WALTER KNESTRICK, an engineer, contractor, and artist, has been a close friend of Red Grooms for more than 50 years. He is known worldwide for his comprehensive collection of Grooms’s graphic work. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
VINCENT KATZ is an author, critic, translator, and poet. He lives in New York City.
This fairly comprehensive survey of prints, etchings, and the like--including some crisp, three-dimensional litho pieces--presents a lively introduction to Groom's bold cartoon-inspired style. Knestrick, a high-school friend of Grooms and a collector of his work, introduces the volume, and as an old friend he has an interesting and perhaps unique perspective. Katz's critical essay fleshes out the light but nonetheless effective texts, and the illustrations, mostly in color, are vibrant and eye-catchingly detailed, covering early prints, signed and numbered editions, posters, and a smattering of miscellaneous work. While the reproductions don't include sketches or other preliminaries, different editions from the same plates are shown, thus providing an informative glimpse into the artist's process. Add to that the inclusion of both artist's and printer's comments on the works, and readers will enjoy an entertaining look at Groom's energetic approach to design and creation. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved