Art &/or Architecture – John H Manhold

ARTWORDS ISBN: 9781643145198 AuthorsPress, copyright and written by Beatriz M. Robles.

The author’s opening words of dedication well-describe the intent of her book “As my father, Rene Robles, has always said when describing the meaning of his art Assertionism, “Art that has power—asserts, transforms, and transcends,” Under his influence in art, and my mother, Emilia Robles’ poetic influence in writing, we have Artwords, “Writing that asserts, transforms, and transcends to become art.””

Discussion/conclusion: I was impressed by the reviews of other of this author’s books and was looking forward to reading it. To be totally frank, I spent a considerable amount of time attempting to figure out what I was reading. And yes, it is that different. Once you begin to understand, it is possible to attain some feeling for the reviews others have written for her other books from the structure of the material she has supplied and her photographs, and certainly she, as well as both her mother and father, are held in high regard by a seemingly large number of inhabitants of the Philippines from reviews offered by the media there. Additionally, the author is well-know and highly respected, especially in Asia and Europe as a classical musician, as well as recognized artist with a number of exhibitions as well as an author of a number of well-received books. So to return to Artwords, from the material offered and total contents, it is possible for a reader to ‘feel’ or ‘sense’ what the author is attempting to provide – a use of words that provide an image and is a most interesting concept. Granted, a complete evaluation regrettably and apologetically could not be provided by this viewer, because some of the material provided a dark shading of sections, notations, and the letters themselves were unable to be raised to a size font sufficient to be completely comprehended. However, a ‘sense’ of her intent easily was discernable. So, to conclude: the author successfully has accomplished her purpose. But again apologetically for a caveat – although a fascinating, well-formulated and presented concept, this book is not particularly one for the more pragmatically inclined reader.

3* 5* concept; – 2*(?) readers’ choice – see discussion/conclusion.

Arnolfini Art Mysteries 2 ISBN: 978190053059 (eBook), an imprint of Digital Vista written by Rich DiSilvio.

The author has set forth for the prospective reader a most interesting series of mysteries ranging from almost priceless pieces of art to prominent architectural structures. The protagonist is a private investigator whose vocation/avocation is to appraise the authenticity of these objects for Museums and other interested individuals/groups who are willing to pay the expenses as well as the fees for which such unique ability is rendered. The first of the investigation the protagonist, Armand Arnolfini, describes in this book is of the authenticity of the long-lost Leonardo daVinci’s “Leda and the Swan” which his father maneuvers him into doing after setting-up Armand’s marriage to Andrea St. John, a young woman he found to be able to replace an irreplaceable wife who he had passed away a few years earlier. The marriage took place in a storied castle in Belgium with a list of attendees that was a list of the elite of the art world. From this initial offering the story travels through a number of other investigations of prominent pieces of art, buildings associated with architect/artists and then to a fascinating tale about the at one time tallest architectural structure in the world, the Woolworth building in the United states.

Discussion: the descriptions provided by the author are replete with details of an opulent manner of life only imagined by most as well as fascinating details of the varied and often serendipitous path these investigations can take. The amount of fiction included within the body of this work only can be judged by how much the reader knows about the art and architectural world and those who participate and/or have participated through the centuries. Definitely a rivet and ‘must read’ for anyone interested in investigations and especially for those having any interest and/or curiosity about art and architecture.

5* Riveting if interested in investigative art and/or architecture.