Art & Photography Books

Art & Photography Books

19320 products


  • Praeterita

    Oxford University Press Praeterita

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''For as I look deeper into the mirror, I find myself a more curious person than I had thought.''John Ruskin (1819-1900) was a towering figure of the nineteenth century: an art critic who spoke up for J. M. W. Turner and for the art of the Italian Middle Ages; a social critic whose aspiration for, and disappointment in, the future of Great Britain was expressed in some of the most vibrant prose in the language. Ruskin''s incomplete autobiography was written between periods of serious mental illness at the end of his career, and is an eloquent analysis of the guiding powers of his life, both public and private. An elegy for lost places and people, Praeterita recounts Ruskin''s intense childhood, his time as an undergraduate at Oxford, and, most of all, his journeys across France, the Alps, and northern Italy. Attentive to the human or divine meaning of everything around him, Praeterita is an astonishing account of revelation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s ClassicsTrade Reviewa valuable addition to Ruskin studies ... Francis O'Gorman is a sensitive, intelligent and eloquent guide to Praeterita ... detailed and helpful endnotes. * The Companion *The editing and annotation are exemplary * Jan Marsh, Times Literary Supplement *Thanks to O'Gorman, the experience of reading Praeterita has achieved luminous transparency, and it is to be hoped that his new, very finely edited edition finds its way on to book shelves and into syllabuses ... O'Gorman's introduction deserves special praise ... The explanatory notes provide essential guidance and clarification, especially for the neophyte reader of Ruskin. * Carlyle Studies Annual *

    1 in stock

    £11.39

  • Oxford University Press Dada and Surrealism

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe avant-garde movements of Dada and Surrealism continue to have a huge influence on cultural practice, especially in contemporary art, with its obsession with sexuality, fetishism, and shock tactics. In this new treatment of the subject, Hopkins focuses on the many debates surrounding these movements: the Marquis de Sade''s Surrealist deification, issues of quality (How good is Dali?), the idea of the ''readymade'', attitudes towards the city, the impact of Freud, attitudes to women, fetishism, and primitivism. The international nature of these movements is examined, covering the cities of Zurich, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Barcelona, Paris, London, and recenlty discovered examples in Eastern Europe. Hopkins explores the huge range of media employed by both Dada and Surrealism (collage, painting, found objects, performance art, photography, film) , whilst at the same time establishing the aesthetic differences between the movements. He also examines the Dadaist obsession with the body-as-mechanism in relation to the Surrealists'' return to the fetishized/eroticized body. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewIn a relatively small space Hopkins manages a stylish presentation and analysis of two of modernism's most famous isms. * Bear Books *Table of Contents1. Histories ; 2. Geographies ; 3. Art and Anti-Art ; 4. Actions ; 5. Politics ; 6. Minds ; 7. Bodies ; 8. Endings

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Christian Art

    Oxford University Press Christian Art

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisChristian images have a long history within the Western art tradition from the narrative and devotional works of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, to the radical new interpretations of the twenty-first century. This fascinating new book explores the changing nature of the representation of key themes and subjects found in Christian art, covering the Eucharist, the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Other sections deal with the changes to Christian art after the sixteenth-century Reformation, and with Christian art in the modern world.Within these themes, the book explores the work of major artists such as Memling, Holbein, El Greco and Rossetti, and well-known examples including the frescoes of St Francis at Assisi. Didactic and consciously devotional works are discussed alongside the controversial work of contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Images of the Eucharist and images of Christ's Passion ; 2. The Virgin and Child ; 3. The Saints ; 4. 'Bibles for the Illiterate': Old and New Testament Narrative Imagery ; 5. Icons ; 6. Conclusion: the Twentieth Century

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Oxford University Press Film

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisFilm is considered by some to be the most dominant art form of the twentieth century. It is many things, but it has become above all a means of telling stories through images and sounds. The stories are often offered to us as quite false, frankly and beautifully fantastic, and they are sometimes insistently said to be true. But they are stories in both cases, and there are very few films, even in avant-garde art, that don''t imply or quietly slip into narrative. This story element is important, and is closely connected with the simplest fact about moving pictures: they do move. Even the older meanings of the word ''film'' - a membrane, a covering, a veil, an emanation - now seem to have something to do with moving pictures. Many people believe films are an instrument of illusion, an emphatic way of seeing what is not there; and this capacity has been both celebrated and condemned. ''Like a movie'' mostly means like some sort of fairy-tale. But what about the reverse proposition: that more than any other invention film brings us close to the world as it actually is? ''Photography is truth'', a character says in a film by Jean-Luc Godard. ''And cinema is the truth twenty-four times per second''. The same claim is made every day, albeit less epigrammatically, by newsreels and surveillance cameras. In this Very Short Introduction Michael Wood provides a brief history and examination of the nature of the medium of film, considering its role and impact on society as well as its future in the digital age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent short guide that manages to cram in a vast amount of information into a very small space. It never pretends to offer a history of film but is a superb resource for getting students to think about film as a medium, and to think about what makes film distinct as a means of conveying information, emotion, ideas at the same time as generating wonder, admiration, controversy, or ire. An unrivalled introduction to thinking about film as a medium. / Matthew Woodcock, University of East AngliaTable of Contents1. Frame after Frame ; 2. Life in the Dark ; 3. Story Time ; 4. Digital Dreams

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Twentieth Century Design

    Oxford University Press Twentieth Century Design

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe most famous designs of the twentieth century are not those in museums, but in the marketplace - such as the Coca-Cola bottle and the McDonald's logo. Drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship, Jonathan Woodham takes a fresh look at the wider issues of design and industrial culture and explores themes such as national identity, the rise of multi-nationals, Pop and Postmodernism, and contemporary ideas of nostalgia and heritage. In the history which emerges designis clearly seen for what it is: the powerful and complex expression of aesthetic, social, economic, political, and technological forces.Trade ReviewTwentieth-Century Design is extremely thoroughly researched * Art Review, April 1997 *for a good general introduction to the subject you could not go very far wrong with Jonathan Woodham's excellent Twentieth Century Design ... Yet another example of the impressive new Oxford History of Art series. * The Bookseller *Fully and often surprisingly illustrated, carefully annotated and captioned, each combines a historical overview with a nicely opinionated individual approach. * Independent on Sunday *Woodham gives a deftly organised, extremely cool-headed account of the ideological spoon-fights behind the product ranges of modern capitalism: his range of reference and eye for detail are superb. * The Guardian *a superb piece of publishing * Rupert Christiansen, Spectator *...a valuable contribution to the field of design studies, and it deserves careful attention. Woodham is one of many intelligent writers in the new wave of British design history. His book...is likely to become a benchmark for measuring the aspirations and accomplishments of the movement. His book is a reasonable and valuable exploration of design history that is not easily falsified. - Richard Buchanan. Journal of Design History. Vol 11 1998.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Modern Art 18511929

    Oxford University Press Modern Art 18511929

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe period 1851 to 1929 witnessed the rise of the major European avant-garde groups: the Realists, Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, Symbolists, Cubists, and Surrealists. It was also a time of rapid social, economic, and political change, encompassing a revolution in communication systems and technology, and an unprecedented growth in the availability of printed images. Richard Brettell''s innovative account explores the aims and achievements -- the beautiful and the bizarre -- of artists such as Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, and Dali, in relation to urban capitalism and expansion, colonialism, nationalism and internationalism, and the museum. Tracing common themes of representation, imagination, perception, and sexuality across works in a wide range of different media he presents a fresh approach to the fine art and photography of this remarkable era.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Great Exhibition of 1851, London. (Paris: the capital of modern art; New technology; The beginnings of modern art) ; Part I: Realism to Surrealism. (Realism; Impressionism; Symbolism; Post-Impressionism; Neo-Impressionism; Synthetism; The Nabis; The Fauves; Expressionism; Cubism; Futurism; Orphism; Vorticism; Suprematism/ Constructivism; Neo-Plasticism; Dada; Purism; Surrealism; The '-ism' problem) ; Part II: The Conditions for Modern Art ; Chapter 1. Urban Capitalism. (Paris and the birth of the modern city; Capitalist society; The commodification of art; The modern condition) ; Chapter 2. Modernity, Representation, and the Accessible Image. (The art museum; Temporary exhibitions; Lithography; Photography; Conclusion) ; Part III: The Artist's Response ; Chapter 3. Representation, Vision, and 'Reality': The Art of Seeing. (The human eye; Transparency and unmediated modernism; Surface fetishism and unmediated modernism; Photography and unmediated modernism; Beyond the oil sketch; Cubism) ; Chapter 4. Image/Modernism and the Graphic Traffic. (The Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood; Puvis de Chavannes and Gustave Moreau: Image/Modernism outside the Avant-Garde; Image/Modernism outside France; Exhibitions of the Avant-Garde; Fragmentation, dislocation, and recombination) ; Part IV Iconology ; Introduction ; Chapter 5. Sexuality and the Body. (Manet's bodies; Modern art and pornography; The nude and the modernist cycle of life; The bathing nude; The allegorical or non-sexual nude; Colonialism and the nude: the troubled case of Gauguin; The bride stripped bare; Body parts and fragments) ; Chapter 6. Social Class and Class Consciousness. (Seurat and Sunday on the Grande Jatte, 1884; Class issues in Modernist culture; Portraiture; Images of peasantry; The worker and modern art) ; Chapter 7. Anti-Iconography: Art Without 'Subject'. (Landscape painting; Text and image; Abstraction) ; Chapter 8. Nationalism and Internationalism in Modern Art. (National identity; Time and place; Abstract art, spiritualism, and internationalism; Nationalist landscape painting) ; Afterword: The Private Institutionalization of Modern Art ; Notes; List of Illustrations; Bibliographic Essay; Timeline; Index

    1 in stock

    £21.14

  • The Pacific Arts of Polynesia and Micronesia

    Oxford University Press The Pacific Arts of Polynesia and Micronesia

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth''s surface. Comprising thousands of islands and hundreds of cultural groups, Polynesia and Micronesia cover a large part of this vast ocean, from the dramatic mountains of Hawaii to the small, flat coral islands of Kiribati. Including both traditional and contemporary arts, this book introduces the rich artistic traditions of these two regions, traditions that have had a considerable impact on western art in the twentieth century through the influence of artists such as Gauguin. Instead of looking at Polynesia and Micronesia separately, the book focuses on the artistic types, styles, and concepts that they share, placing each in its wider cultural context. From the textiles of Tonga to the canoes of Tahiti, Adrienne Kaeppler looks at religious and sacred rituals and objects, carving, architecture, tattooing, personal ornaments, basket-making, clothing, textiles, fashion, the oral arts, dance, music and musical instruments - even canoe-construction - to provide the ultimate introduction to the rich and vibrant artistic cultures of the Polynesian and Micronesian islands.Trade ReviewBeautifully illustrated and important... the quintessential introduction to the Pacific arts.Table of Contents1. An Introduction to Polynesian and Micronesian Art ; 2. Artistic Visions: Rituals and Sacred Containers ; 3. Aesthetics: Carving, Metaphor, and Allusion ; 4. Genealogical Connections: The Texts of Textiles ; 5. Adorning the Adorned: Tattoo, Ornaments, Clothing, Fashion ; 6. Ritual Spaces, Cultural Landscapes, Space, and the Aesthetic Environment ; Bibliography ; Further Reading ; Timeline ; List of Museums and Galleries

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Oxford University Press TwentiethCentury American Art

