ART CITY by Chris Maybach; Paul GardnerReview by: Joan StahlArt Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 21, No. 2(Fall 2002), p. 53Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27949222 .

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help break through limitations and categorization imposed by corporate and capital-driven agendas so that the alliance between art and science might be free to achieve positive changes on the shape of the future.

Perhaps unexpected is the consequence of Wilson's

Methodology, which he placed in an appendix at the book's end. It serves as an explanation of Wilson's approach to the subject and the sources he consulted to gather his information, explain ing the rationale behind omissions and providing justification for the inclusion of or lengthy excursion into the work of specif ic artists or areas of research. Much more than a scholarly disclaimer, it has the potential to serve as a road map for subse

quent studies.

Wilson also offers separate alphabetized name and subject indices, useful for quick navigation of the bounty of material he

presents. Web site addresses, where readers can experience for

themselves the projects and research pursued by the artists dis

cussed, appear at the base of each page and provide an additional valuable resource for harvesting further information. A bibliography of additional reading and reference material are included at the back of the book.

Information Arts is, without question, a landmark work that

opens doors for deeper, more specific exploration, inquiry, and theorization and is certain to contribute to the changing face of

contemporary cultural studies.

Savannah Schroll Smithsonian Institution Libraries

In Brief AN ELEGANT HAND: THE GOLD EN AGE OF AMERICAN PENMAN SHIP AND CALLIGRAPHY /

William E. Henning and edited by Paul Melzer.?New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, April 2002.?320 p.: ill.? ISBN 1-58456-067-3: $59.95.

Most certainly, An Elegant Hand will fill a niche in library collections, since so little has been published on the history of American calligraphy

and penmanship. Artist-author Henning undertook this scholar

ly study shortly after his father's death in 1972, and drew upon the unique resources that his father had collected. William C.

Henning was at the forefront of the field in its heyday, 1850-1925,

serving as American editor of The America Penman. He left an

unpublished memoir, a library of reference works, and a well

preserved collection of writing specimens. This investigation introduces the reader to the most esteemed, but now nearly for

gotten, American penmen such as Platt Rogers Spencer, the father of American handwriting, Austin N. Palmer, developer of the penmanship method that was taught in American schools, and Francis B. Courtney, the Pen Wizard. With over 400 splendid illustrations, this historical overview, entertaining and readable,

will undoubtedly become a landmark. Recommended for design and studio arts collections.

Joan Stahl Smithsonian American Art Museum

~ ~ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDENS:

.? 11 \ifl t'rH^ HISTORY AND DESIGN / Edited by JBL ^Sr* Candace A. Shoemaker.?Chicago, IL:

!^HtaHldHte| Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001.?3 vol.: ill

^HBBfl ISBN 1-57958-173-0: $385.00.

I^^B^Q^HHl A comprehensive history of gar ^^^BflRgH^K dens and their design, this reference

work is edited by the former director, HH^^HBBH School of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

1 '" ! "

j? Its more than 500 entries, alphabetically - arranged, fall into three broad cate

gories: people (architects, designers, plant collectors, writers), places (countries, regions, specific gardens), and topics (periods, styles, garden elements). The entries range in length from one

page to ten pages, are often illustrated with historic photos, and include bibliographic citations for further reading. The contribu tors are a prestigious and knowledgeable group that includes architectural historians, garden designers, curators, landscape design professors, and art historians. In her preface, Shoemaker

acknowledges a Eurocentric focus on the subject simply because,

despite efforts to be international in scope, the most research to date has been on gardening traditions in Europe. The criteria for selection of people and gardens reflects their lasting impact on the history of gardens or garden design. Each volume includes a small number of blurry photographs that could have been elim inated. Volume 3 has notes on contributors and advisors. The extensive index enhances the user's ability to locate information. A basic resource that will be particularly well used in landscape design and architecture collections.

Joan Stahl Smithsonian American Art Museum

t?M^I^^ ART CITY / Produced by Chris

^'| ^ ! %^^^ | Maybach and Paul Gardner.?Los

BBfc?*?\ jpt/^ i Angeles, CA: Twelve Films, 1996

^BmW-^^^g 2002.?VHS (3 tapes), DVD (3 discs), 58

HB^SffiSfefiraJ min. $99.00 / tape or $249.00 / set, $109.00 / disc or $289.00 /set.

Art City: Making it in Manhattan appeared in 1996. The brain child of Paul Gardner, a freelance cultural writer from New York, and Chris Maybach, an independent filmmaker from Los Angeles, the documentary is a candid and fresh behind-the-scenes view of the contemporary art world. Maybach and Gardner meet artists in

studios, lofts, and galleries. They selected artists who represent a broad range of styles and techniques. Making it in Manhattan includes conversations with Louise Bourgeois, Brice Marden, Chuck Close,and Neil Jenney. Art City: A Ruling Passion explores issues that affect artists?community, motivation, controversy? and the intense artists that are featured include Louise Bourgeois,

Michael Ray Charles, Elizabeth Peyton, and Ed Ruscha. Art City: Simplicity, which completes the trilogy, examines success in the art world and the singular artists with whom Maybach and Gardner visit; some are just starting out and others are at the end of their career. They include Agnes Martin, John Baldessari, Amy Adler, and Robert Williams. A must-see for aspiring artists and art histo rians. Recommended for purchase in all libraries with a sizeable audience for contemporary art.

Joan Stahl Smithsonian American Art Museum

Volume 21, Number 2 ? 2002 ? Art Documentation 53

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