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Product Description
In the bohemian and brilliant Montparnasse of the 1920s, Kiki managed to escape poverty to become one of the most charismatic figures of the avant-garde years between the wars. Partner to Man Ray - whose most legendary photos she inspired - she would be immortalised by Kisling, Foujita, Per Krohg, Calder, Utrillo and Leger. Kiki is the muse of a generation that seeks to escape the hangover of the Great War, but she is above all one of the first emancipated women of the 20th century.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm getting back into graphic novels, so I'm hardly a connoisseur. I particularly like non-genre works, and this also piqued my interest in things arty. I recognised the cover image immediately.
It sweeps through the life of the main character, probably best known as the model of Man Ray, from beginning to end, with all her loves, laughs and exploits. There's lots of detail of her relationships (maybe too many characters for this reader's poor short-term memory) and friendships (backed up by a biographical section as an appendix). The drawing is on the basic end of artful, but is nicely effective. If this had been done by Posy Simmonds or Robert Crumb it would be just fantastic, but as it is it's a bit lo-fi, It's very nuanced but not beautiful to look at. It does however incite the reader to imagine the vigour of the early 20th century art scene, and using their own knowledge to imagine the beauty and colour. I also felt the dialogue to be a little wooden, maybe a translation issue here?
All in all, a lovely book, of which there should be many more of the like.
It sweeps through the life of the main character, probably best known as the model of Man Ray, from beginning to end, with all her loves, laughs and exploits. There's lots of detail of her relationships (maybe too many characters for this reader's poor short-term memory) and friendships (backed up by a biographical section as an appendix). The drawing is on the basic end of artful, but is nicely effective. If this had been done by Posy Simmonds or Robert Crumb it would be just fantastic, but as it is it's a bit lo-fi, It's very nuanced but not beautiful to look at. It does however incite the reader to imagine the vigour of the early 20th century art scene, and using their own knowledge to imagine the beauty and colour. I also felt the dialogue to be a little wooden, maybe a translation issue here?
All in all, a lovely book, of which there should be many more of the like.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Alice Prin was born into poverty in rural France. Raised by a loving grandmother along with several other bastards, her mother was in Paris chasing artists and the high life while her biological father was nowhere to be found, and when Alice turned 12 she was sent to Paris. Her high energy and natural beauty became too much for her carefree mother and after being caught modelling nude for a local painter, Alice was turned away by her mother and forced to make a living on the streets. It's from there that she learns about the bohemian lifestyle of Paris, post WW1 and emerging into the party lifestyle of the 1920s. She meets artists, painters, photographers, writers, and becomes a notable figure herself, changing her name to Kiki, Queen of Montparnasse, the area of Paris she lived in most of her life.
The book writes about Kiki's entire life from the glamour days of her twenties with her whirlwind romances, to her role as muse to numerous avant-garde artists of the time, in particular the love of her life, Man Ray. It also takes into account her later years when the drink and drugs took over her life and eventually killed her.
For a figure who painted, sang, wrote a memoir, and acted in many films, Kiki was unknown to me until I read this so it's strange that she didn't create anything that's lasted. Her legacy seems to be as an inspiration for other artists to create their work on, artists like Foujita, Kisling, Calder, and of course Man Ray to whom the cover art is taken from. That said, she lived a life! She had many loves, she did many things, she saw a lot and did a lot, and eventually it was living the life she lived at 21 that killed her at 52. The book showcases a free woman in a world where women were anything but, and a woman who loved life to death.
The drawing style is vibrant and captures emotion in the faces of the characters beautifully. It is also unmistakably French - if you've read other French comic books like Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian's "Monsieur Jean" books or David B's work, you'll see similarity in the method. Like those other artists, Catel and Jose Luis-Boucquet have written and drawn a wonderful book about a kind hearted, warm soul.
Alice Prin may not be the most famous person to write a book about but the book Catel and Jose Luis-Boucquet have written about her have done justice to her life and kept her memory glowing for a new generation to discover her. "Kiki de Montparnasse" is an excellent read and a great comic book that'll keep you enthralled throughout.
The book writes about Kiki's entire life from the glamour days of her twenties with her whirlwind romances, to her role as muse to numerous avant-garde artists of the time, in particular the love of her life, Man Ray. It also takes into account her later years when the drink and drugs took over her life and eventually killed her.
For a figure who painted, sang, wrote a memoir, and acted in many films, Kiki was unknown to me until I read this so it's strange that she didn't create anything that's lasted. Her legacy seems to be as an inspiration for other artists to create their work on, artists like Foujita, Kisling, Calder, and of course Man Ray to whom the cover art is taken from. That said, she lived a life! She had many loves, she did many things, she saw a lot and did a lot, and eventually it was living the life she lived at 21 that killed her at 52. The book showcases a free woman in a world where women were anything but, and a woman who loved life to death.
The drawing style is vibrant and captures emotion in the faces of the characters beautifully. It is also unmistakably French - if you've read other French comic books like Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian's "Monsieur Jean" books or David B's work, you'll see similarity in the method. Like those other artists, Catel and Jose Luis-Boucquet have written and drawn a wonderful book about a kind hearted, warm soul.
Alice Prin may not be the most famous person to write a book about but the book Catel and Jose Luis-Boucquet have written about her have done justice to her life and kept her memory glowing for a new generation to discover her. "Kiki de Montparnasse" is an excellent read and a great comic book that'll keep you enthralled throughout.
Format:Paperback
I used to read a lot of graphic novels but they've lost my interest over the past decade. I started looking in comic shops when Baby's In Black came out, but this title pulled me right back in to intently reading, and really enjoying, the format.
I'd already read a literary biography of Kiki and had also read around the subject - Lee Miller, Man Ray etc - but I found that this presented the same subject in a fresh and very engaging way. Kiki's origin and her rise and fall seemed ideal subject matter for a graphic novel; the story was gripping and the drawings beautiful and vigorous - they reminded me of Franz Masreel and that's a very big compliment.
It's a bit explicit in places so you may want to hide it away from any minors in your household!
Highly recommended.
I'd already read a literary biography of Kiki and had also read around the subject - Lee Miller, Man Ray etc - but I found that this presented the same subject in a fresh and very engaging way. Kiki's origin and her rise and fall seemed ideal subject matter for a graphic novel; the story was gripping and the drawings beautiful and vigorous - they reminded me of Franz Masreel and that's a very big compliment.
It's a bit explicit in places so you may want to hide it away from any minors in your household!
Highly recommended.
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