BOOK REVIEW: ‘Flight Through The Ages: A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Guild of Aviation Artists’

Reviewer: Michael Keith

Title: Flight Through The Ages: A 50^th Anniversary Tribute to the Guild of Aviation Artists

Author: Guild of Aviation Artists

Total Number of Printed Pages: 218

Rating Scale (1: Very Poor, 10: Excellent): Photographs: 9, Text: 2

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A note appearing on this volume’s dustjacket states ‘This book celebrates 50 years of exhibitions [by the Guild of Aviation Artists] and includes paintings by…Guild artists, past and present, depicting aircraft from the earliest airborne activities through to the present day’. It is an accurate summary.

Within the volume itself, a section titled Introduction and Acknowledgements follows its’ Contents page. The title is self-explanatory. The section is in turn followed by a Foreword (by Michael Turner, President of the Guild of Aviation Artists), within-which a precis of the organisation’s history is presented. A five-page section titled The Guild of Aviation Artists follows. Within-this, sub-sections elaborate on the Guild’s aims its exhibitions, origins, history and current state. The Images section now follows. This comprises 195 pages and is divided into 13 Sections, these being analogous to Chapters. With the exception of Section 12 (Portraits) and 13 (Producing an Aviation Painting), each Section covers a specific era in aviation, from Early Aviation, Balloons, Airships (Section One) to Second World War (Section Four), Civil Aviation (Section Eight) and Museums (Section 11). With the exception of page 198 (Guild Sketching Days – Guild Artists at Work) which contains five small images), Sections 1-12 follow a similar format; namely a single (usually full-page) coloured image of a specific aircraft or aviation-themed event relating to the era being presented. Each image is accompanied by a caption which gives the work’s title, the aircraft or event which it depicts, the artist, and the medium used in its creation. Section 13 (Producing An Aviation Painting) does however follow a different format. It is the volume’s final section and as will ascertained from its title, takes the reader through the processes required to turn an original monochrome image into a full-coloured painting, taking eight pages to do so. The process is informative and uses both monochrome and coloured images to chart the development of a painting to meet a specific end result.

While this volume is full of beautiful and highly-coloured images, for this reviewer it was badly let down by the lack of an Index. According to its’ dustjacket, the book contains ‘…Some 200 illustrations…’ a fact which pre-supposes works by many different artists. In the absence of an Index, a reader seeking a specific artist has no choice but to laboriously peruse every page’s captions in the (perhaps forlorn) hope that they might somehow find the name of the individual they are seeking.

The same criticism can be levelled concerning the aircraft types and locations portrayed and for the same reasons; again, how can a specific aircraft type or location be found without having to view the whole volume. A significant failing! In addition, the paucity of caption information was such that this reviewer eventually started randomly counting the words of each caption to see how many words they contained; the shortest found was three, the longest, nine. Brevity has its place, but for this reviewer, this volume was not one of those places. It was also regrettable that an interpretive Glossary was not included within the wok; what (for example) do the letters GAvA, FGAvA, AGM or IWM mean? To a non-aviation, (possibly non-artistic) reader, they are meaningless. In addition, the absence of any biographical details about the contributing artists effectively dehumanises them, reducing them to mere names on a page, rather than providing possibly-inspirational details concerning their artistic-development and backgrounds.

Ultimately, this volume is a collection of pretty pictures of aeroplanes doing all sorts of interesting things. On that basis, buyers wanting beautiful pictures of all sorts of (mainly British) aeroplanes are likely to be well-pleased with this volume. However, readers seeking ‘technical’ details about said machines, or even how the individual images were created (Section 13 notwithstanding), will be disappointed by their lack, the book’s emphasis / focus being on the completed image rather than the ‘things technical / mechanical’ that got it to that stage.

That this volume contains spectacular artworks of beautiful aeroplanes and lighter than air machines is undeniable, but for this reviewer it lacks what he considers to be the most basic of items, the Index being but one of these. It is on this basis that he has given it the rating appearing below:

On a Rating Scale where 1: Very Poor, 10: Excellent, I have given the Photographs: 9, the Text: 2.