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisJackson Pollock, Georgia O''Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, and Laurie Anderson are just some of the major American artists of the twentieth century. From the 1893 Chicago World''s Fair to the 2000 Whitney Biennial, a rapid succession of art movements and different styles reflected the extreme changes in American culture and society, as well as America''s position within the international art world.This exciting new look at twentieth century American art explores the relationships between American art, museums, and audiences in the century that came to be called the ''American century''. Extending beyond New York, it covers the emergence of Feminist art in Los Angeles in the 1970s; the Black art movement; the expansion of galleries and art schools; and the highly political public controversies surrounding arts funding. All the key movements are fully discussed, including early American Modernism, the New Negro movement, Regionalism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Neo-Expressionism.Trade ReviewDoss casts her artistic net with an impressively wide sweep . . .a richly illustrated surveyThe latest volume in the much acclaimed Oxford History of Art series * Geoffrey Newman, The Art Book *Table of Contents1. The Gilded Age ; 2. Early American Modernism: The Art of Everyday Life ; 3. Avant-Garde Art and Experimentation ; 4. Modernism and the Interwar Years ; 5. A New Deal for the Arts: The Great Depression ; 6. Abstract Expressionism ; 7. Neo-Dada and Pop Art ; 8. Minimalism and Conceptual Art ; 9. Feminist Art and Black Art ; 10. Culture Wars: The 1980s ; 11. Contemporary Art ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Timeline ; Museums and Websites ; List of Illustrations ; Index

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Early Art and Architecture of Africa

    Oxford University Press Early Art and Architecture of Africa

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis new history of over 5000 years of African art reveals its true diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Peter Garlake uses the latest research and archaeological findings to offer exciting new insights. All the main regions are covered: southern Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, and the East African coast.Acknowledging the universal allure of the African art object, this book restores it to its original social and historical context, helping us to understand more about the ways in which this art was produced, used, and received.Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Rock Art of Southern Africa ; 3. Nubia ; 4. Aksum ; 5. The Niger River ; 6. West African Forests ; 7. Great Zimbabwe and the Southern African Interior ; 8. The East African Coast ; Notes ; List of Illustrations ; Further Reading ; Timeline ; Index

    1 in stock

    £21.14

  • But Is It Art

    Oxford University Press But Is It Art

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn today''s art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this book, Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, along with the latest research on the brain''s role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition So many of the questions that define us as a culture have been raised through and by the art of recent decades, that without coming to terms with our art, we can scarcely understand ourselves. Cynthia Freeland has written a very smart book, in which high philosophical intelligence is applied to difficult questions raised by real works of art. It immediately situates the reader where thought and action meet, and since the issues are inescapable, it should be required reading for everyone. 'I know of no work that moves so swiftly and with so sure a footing through the battle zones of art and society today.' * Arthur C. Danto, Columbia University, author of After the end of art *This pocket potboiler provides some answers, a lot of questions and plenty of entertainment along the way * TNT Magazine 25/03/2002 *this is a pacy and readable introduction to art history * Independent on Sunday 10/03/2002 *admirable for its scope, compactness and exceptional clarity. Reader-friendly and thought-provoking * The Independent, 23/02/2002 *a book of simplicity and clarity that may well come to rival John Berger's Ways of Seeing as a reader's digest of the rubric of theories that make up contemporary art criticism . . . This is a valuable book for anyone perplexed by the arcane theorising of contemporary art * Sue Hubbard, The Independent 14/03/01 *.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ; 1. Blood and Beauty ; 2. Paradigms and Purposes ; 3. Cultural Crossings ; 4. Money, Markets, Museums ; 5. Gender, Genius, and Guerrilla Girls ; 6. Cognition, Creation, Comprehension ; 7. Digitizing and Disseminating ; Conclusion ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

    1 in stock

    £12.59

  • Oxford University Press DESIGN VSI

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisJohn Heskett wants to transform the way we think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives, from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal, and the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines ''need'' and ''desire'' in the form of a practical object that can also reflect the user''s identity and aspirations through its form and decoration.This concise guide to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how simple objects, such as a toothpick, can have their design modified to suit the specific cultural behaviour in different countries. There are also fascinating insights into how major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design. Finally, the author gives us an exciting vision of what design can offer us in the future, showing in particular how it can humanize new technology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'Erudite and well-researched...should be essential reading for students, educationalists, practising designers, industrialists and government.' * Terence Conran *Table of ContentsFURTHER READING; INDEX

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Painting and Presence Why Paintings Matter

    Oxford University Press Painting and Presence Why Paintings Matter

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book is concerned with why (or whether) paintings have value: why they might be worth creating and attending to. The author traces an understanding of painting as ontologically revelatory from the theology of the Byzantine Icon to classical Chinese appreciations of landscape painting, and Phenomenologists inspired by European Modernist art.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements Introduction Part One 1: Do Paintings Matter? The Platonic Challenge 2: Truth (and Goodness) in Painting Part Two 3: Painting and Presence 4: Painting as Revelation: the Icon as Paradigm 5: Making the Invisible Visible: Merleau-Ponty 6: Expression and Form Part Three 7: Metaphysical Implications: Essences, Concepts, Value 8: Natural Beauty 9: The Re-enchantment of the World 10: Painting, Beauty, and the Sacred Bibliography

    1 in stock

    £76.00

  • William Blake

    Oxford University Press William Blake

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis volume in the 21st Century Oxford Authors series offers students an authoritative, comprehensive selection of the work of William Blake (1757-1827). The edition features a selection of Blake's poetry, illuminated poetry, and prose, and includes an Introduction, Chronology, and full commentary notes.Trade ReviewThe latest edition of Blakes selected works rich with both textual and explanatory annotations and 120 black-and-white images. * Wayne C. Ripley, An Illustrated Quarterly *Peter Otto's William Blake (Oxford, 2018) presents the latest edition of Blake's selected works. Part of the 21st-Centu-ry Oxford Authors series, the book runs over 800 pages, and is rich with both textual and explanatory annotations and 120 black-and-white images. The works are arranged chronologically rather than generically, even to the point of offering Songs of Innocence alone and again with Songs of Experience. * Wayne C. Ripley, Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Chronology From Poetical Sketches (1783) [An Island in the Moon] (c.1785) From Annotations to Lavater's Aphorisms on Man (1788) All Religions Are One (1788) There Is No Natural Religion (1788) From Annotations to Swedenborg's Heaven and Hell (1784; notes c.1789) Songs of Innocence (1789) The Book of Thel (1789) From Annotations to Swedenborg's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom (1788; notes c.1790) From Annotations to Swedenborg's Divine Providence (1790; notes c.1790) The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790) From The Notebook (c.1791-93) Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793) America a Prophecy (1793) To the Public [Prospectus] (1793) From The Notebook (c.1793) For Children: The Gates of Paradise (1793) Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1794) Europe a Prophecy (1794) The First Book of Urizen (1794) The Song of Los (1795) The Book of Ahania (1795) The Book of Los (1795) From Vala or The Four Zoas (1797-c.1807) From The Notebook (c.1797-99) From Annotations to Watson's An Apology for the Bible (1797; notes 1798) From Annotations to Bacon's Essays (1798; notes c.1798) From Annotations to The Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1798; notes c.1798-1809) Letters [1799-1800] From Annotations to Boyd's Translation of the Inferno (1785; notes c.1800) Letters [1802-3] Memorandum in Refutation of the . . . Complaint of John Scolfield (August 1803] Letters [1803-4] From The Notebook (c.1803-04) Milton a Poem (c.1804-1811) [The Pickering Manuscript] (c.1805-07) From The Notebook (c.1807-09) Blake's Exhibition (1809) From Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion (1804-c.1820) From [A Vision of the Last Judgment] (1810) From [A Public Address to the Chalcographic Society] (c.1810) Europe, Title page (late revisions, c.1815-20) From Annotations to Spurzheim's Observations (1817; notes c.1818) Letters [1818] The Everlasting Gospel (c.1818) For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise (1820) Annotations to Berkeley's Siris (1744; notes c.1820) From Annotations to Wordsworth's Preface to The Excursion (1814; notes 1826) From Annotations to Wordsworth's Poems (1815; notes 1826) From Annotations to Thornton's The Lord's Prayer (1827) Letter [1827] On Homers Poetry and On Virgil (c.1820) The Ghost of Abel (1822) [Jehovah]& his two Sons Satan & Adam [The Laocoön] (c.1826-27) List of Abbreviations Notes Index of Titles and First Lines

    1 in stock

    £29.93

  • The Oxford History of the Renaissance

    Oxford University Press The Oxford History of the Renaissance

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.The Renaissance is one of the most celebrated periods in European history. But when did it begin? When did it end? And what did it include?Traditionally regarded as a revival of classical art and learning, centred upon fifteenth-century Italy, views of the Renaissance have changed considerably in recent decades. The glories of Florence and the art of Raphael and Michelangelo remain an important element of the Renaissance story, but they are now only a part of a much wider story which looks beyond an exclusive focus on high culture, beyond the Italian peninsula, and beyond the fifteenth century.The Oxford History of the Renaissance tells the cultural history of this broader and longer Renaissance: from seminal figures such as Dante and Giotto in thirteenth-century Italy, to the waning of Spain''s ''golden age'' in the 1630s, and the closure of the English theatres in 1642, the date generally taken to mark the end of the English literary Renaissance.Geographically, the story ranges from Spanish America to Renaissance Europe''s encounter with the Ottomansand far beyond, to the more distant cultures of China and Japan. And thematically, under Gordon Campbell''s expert editorial guidance, the volume covers the whole gamut of Renaissance civilization, with chapters on humanism and the classical tradition; war and the state; religion; art and architecture; the performing arts; literature; craft and technology; science and medicine; and travel and cultural exchange.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition [This] is a book that will not disappoint. Whether readers are well-versed in the field of Renaissance studies or simply have a casual interest in this fascinating subject, they will find much to enjoy. Though the concepts discussed are far from simplistic, the tone is highly readable. This book will be a welcome addition to any library on the subject. * All About History *Based on the latest historical research but aimed at the general reader, the Oxford "Histories" have maintained a very high standard over the years. This volume, edited by the great Renaissance scholar, Gordon Campbell, certainly maintains the Oxford University Press reputation for excellence. * Ed Voves, Art Eyewitness *Table of ContentsIntroduction Gordon Campbell: The Renaissance 1: Peter Mack: Humanism and the Classical Tradition 2: David Parrott: War and the State: c. 1400-1650 3: Stella Fletcher: Religion 4: Paula Nuttall and Richard Williams: The Civilisation of the Renaissance 5: Francis Ames-Lewis: Art and Architecture: Italy and Beyond 6: Paula Nuttall and Richard Williams: Art and Architecture: Flanders and Beyond 7: Margaret McGowan: The Performing Arts: Festival, Music, Drama, Dance 8: Warren Boutcher: Vernacular Literature 9: Pamela Long, Andrew Morrall: Craft and Technology in Renaissance Europe 10: Paula Findlen: The Renaissance of Science 11: Peter Burke and Felipe Fernández-Armesto: The Global Renaissance Further Reading Index

    1 in stock

    £12.34

  • William Morris Selected Writings

    Oxford University Press William Morris Selected Writings

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis newly selected edition of William Morris''s works brings together poetry and prose, lectures, articles, and letters from his life, ordered chronologically, with an introduction highlighting his pressing and prescient writing on matters of the natural and built environment, human and non-human relations, internationalism, migration, and social justice, as well as the wide range of his literary and artistic concerns. Expert textual notes draw attention to the interconnectedness of Morris''s writing and its rich literary, historical, and political contexts and sources: this is work that reaches back to tales of personal, dynastic, and political passion in medieval Europe or the craftsmanship of ancient Persia as deftly as it lambasts Victorian work practices and living conditions in Britain or sets out to correct misconceptions about the nature of social revolution; it creates visions of a just, equal, and beautiful future from re-told or imagined pasts. This selection includes lyric

