Meet FLORINE STETTHEIMER... Artist Ahead of Her Time

Holiday House/NEAL PORTER BOOKS
2024

One artist ahead of her time was Florine Stettheimer, but then many artists are ahead of their times. I found, though, that this particular artist, previously unknown to me (despite my effort to be reasonably informed about artists of the twentieth century), was fascinating. A PARTY FOR FLORINE: FLORINE STETTHEIMER AND ME is the creation of another artist, author/illustrator Yevgenia Nayberg. 

The illustration style and the first person narrator are both an homage to Stettheimer and a reflection  of Nayberg's own artistic style. 

A short note in back reveals that even though an  accomplished and acclaimed artist such as she is, Nayberg found that Florine was a new experience and one she welcomed. 

In the text, a young girl sees a face, an image very much like herself, in a self-portrait by Stettheimer. The girl and the subject in the self-portrait were both artists, and the young observer commits to learning more. That storyline reveals Stettheimer's life story as shared within the remaining narration. 

Florine's life was one of means, one of intellectual pursuits, one surrounded by other remarkable women and intellectual discussions. When women were bound into corsets and equally so by social expectations and even demands, Florine had the luxury of expressing herself freely. She did so in her clothing choices and activities. Her art is expressionist in that there is realism in many elements and colors, but proportion, angle, position, and subject matter all reflect an almost dreamlike quality to her work. 

When I explored Nayberg's body of work, I detected many parallels in style, color, and perspective between their styles. That, too, must have been a bit of a startling recognition to the picture book creator. I particularly enjoyed learning in the author note that this unexpected introduction came to the artist as an adult, but the the story is well-crafted around the emotional journey of a young girl observer, who compares Florine's liberated, self-affirming life to her own young misery on gray rainy days and with nothing "exciting" happening to her. The line was never written but several of the girl's expressions called to mind a refrain any parent will recognize... "I'm bored!"

In fact, though, this narrator comes to realize her own agency, her ability to see the world around her through whatever lens invites creativity and joy and delight. Stettheimer proactively rejected the directives in her expensive art instructions from prestigious institutions and opted to interpret a recto-linear world with curves and tilts and graceful exaggeration. This is evident in examples you can view online. This recognition by the girl of her  own power removes the oppressive rainy filters and ignites joy. 

As much as this might feel like an adult-centric biography, the young narrator's emotional journey makes it well-suited to young readers, too. In fact, very young "artists" often ignore efforts to reproduce what they "see" on a page in favor of colorful, movement-infused, joyful art. Perhaps Florine's seemingly sophisticated talent was really her openness to expressing the world without rules, as children so often do. 

I urge you to take a look at this lovely new offering to meet Florine for yourselves. Please note that front and back endpapers reproduce the four pieces from her CATHEDRAL OF NEW YORK series, one she was working on until a few weeks before her death. The contagious joy they reveal invite you to join her at the party that was her life.

BEING HOME: Finding Rhythms of Our Hearts

Traci Sorell and Michaela Goade have created a rich journey-to-the-heart tale with lyrical text and illustrations that are both joyous and intense. 

With resonant but minimal text, the rhythm of lives in an urban setting cannot feel like home. The people, noises, even the air itself feel invasive, constricting. Nature connections are absent. A move is planned. With heartfelt good-byes to beloved elements (tree, swing) the family drives away to restore the natural rhythms to their lives and home. 

Characters are ones in which readers from many cultures might see themselves. Specifically, though, this provides a vibrant look at a contemporary Native family and community. When so many young people today (and most of us old folk) conjure an image of leather and feathers when "Indian" or "Native" is mentioned, this is a superb book to showcase the reality of modern Native lives and relationships. Honoring traditional ways  and connections is valued in most cultures, and is shown to be at the heart of this familiy's life. 

The young narrator is also clearly an artist at heart and seeks inspiration in daily life as well as centuries-old patterns.

