Customer Reviews

The Color of Cities: An International Perspective

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The is a somewhat remarkable book, worth the high price tag. Swirnoff tackles an unique issue: the role of color/light in forming a particular city's identity. She cites (and sites) examples from New York to Santa Fe to Venice to Mexico to Paris to the Caribbean to Stockholm to Japan and many others, too. The book has many photo examples, both black-and-white and color, as well as quite thought provoking written discussion.This is a much-needed book, focusing on an important issue of local identity at a time when globalization challenges the specifics of space and place. The book would appeal to travellers, visual artists, architects, sociologists, urban planners and many others.

As a colorist for the last twenty years, specializing in exterior building color I was sorely disappointed to read this book. Basically everything she had to say of import could have be said in an essay. The author has a wonderful vocabulary but after wading through all the prose one finds there is liitle said that isn't entirely obvious. I was left with the impression that this book was concieved as a great excuse to travel to the world's really wonderful places. You will note that she not traveled to Lubbock or Erzerum.

As a colorist for the last twenty years, specializing in exterior building color I was sorely disappointed to read this book. Basically every she had to say of import could have be said in an essay. The author has a wonderful vocabulary but after wading through all the prose one finds there is liitle said that isn't entirely obvious. I was left with the impression that this book was concieved as a great excuse to travel to the worlds really wonderful places. One is aware that she not traveled to Lubbock or Erzerum.