    1 in stock

    £110.00

  • Art and Homosexuality

    Oxford University Press Art and Homosexuality

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLavishly illustrated with over 175 black-and-white and color images that range from high to popular culture and from Ancient Greece to contemporary America, Christopher Reed''s arresting book reveals the deep linkages between art and homosexuality as we understand those terms. This is the first book to fully explore the interdependence between the identity of the artist and the homosexual. It offers a bold, globe-spanning narrative that draws on artwork from all the important periods in the Western tradition, including classical, Renaissance, and contemporary, with special focus on the modern period. It was in the nineteenth century that the identities of the avant-garde artist and the homosexual took shape, and almost as quickly overlapped. The figures involved--Ingres, Courbet, Wilde, Whitman--are among that era''s most iconic artists. The development of twentieth-century art--exemplified in the work of figures like Gertrude Stein, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and David Wojnarowicz--this book argues is simply not understandable apart from the concurrent development of ideas about sexual identity. This highly readable volume challenges the ideas of many prominent art critics and punctures the platitudes surrounding discussions of both art and sexuality. The book discusses what it means to be an insider and outsider, how sexuality came to define one''s fundamental humanity, and what people risk (and gain) in rejecting economic and social conformity. Reed shows that many of the core ideas that define modern thought more generally are nearly indecipherable without an understanding of this pairing. The debates that have surrounded artists and homosexuals in effect capture the dramatic history of the evolution of the modern mind.Trade ReviewIt's not the first book on the subject, but 'Art and Homosexuality: A History of Ideas' is certainly among the best. * Los Angeles Times Culture Monster blog *Table of Contents1. VARIETIES OF 'HOMOSEXUALITY'; VARIETIES OF 'ART'. INITIATORY HOMOSEXUALITY: THE 'SAMBIA' OF NEW GUINEA & ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME. GENDER-TRANSCENDENT HOMOSEXUALITY: POLYNESIA & NORTH AMERICA. PERFORMATIVE HOMOSEXUALITY: TOKUGAWA JAPAN ; 2. BEFORE MODERNITY. EARLY CHRISTIAN AND MEDIEVAL EUROPE. THE RENAISSANCE. 17TH- AND 18TH-CENTURY EUROPE ; 3. INVENTING THE MODERN: ART AND SEXUAL IDENTITY IN THE LATE- NINETEENTH CENTURY. IMAGERY AT MID-CENTURY. INVENTING THE AVANT-GARDE. ARTISTS AT MID-CENTURY. THE MODERN ARTIST AS HOMOSEXUAL. AESTHETES AND ART JOURNALS ; 4. SECRETS AND SUBCULTURES, 1900-1940. ECHOES OF AESTHETICISM. AVANT-GARDE CONTINGENTS. SEXUALITY AND RACE. STRATEGIES OF CODING: ABSTRACTION AND SYMBOLS. THE LIMITS OF THE AVANT-GARDE. THE AVANT-GARDE AND THE OPEN SECRET. THE OPEN SECRET AND MASS CULTURE ; 5. THE SHORT TRIUMPH OF THE MODERN: 1940-1965. EXPRESSION AND REPRESSION IN POST-WAR ART. POPULAR IMAGERY, POP ART, AND THE ORIGINS OF POSTMODERNISM. CAMP AND CRITICISM ; 6. THE AVANT-GARDE AND ACTIVISM: 1965-1982. ART VS. POLITICS. FEMINISTS, LESBIANS, AND FEMALE SENSIBILITY. IDENTITY AND SENSIBILITY ; 7. THE AIDS DECADE: 1982-1992. AIDS AND THE AVANT-GARDE. AIDS, ACTIVISM, AND VISUAL CULTURE. HOMOPHOBIA AND VISUAL CULTURE ; 8. QUEER AND BEYOND. QUEER. FRAGMENTATION FROM WITHIN. PRESSURE FROM WITHOUT. WORKING THROUGH DIFFERENCE: THE BLACK MALE NUDE

    1 in stock

    £59.50

  • Brain Beauty and Art

    Oxford University Press Inc Brain Beauty and Art

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisAesthetics has long been the preserve of philosophy, art history, and the creative arts but, more recently, the fields of psychology and neuroscience have entered the discussion, and the field of neuroaesthetics has been born.In Brain, Beauty, and Art, leading scholars in this nascent field reflect on the promise of neuroaesthetics to enrich our understanding of this universal yet diverse facet of human experience. The volume consists of essays from foundational researchers whose empirical work launched the field. Each essay is anchored to an original, peer-reviewed paper from the short history of this new and burgeoning subdiscipline of cognitive neuroscience. Authors of each essay were asked three questions: 1) What motivated the original paper? 2) What were the main findings or theoretical claims made? and, 3) How do those findings or claims fit with the current state and anticipated near future of neuroaesthetics? Together, these essays establish the territory and current boundaries of neuroaesthetics and identify its most promising future directions. Topics include models of neuroaesthetics, and discussions of beauty, art, dance, music, literature, and architecture. Brain, Beauty, and Art will inform and stimulate anyone with an abiding interest in why it is that, across time and culture, we respond to beauty, engage with art, and are affected by music and architecture.Trade ReviewFor anyone wishing to learn about the basic constructs and findings of the new field of experimental neuroaesthetics, this is a must-read book and one destined to advance the field. Each chapter is a gem-a brief and highly readable commentary on a pioneering article in which the author(s) of the article explain their motivating hypotheses and reflect on where the field was then, where it is going, and where it should be going. * Ellen Winner, Professor Emerita, Boston College, and author of How Art Works: A Psychological Exploration (OUP, 2019) and An Uneasy Guest in the Schoolhouse: Art Education from Colonial Times to a Promising Future (OUP, 2022) *A landmark publication for a burgeoning, new discipline, Brain, Beauty, and Art offers much of interest for the scholar, scientist, and general reader on a subject of enduring fascination to us all. Edited by pioneers in the field of neuroaesthetics, this comprehensive volume brings together the most important and consequential research while also providing a compelling account of why the love of beauty in all of the forms is an essential part of what it means to be human. * Daniel H Weiss, President and CEO, The Metropolitan Museum of Art *Dr. Chatterjee is a pioneer in neuroaesthetics - not only because of his enduring and cutting-edge body of academic research, but also because of his ability to bring together experts from disparate fields, build on their own findings and insights, and weave a cohesive and compelling narrative on the field. His latest book, Brain, Beauty, and Art, offers the world's most comprehensive view on this burgeoning field, including what it is, how it affects human behavior, and why it matters. After reading his book, I'm sure you'll agree it matters now more than ever! * Pauline Brown, Former Chair of LVMH North America & Author of Aesthetic Intelligence *Table of ContentsForeword. Where have we been and where are now? A Chatterjee, E Cardlillo Frameworks 1. An early framework for a cognitive neuroscience of visual aesthetics. A Chatterjee 2. Bringing it all together: neurological and neuroimaging evidence of the neural underpinnings of visual aesthetic. M Nadal, CJ Cela-Conde 3. But, what actually happens when we engage with art? M Pelowski, H Leder 4. Naturalizing aesthetics. Steven Brown 5. Moving towards emotions in the aesthetic experience. C Di Dio and V Gallese 6. The aesthetic triad. O Vartanian and A Chatterjee 7. How neuroimaging is transforming our understanding of aesthetic taste. M Skov 8. The cognitive neuroscience of aesthetic experience. M Nadal and M Pearce Beauty 9. Facial beauty and the medial orbitofrontal cortex. JP O'Doherty, RJ. Dolan 10. Beautiful people in the brain of the beholder. A Chatterjee 11. The mark of villainy: the connection between appearance and perceived morality. F Hartung 12. A quest for beauty. T Jacobsen 13. Scene preferences, aesthetic appeal and curiosity: revisiting the neurobiology of the infovore. EA Vessel, X Yue, I Biederman 14. Kinds of beauty and the prefrontal cortex. T Pegors 15. Expertise and aesthetic liking. M Skov & U Kirk 16. Social meaning brings beauty: neural response to the beauty of abstract Chinese characters. X He and W Zhang Art 17. The contributions of emotion and reward to aesthetic judgment of visual art. O Vartanian 18. Embodiment and the aesthetic experience of images. V Gallese, D Freedberg, M Alessandra Umiltà 19. The role of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortices in aesthetic valuation. E Munar & CJ Cela-Conde 20. The role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in aesthetic appreciation. M Nadal, Z Cattaneo, and CJ Cela-Conde 21. Is artistic composition in abstract art detected automatically? C Menzel, G Kovács, GU Hayn-Leichsenring, C Redies 22. The contribution of visual area V5 to the perception of implied motion in art and its appreciation. M Nadal and Z Cattaneo 23. Art Is Its own reward. S Lacey, K Sathian 24. Imaging the subjective. EA Vessel, GG Starr 25. Cultural neuroaesthetics of delicate sadness induced by Noh masks. N Osaka 26. Towards a computational understanding of neuroaesthetics. K Iigaya and JP O'Doherty 27. Artists, artworks, aesthetics, cognition. WP Seeley 28. Aesthetic liking is not only driven by object properties, but also by your expectations. M Skov, U Kirk 29. Finding mutual interest between neuroscience and aesthetics: a brush with reality? AJ Parker 30. What can we learn about art from people with neurological disease? A Chatterjee Music 31. Chills, Bets, And Dopamine: a journey Into music reward. L Ferreri, J Riba, R Zatorre, A Rodriguez-Fornells 32. Why does music evoke strong emotions? Testing the endogenous opioid hypothesis. DJ Levitin and LA Fleming 33. Music in all its beauty: adopting the naturalistic paradigm to uncover brain processes during the aesthetic musical experience. E Brattico and V Alluri 34. Investigating musical emotions in people with unilateral brain damage. AM Belfi, A Pralus, C Hirel, D Tranel, B Tillmann*, A Caclin* Language and Literature 35. The neurocognitive poetics model of literary reading 10 years after. AM Jacobs 36. The power of poetry. E Wassiliwizky, W Menninghaus 37. Pictograph portrays what it is: neural response to the beauty of concrete Chinese characters. X He and W Zhang Dance 38. Movement, synchronization, and partnering in dance. S Brown 39. Dance, expertise and sensorimotor aesthetics. B Calvo-Merino 40. An eye for the impossible: exploring the attraction of physically impressive dance movements. ES Cross 41. The mind, the brain and the moving body: dance as a topic in cognitive neuroscience. B Blaesing, B Calvo-Merino 42. Training effects on affective perception of body movements. LP Kirsch, ES Cross Architecture 43. The neuroaesthetics of architecture. O Vartanian 44. Architectural styles as subordinate scene categories. DB Walther 45. Architectural affordances: linking action, perception, and cognition. Z Djebbara, K Gramann 46. Architectural design and the mind. A Coburn Afterword. Where are we now and where are we going? A Chatterjee, E Cardlillo

    4 in stock

    £36.49

  • Core Connections

    Oxford University Press Inc Core Connections

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisCore Connections: Cairo Belly Dance in the Revolution''s Aftermath explores the intricate networks of belly dance in Cairo, Egypt following the turbulent aftermath of the January 25, 2011 revolution. This comprehensive ethnography takes readers on a captivating journey through the city''s diverse dance landscapes spanning from Nile cruising tourist boats and decadent five-star hotels to smoky late-night discos and Pyramid Street cabarets. While mapping the multiple maneuverings of Cairene dancers and viewers alike, author Christine Sahin centralizes the dancers'' embodied political insight while fleshing out nuanced portraits of their lives and stories amidst ongoing political precarity. Bridging the realms of Dance and Middle Eastern Gender Studies, this groundbreaking book not only analyses but embodies ethnography. This book''s ethnographic approach mirrors the core of Cairo belly dance itself via attending to dual meanings of moving; centralizing mobility and movement as sites of

