TELLING STORIES: Norman Rockwell from The Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (Abrams, $65) is the companion volume to the impressive exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Essays by Virginia Mecklenburg, with help from Todd McCarthy, outline the ways Rockwell influenced his kindred spirits, Lucas and Spielberg. All three artists produced incredible bodies of work that, taken together, document classic American images, values, history, and dreams. Rockwell used his medium to tell stories, but unlike the filmmakers, did it in only one frame. He built his pictures using an almost cinematic approach, creating a setting, rehearsing a scene, defining characters, and creating visual impact. Text and photographs demonstrate how lighting, props, and costumes maximized the sense of dramatic moment. For those who didn’t get to enjoy the collection in person, this book is a great introduction to an amazing selection of paintings. For those lucky enough to have seen the exhibit, the catalog makes a wonderful keepsake.
