Customer Reviews

Barry Windsor-Smith : Opus Vol. 2

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Barry Windsor-Smith's second volume of his metaphysical autobiography is much better designed than the first and features some rather nice comicbook-style drawings, but it feels less "meaty" than Opus 1, despite being slightly longer. There is simply not enough works included that represent why he's deserving of a pricey second art book. Regardless of his goals, Barry Windsor-Smith is a comic artist best known for being the first to handle Marvel's adaptation of Conan. That's pretty much his legacy. His subsequent poster business and ultimate return to comics all hinged on the impact of his Conan comics nearly 30 years ago. The samples included in Opus 2 that illustrate his significance to comics and fantasy art in general are welcome--there's just not enough of it. Instead the book leans heavily toward Smith's stiff and pale Rossetti and Burne-Jones imitations. Perhaps they are meant to compliment his meandering text as he tries to explain his supposed paranormal experiences in 1973, but they become tiresome quickly. For all his pronouncements and posturing, Smith seems to have reached a plateau early in his career and simply stopped challenging himself. He has very little to say artistically and appears to be trying to make up for it with New Age babble about his precognitive links to Roger Waters. I don't think I'll return for Opus 3.

For one thing, being a genius takes a lot of hard work, all the time. It never lets up - if it does, that means you're not a genius any more. BWS is a brilliant illustrator and very good (dare I say it?) artist. Years of training and execution show in his work and in his biographical notes. If one must criticize, that criticism would be the visual analog of Emperor Joseph II's critique of Bach: "Too many notes."

The artwork here is wonderful, but I wish there were more of it. That brings us to the next part of why being Barry is so hard - the majority of this book is BWS's autobiographical writings, centered on events and perceptions that no one else in the room is likely to have seen. These are major events in his life, truly path-changing, and I fully trust that he describes the subjective experience as well as his words can. But many of these events are not the kind of things that another observer - a camera, say, or some person with just the usual five senses - would corroborate. Because this drama unfolds in ways accessible only to Barry, I find that it is not accessible to me.

I examined and enjoyed Opus 1, but I admit that I skipped most of the text and skimmed what little I read at all. Since text predominates in this book, it demanded more of my attention. I wish it hadn't.

-- wiredweird

Just a few quick lines to express my gratitude to the artist, not only for doing these wonderful paintings and drawings, but for speaking candidly about experiences that have shaped your vision. I have followed your work for nearly thirty years now and whenever I see BWS on something I know that it will be a thing of great quality and beauty. Opus 1 and Opus 2 now reside on my shelf beside my copy of The Studio (My third one, as I have already loved two other copies to pieces...) and a couple of treasured Epic Illustrated Magazines that feature your covers and interviews. I hope that these words of appreciation find you in good health and enjoying the continued success you so richly deserve.

The reviews of OPUS 1 and 2 are pretty much divided between people who either think OPUS was the worst artbook they ever bought or people who thought it was the best. I personally belong to the last category. And I think the reason is that I didn't buy it with the expectations of this being 'just another artbook'. I dunno how this book has been promoted, but I think it is very clear from the backcover and inner covers that this is as much an autobiography as it is an artbook. But if you do have high expectations about this being mostly an artbook you're going to be disappointed (maybe), because there simply isn't enough of all the beautiful art!! Aside from that: if you think you have had paranormal xps you will obviously appreciate the book very much. But even if you are 'just' an openminded person who would like to know more about the man behind the art, you will still appreciate Barry's descriptions of his extraordinary xps and his honesty about all the doubt, confusion and fear of ridicule (and of alienation from friends and family) associated with such xps. It doesn't matter if these experiences point to an objective reality or if it was just a wee bit too hot that summer in NY. What does matter is that he had the guts to do it: To show what moves him. And his art. If people don't like it or understand it, well ... That's their loss, I guess. On a final note: I find it baffling that some reviews (for OPUS 1) actually claimed Barry couldn't draw very well, due to 'problems with proportions' and so on. Yeah, well Michelangelo isn't very good, either ... or Boticelli for that matter. All crap, really. Just like Barry Windsor-Smith ... :)