    1 in stock

    £22.99

  • Oxford University Press Inc The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMichael Higgins broadens our understanding of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by bringing science, engineering, and technology together with ancient documentation and archaeological findings.The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Pyramids of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Colossus of Rhodes, and the Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria) have been a source of fascination for more than two thousand years. Even though six of the Wonders are now gone, historians and archaeologists have attempted to explain how and why these ancient monuments were created. However, never before have these attempts been synthesized with the contributions of science, engineering, and technology.In The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Michael Higgins combines scientific research together with ancient documentation and archaeological findings to present a rich, multi-layered portrait of each monument. To build a Wonder took advanced social organiTrade ReviewHere is a refreshing treatment of a topic that goes back to antiquity: what were the methods and conditions that made possible the construction of the renowned Seven Wonders? With a light touch, Higgins brings to bear geology, metallurgy, ancient craft and engineering, archaeology, and historical scholarship to reveal how grand projects were achieved in ancient Egypt, the Near East, and Greece. * Alexander Jones, author of A Portable Cosmos *In this wide-ranging book Higgins, a geologist, presents a refreshing, personal approach to The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. His energetic and well documented presentation differs from the many other discussions of the Wonders by carefully considering the associated influences of geology, tectonics, and the environment. An engaging final chapter on rebuilding the Wonders provides an engineer's view of how modern materials and techniques might have guaranteed the monuments a longer life. * John Peter Oleson, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World *The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World: Science, Engineering, and Technology, Michael Denis Higgins,...Higgins ends his work with a theoretical discussion of how the ancient Wonders could be reconstructed with modern engineering...Professor Higgins's desire to rebuild the wonders of the ancient world is interesting. * Jesse Russell, Voegelinview *The book under review offers a fast-moving, impassioned, and richly illustrated exposé of the Seven Wonders from a specific angle: that of science, engineering, and technology... There is much to learn for everyone, particularly in the sections concerning the geology and materials involved in the creation of the Wonders, often overlooked in historical accounts... In sum, the book offers an original discussion of the modern list of Seven Ancient Wonders, bringing science, engineering, and technology to the forefront. It invites readers to explore these Wonders and their broader regional and scientific contexts. While it embraces a degree of speculation and may not fully satisfy the stringent referencing and historical rigor of the humanities, it provides many interesting insights about the Seven Wonders, making them again accessible to a general audience. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *A fascinating work and one that is eminently accessible. It is also extremely readable, requiring very little prior knowledge of the science and technology of the ancient world. What could be a dry topic is anything but, and Higgins' writing is rich in detail and evocative of the distant worlds in which the wonders existed. The book will appeal to a wide range of readers, and deservedly so. * All About History *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Pyramids of Giza Chapter 3: The Hanging Gardens Chapter 4: The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Chapter 5: The Mausoleum Chapter 6: The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Chapter 7: The Colossus of Rhodes Chapter 8: The Pharos of Alexandria Chapter 9: Rebuilding the Wonders

    1 in stock

    £22.99

  • The Alternative Augustan Age

    Oxford University Press Inc The Alternative Augustan Age

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe princeps Augustus (63 BCE - 14 CE), recognized as the first of the Roman emperors, looms large in the teaching and writing of Roman history. Major political, literary, and artistic developments alike are attributed to him. This book deliberately and provocatively shifts the focus off Augustus while still looking at events of his time. Contributors uncover the perspectives and contributions of a range of individuals other than the princeps. Not all thought they were living in the Augustan Age. Not all took their cues from Augustus. In their self-display or ideas for reform, some anticipated Augustus. Others found ways to oppose him that also helped to shape the future of their community. The volume challenges the very idea of an Augustan Age by breaking down traditional turning points and showing the continuous experimentation and development of these years to be in continuity with earlier Roman culture. In showcasing absences of Augustus and giving other figures their due, the papers here make a seemingly familiar period startlingly new.Trade Review...so great and distinct... * Lindsay Powell, Ancient Warfare *The Alternative Augustan Age, has the desire to explore the 'underside' of this crucial period, and is appropriately dedicated to the memory of Powell...this long period of history has subsequently been treated in either a homogenized or a linear way, which not only flattens out nuance, but promotes teleological interpretations. This volume instead shifts the spotlight onto other actors, not just by giving them their moment in the sun, but by not defining their importance in relation to Augustus. This allows us to see a 'a series of alternatives- alternative spaces, alternative worldviews, and alternative narratives'. * Greece & Rome *Table of ContentsPreface List of contributors Table of figures 1. The alternative Augustan age Hannah Mitchell, Kit Morrell, Josiah Osgood, and Kathryn Welch 2. Augustus as magpie Kit Morrell 3. Hopes and aspirations: res publica, leges et iura, and alternatives at Rome Eleanor Cowan 4. Rebuilding Romulus' Senate: The lectio senatus of 18 BCE Andrew Pettinger 5. The good wife: fate, fortune, and familia in Augustan Rome Bronwyn Hopwood 6. At magnus Caesar, and Yet! Social resistance against Augustan legislation Werner Eck 7. C. Asinius Pollio and the politics of cosmopolitanism Joel Allen 8. For Rome or for Augustus? Triumphs beyond the imperial family in the post-civil war period Carsten Hjort Lange 9. Egyptian victories: the praefectus Aegypti and the presentation of military success in the age of Augustus Wolfgang Havener 10. African alternatives Josiah Osgood 11. The reputation of L. Munatius Plancus and the idea of "serving the times" Hannah Mitchell 12. How do you solve a problem like Marcus Agrippa? James Tan 13. Acting "republican" under Augustus: the coin types of the gens Antistia Megan Goldman-Petri 14. Saecular discourse: qualitative periodization in first century BCE Rome Paul Hay 15. Maecenas and the Augustan poets: the background of a cultural ambition Philippe Le Doze 16. Gauls on top: provincials ruling Rome on the shield of Aeneas Geraldine Herbert-Brown 17. The rise of the centumviral court in the Augustan age: an alternative arena of aristocratic competition Matthew Roller 18. Shields of Virtue(s) Kathryn Welch 19. The popular reception of Augustus and the self-infantilization of Rome's citizenry Tom Hillard 20. Inventing the imperial Senate Amy Russell Bibliography

    1 in stock

    £29.38

  • Oxford

    Oxford University Press Oxford

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisFew cities have a greater concentration of significant architecture than Oxford. Within a city of only 130,000 inhabitants there are important buildings, many of them of great beauty, from every period from the eleventh century down to the present. Geoffrey Tyack chronicles the architectural development of Oxford--both University and City--from its origins to the late twentieth century, explaining the idiosyncracies of Oxford''s architectural history, and placing the buildings within their historical context. His approach is chronological, and his emphasis on what can actually be seen. Although many books have been written about individual buildings and various aspects of Oxford architecture, no book of this kind has been published for many years.Trade ReviewHow and why the college came to be one of the most adventurous and successful patrons of modern architecture in Oxford is the principal subject of Geoffrey Tyack's thorough and revealing study. * Twentieth Century Society Newsletter *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Origins: 900-1350 ; 2. The Later Middle Ages ; 3. From Reformation to Restoration ; 4. The Age of Classicism ; 5. A Century of Growth: 1750-1850 ; 6. Victorian Gothic ; 7. Into the Twentieth Century ; 8. From Modernism to Post-Modernism ; Walks ; Glossary ; Acknoweldgements ; Index

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Oxford University Press The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn 14 original essays, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present. Leading international scholars offer an original and richly illustrated narrative that is global in scope. The history of the book is the history of millions of written, printed, and illustrated texts, their manufacture, distribution, and reception. Here are different types of production, from clay tablets to scrolls, from inscribed codices to printed books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers, from written parchment to digital texts. The history of the book is a history of different methods of circulation and dissemination, all dependent on innovations in transport, from coastal and transoceanic shipping to roads, trains, planes and the internet. It is a history of different modes of reading and reception, from learned debate and individual study to public instruction and entertainment. It is a history of manufacture, craftsmanship, dissemination, reading and debate.Yet the history of books is not simply a question of material form, nor indeed of the history of reading and reception. The larger question is of the effect of textual production, distribution and reception - of how books themselves made history. To this end, each chapter of this volume, succinctly bounded by period and geography, offers incisive and stimulating insights into the relationship between books and the story of their times.Trade Review[A] brilliant book... illustrated with the most sumptuous photographic images of books ancient and modern. * Kathryn Hughes, The Mail on Sunday *A fascinating and encyclopaedic history of books from the ancient worlds to digital media. * , Paradigm Explorer *This book will become an invaluable point of departure for students new to the field, for scholars who need to venture outside their normal chronological and geographical comfort zones and - as it should be - to that elusive general reader. * John Feather, Library & Information History *Raven... has drawn together scholarly essays offering a sweeping, erudite, and thoroughly engaging narrative... A profusely illustrated, handsomely produced intellectual history. * Kirkus, Starred Review *Together, these fourteen essays form a thorough picture of how and why books progressed along the lines that they did. In an age when books are once again experiencing momentous changes, this well-researched reminder of their durability and timelessness is very welcome. * Eileen Gonzalez, Foreword Reviews *This volume is a cultural biography of the book, taking a global view of its underlying function as a portable, durable conveyor of reproducible information... Other works trace the history of the book, but Oxford's treatment is a deeper, more multicultural, and more visually appealing approach. * Lesley Farmer, Booklist *Beautifully comprehensively illustrated history of the book... the essays are stimulating and thought provoking. This is a scholarly work but its also a coffee table book intended to be widely read and accessible. This is a very well curated collection... Fascinating and beautiful. * Paul Burke, NB Magazine *This is an excellent compilation on the world-wide history of the book... beautifully illustrated... Put it on your Christmas present list. * Prof. T.D. Wilson, Information Research *Beautifully illustrated, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book is a seminal and original work of meticulous scholarship * Midwest Book Review *A sumptuous production. * Liz Dexter, Shiny New Books *[A] handsome and carefully edited volume... which gratifyingly offers the reader so many opportunities to reflect on our words and the impact of their normally accepted meanings. * Kristian Jensen, The Library *Table of Contents1: James Raven: Introduction 2: Eleanor Robson: The Ancient World 3: Barbara Crostini: Byzantium 4: Cynthia Brokaw: Medieval and Early Modern East Asia 5: David Rundle: Western Europe, c. 450-c.1450 6: James Raven and Goran Proot: Renaissance and Reformation 7: Ann Blair: Managing Information 8: Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom: The Islamic World 9: Jeffrey Freedman: Enlightenment and Revolution 10: Graham Shaw: South Asia 11: Marie-Françoise Cachin: Industrialization 12: Christopher A. Reed and M. William Steele: Modern China, Japan and Korea 13: Eva Hemmungs Wirtén: Globalization 14: Jeffrey T. Schnapp: Books Transformed Glossary Further Reading Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Index

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book

    Oxford University Press The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 14 original essays, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present. Leading international scholars offer an original and richly illustrated narrative that is global in scope. The history of the book is the history of millions of written, printed, and illustrated texts, their manufacture, distribution, and reception. Here are different types of production, from clay tablets to scrolls, from inscribed codices to printed books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers, from written parchment to digital texts. The history of the book is a history of different methods of circulation and dissemination, all dependent on innovations in transport, from coastal and transoceanic shipping to roads, trains, planes and the internet. It is a history of different modes of reading and reception, from learned debate and individual study to public instruction and entertainment. It is a history of manufacture, craftsmanship, dissemination, reading and debate.Yet the history of books is not simply a question of material form, nor indeed of the history of reading and reception. The larger question is of the effect of textual production, distribution and reception - of how books themselves made history. To this end, each chapter of this volume, succinctly bounded by period and geography, offers incisive and stimulating insights into the relationship between books and the story of their times.Trade Review[A] brilliant book... illustrated with the most sumptuous photographic images of books ancient and modern. * Kathryn Hughes, The Mail on Sunday *This book will become an invaluable point of departure for students new to the field, for scholars who need to venture outside their normal chronological and geographical comfort zones, and - as it should be - to that elusive general reader. * John Feather, Library & Information History *Raven... has drawn together scholarly essays offering a sweeping, erudite, and thoroughly engaging narrative... A profusely illustrated, handsomely produced intellectual history. * Kirkus, Starred Review *Together, these fourteen essays form a thorough picture of how and why books progressed along the lines that they did. In an age when books are once again experiencing momentous changes, this well-researched reminder of their durability and timelessness is very welcome. * Eileen Gonzalez, Foreword Reviews *This volume is a cultural biography of the book, taking a global view of its underlying function as a portable, durable conveyor of reproducible information... Other works trace the history of the book, but Oxford's treatment is a deeper, more multicultural, and more visually appealing approach. * Lesley Farmer, Booklist *Beautifully comprehensively illustrated history of the book... the essays are stimulating and thought provoking. This is a scholarly work but it's also a coffee table book intended to be widely read and accessible. This is a very well curated collection... Fascinating and beautiful. * Paul Burke, NB Magazine *This is an excellent compilation on the world-wide history of the book... beautifully illustrated... Put it on your Christmas present list. * Prof. T.D. Wilson, Information Research *Beautifully illustrated, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Book is a seminal and original work of meticulous scholarship * Midwest Book Review *A sumptuous production. * Liz Dexter, Shiny New Books *[A] handsome and carefully edited volume... which gratifyingly offers the reader so many opportunities to reflect on our words and the impact of their normally accepted meanings. * Kristian Jensen, The Library *Table of Contents1: James Raven: Introduction 2: Eleanor Robson: The Ancient World 3: Barbara Crostini: Byzantium 4: Cynthia Brokaw: Medieval and Early Modern East Asia 5: David Rundle: Medieval Western Europe 6: James Raven and Goran Proot: Renaissance and Reformation 7: Ann Blair: Managing Information 8: Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom: The Islamic World 9: Jeffrey Freedman: Enlightenment and Revolution 10: Graham Shaw: South Asia 11: Marie-Françoise Cachin: Industrialization 12: Christopher A. Reed and M. William Steele: Modern China, Japan, and Korea 13: Eva Hemmungs Wirtén: Globalization 14: Jeffrey T. Schnapp: Books Transformed Abbreviations and Glossary Further Reading Picture Acknowledgements Index