It should have been higher.

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BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Armistice and the Aftermath: The Story in Art’

BOOK REVIEW

Reviewer: Michael Keith

Title:  The Armistice and the Aftermath: The Story in Art

Author:  John Fairley

Total Number of Pages: 192

Rating Scale (1: Very Poor, 10: Excellent): 7½

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When describing this volume’s content,  a note on its dustjacket states that ‘…The Armistice and the Aftermath…brings together in one book a superb collection of the most epic paintings of the [World War I] era. The result, with informed and perceptive commentary is a unique record of those momentous days…’ It is an accurate summary of what is to follow.

The volume consists of 40 Chapters, these appearing immediately after the two page Contents section. There are none of the usual introductory sections one would expect to find within such a volume as this. While each Chapter nominally contains at least one full-page art work, in at least one instance (The Wartime Leaders, Chapter Forty), the image is out of sequence and appears before the section rather than within it. As it loses a certain relevance by doing-so, the reasons for this ‘displacement’ are unknown. While the majority of art works within the volume are from British, French or American artists, pieces by German artists also appear. The works displayed are in a variety of media, and are accompanied by an informative narrative. By this means, the reader is taken through the last year of the War, the first years of the Peace, while being introduced to important individuals, groups and occasions while so-doing. Where appropriate to the narrative, eyewitness descriptions also appear. It must however be noted that in some instances (and again for unknown reasons), the author of this volume does not consider it necessary to specifically name each plate within the text which accompanies it. In such situations he prefers to allude to it rather than name it specifically. Chapter 12 (Peace in the Mediterranean) is a case in point. Although four images appear within that Chapter, at no time are they specifically named; referred-to certainly, but not actually named. In addition, in several instances, the images that appear within a specific Chapter are not even mentioned within the text that supposedly relates to them.  They are instead used as vehicles to present the artist’s thoughts on the events which prompted their eventual creation. The images of HMS Mantis on the Tigris and The Navy at Baghdad  which appear in Chapter 11 (Peace in the Middle East), are but two such examples of this practice. Neither image is mentioned within the text, but the wartime reminiscences of their creator (David Maxwell) are. On the basis of the above, a reader expecting a detailed description of the individual images and their creation is likely to be disappointed. Most, but not all, of the images are captioned, the information provided tending-to consist of the individual piece’s title and the name of the creating artist. It was however noted there were several exceptions to this rule. An Appendix (The Armistice Terms) follows Chapter 40. Its title is self-explanatory. The Appendix is in turn followed by the volume’s final section titled Picture Credits. The title is self-explanatory but while naming the sources of the images, it also lists the pages within the volume on which they appear. This book contains neither Maps nor Index, and aside from the previously-mentioned Picture Credits section, the Contents pages contain no mention of those images which appear within the volume. Numerous unsourced Quotes appear throughout the work. Without supporting citations, their authenticity is inevitably under question; they might just as well be imaginary. A Glossary would have been of value: what for instance is Post Expressionist Painting (page 169)?

While this is a most-informative volume, for this reviewer it is let down by the total absence of an Index. As a result, a reader has no way of knowing which artists and individuals are mentioned within the book; which artistic works are represented, which geographical locations are mentioned, or which military actions have been recorded or commented-on. In the absence of such information, he believes it is both unreasonable and time-consuming to expect a reader to have to search through the volume’s 192 pages in a possibly-fruitless attempt to locate a specific individual, piece of art, geographical location or event. In his opinion this is a major failing, which serves to significantly-reduce the volume’s usefulness. The lack of Maps is also unhelpful as it gives a reader neither context nor location for the events mentioned within the narrative. Although the lack of citations for Quotes has been previously-mentioned, the presence of undefined terms is also unhelpful. What (for example) is ‘…The local Murdoch newspaper (page 165)? Who / what, was ‘Murdoch’? Why is he / it associated with a newspaper? In the absence of clarifying detail, such a statement is, at minimum, baffling, and to many, the reasons being unexplained, probably totally incomprehensible.

