Customer Reviews

Fresh Cream

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

 

 

Phaidon Press constantly surprises and delights not only with the content of their art books, but also in their presentation and form. FreshCream is no different. Enclosed inside an inflatable see-through pillow you'll be hard-pressed to want to sever to get inside, the book chronicles contemporary art through a variety of artists selected by a varied panel of experts. The works range across the gamut from performance works to paint and multimedia, with excellent examples across the landscape of what art is today. The book uses itself as a jumping off point for the discussion, closing itself in its invisible plastic wrap as if to illustrate modern's arts many facets; impenetrability, transition, meaning, transparency, metaphysics and weightiness.

The Cream series by Phaidon has become almost as important to the artworld as any major biennial, and the introduction of any new book usually is on the lips of the art glitterati for months afterwards. Obviously because the curators who pick out the artists in the Cream series are very good at picking out artists who usually go onto have important careers on the international scene. For anyone interested in the future of the artworld, the Cream series is your best bet. Nothing has so accurately predicted what we will be looking at. This Cream is no exception to the fineness of the series. Phaidon has continually pushed the envelope in the presentation of their works, this Cream comes in a lusciously weird plastic bubble which begs to be a work unto itself. I debated for days on whether to cut it open or just buy another one. In the end I settled for photographic documentation and subsequent vivisection. The book itself is absolutely stunning. True to it's namesake it comes in a creamy faux leather bound cover with the most subtle augmentations in its construction, itself resembles an alien product. The pictures are terrific and take up easily 95% of the book, biographies preseding the works of the artists, most of whom are exceptional. The curators didn't make the mistake of falling into rubbish and filling the book with to much colorful pop oriented tripe like most artbooks these days. Many curators make the mistake of thinking that if they make it look like Las Vegas the artworld will come, and for the most part that is very true, but that would just be inappropriate for the study Phaidon wants to make. If you're looking for something outrageous I recommend anything associated with Saatchi or Deitch. The curators made a great attempt at displaying really thought provoking work which fits nicely into a dialogue on the state and future of the international art scene. This is an absolutely beautiful and important book and great for any serious follower of the contemporary art scene.

Rarely does a book's presentation make you squeal before you actually open it, but WOW!!! Don't buy this one used if you can help it! It comes packaged in it's very own blow-up pillow, and unless you know something I don't know, you have to destroy the pretty packaging in order to look inside!

The book itself is several years out of date now, but still remains one of my top favorite resources for contemporary visual and performance art. Always filled with unique and exciting imagery from around the globe, the Phaidon Cream series is rich in content, as well as presentation!!

I bought this book at the MoMA in November 2000, because I had the first one, Cream, and I enjoyed that one. In physical dimensions, I think Fresh Cream was an improvement from the horizontally wide and floppy paperback binding of Cream. The packaging itself was an interesting addition, and rather appropriate in the context of what this book presented, but in the manner of not judging a book by its cover, the packaging takes a back seat to the contents.

This book, like the first, is a good introduction to one of the edges in modern art, and allowed me to learn more about artists whose work i had seen, and new ones. Concepts are what drive revolution and change in art, and while it isnt possible to include each and every concept behind each and every single work of art ever produced, Fresh Cream did well by providing brief insights into the leading concepts behind the most contemporary work which has been recognized in galleries and shows.

I rated this book at a 4, not a 5, since the book is not as readable as I'd like it to be, and could have done without some artists, as well as included some others. Strictly speaking of content, I liked the first one, Cream, better.

The presentation of the book alone will catch your eye, it comes inside a plastic pillow, you get it out--very carefully! The photos inside are very interesting, wonderful, it's a great book to add to any art collection! Also would make such an intersting gift!

I cut it open, as much as I didnt want to I had to see what was inside. Pleasantly surprised this book has given me hours of reading pleasure, the essays, the graphics, the concept of 10x10 is interesting. Enjoyed reading about the contrast of different cultures, exhibitions and types of expression. The introduction talks about the first book "cream", this is currently out of print, this annoyed me a bit because it is only two years old! I am currently searching for a copy.

This book is the acme of the deadend of Modernism. Phaidon is a great press, but why keep publishing books celebrating artists whose commodity is clever ideas? I'd rather see well-crafted images and intriguing subject matter (whether verism, abstraction, or in between) than one more High Concept catalog. It's a beautifully made book, thanks, but no thanks.

its a great book dont get me wrong, i know from seeing a display copy at a bookstore (remember those?). but how can anyone take it apon themselves to sever the air pack pillow it comes in? rite now its sitting on my bookshelf almost reminiscent of a conceptual little sculpture itself. Phaidon should of figured out a way to reseal the book within the packaging. If not you lose a lot of what you're paying for.

The best thing about the book, was that it came in the clear plastic floater thingy. For an artbook this is a horrible design, its hard to look at, the pictures are small becuase of the deminsions of the book, it works better as a sculputer or even a life raft then a book, which is ruined once you open it.

As for the art it contains, well I guess they call it "cream" because the cream always rises, backed up by the fact that it comes in a bag that will float to the top. Well, judging by the art/artist withing the book, they should have designed it as a target, because its hit and miss.

There is some really good and interesting stuff, but far too much endulgent junk,I'm surprised they didn't include that artist that does enema art. It is definately pro new media, instillations, video etc. and that stuff is hard to document adequately for presentation in a book, much less a book as badly designed as this. But maybe that is where this book succeds the most, the design is as kitchy(spelling) as the work it contains, excluding the actually good interesting stuff.

This is bad example of the artworld trying to find the "new thing" by displaying artist that are trying to find what I call "the thing", the enema artist, the aids artist, the womens issue artist, the gunpowder artist, the process orientated artist, the elephant dung artist, ya know the kind of artist that focus on the "thing" instead of making great art. Most are in search of their little hook. So the few good artist in the book get overshadowed by all the imature/cliche/insearch of the "thing"/asthetically unaware artist and the horrendous design of the book.

If you still buy it, don't open it, just put it on your shelf because it seems cool, which is probably what was intended in the first place and how the artist were selected for inclusion.