Coincidence of Memory

Rating:
Summary: No mere "Coincidence"
Review: Actor. Musician. Photographer. And, last and perhaps most intriguingly, poet. Viggo Mortensen wears plenty of different hats as an artist. "Coincidence of Memory" collects assorted poetry, paintings and photographs ranging from the late 1970s to 2002. Whenever they are from and whatever they are, his creations are vivid and very striking.

In both his visual and literary art, Mortensen shows a sort of evocative simplicity. His poetry can bring to mind very powerful emotions that are left up to us to imagine ("Tried to say something/that filled my mouth/and longed to rest/in your ear/Don't dare write/it down for fear it'll/become words, just/words..."). He can also bring to mind simpler, more everyday things like arguments, frozen roads and observing the changes in nature.

His photography has the delicacy of a painting, with skilful use of light and color -- and the paintings are even better. For example, one is a simple shot of a mossy tree trunk surrounded by dry grass; another is of a leafless tree reflected in a car hood, and yet another is a darkly-lit picture of some little plants on the ground. Most striking is a photograph of electrical cables "intruding" on a grassy spot.

There's an intimate, capture-the-moment feel to Mortensen's photographs, as if you can see these things through his eyes for a moment. The paintings are just as good, such as "Self-Portrait, April". It's a picture of Mortensen's lips and chin, with all other featured obscured by a collage-like swirl of hazy artwork. The paintings are definitely absorbing, even if you don't understand the story behind them.

Viggo Mortensen's evocative, thoughtful artwork is shown in three different forms -- poetry, photographs and paintings -- in the beautiful "Coincidence of Memory." A haunting, remarkable collection of Mortensen's work.

Rating:
Summary: More than just a Coincidence...
Review: Coincidence of Memory is a very eclectic journey of thoughts and visuals which keep you mesmerized from one page to the next. It is a book that can be displayed and shared with friends or picked up in the need of some tranquil and thought provoking times. By reading the poems, verses and viewing the images created both through photography and paintings with much diversified mediums and imagery you are taken on a journey of creativity. The cover of the book drew me to it, as it brought me back to my own childhood when my parents used to take me to "El Retiro" a beautiful park in Madrid, Spain. The picture captured those feelings of peace and happiness of long ago and brought them to the present. That interpretation is what art photography is about, capturing an image in the physical and transferring it to feelings of the heart. Viggo exemplifies so many creative people's dreams and goals that you can be successful in doing a multitude of endeavors. He serves as a mentor to the creative mind and this book typifies that conviction. It is clear from immersing one self in this book that the author has acquired much wisdom, knowledge and deep seated feelings through travel and being exposed to different cultures at a young age. If this book is representative of his other literary works I for one will definitely be awaiting their many arrivals into my observer's view.

Rating:
Summary: More than just a Coincidence...
Review: Coincidence of Memory is a very eclectic journey of thoughts and visuals which keep you mesmerized from one page to the next. It is a book that can be displayed and shared with friends or picked up in the need of some tranquil and thought provoking times. By reading the poems, verses and viewing the images created both through photography and paintings with much diversified mediums and imagery you are taken on a journey of creativity. The cover of the book drew me to it, as it brought me back to my own childhood when my parents used to take me to "El Retiro" a beautiful park in Madrid, Spain. The picture captured those feelings of peace and happiness of long ago and brought them to the present. That interpretation is what art photography is about, capturing an image in the physical and transferring it to feelings of the heart. Viggo exemplifies so many creative people's dreams and goals that you can be successful in doing a multitude of endeavors. He serves as a mentor to the creative mind and this book typifies that conviction. It is clear from immersing one self in this book that the author has acquired much wisdom, knowledge and deep seated feelings through travel and being exposed to different cultures at a young age. If this book is representative of his other literary works I for one will definitely be awaiting their many arrivals into my observer's view.

Rating:
Summary: Why i bought this book
Review: I bought this book , as i'm a fan of Viggo, the actor ,and had read and seen some of his work on the internet and was very curious to see more.
The book has wonderful , high quality photos,examples of Viggo's art,( the collages are great) and poetry( un-rhyming) that Viggo has written over the years, which i admit had to read a couple of times to understand it, but overall thought the book was worth the money, especially as i bought it from Percival Press , through Amazon.com rather than Amazon.co.uk, as it was triple the cost price over here in England.
I would highly recommend this book,and the Percival Press for their excellent service!!

Rating:
Summary: Coincidence of Celebrity
Review: I concede that the author has come up with some interesting photos/paintings as well as poetry. I was at first excited when I saw a few images from Miyelo, his latest book of photography. However when I browsed it in the bookstore, I found I couldn't justify buying it. It just wasn't that great.

I wonder really if he weren't a "movie star", would Mr. Mortensen be so readily embraced or celebrated as a writer or an artist? Certainly I don't begrudge him from seeking out other forms of expression that are more restorative than the film industry. But I know many anonymous painters and writers who are far far more original and every bit as good, if not better. They aren't conventionally handsome or beautiful.

And they aren't celebrities.

Rating:
Summary: This is the one!
Review: If you want a book that has it all, this is the one. It has pictures, paintings, and poems. I keep this one on dislpay on my book case. This ones the best.It also has quite a few Lord of the Rings pictures and some samples from the art he did in "A perfect Murder". See viggophile.com for examples of what's in this book. And go to percevalpress.com (Viggo's company) to buy it. It's cheaper than eBay. Trust me.

Rating:
Summary: real art
Review: Several poems in this book shook my soul. Viggo is not using his fame to publish a bunch of crap that he's had in his old journal's since college. This is the real deal. The images brought forth by his words are spellbinding and unforgetable.
There is honesty and bravery in his words.
The visuals are an added bonus and enhance the experience of this book.
I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates poetry and art. I recommend savoring every stanza.


Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: The poems are vivid in imagery and filled with quiet emotions that gave me pause. The words touched my own emotions in very unexpected ways. This will be one of those books that I will pull out from time to time and reflect upon.

Rating:
Summary: A True Artist
Review: This book spans 25 years of Viggo's art. It includes paintings, photographs, and poems. I wanted to get inside Viggo and see things from his perspective, which he does allow.

I was a little surprised by his poetry. It is not composed of rhyme or alliteration. It is often off-the-wall topics. My favorite is Keepsake about a letter opener. The poems are philosophical and definitely not ordinary. Other favorites are Communion-about a relationship and Edit-how one's work is reduced to a movie with the theater its grave.

He likes to catch subjects in motion in photographs. Often they are blurred or have light coming in them as if someone opened up the door to the darkroom. They are skillful and interesting.

His paintings (which are abstract) are surprisingly good. The blending of colors is beautiful.

Viggo is definitely not just an actor; he is an artist in every sense.

Rating:
Summary: Viggo Mortensen's Coincidence of Memory
Review: Very intriguing and thought provoking. The art is beautiful. What are the stories behind these emotional words and enticing pictures? Truly an inspiration!