In the 1990s; American civil society got upended and reordered as many social; cultural; political; and economic institutions were changed forever. Pretty People examines a wide range of Hollywood icons who reflect how stardom in that decade was transformed as the nation itself was signaling significant changes to familiar ideas about gender; race; ethnicity; age; class; sexuality; and nationality.Such actors as Denzel Washington; Andy Garcia; Halle Berry; Angela Bassett; Will Smith; Jennifer Lopez; and Antonio Banderas became bona fide movie stars who carried major films to amazing box-office success. Five of the decadersquo;s top ten films were opened by three womenmdash;Julia Roberts; Jodie Foster; and Whoopi Goldberg. ldquo;Chick flickrdquo; entered the lexicon as Leonardo DiCaprio became the ldquo;King of the World;rdquo; ushering in the cult of the mega celebrity. Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise defined screen masculinity as stark contrasts between ldquo;the regular guyrdquo; and ldquo;the intense guyrdquo; while the roles of Michael Douglas exemplified the endangered ldquo;Average White Male.rdquo; A fascinating composite portrait of 1990s Hollywood and its stars; this collection marks the changes to stardom and society at centuryrsquo;s end.
#3335714 in eBooks 2012-05-14 2012-05-14File Name: B00ABDZEHA
Review
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful. lovely *little* bookBy Chel MichelineI ordered this expecting a large-format book; similar to my other art books and was surprised when a little box arrived (a bit bigger than a shoebox) and inside was the copy of "Watercolor: Paintings of Contemporary Artists".Dont let the size fool you- this thick book is full of amazing; beautiful art from incredible artists. Theres everything from portraits to patterns to landscapes to abstract compositions and everything in between. The one constant in this book is that all of the artists use a "fluid" kind of style. Its amazing.This is NOT a how-to book. This is sort of a gallery; in book-form; of the potential of the medium if you are willing to step out of the watercolor box and explore the fluid nature of the medium. Theres no discussion of techniques or information about materials in the book- just pages after page of colorful images.If you are remotely interested in watercolor and are looking for a good book to inspire you; this is perfect. Im so pleased with this beautiful book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Meet a dynamic group of talented watercolor artists; in the comfort of your own home or studio...By L.What a fine way to be introduced to a whole range of watercolor styles; and methods. I had a hard time choosing favorite works; as every artist showed me SOMEthing new or captivating. The quality of the images produced for the Kindle edition also seems to me surprisingly good; and further info provided for each artist assures that an already-intense visual experience can keep going; as we follow their future work.18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Some good art lives hereBy greggtBought the kindle version; which displays fine in hi-res color kindle apps (i use a mac).The book contains a few really excellent examples of the classical watercolor restraint; specifically; the details that one should exclude from a watercolor to make it such an effective emotional medium. Also contains some "junk" watercolors from artists with little painting technique; color management or composition skills. BUT STILL WORTH BUYING!I suggest absorbing the art in short sessions of 30 pages at one sitting. I just sat and stared at some for minutes: subtle yet complex; emotional without smothering; colors that remind one of the scene without being true. Some of the cityscapes capture the essence of how I imagine the light in Paris bounces off the buildings -- with just the right level of detail to show the vastness of the city without overwhelming the viewer.