Read this book with the view that this is only a glimpse at this artist's work - there are many other aspects well worth looking at. O'Brien writes from a fairly personal point of view often through interviews with the artists, about eighteen of the country's painters working within the pictorial genre. Photographic portraits by Robert Cross of the artists in their working environments further adds a personal touch. It is therefore a good time to look at the major catalogue publication of the same title by curator Francis Pound. The beauty of reading this is of course the ability to cross the road, pay your small 'donation' at the door and view the works themselves in all their hung glory.
Publishers struggle constantly to reproduce artworks to a realistically high quality.
I myself know from experience how hard this is. However I do feel they could have made more of an effort here. Both, although incredibly different manifestations, have been produced in the same manner. The effect being that both look simply like paintings and hence completely destroying the premise of the work. That said, there is some excellent writing by Pound.