The Art of Looking Up surveys spectacular ceilings around the globe that have been graced by the brushes of great artists including Michelangelo, Marc Chagall and Cy Twombly.
From the lotus flowers of the Senso-ji Temple in Japan, to the religious iconography that adorns places of worship from Vienna to Istanbul, all the way to Chihuly's glass flora suspended from the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas - this book takes you on a tour of the extraordinary artworks that demand an alternative viewpoint.
Art historian Catherine McCormack guides you through the stories behind the artworks - their conception, execution, and the artists that visualised them. In many cases, these works make bold but controlled political, religious or cultural statements, revealing much about the society and times in which they were created. Divided by these social themes into four sections - Religion, Culture, Power and Politics - and pictured from various viewpoints in glorious colour photography, tour the astounding ceilings of these and more remarkable locations:
Vatican Palace, Rome, Italy;
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK;
Louvre Museum, Paris, France;
Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres, Catalonia;
Museum of the Revolution, Havana, Cuba;
Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.
Four eight-page foldout sections showcase some of the world's most spectacular ceilings in exquisite detail.
First and foremost, this is a visual feast, but also a desirable art book that challenges you to seek out fine art in more unusual places and question the statements they may be making.
I received a copy of The Art of Looking Up through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
There is a saying that human beings, as a whole, tend to not look up when going about their everyday life. Which is a shame, when you think about some of the world's masterpieces and how they were formed on high and beautiful ceilings. The Art of Looking Up is a collection of photographs featuring the artwork in such places. This book covers forty different ceilings, from all parts of the world and covering all subject matter. This was perhaps the most comprehensive collection I've seen so far. And it was a stunning collection at that. I especially enjoyed the organization system behind The Art of Looking Up. It's split into four main parts: religion, culture, power, and politics. It was actually interesting, in a way, to see what pieces made it into which category. It was helpful to see each of these groupings, as it allowed me to get into the right mindset for each art style and focus. It was elegantly done. There was so much to be impressed about, in this book. The amount of effort it must have taken to research each and every piece, for example. And then there's the fact that it can't be easy to photograph such massive pieces. But that's what they did, and excellently so. The Art of Looking Up featured some amazing photographs, giving readers a full view of the artwork being discussed. It was, simply put, striking and enlightening.