As the focus of this volume is on art, the works appearing within its pages are likely to be of interest to aficionados of such matters, while Historians and ‘Generalist’ readers with an interest in World War I may also find it of interest. As they portray contemporary military machinery, it is also possible that military modellers might find some of the images useful as reference material.

On a Rating Scale where 1: Very Poor, 10: Excellent, I have given this volume a 7½.

It should have been much higher.

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BOOK REVIEW: ‘ A Marine Artist’s Portfolio: The Marine Paintings Of Susanne Fournais’

Reviewer:  Michael Keith

Title: A Marine Artist’s Portfolio: The Marine Paintings Of Susanne Fournais

Author: Susanne Fournais Grube

No. of Pages: 103

Rating Scale (1: very poor, 10: excellent): 8

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In this volume’s Introduction, and when explaining the reasons for this volume, the author states ‘I’ve been very fortunate in being able to demonstrate [my] love of and fascination in the sea through art’ and that she has been ‘Lucky enough to be able to devote time to painting those subjects that I find of interest as well. These paintings form the basis of this book’. It is an accurate precis of a beautifully-illustrated volume.

This volume contains no Contents page; the first section being an Introduction where-in the author provides a historical and personal background to her nautical interest, while also acknowledging the assistance she received in the book’s creation. A small, single-column section titled My Painting Techniques appears on the extreme left hand edge of the following page (page six) ; the title being self-explanatory. The six ‘Sections’ forming the main part of the work then follow. These are analogous to Chapters. They are however un-numbered and cover a wide variety of subjects from Liberty ships to Lighthouses, to Crustacea and to Shells. Although nominally on a single subject (for example Tugboats, ferries and pilots in ‘Section’ Two), the section ‘titles’ are frequently ‘catchalls’ for the artist’s work; the previously-mentioned section containing images of both naval vessels and maritime paraphernalia; subjects falling outside the nominal range implied by that section’s ‘title’. Each Section is prefaced by an introductory essay. These provide background to the types of vessel likely to be found within the section (Wooden boats and yachts in ‘Section’ 6 being one such example), and set the scene for the images that are to follow. That the images within the section might include subjects that are neither ships nor boats is not however mentioned. The images, when they appear, are spectacular, and portray their subjects (whether on land, in the sea or from below it) in all sorts of settings and situations. The majority of images are single-paged in format. However, for unexplained reasons, several pages contain groups of smaller images, provided perhaps to display as many of the artist’s works as possible within a constrained environment. The image colours are beautiful, sharp and very evocative. They display the artist’s talent and distinctive style to full advantage. Such Captions as are provided are the titles of the individual pieces. The volume contains no ‘technical’ information about the subjects being portrayed. An Epilogue placed after the last image (Marie) provides information about the artist’s travels, whereabouts and her future intentions. The volume contains no list of the images that appear within it. There is no Index.

As previously-noted, the images within this volume are beautiful and a credit to their creator. They are equally however, the source of a major criticism concerning this work; namely that there is simply no way to find a specific vessel or image. Should a reader to whom ‘A ship is a ship, is a ship’, merely want a ‘Pretty picture book’ of marine things, they will have no problems with this aspect of the volume. However, should said reader (perhaps a ship modeller or a crew-member of one of the vessels portrayed), wish to find an image of (for example) Mineral Zulu (page 51), they will have to spend time trying to find if the vessel is even actually within the work, with no guarantee of success for their efforts. In this reviewer’s opinion such searching for a possibly-disappointing end-result should not be necessary; things could have been done better.  An Index, or (at the very least), a page containing a List of Plates / Images and the appropriate page numbers, would have been extremely helpful. A Contents page showing the titles and locations of the various ‘Sections’ (while also numbering them), when combined with the previously-suggested list of plates, would have also contributed to reduced searching times.

