Unlike many books on painting that usually talk about art or painters; James Elkinsrsquo; compelling and original work focuses on alchemy; for like the alchemist; the painter seeks to transform and be transformed by the medium.In What Painting Is; James Elkins communicates the experience of painting beyond the traditional vocabulary of art history. Alchemy provides a magical language to explore what it is a painter really does in her or his studio - the smells; the mess; the struggle to control the uncontrollable; the special knowledge only painters hold of how colours will mix; and how they will look. Written from the perspective of a painter-turned-art historian; What Painting Is is like nothing you have ever read about art.
#1132433 in eBooks 2004-11-23 2004-11-23File Name: B000OI0I3M
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Interesting; informational; and sad.By Randi C. HolbrookWhoa; what can I say about this book? Almost done with it; and its been a very wild ride. There is so much info in this book that I never knew about Jim; and his crazy; wild moods. Calm; sweet; polite and gentle one minute; and an absolute wild man the next! Sadly; with all the drugs and drinking he did; Im amazed that he lived as long as he did. He was vulgar and disgusting much of the time; and many of these accounts are described in detail; but only happened when he was wasted.The book is very sad and poignant. Jim was a gifted poet and voracious reader with a high IQ; and never had aspirations to become a singer. yet ended up being in one of the top bands of the sixties. The book kept my interest much of the time; and there arent really any drawn-out; boring parts. It keeps you wondering what will happen next. For people who are hungry for information about Jim; you cant go wrong with this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Too much boring fillerBy prettyvacant123Yet another author who gives a lengthy bio on every person mentioned;A lot of filler.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. RIP Jim MorrisonBy Phil BrownThis book has everything you ever wanted to know about Jim Morrison and the Doors. Stephen Davis did a fabulous job documenting the rise and fall of one of my favorite rock bands of all time. By writing this in chronological order; Davis allows the reader to grasp the many mistakes that Morrison made along the way. The other Doors and the other people around Morrison were basically helpless in trying to control this Wild Child. If only someone could have reeled Jim Morrison in; the outcome could have been so different; but its sad that his legend seemed to grow stronger after his death. Unfortunately; I guess they needed a lead singer and poet in "Rock and Roll Heaven" and you know they gotta hell of a band up there.