Sunday, September 30, 2012

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 4


PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME



The full-color book is divided into chapters on: The Lure of Tuscany; The Land; Springtime and Gardens; Trees and Vineyards; Florence, Siena, and Pisa; Faces; Hilltowns and Abbeys; Marble; Windows and Doors; and The Coast.

Along with all the expected shots of the Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio and Duomo, the Bullaty-Lomeo team's keen eye produces a haunting image of white grave markers making a brilliant geometric pattern at the American cemetery near Terme di Firenze.

In Siena, an aerial shot captures the enormity of the Piazza del Campo while a brilliant small image depicts two children, barely tall enough to walk, enjoying the fabled public plaza.

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- OCTOBER 1  

Saturday, September 29, 2012

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 3



PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME



Praising Guillaume's poetic capturing of the lives and times that make Tuscany so beloved is not meant to take anything away from the brilliant images presented by the New York-based Bullaty and Lomeo.

Anyone who has picked up a camera will be instantly jealous of the golden light, long shadows and perfect composition portrayed in their photos.

"For three decades these photographers have been drawn to Tuscany and its surrounding areas endeavoring to capture the special light, the sculpted countryside, the heralded cities and hilltowns, and the celebrated art and architecture," the dust jacket summarizes the 1995 publication.

"Their photographic themes include timeless views of ocher landscapes where farmers arrange their haystacks like artists; castles overlooking acres of irises and vineyards; shadowy cypress trees defining the land; explosions of color in springtime; incandescent views of Florence, Siena, and Pisa; faces on sculptures; faded frescoes in silent cloisters and other details of art and architecture; humorous vignettes of the daily round; and sparkling Mediterranean seascapes. 
This photographic album of Tuscany is truly unlike any other."

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 30

Friday, September 28, 2012

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 2



PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME



The text in most photo-driven books often barely goes beyond descriptions of what the photographer's eye captured.

Or worse, sometimes the text is an insufferable (and failed) attempt to be super hip and cool.

Guillaume, the Paris-based journalist, provides some of the best accompanying text we're ever enjoyed.

"In her fascinating text, Marie-Ange Guillaume provides a verbal portrait of the scores of artists and writers, as well as infamous people, who lived or worked in Tuscany, including Michelangelo, Leonardo, Stendhal, Savonarola, the Brownings, Henry James, Modigliani, Fellini, and James Ivory," is the spot-on accurate description of her prose in the book's inner jacket.

"The anecdotal text, liberally flavored with quotes from the letters and diaries of these well-known individuals, provides insights about Tuscany today and in centuries past."

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 29

Thursday, September 27, 2012

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 1




PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME



In their beautiful book simply titled Tuscany, the husband and wife team of Sonja Bullaty and Angelo Lomeo did an amazing job of photographing the architecture, art and landscape that defines Toscano.

Their 1995 book by Abbeville Press more than stands the test of time with its 160 full-color images covering 180 pages.

But it is the writing of Marie-Ange Guillaume that makes this beautiful book a must-have for anyone who has ever set foot in Tuscany or dreamed of visiting the land of Florence, Siena, Pisa and all that golden-lit countryside in between.

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45


TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 28