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He creates both practical and artistic structures with dry stone (no mortar) construction in mostly rural settings. A neighbor gave me this book knowing of my interest in building with stone. And the structures illustrated in this engaging book are wonderfully inventive, original and appealing--even to those not normally actively interested in the building/art form, I would think.Dry constructing with stone--stacking, if you will--certainly doesn't have to be limited to a rural setting. I have been grateful for it since opening to its preface and moving on through it. Author Dan Snow calls himself a terrestrian and is greatly interested in rocky or, at least, stone-filled landscapes. Suburban and even urban landscapes are certainly improved by the addition of garden walls, sculptures and other stone structures.Nice book. Well-illustrated and with compelling commentary by author Snow.
A lovely book, for starters - brilliant photography, cool diagrams. I wished there had been more text, or simply more explanations of the diagrams, but this would make a great gift and an attractive coffee-table choice.
Snow shows how he has taken unnoticed or forgotten things and made them into art. An old broken down wall, a hundred hunks of granite untouched for millions of years, curbstones from a road taken up a century ago.all these and more are transformed into art as evocative as anything found in the Louvre. The pictures in this volume are splendid, and the text gives tantalizing glimpses into the creation of the works, much as if the builders of Hadrian's Wall or Stonehenge or Chaco Canyon had jotted down a few notes. If only we could replace 10,000 lawyers in this country with 10,000 masonry artists.we'd have a better country, and less greenhouse gas.
This is a beautiful book for anyone that appreciates the beauty and essence of stone work. Fabulous pictures.
If you appreciate the raw beauty of dry-stacked stone, then you'll enjoy Dan Snow's creativity captured in the photographs of Peter Mauss. He does opine - at length - about his reflection - the philosophy and the nature of his craft. From a fire bowl to an archer's pavilion to upturned stone boats, here are inspirational works of art - many with function as a bonus.For those wishing to run out and turn a pile of rubble into a stone pyramid or portal - a word of caution: this is not Home Depot. While Snow is apparently the reigning master of dry stack, this is not intended to share his methods - at least not in detail. Many may find this a bit tedious - me among them - but hey, if I could do what this guy does with a bunch of rocks, I'd expect some indulgence, too. Anyway, many will find these gentle musings comforting in these tumultuous times, and for the rest, the photos are undeniably calming.
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