The Art of Jim Burns: Hyperluminal

Review by Paul Fiander
Book published by Titan Books for info click here
Apparently you can’t judge a book by its cover, or at least that’s how the saying goes. Well there are some artists who try to create covers for books that may not give you all the details but will at least entice you in to noticing the book in question. In many people’s eyes one of the best of these artists is Jim Burns he works have adorned the covers of a host of famed writers from Terry Pratchett to George RR Martin as well as Neil Gaiman and Anne McCaffrey. This book is a look back at the last 40 years of his career along with some commentary from the man himself.

The book is split into chapters but you will not find a contents page at the start, each chapter covers image that are related in some way, a great example is the chapter called Into the Land of the Fae. The chapter is devoted to Burn’s imagery of fairies with a few Dragons thrown in for fun; it shows his diversity in art in what is mostly a Sci-fi book. The divisions are a good way to ring fence similar themes and the chapter markers are created with wonderful double page spreads making them focal points for your transition.

The art is visually striking with the use of a variety of strong colours; there however is no common theme in the colour palette it seems. From dark blues with blacks to a variety of red tones interlaced with yellow, each colour scheme is crafted to bring the most out the image. The images themselves at times can be awe inspiring with huge vistas and impressive spaceships and creatures. There are also portrait style images, many of these have a strong sensual overtone but none see to over reach the boundaries of taste.

This is a great coffee table book filled with wonderful images from a master of his craft. The various passages from Jim Burns throughout the book help to give an insight into the creative process for the images they are related to. These passages are not to in-depth so will not alienate the more casual reader but those who desire a more focused look on the art may find it a little light. For those readers all I have to say is take a look and let the art speak for itself.
Book and Imagery received from Publisher