Original Sin: The Visionary Art of Joe Coleman [Paperback]

Jim Jaramusch (Contributor), Harold Schector (Contributor), John Yau (Contributor), Jim Jarmusch (Author), Harold Schechter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1998

Art. Artist Joe Coleman's ORIGINAL SIN contains visually stimulating and radically graphic nightmarish images. Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, historian Harold Schechter and art critic/poet John Yau contribute essays to this extremely dark "coffin table" book. Joe's work is often compared to illuminated manuscripts because of the great detail contained within each piece. His acrylic paintings depict acts of violence, some of which even include gory details of various body parts. Both sexual and revolting, the book contains material that may not be suitable for everyone.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Joe Coleman is a powerful artist whose paintings in acrylic on Masonite contain within their bizarre decorative borders an astonishing profusion of specific, intensely colorful nightmare images. He does not try to be pretty. He does not flinch from depicting revolting details of body parts and violence. (Click on the cover illustration for a closer look.) Often he places a totemic figure, such as Edgar Allan Poe or Ed Gein in the middle of the canvas, then he explores his fascination with that person by surrounding the figure with vignettes about the individual's life and work. After hours of meticulous labor with tiny brushes, every square millimeter of the canvas is covered with quotations, faces, glyphs, documents, dramatic scenes, and horrifying creatures. His paintings are often compared to illuminated manuscripts. Original Sin contains 48 pages of color plates, many with accompanying detail views, and numerous illustrations in black and white. Essays by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, art historian John Yau, and writer Harold Schechter offer insights into Coleman's psyche and world-view. Detailed keys explain the allegorical and historical references in 19 of the paintings. Warning: this is strong stuff, both gory and sexual. To view more of Coleman's art, see the cover illustration of Coleman's Cosmic Retribution.

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Green Candy Press; 1st edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963812963
• ISBN-13: 978-0963812964
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,741,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Brilliance, October 31, 2001

By 

D.B. "terraplaned" (Gibtown, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Original Sin: The Visionary Art of Joe Coleman (Paperback)

Nothing can prepare you for a Joe Coleman painting if you've never seen one before-- the beauty of these works will literally rip your eyeballs from your skull. With a scholarly, yet fierce courage Coleman reinvents the characters and scenes he portrays, with a technical skill which borders on the supernatural. In a recent show in Rotterdam, Coleman's work was hung beside those of Hieronymus Bosch, a deserved honor.

The essays in this book are excellent, describing Coleman's ground-breaking history as a performance artist as well as a painter. The design of the book by Katharine Gates is beautiful, and enhances appreciation of Coleman's work. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about art in the early 21st Century (or the 15th Century for that matter!).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Brilliance, October 31, 2001

By 

D.B. "terraplaned" (Gibtown, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Original Sin: The Visionary Art of Joe Coleman (Paperback)

Nothing can prepare you for a Joe Coleman painting if you've never seen one before-- the beauty of these works will literally rip your eyeballs from your skull. With a scholarly, yet fierce courage Coleman reinvents the characters and scenes he portrays, with a technical skill which borders on the supernatural. In a recent show in Rotterdam, Coleman's work was hung beside those of Hieronymus Bosch, a deserved honor.

The essays in this book are excellent, describing Coleman's ground-breaking history as a performance artist as well as a painter. The design of the book by Katharine Gates is beautiful, and enhances appreciation of Coleman's work. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about art in the early 21st Century (or the 15th Century for that matter!).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars essays from the evil mind, July 21, 2000

By 

"mayhemik" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Original Sin: The Visionary Art of Joe Coleman (Paperback)

Joe Coleman is represented in other books, but the essays in this book , along with the reproductions, give the viewer an intimate glimpse into the twisted and detailed paintings of joe coleman! a bargain!