    1 in stock

    £19.97

  • The Collected Works of Walter Pater Volume I

    Oxford University Press The Collected Works of Walter Pater Volume I

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £198.55

  • Traces of Vermeer

    Oxford University Press Traces of Vermeer

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisJohannes Vermeer''s luminous paintings are loved and admired around the world, yet we do not understand how they were made. We see sunlit spaces; the glimmer of satin, silver, and linen; we see the softness of a hand on a lute string or letter. We recognise the distilled impression of a moment of time; and we feel it to be real.We might hope for some answers from the experts, but they are confounded too. Even with the modern technology available, they do not know why there is no evidence of any preliminary drawing; why there are shifts in focus; and why his pictures are unusually blurred. Some wonder if he might possibly have used a camera obscura to capture what he saw before him. The few traces Vermeer has left behind tell us little: there are no letters or diaries; and no reports of him at work.Jane Jelley has taken a new path in this detective story. A painter herself, she has worked with the materials of his time: the cochineal insect and lapis lazuli; the sheep bones, soot, earthTrade ReviewThis is not another speculative Vermeer biography, a fill-in-the-gaps, guesswork life. This is Vermeer the painter, by a painter.... Jelley's meticulous approach yields fascinating insights. * Laura Freeman, Literary Review *Well-researched... vivid... fascinating. * Lynn Roberts, Tablet *The exquisitely luminous paintings of Johannes Vermeer have long stirred debate over whether the seventeenth-century Dutch master used optical aids. Artist Jane Jelley probed the issue pragmatically. * Barbara Kiser, Nature *The appeal of Jelley's elegant book is the product of her literary style and the abundant reproductions of Vermeer's work and that of his contemporaries. Jelley's volume is a work of art in itself. * New York Journal of Books *Fascinating. Jelley brings a vast knowledge, and, more importantly, practice, of traditional painting techniques... she proposes a novel suggestion as to how exactly Vermeer could have used a camera obscura... A boon to both scholars and casual art appreciators. * Politics and Prose, Washington DC *Along the way... Jelley infuses her descriptions of Vermeer's world with a vivid immediacy, taking readers into the hustle and bustle of market day in Delft... It quickly becomes an immersive reading experience, like an excellent historical novel with 62 pages of fine-type end notes attached to help with further inquiries. * Simon Donoghue, Christian Science *In this overtly investigative yet very readable book [Jane Jelley] bequeaths the reader with an inexorable intrigue that is altogether contagious. * David Marx, David Marx Book Reviews *Magnificent. * Anna Maria Polidori, Al Femminile *Sensational... revelatory and wholly convincing. * Simon Jenkins, Guardian *A fascinating approach that throws up a plethora of intriguing details that add to the texture of Vermeer's life and technique... Jelley's ingenious experiment offer[s] a plausible suggestion as to how he set about his magical paintings. * Michael Prodger, Sunday Times *Traces of Vermeer is an intriguing account of artistic practice... [Jane Jelley's] writing is fluid and poetic, and this publication is an enjoyable read, feeling like a detective story from the outset... [the] discoveries made by the author in this book... give us valuable insights that will influence the way we view and interpret Vermeer's paintings and mysterious working practices. * Laura Hinde, The Picture Restorer *An absolute delight. A rich and highly original exploration of Vermeer's life and work seen through the eyes of a practising painter. * Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe *Featuring wonderful illustrations, engaging prose, and a deep knowledge of the craft, this is a study in art history and methodology to delight an audience beyond just visual artists. * Kirkus, Starred Review *Jane Jelley adds a unique perspective on Vermeer's techniques and style. * Johan Wagemans, University of Leuven *Table of ContentsMap of Central Delft in 1675 Chronology of Vermeer's Paintings Prelude1. A Painter at Home2. Colours of Delft3. Substance and Supports4. Working in the Studio5. Layers and Layers6. Through the Lens7. A Glimpse of Vermeer8. The Brightness of Day9. Into the Dark10. Printed LightCodaNotes Suppliers of Materials Bibliography Picture Credits Index

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Redbrick A Social And Architectural History Of Britains Civic Universities

    Oxford University Press Redbrick A Social And Architectural History Of Britains Civic Universities

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn the last two centuries Britain has experienced a revolution in higher education, with the number of students rising from a few hundred to several million. Yet the institutions that drove - and still drive - this change have been all but ignored by historians. Drawing on a decade''s research, and based on work in dozens of archives, many of them used for the very first time, this is the first full-scale study of the civic universities - new institutions in the nineteenth century reflecting the growth of major Victorian cities in Britain, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, York, and Durham - for more than 50 years. Tracing their story from the 1780s until the 2010s, it is an ambitious attempt to write the Redbrick revolution back into history. William Whyte argues that these institutions created a distinctive and influential conception of the university - something that was embodied in their architecture and expressed in the lives of their students and staff. It was this RedbrTrade ReviewWhyte has written a fascinating architectural and social history of the development of British universities * A.W. Purdue, Northern History *A magnificent review of the two-centuries-long evolution of the civics ... perceptive. * David Palfreyman, Times Higher Education *Authoritatively and perceptively as it makes a case for its subject, in prose that is often amusing as well as elegant ... it makes a refreshing change to wish that a book had been much longer * Michael Hall, The Victorian *This carefully researched and well-illustrated study is a remarkable achievement. * Dr Michael Wheeler, Church Times *William Whyte has succeeded admirably in depicting the evolution of Britain's extremely complex university sector in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries ... This work of detailed scholarship has the virtue of being both very readable and exceptionally informative. Author and publisher alike are to be congratulated for producing such an attractive book that casts important light on a really complicated and previously overlooked topic. * Hugh Clout, Cercles *This superb book is the first history to cover the history of British civic universities in 50 years ... Whyte draws on a formidable array of archival research, discovering piquant quotes from a range of obscure sources ... the portrait of Britain's civic universities that emerges is, in the end, one that is almost 'beautiful' because it is a human portrait rather than an institutional one ... The book will obviously be of interest to those specializing in the history of education. However, the book's methodology, which is cogently set out in the introduction, should be read by all scholars thinking about how to write histories of the way societies interact with the physical environments that they occupy. * Otto Saumarez Smith, Urban History *Whyte's highly readable study of civic universities fills a significant gap in the history of higher education ... an outstanding book ... it brims with life by meaningfully weaving in the stories of the men and, by the late nineteenth century, the women who attended universities and inhabited their buildings. It transcends the history of education to reveal the central place of civic universities in the evolution of the modern state, the making of the middle class, and the mutual tempering of social radicalism and conservatism. * Christopher Bischof, Journal of British Studies *Rich, varied and amusing ... Whyte deserves congratulation for his thoughtful, perceptive and witty work. * Jeremy Black, History Today *Beautifully written (not to mention witty) and drawing on extensive archival research ... Whyte's book successfully asserts a centrality for the British civic universities within both the history of higher education and the life of the nation that is long overdue. Its central thesis -- that there is a common civic tradition within British higher education -- will spark much debate. Good. The volume lends much-needed vitality to the history of higher education in Britain and will provide an invaluable starting point for all future historians of Britain's universities. * Mike Finn, History of Education *William Whyte's excellent and provoking study of the evolution of the modern university in Britain ... deserves a wide readership, and provides valuable historical background to contemporary debates about the place of universities within society. * Alexander Hutton, English Historical Review *Anyone searching for a scholarly, well-written, extensively illustrated account of Britain's Redbrick universities ... may retire from the hunt with this book in hand. * Joseph A. Soares, American Historical Review *The book is comprehensive, ranging from the eighteenth century to the present; it perceptively attends to false starts and fictional accounts, alongside more familiar and lasting successes; and it is deeply researched, generously illustrated, and beautifully written throughout ... Redbrick belongs on the shelf of every historian of architecture, universities, and indeed modern Britain, and it should also inform wider discussions about the university in Britain past, present, and future. * Journal of Modern History *Whyte has breathed new life into the history of British universities. * Emily Rutherford, Twentieth Century British History *Table of ContentsPART ONE: 1783-1843; PART TWO: 1843-1880; PART THREE: 1880-1914; PART FOUR: 1914-1949; PART FIVE: 1949-1973; PART SIX: 1973-1997

    1 in stock

    £39.49

  • The Making of Our Urban Landscape

    Oxford University Press The Making of Our Urban Landscape

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Making of the English Urban Landscape tells the story of our towns and cities and how they came into being over the last two millennia.Trade ReviewGeoffrey Tyack has produced a rich and exhaustive almanac that shows just how - and often why - our urban landscape has evolved over time... The Making of Our Urban Landscape is a triumph. In its lavish detail and encyclopedic scholarship, it is a modern Baedeker for the whole of urban Britain, drawing us to explore this rich urban heritage for ourselves. * Jerry White, Literary Review *What a book this is: a survey of the evolution of Britains towns and cities by the great architectural historian, Geoffrey Tyack. It embraces geography, industry, religion, natural resources, royal patron-age, water supply, politics... Everything is here... * Clive Aslet, Country Life *A brave attempt to encapsulate the idea of Britain's urban history within one modestly sized volume. * James Stevens Curl, The Critic *fascinating... packed with information * Sandra Callard, On: Yorkshire Magazine *With such a huge sweep its a god-send that the author shares William Blakes view that art and science cannot exist but in minutely organised particulars. Hes big on details but doesnt lose sight of the generals; and in this volume there are copious photographs to bring prose to life. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *Tyacks book...tells a story at once sweeping in scope and nuanced in texture...Building upon a lifetimes study, Professor Tyack has done an invaluable service. He has winnowed from adjacent historical disciplines (demographic, architectural, economic and local) and gathered them into one narrative... If you want to hear the ghosts whispers as you walk round Britains streets and squares, this excellent book is a good place to start. * Nicholas Boys Smith, Catholic Herald *A remarkable new book...Geoffrey Tyack deftly moves through two millennia of Great Britains towns and cities with an impeccable depth and breadth of knowledge... The book does admirably in examining the exigencies and contingencies that have determined the contours of our urbanismThe greatest strength of Tyacks book is that he understands the vital role played by architecture in shaping and reflecting our society and uses his considerable powers to ponder on the deep history of both. * Matthew Lloyd Roberts, Engelsberg Ideas *...a valuable contribution in the field of urban history * Geoff Timmins, Local Historian *The fruit of a lifetime's study, Geoffrey Tyack's new book offers an expert survey of Britain's urban history from the Romans to the present day. A brilliant example of learning worn lightly, it takes the reader on a fascinating tour of towns across the country. The Making of Our Urban Landscape is entertaining and enlightening in equal measure. It's important, too, as we confront difficult decisions about our urban future. * William Whyte, Professor of Social and Architectural History, St John's College, Oxford. *this will appeal to the general reader whose interest in local history will be greatly enriched... admirable and makes urban and landscape history joyously accessible. * Ann-Marie Akehurst, Urban History *a valuable contribution in the field of urban history, not least because of its broad geographical and temporal coverage. * Geoff Timmins, The Local Historian *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Creating an Urban Landscape 2: Building the Medieval Town (1300-1540) 3: Reformation and Rebuilding (1540-1660 4: Classicism and Commerce (1660-1760) 5: Improvement and Industry (1760-1830) 6: Worktown 7: Reshaping the Centre 8: The Suburban Landscape 9: The Way We Live Now (1945-2019) Notes