As I am unpacking from my second move in a little over a year, I find that  picture books on the topic of  MOVING are of special interest. This one is unique in the sense that it is not the moving that matters, but the destination. Make your library or bookstore your destination and check this one out soon. Then spark some conversations about which elements in life define "home for those in your own life.

and connections 

LOUISE BOURGEOIS Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry

Here we are at the end of another "THEME MONTH": WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. My ongoing concern (rant?) about Theme Months is that the topics merit attention ALL YEAR LONG, year after year. Dedicating a month is worthy but risks ignoring the topic for eleven months of the year.

I also worry that the subjects dealt with often focus on familiar figures rather than using the theme to explore and expand lesser known or even untold stories. I began this month with reviews of two such women. If you missed that post, please click on the link and learn more about the inventor of dishwashers and a mathematician whose work made widespread electrification infrastructure possible (and safe).  Throughout the month I've included some "themed" posts and many that were far afield of the theme, because I intend to continue showcasing outstanding books about women throughout the year. 

Yet here we are with two days left in this month dedicated to sharing Women's History.  I will bookend my March posts with this review and one tomorrow, each of which astounded and informed me about women leaders in their fields who were entirely new to me.

Phaidon, 2023

LOUISE BOURGEOIS Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry is the latest in a series of picture books about groundbreaking artists by Fausto Gilberti. This title is one of Gilbert's series MY FIRST REBEL ARTIST picture books, from Phaidon For Kids. I reviewed some earlier titles HERE, HERE, and HERE. These share the title lines ...and Wasn't Sorry. For anyone who has drawn outside the lines, intentionally, for those who have looked at familiar things in new ways, and (perhaps especially) those who have never imagined such a rebel approach was possible, these books are as important as they are appealing.

In each earlier case I had been familiar with the artists and their works before reading. In the case of Bourgeois and her giant spiders, I knew of her massive but fragile-looking sculptures but not about much of her other body of work. I had never investigated the artist.                

Louise Bourgeois was born into a talented and loving family, in a rural setting filled with animals who seemed like people to Louise. She was NOT afraid of spiders. These illustrations portray her using stark black-line, silhouette-style images on white background. This allows readers to see her as  a very "spidery" girl, quite literally on one spread. Facts about the way her mother affectionately tickled her head (as if with little spider-leg fingers) and wove/repaired priceless tapestries with uncanny talent made me think this factual tale could inspire a magical one in which a spider is turned to a human and spawns a girl-child who lives in pursuit of finding her true identity. 

And yet this book and the others in the series are firmly anchored in factual content, revealed in both text and images that spin webs of fascination and fondness. Louise's early and ongoing trademark in creating visual art featured two- and three-dimensional pieces that exaggerated/distorted/reoriented reality. She experienced some attention throughout her life, but now her works are treasured among museums across the globe. Even so, at the grand age of 87 she chose to sculpt a spider. An enormous construction of metal and marble that stood many stories tall. A first creation of its kind with the suitable title of MAMAN (French for mother). This, the largest of her many spider sculptures, was duplicated in bronze six times. Those extraordinary spiders demand an outdoor space, and they stand outside the entryways of major art museums.                                        

Louise pursued the artistry of her parents at an early age, learning their techniques, adapting and exploring new applications, and continuing to innovate until the end of her life. In the last years of her work, Louise created woven art out of old clothing and linens. Her success did not arrive early, but her imagination and creativity led to objects and art that astound, producing an impressive body of work that eventually gained attention in sold-out exhibitions. 

The books in this series are a tribute to the artistry and design skills of the author/illustrator, Gilberti. From cover to cover, from end pages to interiors, each incorporates examples of the featured artists best known and some lesser known works, but also reveals the human stories and relationships that had inspired (or created mysteries about) their iconic works. Older readers will find mentor text and intriguing details within the text and back matter, while even youngest audiences will thrill at spotting the tiny (and not so tiny) appearances of spiders throughout the pages. Each of the titles in this series sparks an impulse to "try that", to put hands onto media nd see what might emerge. 

Just as other well-known and hidden figures in women's history are likely to encourage investigation into studies and careers in fields typically controlled/dominated by males, this woman in (art) history deserves our attention during March and throughout the year. And that sentence is intended for adult readers, too!  

