- the first and most famous of his books -- was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one.

Customer Reviews:

Understanding followings1.......2007-10-09

This is a very good book for anyone wanting to know why people follow mass movements or if they want to try and start a mass movement!

To Believe.......2007-09-19

Read this book in 1992...changed the way that I looked at the world and organized religion. Really helps in understanding anything that deals with politics, religion, and any other mainstream ideology.

The Optimistic Jew.......2007-08-31

This is a companion piece to Erich Fromm's "Escape From Freedom". It is an analysis of fanatics - human beings that are compelled to join causes no matter what the cause. By extension it is an investigation of mass movements from early Christianity up to Fascism and Communism. This book is a cautionary against dangerous trends in the Zionist Enterprise (notice I use the term Enterprise and not Movement). Fanatic selfless idealism - whether of right wing settlers or of leftwing social reformers is dangerous. The arrogant self-righteousness of both can justify corruption, breaking the law and horrendous crimes.
As Hoffer puts it: "It is only when the movement has passed its active stage and solidified into a pattern of stable institutions that individual liberty has a chance to emerge". In the Jewish context we are not post-Zionist we are post Zionist Movement and well into the Zionist Enterprise. I celebrate the maturing of Zionism from a Movement into an Enterprise. The so called solidarity of the past stifled individual self-actualization. Today the Zionist Enterprise offers many opportunities to individuals to actualize themselves as human beings and as Jews. I believe this is admirable and not to be regretted. My book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century" reflects this view.

An Essential Book for Educated People.......2007-05-24

Hoffer's 150-page book is a classic that applies perfectly to our times. Hoffer hits the mark again and again with "Machiavellian detachment" as one reviewer said. Of fanatics, Hoffer wrote:

"The effectiveness of a doctrine should not be judged by its profundity, sublimity or the validity of the truths it embodies, but by how thoroughly it insulates the individual from his self and the world as it is."

"The effectiveness of a doctrine does not come from its meaning but from its certitude."

"It is obvious, therefore, that in order to be effective a doctrine must not be understood, but has to be believed in. We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand. A doctrine that is understood is shorn of its strength." (quotations from page 76)

Very powerful and convincing reasoning!

Hoffer at The Eye of the Storm.......2007-04-07

Here is the first thing anyone needs to know about reading "The True Believer": Eric Hoffer is not on your team, whatever your team may be, whether right, left, moderate, secular or non-secular, or whatever. If anyone ever attempts to sell you on an ideology with a quote from "The True Believer", please know that Hoffer is tumbling in his grave.

If you are looking to pump your fist in the air at the moment that Hoffer skewers the ideology you oppose, yes, you will have that moment, but please know that you're going to turn the page and find Hoffer is skewering your ideology on the next. There's no escape from "The True Believer" because Hoffer seems to demand that we be something more than de -politicized know-nothings, but makes the additional demand that we not become ideological sheep in the process.

This may, in part, be why "The True Believer" may be the most popular book of its kind that no one has ever heard of. (Oxymoron intended.) No writer is objective, but Hoffer gets as close to it as anyone and then pulls off something quite amazing; he throws bombs everywhere, reducing any kind of ideological proponent to what they really are; an individual caught up in a phenomena larger than themselves. There are great metaphysical implications in this, but Hoffer doesn't entertain them. He's reporting from a rowboat at the peaceful eye of an ideological hurricane of mass movements, and he's not happy about what he sees and he let's it be known.

"The True Believer" is not wordy in the least, and it's quite short, about 120 pages, but it's a bit hard to get through if you're unprepared because Hoffer writes in a manner that makes one feel they should be scribbling each line down as a quotation to keep in mind. It's a very assertive book and Hoffer doesn't say things, he proclaims them, in almost every sentence. You're just recovering from the impact of one sentence, and then you find you've had a head on collision with the next. You quickly realize that you understood every word, very much so, but you're boxing with a tough s.o.b. This also makes the book very quotable for someone looking to sell an ideology, a practice which indicates that they've read the book, but not understood it.

It's important to keep in mind that Hoffer isn't looking for a good guy or bad guy. Hoffer's subject is "Mass Movements". If you read the book with the "eye of the storm" perspective in mind, you'll find it fascinating and compulsively readable. If you read it seeking an affirmation of your own worldview, you're likely to find yourself shipwrecked at page 30 or so.

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Library)

Average customer rating:

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Library)

Manufacturer: Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BHBLCS

Product Description

By now classic description of the fanatical believer, written long before Middle East terrorists.

True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

Average customer rating:

True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Eric Hoffer
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4IKX8

The True Believer - Thoughts On the Nature of Mass Movements

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The True Believer - Thoughts On the Nature of Mass Movements

Manufacturer: Harper & Row, Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H38T7G

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The True Believer : Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Eric Hoffer
Manufacturer: Time Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S94P0O

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The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Eric Hoffer
Manufacturer: Time Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QE0H5S

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The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

Manufacturer: Time Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I745LK

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The True Believer: thoughts on the nature of mass Movements
Eric Hoffer
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGPKTQ

Average customer rating:

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Eric Hoffer
Manufacturer: HARPER & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0060119209

Average customer rating:

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

Manufacturer: Time Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I1L44C

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