There is no doubt that this is a beautiful book and a pleasure to view. Followers of the artist will, of course, be delighted with its content. Lovers of ships and ‘Things Nautical’ may well find it worthy of their attention, while ship modellers and other marine artists may find the colours and details useful. On the presumption that the vessels portrayed actually exist, it is also likely that the crews of such craft will find the images and the artist’s interpretations to be of interest. It is also likely to appeal to those who simply like beautiful images of ships and the sea and who would purchase a volume of images for just that reason. It is indeed a ‘Work of Art’.

On a Rating Scale where 1: very poor, 10: excellent, I have given this volume an 8.

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BOOK REVIEW: ‘Ashley Jackson: The Yorkshire Artist. A Lifetime of Inspiration Captured in Watercolour’

Reviewer:  Michael Keith

Title: Ashley Jackson: The Yorkshire Artist. A Lifetime of Inspiration Captured in Watercolour

Author: Ashley Jackson

No. of Pages: 156

Rating Scale (1: very poor, 10: excellent): 9

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In this volume’s Introduction, the author writes the following: ’The Yorkshire moors have always pulled at my inner world …I can honestly say I have grown deeper in love with her. For she is a woman to me; with her soft and wild nature, the perfumed scent of heather blowing around you and her voice; the wind blowing in your face. How can you not paint her beauty when she enthrals you?’ A beautiful book, about a beautiful part of England, by an artist who is in totally besotted with his subject. As a visual declaration of his adoration, it can have few peers.

The work opens with a Forward, this being placed behind the Contents page. A Dedication follows, and is in turn followed by a Preface by the author’s daughter who has acted as complier and motivator for the volume. An Introduction follows. Within it the author sets-out his rationale for the book. The 62 colour plates which comprise the bulk of the volume then follow. Although they are originally watercolour, they have reproduced well and convey the many moods of the moors and their environs. These images are placed on the odd-numbered pages within the section, with the image’s title, description and several lines of interpretative text appearing on the opposite (even numbered) page of the work. Where necessary, photographs also accompany this narrative. The author is rightly considered to be a local treasure and unsurprisingly, the object of media attention. Within this volume, this takes the form of two pages of colour photographs in the centre of the book where-in three photographs show the artist at work while being photographed by a television crew. All concerned are in wet weather gear and sheltering under umbrellas, reinforcing the narrative that only the most ardent lover would pursue such a path in his adoration for his subject. A four-page Biography that commences on page 140 uses both photographs and text to provide background to the author’s life and artistic endeavours. It is followed by a section titled  Final Words from Ashley, within which the author pays tribute to his wife, accompanying this with a painting which above all the others holds special significance in that relationship. An Index of Paintings is place after that section. Surprisingly, this is not a list of the paintings appearing within the volume (the latter appearing on the Contents page). It is rather a list of pieces that are ‘Available to View in the Gallery’, and which may presumably be purchased at that location. The final section of this volume is titled Appendix. Within it are listed various important dates in the artist’s career, Television programmes which have featured or included him and  lists of books that he has either published or which are concerned with his art. The Appendix also includes n awards sub-section (termed Accolades). This lists academic and social awards bestowed upon the author in recognition of his status as an artist of the Yorkshire moors. A separate list appears on the final page. Titled Photograph Credits, its title is self-explanatory.

On several pages, and in addition to the explanatory texts, the author has included personal thoughts relating to the specific painting being viewed. It should be noted that the volume contains no maps of either Yorkshire itself or Great Britain. This is an omission which this reviewer finds odd, believing that it may limit the volume’s usefulness and confine sales to only those who know the area intimately. Foreign readers (and even those within the greater United Kingdom), looking to find the location of the paintings (and perhaps to even visit them), may find the lack frustrating. Finally, only the odd-numbered pages of the volume have been allocated numbers. The reasons for this are not known.

As previously noted, this is a beautiful book. The details listed above notwithstanding, this volume will undoubtedly appeal to all and any native of Yorkshire, irrespective of where they may be located; it says ‘Home’ in a way that only they will understand. The quality of the images may also appeal to those who appreciate fine art and unique water-colours. Students of meteorology may also find the depictions of Moor weather to be of interest.

On a Rating Scale where 1: very poor, 10: excellent, I have given this volume 9.

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