"Cancel Culture" in the World of ART: MARCEL's MASTERPIECE

 The JEWISH MUSEUM OF MILWAUKEE is currently showcasing an exhibit that will never be seen again after it closes. Pieces have been collected/borrowed from local/regional private  owners and will be returned to those folks at the end of the exhibit. If the dangerous and widely used contemporary phrase, CANCEL CULTURE, bothers or confuses you in the least, I urge you to visit this exhibit while it stands to learn from what has happened in the past. 

Globally, a disruptive art movement was intentionally named the nonsense word DADA, This movement originated in Europe but affected artists across the world in the years 1916-1923, wrapping its challenging ideas around the chaos and fears of WWI and the Pandemic of 1917-1919. It poses the question "WHAT IS ART?" and usually involves intentionally non-representational collages using entirely real pop cultures images, news, and other elements. In isolation, each element could tell an individual story, but together the art offers new interpretations when arranged and displayed contrary to expectations. 

The disruption of norms that Dadaism intended and achieved was the antithesis of the emerging Nazi political and cultural power block in Germany and beyond. Dadaism invites rethinking traditional art, assumptions, and depictions while demanding individual thought. That was viewed as threatening to the uniformity and compliance necessary for a successful Third Reich. Thus, all Dada art, modern art, impressionism were actively condemned as "DEGENERATE ART". The works themselves and their creators were challenged as enemies of the people. Cancel culture taken to the ultimate, sometimes murderous, extreme.

Why does this information matter in a blog about pictures books? Because my premise in launching and continuing this blog is that many picture books serve to inform, challenge, and entertain all ages. In this case, a biographic/profile picture book that was among the nominees for Cybils Awards in nonfiction is an extraordinary example of such a picture book that kids will love and also provides older readers with history and food for thought.

Henry Holt & Company, 2022

MARCEL'S MASTERPIECE: How a Toilet Shaped the History of Art is written and illustrated by Jeff Mack.It's the story of how a young Marcel Duchamp set out to challenge the way art was defined, viewed, discussed, and evaluated. Mack explores both Marcel's life and Dadaism itself using the characteristic collage style of much of Dada art, combining hostage-note-style text clips with drawings, photo clips, and more. Those who embrace messages shaved into hair may be surprised to know that Marcel launched that approach with a star shaved into the back of his head a century ago.

This story features his attempt to bring Dada discussions to America, scouring New York City for a TOILET. Eventually he recognized the perfect piece for his next project in the "toilet store" (yes, you read that right). A particular URINAL offered just the object he desired. He examined it, considered it, and ultimately turned it upside down, signed it R.Mutt 1917, and labeled it FOUNTAIN.

The language within Mack's text is flush with humorous puns, and Marcel's cartoon-style face is perpetually upbeat and lighthearted. He found a clever way to display his FOUNTAIN in a "Fancy Art Show", which spawned criticism and canceling (surrounding it by a screen, trying to keep it out of the news). The more it was denied a place, the more it sparked conversation and heated debates. It was eventually thrown out as trash. Yet Marcel was thrilled with the results, because it led people to think about, talk about, have opinions about ART. Dadaism continues to do that today.

In a few pages following the story of this event in New York City, Mack describes more of Duchamp's choices, art pieces, and the impact of Dadaism on the art world and on people across time. Duchamp's choices involved performance art, like dressing as an alter ego to provoke changed behaviors in those he encountered. The extent to which he and others accomplished their goal continues today, when those (you?) who view art exhibits know you are free to have varied opinions, to even insist that certain pieces are or are not ART. His central question was: WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT IS ART?  with the corollary: "Anything is ART if an artists says it is."

As noted in the introduction above, such radically individual insights could undermine the guided and regimented mindsets that eventually formed the foundation of NAZI-ism in the 1930s to the end of WWII. It was this unquestioning approach to every bureaucratic and political decision that girded decisions leading to mass murders and concentration camps, the Holocaust. The Nazi government's anti-DEGENERATIVE ART  movement years before that was a propaganda training ground for turning the German population into practices of compliance and commitment to single-mindedness. 

