Rating: Summary: A thought provoking premise with inspiring art is a winner. Review: After much anticipation for another "Nick" book, I was rewarded with this wonderfully thought-provoking novel. The whole premise of purgatory and how one travels through it is inspired. Each character comes alive as Mr. Bantock unravels their histories one by one and allows us to view their lives and their cherished possessions. The best part of this author's books is always his art and "Museum" is no exception. The art reaches far beyond collage and moves on to assemblage in a most delicious way. Mr. Bantock's constructed shrines are wonderful. I recommend this book to all current "Nick" fans and encourage all those who love alternative art to read this new book.
Rating: Summary: A thought provoking premise with inspiring art is a winner. Review: After much anticipation for another "Nick" book, I was rewarded with this wonderfully thought-provoking novel. The whole premise of purgatory and how one travels through it is inspired. Each character comes alive as Mr. Bantock unravels their histories one by one and allows us to view their lives and their cherished possessions. The best part of this author's books is always his art and "Museum" is no exception. The art reaches far beyond collage and moves on to assemblage in a most delicious way. Mr. Bantock's constructed shrines are wonderful. I recommend this book to all current "Nick" fans and encourage all those who love alternative art to read this new book.
Rating: Summary: A personal mythology Review: Bantock has a wonderful style, and this book may be my favorite among the ones I've seen. Like the Griffin and Sabine books, it has a definitely mystical side. As the name says, it's about purgatory, but not Dante's. This is a place where people have work to do, and our protagonist works as a museum keeper. That sets the scene for a series of peculiar vignettes, the kind that make just a little too much sense. Also like G&S, there's a distinctly autobiographical sense about the story. The last section is explicitly a fictional autobiography. Somehow, though, the stories have a grounded feeling that doesn't let me believe they are pure fantasy. As much as I like the G&S imagery, I like this better. Bantock has moved his improbable talent for assemblage and collage into 3D. He has created several series of fictional artifacts, are as complex and multifacted as his works on paper. These images, so many being photos, have a clarity that G&S sometimes lost. This is a brief but very enjoyable book, and one worth re-reading. The pictures just get better with each reading, and the stories seem to stay fresh.
Rating: Summary: A thought provoking premise with inspiring art is a winner. Review: bantock's done very well here. his past books have been beautiful but left some wanting in terms of narrative. here bantock divides the book into various rooms, each a collection of work by a different artists or collectors (my favorite is a collection of "historically forged" toy tops). the format- a terse but well written narrative of the person's life and work, and lots of stunning pictures. all are interwoven with a common narrative by the museum's curator, which wraps the book up quite poignantly. we're all already in purgatory. he's also included a book of half a dozen stamps on the back inside cover- a nice little touch.
Rating: Summary: familiar territory, amazing images Review: bantock's done very well here. his past books have been beautiful but left some wanting in terms of narrative. here bantock divides the book into various rooms, each a collection of work by a different artists or collectors (my favorite is a collection of "historically forged" toy tops). the format- a terse but well written narrative of the person's life and work, and lots of stunning pictures. all are interwoven with a common narrative by the museum's curator, which wraps the book up quite poignantly. we're all already in purgatory. he's also included a book of half a dozen stamps on the back inside cover- a nice little touch.
Rating: Summary: Bantock Is Back Review: In my humble opinion, this is the best book written by Nick Bantock since the 'Griffin & Sabine' trilogy. The 3-dimensional artifacts he created for each room in 'The Museum at Purgatory' are absolutely stunning. This is an ingenious tale of what happens to artists and collectors in life after death. But don't just take my word on it -- preview an excerpt, take a tour of the image gallery, and read the critics' comments by visiting the Museum's official website.
Rating: Summary: Bantock Is Back Review: In my humble opinion, this is the best book written by Nick Bantock since the 'Griffin & Sabine' trilogy. The 3-dimensional artifacts he created for each room in 'The Museum at Purgatory' are absolutely stunning. This is an ingenious tale of what happens to artists and collectors in life after death. But don't just take my word on it -- preview an excerpt, take a tour of the image gallery, and read the critics' comments by visiting the Museum's official website.
Rating: Summary: Bantock Is Back Review: In my humble opinion, this is the best book written by Nick Bantock since the `Griffin & Sabine' trilogy. The 3-dimensional artifacts he created for each room in `The Museum at Purgatory' are absolutely stunning. This is an ingenious tale of what happens to artists and collectors in life after death. But don't just take my word on it -- preview an excerpt, take a tour of the image gallery, and read the critics' comments by visiting the Museum's official website.
Rating: Summary: Return to the Surreal Review: In the "Museum At Purgatory" Nick Bantock returns his art style to the meshing of items in a surreal manner that was so evident in the incredible Griffin and Sabine series but that was absent from the Forgetting Room and Venetians Wife. The story is more of an exploration of the ten rooms and their creators but has little other plot. However what little there is is exquisitely done. I especially enjoyed the carpet room. Not quite up to Griffin and Sabine but can anything ever regain that pure magic.
Rating: Summary: Engaging picture book for big-brained grown-ups Review: Of all of Bantock's books, this is the one that has the most accessible premise and text (though "The Venetian's Wife" is nearly just as much so and even more fun to watch unfold). His books are many things at once: a mystery, a coffee table art book, a love story, a "Where's Waldo?" for grown-ups, and this book captures most of these elements (no love story for once) with ease and is a great starting place for people who might find the concept of picking up what is essentially a grown-up's picture book less daunting. The concept of a limbo-like place for the dead to decide/uncover their ultimate fate is engaging and the narrarator - "Non" - does a fine job of carrying us along the thread of the mystery of the place and even himself...moreso in this book than in most of the others. It isn't bantock's best book, but it is the one you might want to recommend to someone who isn't familiar with his work and might be self-conscious about being seen with a book with pictures. The art in this book isn't quite up to par with the art in his other books, and there's a more stark presentation here (lending itself fine to the museum concept, but not as much eye candy as we're accustomed to in a Bantock book), but it's still a fine book.
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