    1 in stock

    £26.77

  • Unlocking the Church

    Oxford University Press Unlocking the Church

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Victorians built tens of thousands of churches in the hundred years between 1800 and 1900. Wherever you might be in the English-speaking world, you will be close to a Victorian built or remodelled ecclesiastical building. Contemporary experience of church buildings is almost entirely down to the zeal of Victorians such as John Henry Newman, Henry Wilberforce and Augustus Pugin, and their ideas about the role of architecture in our spiritual life and well-being. In Unlocking the Church, William Whyte explores a forgotten revolution in social and architectural history and in the history of the Church. He details the architectural and theological debates of the day, explaining how the Tractarians of Oxford and the Ecclesiologists of Cambridge were embroiled in the aesthetics of architecture, and how the Victorians profoundly changed the ways in which buildings were understood and experienced. No longer mere receptacles for worship, churches became active agents in their own rights, caTrade ReviewScholarly, witty and thought-provoking. * Stella Fletcher, The Times Literary Supplement *Unlocking the Church of St Martin-within-Ludgate, daily, is an evocative experience...This is a gem of a book and should be read by the broadest of audiences, and certainly well beyond the sheltered halls of the academy. * Stephen Platten, Ludgate, London, Theology *Unlocking the Church is an impressive work of historical scholarship, but it is remarkable as well for its serious consideration of a contemporary dilemma that crosses sociological boundaries. * KevinJ. Gardner, Baylor University, Anglican and Episcopal History *Unlocking the Church deserves to be considered not only by historians of church buildings, but more widely as a refreshing model of architectural history writing that dispenses with dry technicalities and connoisseurship in favour of an engaging and lucidly historical approach. * Robert Proctor, Architectural History *In this engaging, eloquently written book, the distinguished historian William Whyte explores the symbolism and sacred space that informed the large-scale movement of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain. * Stewart Brown, The Expository Times *Impeccably researched, thoroughly explored, and expertly argued... the depth of the research and attention to detail make Unlocking the Church an invaluable resource. * Derek R. Davenport, Reviews in Religion and Theology *With a dazzling and witty range of reference to the literature of Victorian religion, be it sermons, controversial pamphlets or three-decker novels , [Whyte] retells the story of the rebirth of the church building as sacred object from J.H. Newmans St Mary, Littlemore, onwards. * Andrew Saint, Burlington Magazine *Whyte is a genial guide and writes with wit and humour... One of the great virtues of the book is that it encourages further reflection... We may not look for answers in the same place as the Victorians did, but we may at least now learn from them, thanks to this book, to face the challenge with the same seriousness of purpose. * Colin Thompson, Oxford Magazine *A thoroughly engrossing book [which cites] a wonderful range of sermons, clerical literature and polemical writing. * Simon Bradley, History Today *I found Whyte's appreciation of the sight-lines and acoustics necessary in a preaching house and explanations of the Victorian rediscovery of the symbolism of mediaeval churches both fascinating and useful. His perspectives reach back before Victorian times and project forward to the challenge and questions of church design today. * The Rev John D Walker, Methodist Recorder *There is much to learn and enjoy in this book. * Peter Howell, Art Newspaper *Fascinating and meticulously-researched. * Andrew Kleissner, Baptist Times *A very important book that deserves careful consideration. * Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper *An eloquent plea for an understanding of the past through built fabric ... William Whyte has raised important issues, with much on which to ponder regarding the future of ecclesiastical buildings. * James Stevens Curl, Times Higher Education *A revealing way of looking at Victorian churches... Unlocking the Church is a necessary corrective to the tendency to look at Victorian churches in purely architectural terms. * Philip Wilkinson, English Buildings *This accessible page-turner... is essential reading for anyone who ever looked at a Victorian spire and wondered how it got there, or what it meant to those who paid for it, and the worshippers across a century and a half who have called it their spiritual home. * Ayla Lepine, Church Times *Masterful... fascinating and useful. * Methodist Recorder *The polymathic verve and spry wit of William Whytes Unlocking the Church: The lost secrets of Victorian space (Oxford) is an exemplary model of a short, comprehensible history covering diverse, delicate and complex themes. * Times Literary Supplement, TLS Books of the Year 2017 *Alarmingly learned and constantly entertaining. * Peter Mullen, Catholic Herald *A country mile distant from the heavy prose of the Victorian churchmen, Whyte writes nimbly and wittily about the resacralisation of Britain through the vast church building of the 19th century. * Oxford Today *Whyte does an excellent job of bringing to the fore the disproportionate focus that today's architectural historians (much like Victorian antiquaries) place on form rather than religious function. * Kristi W. Bain, Marginalia Review *This is an engaging book, written in a lively, accessible and sometimes humorous way.This beautifully written book is an erudite yet very accessible and entertaining study of the relationship between Victorian church architecture and faith. The Victorians built and restored tens of thousands of churches. Understanding more about them and, through them, the faith that inspired them, is to gain invaluable insights into our national history and identity. This book enables just that. * The Rt Reverend Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester *In this erudite, engaging and witty book, William Whyte gives us a brilliantly original account of how the Victorians profoundly reshaped church buildings and their use, and demonstrates how much the Victorians continue to influence our ideas about churches today - often in surprising ways. * Jane Shaw, Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University *You will never look at your local church in the same way again. With an eye for the telling detail, William Whyte has become a master at reading church buildings. Elegantly written, it must be impossible to read this book without pleasure or profit. * Canon Dr Giles Fraser *Table of ContentsPreface Contents List of Illustrations Introduction 1: Seeing 2: Feeling 3: Visiting 4: Analysing 5: Revisiting Afterword: Seeing for Yourself Index

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Oxford University Press Flash

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisFlash! presents a fascinating cultural history of flash photography, from its mid-nineteenth century beginnings to the present day. All photography requires light, but the light of flash photography is quite distinctive: artificial, sudden, shocking, intrusive, and extraordinarily bright. Associated with revelation and wonder, it has been linked to the sublimity of lightning. Yet it has also been reviled: it''s inseparable from anxieties about intrusion and violence, it creates a visual disturbance, and its effects are often harsh and create exaggerated contrasts. Flash! explores flash''s power to reveal shocking social conditions, its impact on the representation of race, its illumination of what would otherwise remain hidden in darkness, and its capacity to put on display the most mundane corners of everyday life. It looks at flash''s distinct aesthetics, examines how paparazzi chase celebrities, how flash is intimately linked to crime, how flash has been used to light up - and interrupt - countless family gatherings, how flash can ''stop time'' allowing one to photograph rapidly moving objects or freeze in a strobe, and it considers the biggest flash of all, the atomic bomb. Examining the work of professionals and amateurs, news hounds and art photographers, photographers of crime and of wildlife, the volume builds a picture of flash''s place in popular culture, and its role in literature and film. Generously illustrated throughout, Flash! brings out the central role of this medium to the history of photography and challenges some commonly held ideas about the nature of photography itself.Trade ReviewA substantial addition to our understanding of how a history of photography might be undertaken and articulated... Flash! leaves a bedazzlement of the senses and an inspiring model for those scholars about to delve into the many other histories of photography still waiting to be written. * Geoffrey Batchen, Source Magazine *[A] rich and compelling cultural history of flash photography Flash! should reach a wide and appreciative audience. * Peter Buse, New Formations *Offers an opportunity to reflect on the various changing meanings of flash photography. * Kitty Hauser, Apollo *FLASH! is an engrossing book, full of strange nuggets of history, absorbing descriptions of photographic technology and gems of extraordinary people and events from early photographs to contemporary work. It is a well-supported and enjoyable cultural exploration; Flint's analysis is --appropriately--truly illuminating. * Patricia Baker-Cassidy, Photomonitor *This cultural history of flash photography from the mid-19th century to the present day will have a special appeal for professional and amateur photographers. * Robert Tanitch, Mature Times *... the book is a brave attempt to establish a specialised account of photographic history and, simultaneously, secure a place for the subject in modern culture at a time when electronic imaging is forcing new ways to undertake photography where the ambient light is non-existent. * Dr R M Callender, Photographica World *The book offers an expanded way through which to navigate the many ways that flash has been used and to contemplate its place in the twenty-first century. * Fiontan Moran, The Burlington Magazine *Table of ContentsPrologue 1: Flashes of Light 2: Lightning Flashes 3: Flash Memory 4: Stopping Time 5: Throwing Light 6: Light Skinned 7: Death by Exposure 8: Theatrical Light 9: The Modernity of Flash 10: Flash's Aesthetics

