Art Research

Cv/VAR 80 presents an interview by sculptor Tom Grimsey in 1991 with Spanish artist Glòria Ortega. She describes her work in various mediums from straw to steel. She credits the effect on her work of artists Miro, Chillida, and Ortéiza, and discusses her place in the community of Catalan artists.

Cv/VAR 50 publishes an interview with the artist Helen Chadwick (1953-96), recorded at her Beck Road studio in 1989. It explores the body-action-photographic works distilled in installations such as Ego Geometria Sum and Of Mutability, and the cromalin prints of 1989: Viral Landscapes, prepared for exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art Oxford in 1990.

Dr. Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, gives an interview to Cv/VAR, first published in Curators and Collections Volume Three 2010. He describes the history of the Art Fund, its foundation, aims and initiatives, and work as a major benefactor, enabling museums and galleries to preserve and develop their collections, including recently discovered treasure troves, and individual works saved for the future.

Cv/VAR 102 documents Leviathan, a commissioned sculpture by Anish Kapoor for the Monumenta series at the Grand Palais, Paris. It records a press presentation at his London studio. The artist describes the project, with reference to scale models, and discusses 120 metre high Orbit in construction for the 2012 London Olympics. It then visits Leviathan installed at the Grand Palais in May 2011.

A presentation by exhibition curator Catherine David in 1997 describes her plans for Documenta X Kassel; title 'Retroperspective', including works by Joseph Beuys and Walter de Maria. She proposes the ambitions of the projects, in linking strands of modern and progressive art, with aspirations of different nationalities and cultures.

From his best-selling series, The Art of World Building, author Randy Ellefson provides more than 3000 World Building Prompts to inspire creators for everything they might want to invent.

In Sometimes the Magic Works, New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made.

Chairs. Neat people. Ugliness. War. Over six decades of intrepid reporting and elegant essays, Andy Rooney has proven a shrewd cultural analyst. Andy Rooney: 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit brings together the best of more than a half-century of work (including long-out-of-print pieces from his early years) in an unforgettable celebration of one of America’s funniest men. Like Mark Twain, Finley Peter Dunne (Mister Dooley) and Will Rogers, Andy Rooney is a classic chronicler of America, a writer for the ages.

Cv/VAR 47 documents an interview with the the celebrated sculptor Arman (1928-2005), exploring his early connections with Yves Klein, Rosicrucianism, and the development of auto-formed sculptures of collected objects.

The 2013 monograph republished on the occasion of the 2020 Andy Warhol retrospective at Tate Modern London featuring: Campbell's Soup Cans, 1960s portraits; Suicides and Car Crashes; Sex Parts; Latinx Trans Portraits and the finnale Sicty Last Suppers 1986. Includes Andy Warhol at the NGMA Edinburgh, October 2007, A Celebration of Life...and Death. Magdalena Wasiura on Andy Warhol: Brigid Bardot portrait at Gagosian Gallery 2013.

Why is it that some things explode online, while others linger in anonymity for years? Why do some things hook our attention, while others flop? Is there a pattern behind how social media captivates us? Viral fame is not just a coincidence. There is an easy-to-learn strategy behind it. Whether your dream is YouTube stardom, or just creating opportunity with a personal brand, The Art of Going Viral is your blueprint for digital success. Stand out, get noticed, and captivate online.

Cultures and Beyond - The Podcast Transcripts (The Art of World Building, Book 6) discusses techniques on inventing names, organizations for good and evil, and armed forces like the army, navy, and air (or space) force. An extensive look into creating cultures led to four detailed episodes on determining cultural vision, scope, origins, social classes, and the all-important customs that reveal culture. A similar deep dive into inventing magic systems examines the principles behind devising great ones and just what is meant by a law of magic and its applications.

Learning to create a unique, immersive place one podcast episode at a time. World building strategist Randy Ellefson turned his successful book series, The Art of World Building, into a popular podcast of the same name, with episodes loosely drawn from each book in the series...Ellefson breaks out in new directions while expanding on how to invent planets, continents, sovereign powers, settlements, history, maps, and more...Build better, faster.

A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler offers a blueprint for a creative life from the perspective of award-winning science-fiction writer and “MacArthur Genius” Octavia E. Butler. It is a collection of ideas about how to look, listen, breathe - how to be in the world.

The first book in The Art Of series of books on the craft of writing, fiction writer and essayist Charles Baxter's The Art of Subtext discusses and illustrates the hidden subtextual overtones and undertones in fictional works haunted by the unspoken, the suppressed, and the secreted.

From the Corner of Bad and Ass is a collection of Carrie Schiffler’s memories about growing up in welfare housing to absentee and alcoholic parents. Throughout these heart-wrenching and often-hilarious stories, we cheer her on as she fights to survive domestic violence, sexual abuse, and cycles of poverty and addiction ... all before her 18th birthday. Prepare to laugh at her attempts to earn the attention she craves and prepare to cry over the inappropriate attention she receives.

Best-selling authors and business experts Thomas A. Stewart and Patricia O'Connell contend that most companies, both digital and brick-and-mortar, B2B or B2C, are not designed for service - to provide an experience that matches a customer's expectations with every interaction and serves the company's needs. When customers have more choices than ever before, study after study reveals that it's the experience that makes the difference.

In Crafting Narratives: The Art of Storytelling, Lyric Sage invites aspiring writers into the enchanting world of storytelling, unveiling the essential tools and techniques needed to transform ideas into compelling narratives. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricate process of writing, offering invaluable insights on crafting multi-dimensional characters, structuring captivating plots, and weaving profound themes throughout your work. Lyric's engaging prose and practical exercises empower readers to dig deep into their creativity while honing their unique voice.

From his best-selling series The Art of World Building, author Randy Ellefson has collected some of his best advice from every chapter in small, bite-size tips. All three books are represented in the topics covered: Creating Life, Creating Places, and Cultures and Beyond.

Bookish and retiring, Garry Wills has been an outsider in the academy, in journalism, even in his church. Yet these qualities have, paradoxically, prompted people to share intimate insights with him - perhaps because he is not a rival, a competitor, or a threat. The result is the most personal book Wills has ever written.