You may not make it to the exhibit (although I hope those who can will do so), but everyone can enjoy this colorful, informative,  and appealing picture book. I urge you to share it with kids and adults and witness for yourself the variety and intensity of reactions it evokes. Then ask yourselves if such differences and debates aren't more valuable than the most expensive art. Aren't we all a richer community by airing our opinions civilly than we are by demanding exclusion and conformity? Hold that thought, and share that thinking when fearful members of your own community attempt to demand social or governmental uniformity and censorship of anything that reflects differences.

Anchoring this post in Covid19: beginning 10th week in Safe-at-Home time.

Since the happy news that my public library is now allowing active hold requests with safe curbside pick-ups, I'm elbow-deep in titles I've been seeking for several months. My challenge is to approach each remarkable picture book on its own, resisting the temptation to plow through the stack and write multi-title posts. So far, the books I've read (and read again) each deserve their own attention and praise. 
So, I may be posting here a bit more frequently than is typical until I get caught up. 
I hope you don't mind!

HarperCollins, October, 2019

I adore outstanding picture book biographies, stories revealing hidden history or seldom-told stories, especially revelations that celebrate the successes of underrepresented individuals. 
BAM!
IT BEGAN WITH A PAGE: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way, written and illustrated by Kyo Maclear, is an absolute winner on all counts. I'm
excited to share the book itself and the accomplishments of the incredible artist Gyo Fujikawa with any and all who will listen. 
Her childhood story is especially appealing to me. I was an eavesdropping child, too, and an early feminist. In this case I wish I had the artist's talent, but I didn't endure her frequent encounters with racism and exclusion throughout life. 
Her successful college admission and development of her talent as the only woman in her art classes were impressive. Those accomplishments fed her determination, steeling her spine but not resulting in bitterness. 
The story reveals the impact of Japanese internment on her family, and limitations on her own choices while living on the East Coast during WWII. It isn't often that a picture book, even a biography, portrays a character struggling to overcome depression/malaise, but this one treats it with balance and eventual hope.

Despite her extensive success in art, illustration, and design, Fujikawa noted the utter lack of diversity within the pages of picture books in mid-century America.Though publishers initially rebuked her effort to show the diverse and universal qualities of "BABIES", she held firm: "We need to BREAK the rules". 

I loved the information in back matter. Among many impressive accomplishments in her creative life, her insistence on diverse representation in picture books parallels that of groundbreaking Ezra Jack Keats (Snowy Day) in changing the existing standards within the publishing business. She was adamant about providing families and children an authentic and playful look at themselves on the page.
There are many ways she carried her innovative thinking and independence into her profession for the good of other women, other artists and illustrators, and creators in general. She was never bound by the status quo.

The illustrations by Kyo Maclear reflect Fujikawa's sure but light hand, artistic style, graceful line quality, color, movement, and page awareness. 

Image from IT BEGAN WITH A PAGE: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way (HarperCollins, 2019)

It's my hope that you will have a chance to examine this book for yourself, sooner rather than later. 

With this extensive time at home, even after things gradually reopen, many opportunities for kids to explore their own artistic interests are readily available. Click on the names that follow for YouTube tutorials that are both instructive and entertaining. Getting tips from the creators they admire will build confidence and enthusiasm. It just might lead us to the next Gyo, 
Mo Willems, Jeff Kinney (Wimpy Kid),  Jarrett Krosoczka (Lunch Lady series),and many more. 

ARTISTS at WORK: Creativity Sparks Reflection

Two vastly different picture books arrived in my mail recently, both sent to me by PHAIDON PUBLISHERS. Their focus is on global publishing of books devoted to the arts, and these are two new additions to their CHILDREN's book catalogue. I will be donating them to my library system now that I've read and shared them, but not before I dive into each several more times. 

