Library of Dust photographed by David Maisel (Chronicle Books, $80, 9780811863339/0811863336, September 2008)
This is definitely a big gift book, measuring almost 18" x 14", which is a display challenge, but worth it. In 1913, Oregon State Hospital in Salem, a psychiatric hospital, began cremating the remains of deceased patients not claimed by next of kin. This practice remained until 1971, and David Maisel received permission to photograph the copper canisters containing the ashes of these patients. He also documented the building: paint peeling off the walls in Room 3, Hallway 2, Ward 66, J Building; a fragile sepia-toned letter from Ward 66; a 16-point star cut from a newspaper; tubs and plumbing pipes, cold and grim; a gurney with wide hanging straps. The canisters are extraordinary, having undergone chemical reactions with the ashes and the atmosphere, resulting in a harsh beauty. Burnished copper with green-blue corrosion and white rime. Malachite greens with a lichen-like patina on bent, dented and numbered containers. There are Rorschachs in mineral salts--a bed, an island, a Munchian scream. Or the world from an astronaut's vantage, frost-like against vibrant blue. They form geographies of the soul, of lives lost to madness and neglect limned in magenta and rose. The urns were available to be photographed only because they were unclaimed--what dramatic or commonplace stories are held in these cans? "The minerals did form . . . rather quickly--is if forsaken souls could hardly wait to pass into another realm."
The Art of Kung Fu Panda by Tracey Miller-Zarneke (Welcome Books/Insight Editions, $45, 9781933784571/1933784571, May 2008)
There are myriad Kung-Fu Panda spin-offs, like a poster kit, a Paws of Power activity book, even a Kung-Fu Panda Mad Libs. For adults (and older children) who may have reluctantly gone to see the movie and ended up being enthralled, here is a lovely book that gives more depth to the film. The thought that goes into the characters is one aspect of the content's richness. Master Tigress, one of the Furious Five, is chasing approval from Shifu, and the "unanswered need in [her] leaves her conflicted, which is outwardly visible in her posture: her upper body angles forward in an aggressive stance, while her lower body carries her weight mainly in her back leg, in a defensive position." It was decided that the villagers of the Valley of Peace would be the cutest, most defenseless creatures imaginable, thus most needing the protection of the kung fu masters (rabbits, pigs and geese), which are also animals considered honorable in Chinese culture. The technical aspects are fascinating: the seductive Master Viper is the first fully articulated CG snake in an animated film. That may be a meaningless distinction to most viewers, but the result--a fluid and poetic snake--is not. The surfacing department had to make fur look thick and lush while keeping it short so the animals could be clothed. The text and gorgeous artwork make this book a treat for fans of the movie and art lovers alike.
Colcord Home by Bret Parsons (Angel City Press, $40, 9781883318888/1883318882, September 2008)
Between 1924 and 1984, Hollywood architect Gerard Colcord created more than 400 homes in a variety of styles, from Tudor to Spanish Hacienda to Country Colonial. With washed brick, fieldstone, half-timbered beams and hand-painted tiles, his houses were sought for their warmth and intimacy. In archival and present-day photographs, his artistry is well presented in Colcord Home. Many of the interiors bring to mind the lush films of Douglas Sirk--it's easy to imagine Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson flinging accusations and highballs across a chintz-filled living room. But mostly the rooms suggest a coziness (albeit a coziness with servants' quarters) that evokes nostalgia for the imagined past. The heavy beams, the huge fireplaces, the sunlit loggias, the bright breakfast rooms with lace curtains all create a feeling of stability and graciousness, although Colcord could also do "grand." His baronial English Tudor, Harris House (the location for Dean Martin's third wedding), has a French rococo staircase and a six-foot tall marble fireplace. One house, a Pennsylvania Dutch-style estate owned by Connie Wald, was decorated in the early '50s and little has been changed. It looks both classic and contemporary, a testament to "the Colcord magic of loving and lasting design."--Marilyn Dahl