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Making Dystopia

    Oxford University Press Making Dystopia

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn Making Dystopia, distinguished architectural historian James Stevens Curl tells the story of the advent of architectural Modernism in the aftermath of the First World War, its protagonists, and its astonishing, almost global acceptance after 1945. He argues forcefully that the triumph of architectural Modernism in the second half of the twentieth century led to massive destruction, the creation of alien urban landscapes, and a huge waste of resources. Moreover, the coming of Modernism was not an inevitable, seamless evolution, as many have insisted, but a massive, unparalled disruption that demanded a clean slate and the elimination of all ornament, decoration, and choice. Tracing the effects of the Modernist revolution in architecture to the present, Stevens Curl argues that, with each passing year, so-called ''iconic'' architecture by supposed ''star'' architects has become more and more bizarre, unsettling, and expensive, ignoring established contexts and proving to be stratospheTrade Reviewin this remarkable work [Curl] sets the historical record straight by demythologizing architectural Modernism, its progenitors and heroes...This is a book that needed to be written... superb writing and meticulous research. * James C. McCrery, II, Humanum *Curl's Making Dystopia is a wake-up call to architects and urbanists to reexamine what we hold true in light of the dystopias we claim as our heritage in the making. Every committed architect and urbanist interested in the roots of their profession needs to read Curl's book now. * Nir Buras *Almost perfect analysis of how modernism in Western cities ended in a huge flop. * Bernard Hulsman, NRC Online, Best Books of 2019 *An important and necessary book... Professor Curl has dug behind and chiseled away at the details of a history veneered over by decades of received modernist mythmaking. * Graham Cunningham, The New Criterion *Curl's magnum opus... a polemical, but deeply scholarly, history of architectural modernism, its antecedents and its results. * Anthony Daniels, Quadrant *A book that will stimulate and provoke, and also inform through its awe-inspiring scholarship... It has all the punch and immediacy of the best of campaigning eighteenth-century pamphlets and at the same time is an intellectually forceful work of scholarship. * Lord Cormack, The House magazine *Excellent book... Prof. Curl traces the history of dystopian modernism from its origins in the early 20th century up to the present day, giving numerous examples of its horrendous consequences. But Curl's book is not merely a lament... he makes some important suggestions for reforming the syllabus in schools of architecture so as to lay the basis for a better built environment in the future. It is to be hoped that his message will be heeded, as much is at stake here for the future of our civilisation. * Christopher McIntosh, GoodReads *Anyone interested in the ideological foundations, as well as effects, of architectural modernism should read James Stevens Curl's recently published Making Dystopia... a magisterial and to me unanswerable account of one of the greatest aesthetic disasters to have befallen Europe in all its history * Theodore Dalrymple, takimag.com *Stevens Curl gets his teeth into "the disaster that has been post-1945 British architecture and town planning", tackling the thorny subject with verve, wit and tremendous erudition... This great book, in showing categorically, and cogently, what went wrong, makes an unarguable case for the conservation of the little that remains. * Patricia Craig, The Times Literary Supplement *... an essential, uncompromising, learned ... critique of one of the worst and most significant legacies of the 20th century * Anthony Daniels, The Jackdaw *Written with passion and eloquence, Making Dystopia is a work of rare intellectual magnitude, to be recognized as an important ... contribution to the culture of our times. It promises to become essential reading to students of architecture... * Giovanna L Costantini, Leonardo *An impassioned but informed case... meticulously researched and convincingly argued: it is an undoubtedly controversial book that empties out the contents of modernism for all to see and holds them up to the light for judgement... This book is a must-read for students of architecture: a contentious, highly thought-provoking study... * Patrick O'Keeffe, Architecture Today *Curl, a veteran architectural historian with a string of big books to his name, certainly tells us what he thinks... * Richard Morrison, The Times *Whatever you may think of its argument, this book's scholarship is precise. * Clive Aslet, Country Life *A storm is brewing in the world of architecture thanks to James Stevens Curl's lightning bolt of a book ... although Curl's polemic is fierce, and well-written to boot, it is far from a blinkered rant. * Jonathan Glancey, The Daily Telegraph *... a scholarly, encyclopaedic, meaningful, and exceptionally frank book that is lucidly written, meticulously researched... it pulls forcefully on our own relationship with buildings and design, and raises our consciousness as to whether modern architecture lacks empathy and fails to respect its surroundings. It is much more than the age-old pilaster vs pilotis debate, and as such it should be mandatory reading for all students of architecture or design. [It] lets a thousand cats out of a thousand bags. Of that there can be no doubt. * Paul Holden, The Antiquaries Journal *Polemic, impassioned plea or potent sting of an angry wasp with an interest in architectural history - describe it how you will but this is a book to be read, discussed and debated by anyone with an interest in our built environment... This is a full-blooded, no-holds-barred, scholarly treatise stemming from a lifetime of study and experience... a passionate argument meticulously backed up by detailed notes and a vast range of source material much of which is new... * Karen Latimer, Perspective *Can a text on architectural history, however thoroughly researched and brilliantly written, trigger an architectural revolution? For a discipline in ferment, this might just provide the jolt to set off an avalanche... This iconoclastic landmark book might change the way we build from now on. Its an outstanding work of scholarship that needs to be read by every architect and architecture student who still possesses a conscience. * ikos Salingaros, Traditional Building (US) *Making Dystopia, the most gripping and complete account of how architecture and urban planning were corrupted in the 20th and 21st century leading to a catastrophic deterioration of the built environment, is a brilliant, thoroughly researched, and completely novel book... This book, surely the greatest of the many written by Professor Stevens Curl, should be read by staff and students in all schools of architecture who are still pursuing destructive, irrelevant, outdated paths, as well as by everyone concerned about the erosion of civilisation itself. * The late David Watkin, Emeritus Professor of the History of Architecture, University of Cambridge *This is a book to be read, discussed and debated by anyone with an interest in our built environment... This is a full-blooded, no-holds-barred, scholarly treatise stemming from a lifetime of study and experience and an unwillingness to bow down to popular but often unsubstantiated opinion. [He] ramps up the debate with a passionate argument meticulously backed up by detailed notes and a vast range of source material much of which is new... This scholarly and challenging book deserves to be widely read. * Karen Latimer, Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects *One of the strengths of this book is reflected in the fact that a traditional review format is not a fitting one to communicate either the scale of the authority on offer here or the challenges laid down ... [The] author forensically dissects [his] target and mercilessly promotes [his position] across a raft of informed, erudite and insightful historically led deconstructions of the dominant architectural languages of [his] day. His position is boldly stated and argued in depth. The scale of scholarship is easily recognisable. * Sean O'Reilly, Context *This brilliant text is a timely marvel... Making Dystopia is unquestionably a major contribution to the history of architecture and quite possibly the most important publication in Stevens Curl's enormously prodigious oeuvre. * Frank Albo, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Winnipeg *A coruscating, driven, and passionately committed book which should be read by anyone who believes that a house is more than a machine for living. * Katharine Wilson, author of Fictions of Authorship in Late Elizabethan Narratives: Euphues in Arcadia *I just finished reading Making Dystopia and I want to thank you for an excellent book. I've often wondered why dreadful architecture became so popular and influential. Your explanations of the history of the Modern Movement, especially of its spread to America and its bullying attitude, were very helpful. I applaud your frankness and willingness to confront many sacred cows. * Todd Hartch, Professor of History, Eastern Kentucky University *Table of ContentsTimothy Brittain-Catlin: Prolegomenon Preface & Acknowledgements 1: Origins of a Catastrophe 2: Makers of Mythologies & False Analogies 3: Modernism in Germany in the Aftermath of the 1914-18 War 4: The International Style 1920s & 1930s 5: The International Style Truly International 6: Universal Acceptance of the International Style: A Surprising Aftermath of 1945 7: Descent to Deformity 8: Dangerous Signals 9: Some Further Reflections 10: Epilogue Select Glossary Bibliography Index

    1 in stock

    £26.09

  • Oxford University Press Creativity

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring For thousands of years humanity has engaged in creative expression, allowing us to relate to other people, contribute to shared culture, build an identity, and give meaning to our existence. From the painted caves in Lascaux and the invention of the first tools to modern day advertising campaigns and inventors'' labs, creativity has a long past but a short history. The word ''creativity'' emerged in the English language in the 19th century and only become popular from the mid-20th century.This Very Short Introduction explores the history, theory, and practice of creativity from a psychological perspective. Vlad Glaveanu considers the nature and development of the creative process, and analyzes the reasons why we produce creative work. Offering a sociocultural reading of this phenomenon, he discusses how we can understand creative people and their creations within the social, material, and historical context that made them possible. In doing so, he demonstrates how we can address the meaning and value of creativity beyond its contribution to economic growth and personal well-being. Finally Glaveanu focuses on the future of creativity and creativity research, reflecting on technological development, the evolution of society and, ultimately, on our place in a world populated by creative beings, ideas, and encounters. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Creativity: what is it? 2: The who of creativity 3: The what of creativity 4: The how of creativity 5: The when and where of creativity 6: The why of creativity 7: Creativity: where to? Further Reading Index

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • Oxford University Press Textile Shakespeare

    2 in stock

    2 in stock

    £28.50

  • Oxford University Press Book Parts

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA bold and imaginative volume on the constituent elements of the Book, from the pre-print era through to the digital. The twenty-two chapters written by an international team delve into all elements of the book from title pages to endpapers, from dust jackets to indices, and everything else in between.Trade Reviewan engaging work of "book history as anatomy" ... each of the contributors to Book Parts finds their own metaphorical vocabulary to describe the relationship between book part and main text. * James Waddell, Times Literary Supplement *...a Gray's Anatomy for the bookish * Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal *For making us think about the elements of which a book is comprised, and making us reflect on their long histories - and for doing so with intelligence, learning and wit - this book is to be greatly welcomed...It is rarely less than fascinating and sometimes hugely entertaining. * Mathew Lyons, The Author *Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * M. C. Cohen, CHOICE *Duncan and Smyth contextualize their undertaking with an unusually self-conscious introduction that does not spend time giving us synopses of each chapter ... There is little need to speak of the whole collection when it is this well edited and each part feels in concert with the others ... It is the drama of this shadowy realm that Smyth and Duncan's collection, both in whole and in part, demonstrates for us. * Nicholas D. Nace, The Book Collector *a vast body of expertise... engrossing, inviting, and, surprisingly, often entertaining * Libraries: Culture, History, and Society *Book Parts is a lively and wide-ranging contribution to book history and will surely prove to be a standout introduction (and inducement) to bibliographical scholarship * Caroline Curtis, The Library *Rich, odd, interesting * Ian Sansom, The Spectator *Table of Contents1: Adam Smyth and Dennis Duncan: Introductions 2: Gill Partington: Dust-jackets 3: Luisa Calè: Frontispieces 4: Whitney Trettien: Title Pages 5: Shef Rogers: Imprints, Imprimaturs, and Copyright Pages 6: Joseph Howley: Tables of Contents 7: Meaghan J. Brown: Addresses to the Reader 8: Helen Smith: Acknowledgements and Dedications 9: Hazel Wilkinson: Printer's Ornaments and Flowers 10: Tamara Atkin: Character Lists 11: Daniel Sawyer: Page Numbers, Signatures, and Catchwords 12: Nicholas Dames: Chapter Heads 13: Rachel Sagner Buurma: Epigraphs 14: Tiffany Stern: Stage Directions 15: Claire M. L. Bourne: Running Titles 16: Alexandra Franklin: Woodcuts 17: Sean Roberts: Engravings 18: Jenny Davidson: Footnotes 19: Adam Smyth: Errata Lists 20: Dennis Duncan: Indexes 21: Sidney Berger: Endleaves 22: Abigail Williams: Blurbs Bibliography

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • Oxford University Press Pergamon and Rome Culture Identity and Influence

    Out of stock

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Shakespeares Afterlife in the Royal Collection

    Oxford University Press Shakespeares Afterlife in the Royal Collection

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis unique collection of essays and images explores a series of objects in the Royal Collection as a means of assessing the interrelated histories of the British royal family and the Shakespearean afterlife across four centuries. Between the beginning of the eighteenth century and the late twentieth, Shakespeare became entrenched as the English national poet. Over the same period, the monarchy sought repeatedly to demonstrate its centrality to British nationhood. By way of close analysis of a selection of objects from the Royal Collection, this volume argues that the royal family and the Shakespearean afterlife were far more closely interwoven than has previously been realized. The chapters map the mutual development over time of the relationship between members of the British royal family and Shakespeare, demonstrating the extent to which each has gained sustained value from association with the other and showing how members of the royal family have individually and collectively cons

    1 in stock

    £28.50

  • OUP Oxford The Oxford Handbook of Hellenic Studies

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA collection of some seventy original articles which explore the ways in which ancient Greece has been, is, and might be studied. The emphasis is on the breadth and potential of Hellenic Studies as a flourishing and exciting intellectual arena, and also upon its relevance to the way we think about ourselves today.Trade ReviewExperts in classical studies, many of international reputation, offer 68 brief essays arranged in four sections... a valuable work for advanced students * F. W. Jenkins, CHOICE *Table of ContentsI. HELLENES AND HELLENISMS ; II. THE POLIS ; III. PERFORMANCE AND TEXTS ; IV. METHODS AND APPROACHES

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Pleasure and the Arts Enjoying Literature Painting and Music

    Oxford University Press Pleasure and the Arts Enjoying Literature Painting and Music

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow do the arts give us pleasure? Covering a very wide range of artistic works, from Auden to David Lynch, Rembrandt to Edward Weston, and Richard Strauss to Keith Jarrett, Pleasure and the Arts offers us an explanation of our enjoyable emotional engagements with literature, music, and painting.The arts direct us to intimate and particularized relationships - with the people represented in the works, or with those we imagine produced them. When we listen to music or look at a purely abstract painting, or when we drink a glass of wine, can we enjoy the experience without verbalizing our response? Do our interpretative assumptions, our awareness of technique, and our attitudes to fantasy, get in the way of our appreciation of art, or enhance it? As the book examines these questions and more, we discover how curiosity drives us to enjoy narratives, ordinary jokes, metaphors, and modernist epiphanies, and how narrative in all the arts can order and provoke intense enjoyment. Pleasurable inTable of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Jokes, Poems, Understanding ; 2. Emotions and Narrative ; 3. Beyond Words: Sensation, Abstraction, and Form ; 4. Specificity, Fantasy, and Critique

    1 in stock

    £41.99

  • My Life Oxford Worlds Classics

    Oxford University Press My Life Oxford Worlds Classics

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBenvenuto Cellini (1500-71) was a goldsmith and sculptor whose autobiography is one of the most vivid and interesting ever written. In it he describes artistic techniques such as bronze casting as well as a fascinating account of life and intrigue in 16th century Italy. This new translation is based on the latest critical edition of the text.

