Philip M. Isaacson

http://shawjonathan.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/a-short-walk/

This is a minor miracle of a book. The author is an art critic, writing a general introduction to art for young readers, and he manages to do it without a whiff of the pedagogical. Hayao Myazaki’s motto, ‘Get lost along with us,’ seem to apply. We go from the Egyptian pyramids, by way of the Parthenon and African traditional art, to Jacques Lipchitz, Alexander Calder, painters including Vermeer, Monet and Gauguin, and then on to show more photography, industrial design, urban design, all at a leisurely stroll. It’s not a lesson, but a lively conversation, with at least colour illustrations. The imagined reader / interlocutor may be a child, but I can’t see any upper age limit on those who might enjoy it.

One question: If the Step Pyramid, which dates from a little more than 4600 years ago, is ‘among the oldest works of art in the world’, what does that say about the rock paintings in Australia and elsewhere that are closer to 30 000 years old? show less

What do we see when we look at a building? From the classical Parthenon in Greece to the simple fisherman's shacks in New England to the post-modernist Pompidou Center in France, Philip Isaacson explores what gives buildings their character. From the materials, form, color, ornamentation, placement in the landscape and the way the light strikes them, there are so many elements that contribute to shaping architecture into art. This is a perfect introduction to the complexities and wonders of show more architecture for children and adults show less

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