Phaidon Publishing

WRINKLES is created by JR, a photographic/installation/public spaces artist whose work and canvas ARE global.
I'd be tempted to classify this book as free-verse poetry. The seemingly simple and accessible text, suitable for a very early reader, can also be viewed as an ode to life and love and human nature. With artfully framed photographic portrayals of wrinkles on portions of faces of individuals from around the world,  every aspect of expression becomes an artistic revelation. Without the back matter, this is a glorious invitation to step away from our absorption with youth and beauty and screens to realize how many stories and how much excitement and drama and laughter can be read in the lines of the faces that surround us. In our agist, interventionist society, the message is automatically conveyed that wrinkles are not something to be desired or appreciated in others. 
One pass through this book proves the opposite.
Repeated passes allow readers OF ANY AGE to dive deeply into the truth of the text and the images. 

Excerpts from Amazon.com/Books

But about that BACK MATTER: 
Each of the pictured faces belongs to someone in the world who participated in a global art project designed and executed by the artist/author, JR. Each photo is reproduced in thumbnail format in the back with a brief personal biography delivered in first person voice, including age and location.
Following those pages is a map and short text describing this art project, in which each photo was enlarged to mural size and mounted on an outdoor surface of a building in their home town/city.
Following that is a short autobiographic note from JR with some photo images of him at work/play with his "tools of the trade". 
Finally, the end papers are a quirky surprise.
Let's just say that if you ever tried to apply wallpaper you'll appreciate those end papers even more.

The second title is YVES KLEIN Painted Everything Blue and Wasn't Sorry, by Fausto Gilberti.  

Phaidon Publishing

 The Italian author/illustrator of this bio-profile of artist Yves Klein took an innovative approach to share Klein's rule-breaking and boundary-stretching approach to art. 

The figures representing the artist and his creative journey blend angular, surreal, and fluid images on pages limited to black, white, and the shade of blue Klein created and labeled INTERNATIONAL KLEIN BLUE. His career and recognition grew from his renowned sense of wonder- at the magnificence of this particular color of blue and at other ways to generate art, including fire, water, and wind applied to a variety of surfaces and with innovative techniques. His extraordinary explorations included rocket design, costuming, photography, and music, to name only some of the outlets for his imagination. 

Excerpt image from Amazon.com/books

Gilberti also created the picture book bio: Jackson Pollack Splashed Paint and Wasn't Sorry (2019). I hope these are only two of many more to come, since these picture books make contemporary art approachable and enjoyable to young readers.

This, too, has additional black matter to provide further details on the timeline, locales, and actual lived-life of this wildly creative man. His life was cut short at age 34 (heart attack) but he accomplished huge amounts and made a dramatic impact on the art world in those few years of productivity. The INTERNATIONAL KLEIN BLUE endpapers and interior blues provide an experience with a single, saturated color that allows even the youngest readers to imagine how and why "color" itself could fascinate an artist so deeply. 

Both books are a child-friendly square trim size and light weight with high quality interior papers. Both have a vibrance and clarity of presentation that mirror the author's subjects. Both are well-suited to art students, of any age, but also to the youngest readers who will find themselves within these stories and images. Readers of any age will be drawn to return to the books again and again, as I was. 

Both books were provided to me by the publisher with no promise of a review of any kind. 

Seasonal Stories: FUNNY BONES by Duncan Tonatiuh

Judging from displays in commercial locations and from pop-up pumpkin-shaped sales outlets in vacant parking lots, the Halloween season begins in mid-August and ends with half-price sales on November first. 

Abrams Books for young Readers, 2015

That is, of course, if you observe typical American traditions. 
If, however, you participate in Mexican traditions, November first and second are the important days on the calendar. That's when el Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) recognizes and remembers those who have passed away. Respect and honor are shown for their lives, but it is also a time to celebrate those lives and to recognize that death is the natural end to life, the ending that awaits us all. A party atmosphere prevails.

Instead of trick-or-treating the occasion is marked by creating memory offerings for loved ones, decorated with marigolds. Participants enjoy candy skulls, special bread, and paper cut-outs in the shape of skeletons and skulls. The skeletons have come to be called POSADAS, and they are usually portrayed in a wide variety of comic situations.

