The Pyramids and the Sphinx: Art and Archaeology
by Corinna Rossi AUC Press 160pp

Egypt Today, Egypt
Aug. 18, 2006

Egypt’s many pyramids and the Great Sphinx are the most widely
recognized symbols of Ancient and modern Egypt alike. Mysterious and
irresistible to the eye, these massive structures – over eighty of
which remain, scattered largely along the west bank of the Nile –
evoke the religious system and beliefs of one of the most highly
refined and evolved of ancient civilizations.

Even today, we don’t entirely understand how they were constructed
and what techniques were used, but recent research and excavations
have thrown new light on life at the building sites and on the daily
existence of generations of designers and craftsmen who dedicated
their lives to these immense constructions.

Bursting with full-color photographs and drawings, this beautifully
illustrated book serves as a wonderful introduction to these royal
monuments. The straightforward text explains the history and
significance not only of the famous Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza,
but also of the lesser-known tombs that stretch from Saqqara to
Meidum and Dashur. The Pyramids and the Sphinx draws on the most
recent archaeological findings to lead the reader on a discovery of
the most fascinating aspects of Egyptian civilization. Combining
majestic aerial shots with close-up photographs of interior artwork
and reliefs, this guide is a must-have for anyone with a serious
interest in archaeology.

Chant Avedissian: Cairo Stencil EDITed BY Rose Issa Saqi Books 144pp

Chant Avedissian’s stenciled monoprints are common sights in Cairo.

They decorate the homes of the wealthy and hang on the walls of
trendy restaurants and bars. The main themes of his monotypes
romanticize the era of his childhood, from the 1950s through the
1970s, celebrating glamour and idealism through portraits of opera
singers, starlets, divas and royalty.

This coffee table book gives a wonderful overview of Avedissian’s
works and life. Rose Issa gives an informative introduction not just
to Avedissian’s rise to fame, but also to Egypt’s self-discovery and
transformation after colonial rule.

Each of the nine sections of the book begins with a short explanation
of the next theme before turning to his highly colored and
captivating images.

Avedissian was born in 1951 in Cairo, the son of Armenian refugees
who fled the Turkish incursions of 1915-16. After studying art in
Canada and France during the 1970s, Avedissian returned to Egypt,
where he fused the techniques, concepts and cosmopolitan experiences
acquired abroad with the heritage of his Armenian-Egyptian background
to produce striking commentaries on the world around him.

His artistry in works on display in Europe, the United States and
Jordan ranges from photography to costume and textile design to
painted stencils.

Rainbow: English Castle Magic by Martin Popoff Metal BlADE 230pp

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow is one of those diminished legends that
will forever be referred to as "a Deep Purple offshoot," which is of
course true, but so disgustingly unfair to the majesty of Blackmore’s
‘solo’ vehicle. Rainbow produced a varied and brilliant catalog of
work in its lifetime, and one can only hope that Blackmore sees the
light – or at least the dollar signs – and launches a reunion in some
fashion. Until such a time, items like this excellent tome keep both
interest and nostalgia at the forefront.

Ostensibly a collection of in-depth album reviews buttressed with
interview snippets and historical references, Rainbow: English Castle
Magic is eminently crafted by Martin Popoff, one of the brightest
chroniclers of hard rock. Popoff is obviously a fan, but yields to a
pure journalistic desire to tell the whole story, even if it is a bit
rough on the objects of his admiration. Not as in-depth or as fully
fleshed-out as a proper biography might have been, this work is
nonetheless direct and endlessly interesting with so much perspective
that Popoff should consider a complete biography project on the
subject.

Within its 230 pages you will find a nearly endless array of stories,
some untold until now, laid out in chronological order which has the
(likely unintended) effect of causing the reader to drop the book and
run for the discs on which Popoff is waxing. These albums/CDs/tapes
yield much more when spun with a Popoff-inspired fresh ear.

A reference work that I will use for years to come, Rainbow: English
Castle Magic is but one in a series of such books by Popoff and I
shall be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next. See
or for easiest ordering info.

40 Pyramids of Egypt and their Neighbors Photographs by Sherif
Sonbol, Text by Peter Snowdon Cyperus Press 96pp

Rare is the photographer who looks at a familiar art form and shows
it in a new light. But Sherif Sonbol’s stunning and revelatory
photographs [demonstrate] a particularly agile eye, frequently
abstracting shapes into dynamic and explosive bursts of color. Even
when Mr. Sonbol concentrates on stillness, he exemplifies that a
pause is not a pause but ‘an act of accomplishment’."

So says Anna Kisselgoff of Egyptian photographer Sherif Sonbol’s
recent work in a New York Times review, underscoring how rare it is
for an Egyptian book to win rave international reviews.

40 Pyramids, Sonbol’s latest self-published tome, is a reasonably
daring enterprise in a time when the nation seems to be showing
disinterest in books of this format. But Sonbol, an established
photographer who is probably best known for being his generation’s
top professional specializing in capturing ballets and other High Art
performances on film, plunges on.

Here, though, there is a dramatic shift in interest as he primarily
focuses on architecture. Not just any old form of architecture, but
the masterpieces of Ancient Egypt surrounded with grandeur and
mysticism. Sonbol takes us on an exciting journey to explore the
Pyramids of Egypt after splitting them into 10 geographic
territories, namely: Giza, Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dashur, Fayoum, Minya,
Sohag, Luxor, Edfu and Aswan. Interesting? Sure. But what makes it
all special is his decision to twin photos of ancient artifacts with
shots of the lives of those who live in those same locations.

Nowhere is Sonbol’s artistry more on display than in the chapter on
Giza. You may have seen countless photographs of the Pyramids of Giza
and the Sphinx, but Sonbol has fresh angles that display the ‘agile
eye’ to which Kisselgoff refers. The images in this chapter include
an amazing (if somewhat small) shot of a passageway inside the great
pyramid.

The Fayoum chapter boasts an impressive (and unconventional) night
shot of the Snoferu Pyramid and, in stark contrast, the famous
waterwheels, which are second only to the full-spread image of the
great cemetery in the Minya chapter.

That said, Photoshopped images are the only disappointment in the
book, of which there are more than a few. The skies, in particular,
look oddly artificial on a handful of occasions.

Look out for the soon-to-be-released second history-related
installment from this talented photographer on newsstands soon; the
subject: palaces. et

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