Spectrum 4: The Fourth Annual Collection of the Best in Contemporary Art

The Spectrum awards fill an important niche in the art world, by recognizing the often-overlooked contributions of fantasy artists. Spectrum 4: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art includes all the juried work from the Spectrum awards for 1996--and if this collection was any indication, it was a banner year. The book itself has an excellent, art-centered layout that keeps commentary to a minimum and lets the individual pieces speak for themselves. Expect to be dazzled repeatedly by the sheer variety and quality of the work anthologized here. Spectrum 4 does a fine job of demonstrating how much variety exists in fantasy art. Alongside the ever-present fantasy standards (dragons, fairies, vampires) you will find highly original, challenging works of often-extraordinary breadth. Highlights include brilliant pieces from James Gurney's Dinotopia, Rafael Olbinski's haunting Calendar, and this year's Grand Master Award winners Leo and Diane Dillion. This book is sure to satisfy art lovers craving the bizarre, the terrifying, and the spectacular. --Brendan J. LaSalle