POSADA is actually the name of the man who popularized the current versions of the skeletons. FUNNY BONES: Posada and His Day of the Dead CALAVERAS, by Duncan Tonatiuh, reveals his story. The youngest of six children born to a baker, Jose Guadelupe Posada (Lupe) was soon recognized for his remarkable artistic talent. it led him to a lifelong career in various printing businesses, including lithography, engraving, and etching. In the course of a long life with many ups and downs, his images of CALAVERAS became famous for their ability to amuse, provoke political discussions, make social commentary, suggest life lessons, and entertain. He simply signed each one "Posada", the name commonly used now. Although widely respected and successful throughout his life, he was not recognized for his artistic talent and contributions until long after his death, but his works now hang in museums.

 I'm a fan of Tonatiuh's books, not only for their distinctive art style and page designs, but for his ability to enrich the text and content of his work. In nonfiction like this and SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL, or DIEGO RIVERA: HIS WORLD AND OURS, the iconography of the borders, the background patterns and minute details on secondary objects all suggest elements of the research and life stories told in the text. The back matter in these books provide sources and access to further investigation, which the books often inspire. 

His traditional-style tale, PANCHO RABBIT and the COYOTE accomplishes the remarkable  feat of using a seemingly simple child's story to explore the harsh realities of the desperation of children escaping unlivable circumstances and their victimization by those who exploit their tragic lives. In many ways Tonatiuh's work mirrors that of Lupe Posada, in that his blending of serious or somber elements with humor, story and traditional icons allows readers to engage wholeheartedly, then reflect later on other possible meanings.

For other books involving Day of the Dead celebrations and traditions, check this previous post featuring a poignant story that blends fiction with information about the migrations of monarch butterflies, GHOST WINGS by Barbara Joosse.

These are all excellent examples of picture books that offer something for readers at any age, including middle grade and beyond. If you're looking for some ghost stories to share this season, recommendations (and a giveaway until OCT. 14, 2015) are featured on my author website under the NEWS tab, here.

So, there's something for everyone here, and that leaves no excuses for not making reading a centerpiece in your seasonal celebrations.

Colors of the Wind: The Story of a Blind Artist and Champion Runner

Purple House Press, September, 2014

Back-to-school was a time of conflict for me when it came to selecting read-alouds in the early days. How to choose among SO MANY titles, each so powerful and engaging, each for different reasons? I could hardly wait to share them all. Given my druthers I'd have spent all the first days of school alternating between read-aloud and silent reading ALL DAY LONG, every day. 
That's unrealistic, so I compromised by finding countless ways to feature important titles throughout the day, ALL YEAR LONG. 

When new titles crossed my path I judged when and how I could share them with my students. Some were book-talked, some displayed with "new additions", and the best were read aloud. 
COLORS OF THE WIND, The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza, by J. L. Powers,  is just such a book.  It's illustrated by the paintings of Geroge Mendoza, the subject of this book, with line drawings by Hayley Morgan-Sanders effectively incorporating small segments of his paintings on each text page. This biography is unlike any other I've read, yet it has a quality shared by the best: it inspires. 

The title and subtitle give the facts, but the crisp, spare text, vibrant paintings, and inset line images are even more powerful than the facts.The backmatter elaborates on the details and includes photos of George Mendoza running and painting, which makes this an excellent title to use with older readers as well as young. His life choices and successes clarify that blind does not necessarily mean sightless, while the story makes it clear that differently-abled is not the same as disabled. 

His sight may have been impaired by a degenerative disease, but his vision is pure and inspiring. Life's circumstances are beyond our control, but the paths we follow in those circumstances are choices we DO make. George's choices are inspiring and as brilliant as his art.The visual impact of Mendoza's art is made even more impressive by the story of how he was inspired to attempt painting. 

The titles I featured during the course of the year had no lack of intriguing and impressive characters, but this one earns a place on the list. I've shared thoughts about others in previous posts, including sports figures (here, and here) artists (here, here, and here) as well as differences in abilities (here).

Now my choice is to share this title with other teachers and families in hopes that they will find a place for it in their reading lives. Mendoza's story isn't one that's made the headlines, but it's a perfect example of the truth that fame does not equate with significance or value. 

Something to think about, right? If you agree, please help spread the word about this new release.