Notes and Methods

I was lucky enough to see the Hilma af Klint exhibit at the Guggenheim, which included some of these notebooks. This volume presents every page in colorful detail, as well as providing English translation for the Swedish text. What strikes me is how she made these miniature reproductions of her immense paintings, so as to be able to share the work in an easily portable form. Yet these miniatures have a distinctive charm of their own, as if the richness & scope of the huge originals have been condensed down into something small & tightly focused.And it's also fascination to see the original sketches done during her years as a medium in her working group of The Five. Many of the shapes & patterns that take full form in the paintings have their origins here, emerging in a raw state from the depths of her psyche … or from another plane of existence, as she might have defined it. However you look at it, the source of the art is somewhere other than the artist's conscious mind, visions made tangible by her gifted eye & hand.But psychological musings, while worth pursuing, are hardly the most important thing here: what matters is the art itself & the otherworldly beauty & mystery that it so successfully conveys. For any devotee of Hilma af Klint, this is a necessary book; but it's not just for devotees, either. Anyone fascinated by the inner universe of the human mind & soul, especially when brought forth by a unique creator, will find this book compelling & moving — most highly recommended!

For anyone learning about and attracted to the art of Hilma af Klint, this is the perfect companion to the recently published book for the exhibition at the Guggenheim. Hilma af Klint kept detailed sketchbooks with extensive notes. Each book is a valuable work of art. This magnificently published hard bound book is based on the most perfectly reproduced image captures of the pages from her sketchbooks (all in color). There is excellent scholastic research that places these volumes in historical context by explaining the "coded" writings of Hilma af Klint. PP 268 to 285 give the reader a detailed "decoding" of the artist's terms. This book is a treasure!

An astounding piece of scholarship, very helpful for gaining insight into Hilma af Klint’s thought process and symbolism as she developed her surprising artistic practice over the years. Reproductions of numerous pages from the artist’s notebooks (with English translations below) and a lengthy index of terms at the back of the book.

This is a beautiful book, presenting thorough and careful look at important diaries of this artist as she immerses herself in the work. I have other books about the artist .. this one gives me the best insights.

Only a few pages of narrative, the rest is all images from her notebooks. Well arranged, beautiful.

This book is almost entirely full color reproductions of af Klint's notebooks with only a brief introduction. The extensive glossary of terms is very helpful.

Beautiful and well bound book ok the sketches of the Spiritualist Painter Hilma af Klint. They had a collection of her sketches at the Guggenheim exhibit of her work and fell in love with them more than the main artwork on display

So glad this artist's work is finally reaching a bigger audience. The book will appeal to artists, mathematicians, polymaths, and anyone who appreciates under-appreciated genius and talent.