Barry Windsor-Smith : Opus Vol. 2

Rating:
Summary: THROUGH TIME & SPACE
Review: Barry Windsor-Smith's second volume of his metaphysical autobiography is much better designed than the first and features some rather nice comicbook-style drawings, but it feels less "meaty" than Opus 1, despite being slightly longer. There is simply not enough works included that represent why he's deserving of a pricey second art book. Regardless of his goals, Barry Windsor-Smith is a comic artist best known for being the first to handle Marvel's adaptation of Conan. That's pretty much his legacy. His subsequent poster business and ultimate return to comics all hinged on the impact of his Conan comics nearly 30 years ago. The samples included in Opus 2 that illustrate his significance to comics and fantasy art in general are welcome--there's just not enough of it. Instead the book leans heavily toward Smith's stiff and pale Rossetti and Burne-Jones imitations. Perhaps they are meant to compliment his meandering text as he tries to explain his supposed paranormal experiences in 1973, but they become tiresome quickly. For all his pronouncements and posturing, Smith seems to have reached a plateau early in his career and simply stopped challenging himself. He has very little to say artistically and appears to be trying to make up for it with New Age babble about his precognitive links to Roger Waters. I don't think I'll return for Opus 3.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT STUFF (if you have the right expectations :-)
Review: The reviews of OPUS 1 and 2 are pretty much divided between people who either think OPUS was the worst artbook they ever bought or people who thought it was the best. I personally belong to the last category. And I think the reason is that I didn't buy it with the expectations of this being 'just another artbook'. I dunno how this book has been promoted, but I think it is very clear from the backcover and inner covers that this is as much an autobiography as it is an artbook. But if you do have high expectations about this being mostly an artbook you're going to be disappointed (maybe), because there simply isn't enough of all the beautiful art!! Aside from that: if you think you have had paranormal xps you will obviously appreciate the book very much. But even if you are 'just' an openminded person who would like to know more about the man behind the art, you will still appreciate Barry's descriptions of his extraordinary xps and his honesty about all the doubt, confusion and fear of ridicule (and of alienation from friends and family) associated with such xps. It doesn't matter if these experiences point to an objective reality or if it was just a wee bit too hot that summer in NY. What does matter is that he had the guts to do it: To show what moves him. And his art. If people don't like it or understand it, well ... That's their loss, I guess. On a final note: I find it baffling that some reviews (for OPUS 1) actually claimed Barry couldn't draw very well, due to 'problems with proportions' and so on. Yeah, well Michelangelo isn't very good, either ... or Boticelli for that matter. All crap, really. Just like Barry Windsor-Smith ... :)