Kurt Vonnegut Drawings

by Kurt Vonnegut, Nanette Vonnegut (Introduction), Peter Reed (Essay)

Kurt Vonnegut Drawings <> Hardcover <> PeterReed <> MonacelliPress

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art and Photography

Hardcover

First published April 15, 2014

Reviews

[Adam Floridia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nanny Vonnegut follows in her father's magnanimous footsteps by sharing personal, family memories in her introduction. The Vonnegut fan will love fondly remembering the Vonnegut clan with whom they became familiar in so many of Kurt's writings. Said fan will also smile knowingly at the allusions/references to Kurt's writings. Fan of Vonnegut or not, any reader is sure to feel the warmth of this short piece.

So why 4 stars? Well, it's a book of art, not writing. And, really, I'm not a huge art fan, especially when it comes to more abstract art. While I do own some of Kurt's artwork:



("Trout in Cohoes" limited edition of 18 [this is 18/18!] Artist Proof)



I own it more as an obsessed fan than anything else. In fact, that very motivation led me discover (and begin to decorate my house with) Nanny's artwork as well:



("Sneakers" with a personal note describing the significance of the piece from Nanny)









and one more on the way to commemorate the birth of Reese Elisabeth Floridia!

For more of Kurt's artwork, check out www.Vonnegut.com; for more of Nanny's, check out http://nanettevonnegut.com/ !!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Vonnegut, you will want to see this book. If not, well, as he himself said, when asked how it is he got a gallery showing of his art in Manhattan,"It's because they heard of me." The art, which his daughter calls "doodles" is very colorful, influenced by Paul Klee, seems like, simple pen and ink and bright colors, some abstract, some portraits. As writing became harder for him, he turned more and more to art, which he loved to. I lear this from the lovely intro by his daughter Nanny, and a short and unpretentious essay by Paul Reed. The art is fun to look at, playful, humorous, sketches, but better than just your grandpa's doodles. It feels like is is cubism that may be the strongest influence here. There's joy and craziness. Really fun book to read and view. As a fan of Vonnegut who was familiar with some of his life history, I imagine I can get a feel for him in the art. I always liked how he drew in some of his books, little whimsical illustrations. The art here feels more ambitious than that. Good stuff! Vonnegut fans: a must!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely agree with Peter Reed when he writes in his essay, a preamble to Vonnegut’s drawings, that he thinks this book “may lead to a deeper understanding of [Vonnegut’s] personality and add insight into his fiction.” The surrealist, abstract, cubist drawings (doodles, art???) are windows into the perspective and thoughts of Vonnegut. They’re playful and colorful, at times straightforward, at times complex. They were also eerie and dark at times (referring to the “lines” section, mostly). Reed also mentioned that as Vonnegut started having trouble with his writing, he began to draw more often. There are constraints in writing, as in not being able to capture a thought, concept, or scene appropriately enough. Vonnegut used art as a way to reach those complex, intangible thoughts and ideas that couldn’t be expressed so easily in writing.

This book is broken up into sections according to what kind of drawing it is. I grew enamored with these sections: self-portraits, women, letters, and looking at things .

Overall, really great and impressive. Made me want to doodle. I have been doodling, actually. The drawings were a lot more ambitious than what I expected since I was accustomed to the doodles found in his books. Also made me love Vonnegut even more. How talented can one human be!?

[Andriana]

Не те щоб я була великим знавцем мистецтва, та я почасти рада що Воннеґут більше писав тексти аніж картини.
Хоча коли хтось розжовує тобі конкретні витвори технічно це таки має певний сенс.
Маркерний кубіст, та думаю сила тут не в реалізмі, а в ідеях.

«The great value of this collection is that Vonnegut’s artwork gives us another perspective on his restless imagination and his creative genius.»

«The drawings frequently emphasize the ludicrous disparities that often exist between words as signifiers and what they signify. Others simply function as embellishments or even punchlines of jokes. In their almost childlike simplicity of line, they have a certain ironic propriety in a novel where the central event is an arts fair.»

Вступ дочки про татка-дудлера таки доста емоційний, вразливий і щирий, але показує нам не Воннеґута-легенду, а Воннеґута-людину і його способи витримати реальність

[CR Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I'm asked the If You Could Meet 3 People question, I ALWAYS lead with Kurt Vonnegut.

This book makes that even more true.

I just...love him. And I think I like his kids too. Not that I know them.

[Justin Labelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nannette’s introduction is heartfelt and funny and every bit as good as her father’s.
The drawings a good and reminiscent of what’s found in his novels.
The drawings are best when working with figure ground, often suggesting faces in a surprising set of lines and patterns.

