Big Eye Art: Resurrected & Transformed [Paperback]

Blonde Blythe (Author), Jasmine Becket-Griffith (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2008

In the late 1950s, throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, such artists as Margaret Keane, Gig and Maio created a new kind of mass-produced art known as 'big eye'. Now big-eye art has undergone a major revival, but with a twist: the wide-eyed, endearing waifs of the earlier movement have transformed into fairies, mermaids, demons and myriad otherworldly beings, including the famous 'Blythe' doll. This extraordinary book showcases the dazzling works of over 20 of today's most significant big-eye artists, offering an insight into a fantastical, sometimes bizarre, metaphysical world. Including over 150 captivating images, this book is a fascinating introduction to a cult art form, providing biographies, contact details and website addresses of the featured artists. It is a must-have for collectors of big-eye and Japanese anime and manga art and dolls, fans of fantasy and Gothic culture, and anyone interested in pop culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Blonde Blythe (Toni Boozer) is a popular artist renowned for her portraits of the 'Blythe' doll. Her work has featured in fantasy-art books and in Barbie Bazaar magazine. She is based inAlabama.

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Merrell (April 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858944368
• ISBN-13: 978-1858944364
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Really wanted to like this book! : (, December 27, 2011

By 

daisylind "daisylind" (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Eye Art: Resurrected & Transformed (Paperback)

Was really hoping for a fuller collection of all the many talented big eye artists out there, but sadly, just a sad collection of fantasy fairy art and paintings of blythe dolls. The technique and skill of most of the artists is very crude and naive, and is reads more like a "best of" of a high school Fairy art.

There could have been SO many amazing artists included in here that weren't; was very disappointed in the curation of the artists involved. No Audrey Kawasaki, no Camilla D'Errico, no Mark Ryden. These are artists that should have been front and foremost featured in this book, and yet, nary a mention! I also wanted a larger retrospective collection of the original big eye artists; Keane and such were mentioned, but I would have appreciated a fuller history and gallery of their art to contrast the contemporary pieces to.

Was really wanting to like this book; I was so happy to see it arrive as a present, but now considering exchanging it for a book like Hunt/Gather or something more selective from Juxtapoz.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty and creepy, December 15, 2011

By 

High Desert Book Collector (Out West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Eye Art: Resurrected and Transformed (Paperback)

I bought this book because I became interested in the big eye art due to the fact that I have been making dolls, and I was curious what other artist have been doing with this art style. I even started to draw a big eye drawing and I freaked myself out because it seemed creepy like those baby pageants with the two to five year old girls in the provocative clothing, make-up and wigs, and I came to ask myself is this the type of art work a pedophile is attracted to? Some of the art work is abstract enough the subject matter does not really look like children so I did not find it offensive, but some, especially jasmine Becket-Griffith's art look so child like and so provocatively posed it almost smacks of child porn, and yet she seems so popular. I think she paints beautifully, but is this art work pandering to pedophiles? As for Kelly Haigh, whats with the dead animals as subject matter. Art work an animal lover would hate. Isn't there enough animal suffering in the world, you have to put it in your paintings too, sicko. As for the rest of the artist not so bad, some I actually like, a lot.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Eye Art: Resurrected and Transformed, June 28, 2011

By 

Kim B - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Eye Art: Resurrected & Transformed (Paperback)

From an art perspective particularly self taught artists, the images are beautiful in detail and colour, and perfect as a reference for anyone wanting to learn and practise this lovely artform.