CONTEMPORARY ART TRENDS 1960–1980: A GUIDE TO SOURCES by Doris L. BellReview by: Lamia DoumatoArt Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 1, No. 5(October 1982), p. 163Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27947006 .

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Art Documentation, October, 1982 163

PRINTS AND OTHER CONNOISSEURSHIP THE CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY OF ARTISTS' SIGNA TURES SYMBOLS & MONOGRAMS / H. H. Caplan.?2nd ed.?London : George Prior ; Detroit : Gale, 1982.?873 p. :

facsims.?no LC ; ISBN 0-8103-0977-7 (Gale) ; 0-86043-658-6 (Prior) : $185.00 (Gale) ; ?55.00 (Prior).

The total listing for this edition has been increased from 6,000 to over 7,500 facsimiles. Format is unchanged?artists by name,

monograms, illegible or misleading signatures (!), and symbols. The first edition had 738 pages, this 873. Without making too firm a generalization, the added names are of the later period, i.e., mid nineteenth century to the present. Again, as noted in Arntzen's review of the first edition (E55), the specific source for the facsimile is not given. One will want other books on this topic (those given in Arntzen

plus Monograms of Victorian & Edwardian Artists I Peter Nahum), but this one is quite a good place to start. The binding of the review copy was broken at both hinges on receipt; the book is too heavy for its binding, a problem shared with the first edition, although the cloth used this time is an improvement over the noxious plastic of the 1976

original. A note on pricing to the observnt: Prior offered this title at pre

publication price of ?49.95, ?55.00 after publication in March 1982. That is roughly $96.00 U.S. Gale announced in March 1982 that the book would be ready, under its imprint, in April, 1982 at $160.00; in June it appeared... at $185.00.

J.P.B.

COLLECTING AND CARE OF FINE ART / by Carl David - New York : Crown, 1981.?148 p.?ISBN 0-517-542870 ; LC 80 27282 : $10.00.

Collecting and Care of Fine Art is written for the beginner in a clear, conversational style that is not pretentious. In the preface the

author, a dealer and appraiser from Philadelphia, states "It is my belief that art should be collected for sensual and intellectual enjoy ment and for no other reason." This attitude is reflected throughout the handbook, but the author is too experienced to ignore the financial and vanity aspects of collecting and he addresses them practically and

realistically. Chapters are arranged to present a logical progression of informa

tion. Chapter 1, "How to learn about art," begins "Expose yourself to art" and David develops the concept through a discussion of seeing and study. Chapters on collecting follow: "Where to buy art," "How much money do you need? Financing," "What influences prices," "Long- and short-term investing" and "Risks vs. rewards and deals to avoid." While such discussion may make the connoisseur cringe, the chapters clearly address matters of concern to many readers. They provide sound advice while suggesting that art my not be the best medium by which to gain profit and status. The chapter on "The Auction" is excellent and, considering the problems in the auction market today, timely.

Chapters on "Provinances, Signatures and Restorations," "Fakes and Experts" and "Insurance, Appraisals, Security and Shipping" all

provide sound advice and may even discourage the investor with little

knowledge of the art field. The chapter on "Tax Benefits" is espe cially useful. It includes the 1RS Procedures 66-49/50 (rev.). Libra rians are urged to keep a copy of this chapter in a convenient place for

quick referral. The final sections of the book are lists and, as such, can provoke

lively discussion. ' 'Types of Art to Invest In" leans toward the Italian

masters and covers the American scene thoroughly, as that is a spe cialty of the author. The thumbnail sketches provided for each period or movement are models of the genre. Obviously care was taken to

prepare this section for its audience, the interested novice, and avoid the trap of art historical erudition. The list of recommended galleries leans toward the renowned and those located in affluent communities, which is as it should be in a book such as this one. As he progresses, the collector will find his own dealers and galleries.

