Barton Lidicé Beneš, Curiosa: celebrity relics, historical fossils, & other metamorphic rubbish. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. ISBN: 9780810935372.
- A throat lozenge Bill Clinton spit out.
- Larry Hagman's gallstone.
- Madonna's panties.
- A bit of glass from the car crash where Princess Diana died.
The artist acquires the objects in various ways. Sometimes he asks and receives. He may trade for a specific object. Very often people just send him things. Very rarely if ever does he have to pay for an object.
The book's subject matter can be interesting, especially if you have a bit of a morbid interest. A big issue for me is the book's layout. In trying to be comprehensive, we get some pages with many rows of artifact boxes, some of which may be difficult to read what they are. Also, some of the text layout paragraphs can be a bit hard to read at times. The larger photos are a bit better in terms of quality and easier to view. Overall the book's layout is not great. In addition, the text is not really that interesting. Shorter commentary on selected objects may have been a better option.
Art libraries and museums that have or display his works may want the book. So will his fans and some collectors. I'd consider this optional for smaller academic libraries and public libraries. The art as a whole is interesting and can be fascinating. Book format and layout really detract from the reading experience. It's basically a book to look through and move on. It's basically a book to look through and move on. In the end, it was just OK for me.
2 out of 5 stars.
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