[Susan Acosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from a GOODREADS contest and I was thrilled! I really enjoyed this book of Vonnegut's art. I love his writing and his art is almost as good! I was tempted to take some out and put in frames for wall art but didn't want to compromise the book. It's currently sitting on my coffee table for all to enjoy!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like many of the drawings but it'd make for a good coffe table book

[rye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nanette Vonnegut's Intro made me cry

[Pirata · Rating 3 out of 5]

The imagination circuit is taught to respond to the most minimal of cues. A book is an arrangement of twenty-six phonetic symbols, ten numerals, and about eight punctuation marks, and people can cast their eyes over these and envision the eruption of Mount Vesuvius or the Battle of Waterloo.
—Kurt Vonnegut, Drawings

[Drew Fridley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve seen Vonnegut’s drawings then you know not to expect too much. The insights from his daughter and friends are great. Read this after you’ve read a few books by Vonnegut to get more out of it.

[Christine Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't know who Kurt Vonnegut was before I saw his art. He's very talented at imparting a feeling of life into all his pieces. I'll always know him as Kurt Vonnegut the artist before Kurt Vonnegut the writer because of this book

[Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this, I just wished more of his drawings had titles and dates.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foreword by Vonnegut's daughter is insightful and moving. Thankful for this compilation of drawings that kindled a greater appreciation for the depth of my favorite author's imagination.

[archive ☄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

paul klee wants what this man has

[Shu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Any creation which has any wholeness and harmoniousness, I suspect, was made by an artist or inventor with an audience of one in mind."
--- Kurt Vonnegut

[E.T. Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this vonnegut guy seems pretty zany if you ask me

[Ghazaal B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed going through this.
I didn’t even know Vonnegut drew.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun for fans, some of the drawings are similar but others are quite accomplished and reflect some of the same irreverent and melancholy qualities of his writing.

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a curiosity than anything, but fun. Interesting to read about Vonnegut’s visual influences and see more of his art than I’ve ever seen, far beyond the little pieces he puts in his books.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finally reached the end of my year-long Vonnegut jag -- an effort to read all the published works of an author who has had a seminal influence on me, as a gift to myself on my fiftieth birthday -- with this anomalous collection of his drawings. He had often included drawings in both his novels and nonfiction works, starting tentatively with "Slaughterhouse-Five," and turning torrential with "Breakfast of Champions." But the extent of his artistic ambitions was not evident from the simplistic, sometimes juvenile, line drawings which were included in his earlier books. The full extent of his involvement in the visual arts did not become evident until later in his life, despite the fact that, by all accounts, it was a lifelong passion. Drawing in brightly-colored magic markers, bearing evidence, here and there, of influences such as Calder, Miró, and Picasso, Vonnegut's works are positively drenched in the sensibilities which informed his writing: a cuttingly sardonic wit and a pathos which extended to the entire, ridiculous, scrabbling, ornery, melancholy, tragic human species.

What is perhaps most satisfying for fans of the author's writing is the clear evidence that while his literary skills were in slow decline and his writing became ever less prolific and ever more strained, his work in the visual arts took its place. Unbeknownst to most of us, he effectively shifted his focus and his passion to the kinds of drawings which are collected in this volume. And if his work in the visual arts was neither revolutionary nor entirely masterful, it was at least authentic, inspired, and representative of the voice and style he developed as a writer. Thus, fans of the man's writing should not dismiss this book out of hand. This is arguably the worthiest epitaph of all his posthumous works.

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The outgoing side of my apartment door has a drawing of an open empty birdcage, whereas the ingoing side of my apartment door has a gravestone saying 'Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt'. Given that I see these two of Kurt's drawings every day, I was excited to hear about this collection. I was expecting the sequel of the infamous anus drawing in Breakfast of Champions.

Much to my surprise Kurt actually made what far surpasses what I have seen in the less experimental sections of the Tate Modern in London and MoMA in NYC. It is a shame because it seems like he was still working out his style: faces and the letter E. As for his focus on faces he states that he finds it the most fascinating human form, and so I find it a shame that his work didn't have time to emerge more than it could have done because he seemed to have a direction.

He mentions how it is interesting that we can recognise faces from the spacing of the eyes and the mouth from quite a distance away. I think this has relation to what is the best scene in the film adaptation of Mother Night.

And when seen in that light of mother night, there might have been a certain kinda sadness that he was working towards expressing in the art of drawing faces...in relating to how our face is our outer identity, what we pretend to be, and that 'We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be'. Whether this had any basis in reality or if he achieved it is not down to me, but for myself, this is how I see it.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher as part of a prize package. The art contained in this book is similar to many of the doodle drawing currently popular with adults, but they were drawn decades ago by one of America's best authors. I have the feeling people will either love or hate this collection based on their attitudes towards Vonnegut's other writings; personally, I enjoyed it immensely.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

thought it would cover more of his career as an artist. The book was from pictures sent to his daughter but didn't have his later work that was silk screened. There were some good ones and you can see how Vonnegut looked at things a little differently through his doodles

[Liz Yerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find that the period in my life in which KVs writing meant most to me has passed. But these drawings found their way to me at a good time, when I can really admire these reckless somewhat abstract doodles. Feels lucky.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of a fun thinker's doodles. Also, the intro by his daughter Nanette is amazing. Always fun to have these other windows.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm certainly no art expert, so I can't really say anything about the drawings themselves, but I thought it was very cool to see this other side of Kurt Vonnegut.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My imagination is soaring.