Chi-Gems Scholarship
CHI (energy of life)- GEMS (somebody considered to be valuable, useful, or Beautiful)
Book Reviews
| The Collins Big Book of Art: From Cave Art to Pop Art This volume takes you through the history of art in a way that embraces the reader like none other. There is order here in the way the material is presented. It is very logical and helps explain quite a bit of what has gone on since the first artistic expressions were created. You can feel your way through history and find a clear development of artistic techniques and styles. There is a definite reason behind these and it is explained with great feeling. There is quite a bit of psychology about the subject matter of what is on the canvas. Why does an artist or group of artists choose to capture something in a particular way? This is a quite a book. |
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| Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya The book not only has marvelous color photos of the items from the exhibit, including many detail plates, but also in situ photos, especially of Palenque, the primary focus of the exhibit. On top of this the text of this book is incredibly helpful for those of us (most!) who know little or nothing of the various Mayan courts, their art, their mythology, and their history. No, this is not a complete history, though there are many excellent books on that topic that have been written since the decoding of the Mayan language (especially since the great leap in understanding since the early 1980s). Instead, this book provides basic understanding of the art and the context in which it was created.
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 | Sculpture (Midi Series) [ILLUSTRATED] by Georges Duby (Author) I greatly enjoy classical and Renaissance sculpture- they are two handsome, thick, and heavy volumes collected in a sturdy slipcase - and have been wildly impressed. This was a set of books, that are is beautifully produced, covering, over the two volumes, sculpture from the early classical period (read: ancient Greece) through the modern day. There is copious text, but the most important and impressive part of this book is its fantastic photographs, often in full color, of the works under description. I've never seen such a beautiful, complex and comprehensive array of sculpture collected in one book (or set of books) before. For anyone who appreciates good art, sculpture, or just enjoys a great and entertaining book to page through, this is certainly the set for them. You can't beat this quality. Don't miss this opportunity. |
The Book of Monologues and Revelations by Nick C Koroyanis (Author) Short, but fully packed, this book delivered far more than I expected. A fun read, these original monologues, followed by many tips on the audition process, run the gamut of emotion in various situations. Light, heavy, dark, romantic, comedic, loud, tentative, angry - it's all in there, and much more. There is a suggestion on how to approach and convey each monologue. Though not an actor, I couldn't resist repeatedly trying the monologues out loud. I highly recommend this book. |  |
