ARTES

During the pivotal years between the world wars, Surrealist artists on both sides of the Atlantic responded through their works to the rise of Hitler and the spread of Fascism in Europe, resulting in a period of surprising brilliance and fertility. Monstrosities in the real world bred monsters in paintings and sculpture, on film, and in the pages of journals and artists' books. Despite the political and personal turmoil brought on by the Spanish Civil War and World War II, avant-garde artists in Europe and those who sought refuge in the United States pushed themselves to create some of the most potent and striking images of the Surrealist movement. Trailblazing essays by four experts in the field trace the experimental and international extent of Surrealist art during these years--and, perhaps most unexpectedly of all, its irrepressible beauty.

Muy pocos profesores de interpretación han logrado desarrollar un método detallado que forme actores verdaderamente creativos: Sanford Meisner, fallecido en 1997, fue uno de ellos. Su técnica toma al artista como materia prima y construye, partiendo de cero, las habilidades que necesita para despuntar en la interpretación. Discípulo y mano derecha de Meisner, William Esper ha transmitido y ampliado su técnica durante décadas, en las que ha sido maestro de intérpretes como John Malkovich, Kim Basinger, William Hurt y Kathy Bates. En Arte y oficio del actor, con la ayuda de Damon DiMarco, uno de sus discípulos, Esper nos sumerge en el aula y nos permite asistir, como un alumno más, a uno de sus fascinantes cursos.

Rodin supo transmitir su pasión por la observación de la naturaleza y captar la vida y la verdad de las formas con una fuerza incomparable. Precisamente en el descubrimiento o el redescubrimiento de este legado de valor incalculable radica el éxito del libro de Francois Blanchetiére.

Ocean Soul is a love story. It is a story of discovery. It is a story of hope. The story begins when a boy who loves the sea attends an event with underwater photographers and has an epiphany: "I had always wanted to explore the oceans, but I now understood how I would do this. I would do it with a camera." With sheer deter­mination, hard work, and a little bit of luck the boy, named Brian Skerry, realized his dream with more than 20 awe-inspiring articles for National Geographic magazine. Now, with Ocean Soul, he showcases his stunning photography and describes his adventurous life in a gripping portrait of the ocean as a place of beauty and mystery, a place in trouble, and ultimately, a place of hope that will rebound with the proper attention and care.

There has never been--and will never be--another nightclub to rival the sheer glamour, energy, and wild creativity that was Studio 54. This catalog accompanies an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum exploring how Studio 54 was a unique zeitgeist of an era. From the moment it opened in 1977, Studio 54 celebrated spectacle and promised a never-ending parade of anything goes. Although it existed for only three years, it served as a catalyst that brought together some of the most famous, creative, and strangest people in the world. It quickly became known for its all-ages celebrity guest list and its uniquely chic clientele of superstars and freaks of all races and sexual preferences who would often show up half-dressed or in costume. From the cutting-edge lighting displays and sound system to its elaborate sets that would change on a whim, altering the environment and ambiance, it was the beginning of nightclub as performance art. Now, the Brooklyn Museum is staging the first exhibition featuring the nightclub as a bellwether of New York City cultural life. More than 650 objects--spanning fashion, photography, drawings, film, and music--as well as video, film, and soundtrack, create an immersive experience, with an exhibition design inspired by the club's original lighting and atmosphere. Highlights include never-before-published costume sketches by artist Antonio Lopez and newly discovered set designs, as well as ephemera salvaged by the original club staff and interviews with the cultural luminaries who were there. Telling the story of this legendary club, as well as serving as a companion to the exhibition, Studio 54: Night Magic serves as a document of the era, depicting the wild energy and provocative creativity of this seminal cultural moment.

The first book to explore the extraordinary musical life and remarkable paintings of one of America's greatest ever songwriters. Best known for having written and produced some of the seminal records of American popular culture--from 'Big Girls Don't Cry' for the Four Seasons to 'Silence is Golden' for the Tremeloes and 'Lady Marmalade' for LaBelle--Bob Crewe was a multifaceted artist for whom a passion for painting and the visual arts provided a lifelong counterbalance to music. Collected here are more than 80 of Bob Crewe's artworks, stretching from his first forays into abstract expressionism in the 1950s and 1960s to more complex, tactile compositions made on his full-time return to painting in the 1990s--accompanied by archival images and ephemera that reflect Crewe's simultaneous contribution to popular music. Essays by Jessica May and Peter Plagens explore the development of an artist whose influences ranged from Rauschenberg and Johns to Warhol and Bacon; legendary record producer Andrew Loog Oldham captures the period of radical experimentalism in which Crewe wrote many of the most memorable songs in the canon of modern pop; and Donald Albrecht's introduction ties together the many complementary aspects of Crewe's personal and creative lives.