    1 in stock

    £12.59

  • Philosophy and Conceptual Art

    Oxford University Press Philosophy and Conceptual Art

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe analytic philosophers writing here engage with the cluster of philosophical questions raised by conceptual art. They address four broad questions: What kind of art is conceptual art? What follows from the fact that conceptual art does not aim to have aesthetic value? What knowledge or understanding can we gain from conceptual art? How ought we to appreciate conceptual art? Conceptual art, broadly understood by the contributors as beginning with Marcel Duchamp''s ready-mades and as continuing beyond the 1970s to include some of today''s contemporary art, is grounded in the notion that the artist''s ''idea'' is central to art, and, contrary to tradition, that the material work is by no means essential to the art as such. To use the words of the conceptual artist Sol LeWitt, ''In conceptual art the idea of the concept is the most important aspect of the work . . . and the execution is a perfunctory affair''. Given this so-called ''dematerialization'' of the art object, the emphasis onTrade ReviewA healthy corrective to limited discussion can be had in Philosophy and Conceptual Art...many of the essays are illuminating and sophisticated...These artists smartly articulate a symbiosis or thorough melding of making and thinking, artistic practice and discursive critique. * Kirk E. Pillow MIND *Table of ContentsI. CONCEPTUAL ART AS A KIND OF ART; II. CONCEPTUAL ART AND AESTHETIC VALUE; III. CONCEPTUAL ART, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING; IV. APPRECIATING CONCEPTUAL ART

    1 in stock

    £45.99

  • Piero della Francesca

    Oxford University Press Piero della Francesca

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisPiecing together the story of Piero's artistic and mathematical achievements with the story of his life for the first time, a book that at last brings this fascinating Renaissance enigma to life.Trade ReviewThanks to Banker we have an enormously clearer idea of just how common it was for Renaissance people to stay connected and use their connections in new places and for new ventures. * Gary Radke, Syracuse University, The American Historical Review *[A] remarkable biography ... This compact, clearly written book rescues Piero from the dangerous fate of being an enigma. * Caroline Campbell, Burlington Magazine *A vitally important contribution to Piero studies. * Julian Bell, New York Review of Books *Banker's scholarship and research are impeccable and should be celebrated. * Literary Review *Fascinating insight. * Good Book Guide *making compelling claims about the dating of certain works, and offering a new interpretation of the enigmatic Flagellation of Christ. * Apollo *insightful * Art & Collections *This publication is beautifully produced and is a joy to read. * The Art Newspaper *a carefully argued, highly accessible volume ... [Banker] masterfully summarizes and analyzes the sometimes daunting art historical and technical scholarship on Piero's visual and written works, offering a compelling portrait of the artist and the world in which he lived. * Gary Radke, American Historical Review *James R. Banker's magisterial study, Piero della Francesca: Artist and Man, represents a major contribution to the scholarship on this Renaissance painter and mathematician and has a grounded keel and quiet strength that is evocative of the timeless quality of Piero's paintings themselves ... Banker's study serves as the culmination of a lifetime of scholarly work that will be welcomed by serious readers looking for a detailed study of one of the most complex of Renaissance artists, Piero della Francesca. * Journal of Modern History *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Piero's Formation in Sansepolcro ; 2. Piero the Incessant Learner and Traveler, 1439-1450 ; 3. Piero in the Court of Sigismondo Malatesta in Rimini ; 4. Piero in Arezzo: The Legend of the True Cross ; 5. The Confraternity and the Altarpiece of Madonna della Misericordia ; 6. Greek Geometry in Rome and Piero's Trattato d'abaco ; 7. Piero's Return to Patria and Family ; 8. An Arezzo Interlude ; 9. The Practice of Perspective: The Sant'Antonio and Sant'Agostino Altarpieces and the Flagellation ; 10. Piero della Francesca in Urbino in the Early 1470s ; 11. Piero in Sansepolcro, 1472-1475 ; 12. Piero in Urbino in 1475-1476 ; 13. The Persuasiveness of Paternal Authority, 1477-81 ; 14. Piero in the Last Decade of His Life ; Conclusion ; Chronology of Piero's Life and Work ; Index

    1 in stock

    £26.09

  • The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture

    Oxford University Press The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisContaining over 6,000 entries from Aalto to Zwinger and written in a clear and concise style, this authoritative dictionary covers architectural history in detail, from ancient times to the present day. It also includes concise biographies of hundreds of architects from history (excluding living persons), from Sir Francis Bacon and Imhotep to Liang Ssu-ch''eng and Francis Inigo Thomas. The text is complemented by over 260 beautiful and meticulous line drawings, labelled cross-sections, and diagrams. These include precise drawings of typical building features, making it easy for readers to identify particular period styles.This third edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture has been extensively revised and expanded, with over 900 new entries including hundreds of definitions of garden and landscape terms such as Baroque garden, floral clock, hortus conclusus, and Zen garden-design. Each entry is followed by a mini-bibliography, with suggestions for further reading. With clear deTrade Review...definitions are not only elegantly concise, they often sparkle with sententious wit. Give me this pleasingly well written dictionary any day. * Christopher Catling, SALON: Society of Antiquaries of London Online Newsletter *the quintessential reference work for professionals, scholars and interested laymen. * Karen Latimer, Perspective: The Journal of The Royal Society of Ulster Architects *simply the best dictionary of architecture on the market ... a delight. * Gwyn Headley, Follies *[a] magisterial Dictionary ... although outwardly formidable, is surprisingly accessible and written in an engaging and often highly opinionated style. Curl and Wilson give us much, much more than mere facts ... This is a work of vast scholarship where learning is presented with style and panache; it will remain the definitive dictionary of architecture until Curl produces his fourth edition. For the garden and landscape historian it is a remarkable resource and ... should be the primary volume of reference for amateurs and scholars alike. * Timothy Mowl, Garden History: Journal of the Garden History Society *Beautifully written in clipped, scholarly prose, assiduously referenced, with a comprehensive bibliography and seasoned with Curl's own dry wit, the dictionary is both informative and readable ... a substantial addition, in every sense, to the library of those with an interest in architecture and landscape design. * Hugh Petter, The Georgian: The Magazine of The Georgian Group *What gives the references the occasional sting and much in the way of individuality is the marked viewpoint of James Stevens Curl, feisty as ever. Not for him the banal tower block or the lusting after weird and wonderful shapes in the perpetual search for novelty * Matthew Saunders, Newsletter of the Ancient Monuments Society in association with The Friends of Friendless Churches *The dictionary is a great achievement * Ruairidh Moir, RIAS Quarterly: The Journal of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland *Written with considerable wit as well as great scholarship, this is an indispensable book of reference. * Graham Tite, Context: Journal of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation *The book is essential and it now has no real competitor ... a hugely impressive work of scholarship. * Gavin Stamp, Country Life *This updated reference work should be a standard work for all good libraries, both academic and public due to the Dictionarys pedigree and reputation. * Penny Dade, Reference Reviews *Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition ; Preface to the Third Edition ; Contents ; Notes on Abbreviations ; The Dictionary

    4 in stock

    £14.24

  • Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture

    Oxford University Press Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom Berlin to Boston, and St Petersburg to Sydney, ancient Egyptian art fills the galleries of some of the world''s greatest museums, while the architecture of Egyptian temples and pyramids has attracted tourists to Egypt for centuries. But what did Egyptian art and architecture mean to the people who first made and used it - and why has it had such an enduring appeal? In this Very Short Introduction, Christina Riggs explores the visual arts produced in Egypt over a span of some 4,000 years. The stories behind these objects and buildings have much to tell us about how people in ancient Egypt lived their lives in relation to each other, the natural environment, and the world of the gods. Demonstrating how ancient Egypt has fascinated Western audiences over the centuries with its impressive pyramids, eerie mummies, and distinctive visual style, Riggs considers the relationship between ancient Egypt and the modern world.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Four little words ; 2. Egypt on display ; 3. Making Egyptian art and architecture ; 4. Art and power ; 5. Signs, sex, status ; 6. Out of Egypt ; Further reading ; Index

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Madam Britannia Women Church and Nation 17121812

    Oxford University Press Madam Britannia Women Church and Nation 17121812

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £135.00

  • Diane Arbus

    Vintage Publishing Diane Arbus

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDiane Arbus was one of the greatest photographers of the last century. Her portraiture of freaks, circus performers, twins, nudists and others on the social margins connected with a wide public at a deep psychological level. Her suicide in New York in 1971 overshadowed the reception to her work. Her posthumous exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art a year later drew lines around the block.She was born into a Russian-Jewish family, the Nemerovs, who owned a department store on Fifth Avenue. They were family friends with the Avedons. Richard Avedon later championed Arbus's work. Avedon rose to greater and greater commercial success through the magazine world. Arbus died in a rent-protected apartment scrambling to earn her keep with odd teaching assignments. Lubow's biography begins at the moment Arbus quit the world of commercial photography to be an artist. She was uncompromising in that ambition. The book ends with her death. The entire narrative is a slow march towards thaTrade Review[A] fascinating biography… Lubow has performed miracles in gleaning so much fascinating material from Arbus’s friends, colleagues and assistants -- Lynn Barber * Sunday Times *[A] Deeply researched, sometimes prurient, new biography. -- Sean O'Hagan * Observer *Lubow’s excavation of the private life of a great artist is...welcome. -- Olivia Cole * New Statesman *It paints a convincing picture of a lost soul. -- Bryan Appleyard * Spectator *

    1 in stock

    £28.00

  • The Artemisia Files

    The University of Chicago Press The Artemisia Files

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £22.80

  • The Oldest Living Things in the World

    The University of Chicago Press The Oldest Living Things in the World

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTakes you on a journey through time and space. The author begins at year zero, and looks back from there, photographing the past in the present. Alongside the photographs, she combines tales of her worldly adventures tracking down these subjects with informative insight from the scientists who are studying them and their environments.Trade Review"The Oldest Living Things in the World adds in dramatic manner a fascinating new perspective-literally, dinosaurs-of the living world around us." (Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University) "The durable mystery of longevity makes the species in this book all the more precious, and all the more worthy of being preserved. Looking at an organism that has endured for thousands of years is an awesome experience, because it makes us feel like mere gastrotrichs. But it is an even more awesome experience to recognize the bond we share to a 13,000-year-old Palmer's oak tree, and to wonder how we evolved such different times on this Earth." (Carl Zimmer, from the preface)"

    1 in stock

    £49.40

  • The Anatomy of Architecture

    The University of Chicago Press The Anatomy of Architecture

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBlier illuminates the extraordinary architecture of the Batammaliba people of Western Africa, revealing these buildings as texts through which we can read the beliefs, psychology, traditions, and social concerns of their inhabitants. In doing so, she explores the role of vernacular architecture as an expression of culture.Table of ContentsIllustrations Linguistic Note Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Ch. 1: Imagines Mundi: Narrative, Ritual, and Architectural Exemplars of Cosmogony Ch. 2: Architectural Archetypes: Reflections on Housing in "Paradise" Ch. 3: House Temples: Architecture for the Gods Ch. 4: Houses Are Human: Architectural Self-images Ch. 5: At Home: The Complementarity of House, Family, and Tomb Ch. 6: The Power of Architecture: Politics, Protection, and Jurisprudence in House Design and Use Ch. 7: "The Dance of Drums": Notes on the Architecture and Staging of Funeral Performances Conclusions: Architectural Exegesis: On Building Ontology, Metaphor, and Multiplexity Notes Bibliography

    1 in stock

    £28.50

  • Design for the Crowd

    The University of Chicago Press Design for the Crowd

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisSituated on Broadway between Fourteenth and Seventeenth Streets, Union Square occupies a central place in both the geography and the history of New York City. Though this compact space was originally designed in 1830 to beautify a residential neighborhood and boost property values, by the early days of the Civil War, New Yorkers had transformed Union Square into a gathering place for political debate and protest. As public use of the square changed, so, too, did its design. When Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux redesigned the park in the late nineteenth century, they sought to enhance its potential as a space for the orderly expression of public sentiment. A few decades later, anarchists and Communist activists, including Emma Goldberg, turned Union Square into a regular gathering place where they would advocate for radical change. In response, a series of city administrations and business groups sought to quash this unruly form of dissidence by remaking the square into a new kin

    1 in stock

    £23.25

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