Barry Windsor-Smith: Opus

Just a few quick lines to express my gratitude to the artist, not only for doing these wonderful paintings and drawings, but for speaking candidly about experiences that have shaped your vision. I have followed your work for nearly thirty years now and whenever I see BWS on something I know that it will be a thing of great quality and beauty. Opus 1 and Opus 2 now reside on my shelf beside my copy of The Studio (My third one, as I have already loved two other copies to pieces...) and a couple of treasured Epic Illustrated Magazines that feature your covers and interviews. I hope that these words of appreciation find you in good health and enjoying the continued success you so richly deserve.

The reviews of OPUS 1 and 2 are pretty much divided between people who either think OPUS was the worst artbook they ever bought or people who thought it was the best. I personally belong to the last category. And I think the reason is that I didn't buy it with the expectations of this being 'just another artbook'. I dunno how this book has been promoted, but I think it is very clear from the backcover and inner covers that this is as much an autobiography as it is an artbook. But if you do have high expectations about this being mostly an artbook you're going to be disappointed (maybe), because there simply isn't enough of all the beautiful art!! Aside from that: if you think you have had paranormal xps you will obviously appreciate the book very much. But even if you are 'just' an openminded person who would like to know more about the man behind the art, you will still appreciate Barry's descriptions of his extraordinary xps and his honesty about all the doubt, confusion and fear of ridicule (and of alienation from friends and family) associated with such xps. It doesn't matter if these experiences point to an objective reality or if it was just a wee bit too hot that summer in NY. What does matter is that he had the guts to do it: To show what moves him. And his art. If people don't like it or understand it, well ... That's their loss, I guess. On a final note: I find it baffling that some reviews (for OPUS 1) actually claimed Barry couldn't draw very well, due to 'problems with proportions' and so on. Yeah, well Michelangelo isn't very good, either ... or Boticelli for that matter. All crap, really. Just like Barry Windsor-Smith ... :)