Arts Unknown: The Life & Art of Lee Brown Coye
Lee Brown Coye (1907-1981) was best known as a highly idiosyncratic artist of the macabre, who most notably illustrated stories forWeird Talesmagazine and book jackets for the publisher Arkham House, but as Ortiz shows in his well-researched biography, Coye's range was much wider than most fans realize. He was also a muralist in the tradition of such American regionalists as Thomas Hart Benton, as well as a capable anatomical artist. His paintings were exhibited at galleries and museums, including the Whitney, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased a watercolor of his for its permanent collection. Unfortunately, Coye was never a financial success, and he was plagued by self-doubt and ill health in later years. He did achieve one bit of indirect posthumous fame: a favorite motif, latticeworks of sticks, inspired Karl Edward Wagner's celebrated tale "Sticks," which in turn influenced the makers of the filmThe Blair Witch Project. With its more than 350 illustrations, many in color, this portrait of "a seminal pulp artist at the very least" is a must for lovers of the weird and fantastic.(Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.