I recommend this reasonably priced handbook for public libraries, for it is one of the best of its genre to be published to date. The conversational style reflects the author's respect for his audience and his hope that the reader's interest in the book has arisen from the visual appeal of paintings. I would also like to suggest that art histori

cal collections not dismiss this volume, or others of its genre, out of hand. While most of these handbooks are prepared carelessly and

inaccurately for a vain and greedy audience that cares little for the visual arts, they document historical fact and trends that have had serious consequences for the art market, especially in the past decade.

David touches upon this factor obliquely. There is a fascinating study of the art market and collecting trends in the 1970s and 1980s to be written, and books such as Collecting and Care of Fine Art will

provide much primary resource material for just such studies.

Susan G. Swartzburg Rutgers University Library

CONTEMPORARY ART TRENDS 1960-1980 : A GUIDE TO SOURCES / by Doris L. Bell.? Metuchen : Scarecrow, 1981.?171

p.?ISBN 0-8108-1445-5 ; LC 81-5668 : $11.00.

This deceptively slim volume contains a good deal of otherwise elusive information and its one hundred and seventy-one pages are

divided into distinct sections which concentrate on various types of

publications. The major section provides bibliographic essays on art trends not yet extensively documented, e.g., earthworks, funk art, copy art. The introductory remarks acknowledge the source of the terms listed, Glossary of Art, Architecture and Design Since 1945:

Terms and Labels Describing Movements Styles and Groups Derived

from the Vocabulary of Artists and Critics by John Walker (New York, 1976). Unlike Walker's volume, Contemporary Art Trends is not concerned with defining terms but deals exclusively with docu

menting them. The second major section, entitled "Countries/Areas," is mislead

ingly named since the exhibitions discussed did not necessarily take

place in the countries under which heading they appear; the countries in this case do not represent origin of exhibition or catalog but only subject. If there is to be any criticism of this volume, it would cer

tainly be for the erroneous labels attached to these exhibitions and

catalogs. Perhaps the most useful section is that compiled on contemporary

art journals, specifically those journals not encompassed in the Art Index. Inclusive dates of publications (not provided for each entry, but for a majority), addresses, and short annotations compose each entry. The very last element of the volume, a bibliography, is the least useful due to alphabetical arrangement.

Contemporary Art Trends is a vital publication for securing com

pact bibliographical information on timely subjects. Its unique charac ter makes it a necessity.

Lamia Doumato National Gallery of Art

FINE PRINT REFERENCES : A SELECTED BIBLIOG RAPHY OF PRINT-RELATED LITERATURE / Compiled by Joan Ludman and Lauris Mason ; Assisted by Carol Sirefman.?

Millwood : Kraus International Publications, 1982.?227 p.?(Print Reference Series).?ISBN 0-527-58728-1 : LC 81-17187 : $60.00.

Another volume in Kraus' series of reference books on prints, this

bibliography complements Mason and Ludman's Print Reference Sources: A Selected Bibliography, 18th-20th Centuries (2d ed., 1979). The latter is an excellent source for catalogues raisonn?s and similar documentation on prints by specific artists in the later period.

Rather than dealing with printmakers, this bibliography is arranged topically, with sections on Collecting and Connoisseurship, History of

Printmaking, Competitions and Exhibitions, Media, Collections, Ref erence Books, Society and Club Publications, Topical Prints, and

Workshops, Ateliers, Presses and Publishers. The last three sections are of particular interest because they highlight publications in areas of special concern to researchers on prints. Some of the topical sub

jects under which citations are listed are: Death, Depression Era, and

Geographical Regions. The section on Reference Books is a good survey of the publications which a print researcher needs to consult; because of its importance, it should have been placed at the beginning of the volume. Other useful inclusions in the bibliography are the publications on styles and movements which are found in the History of Printmaking section and the final section on Workshops.

Organized for scholars and researchers, the book's total of 2,164 citations give broad coverage to research published on the history and

technique of fine and historic prints. Its scope is further clarified by the subjects not covered: photography, posters, illustrations,

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