Decorative arts Books

Book SynopsisAnn Parr's unique and awe-inspiring art of stitching on metal is showcased here, in this her first book. Her work ranges from jewellery to richly decorated boxes and panels, and represents a rare fusion of traditional and contemporary methods and design which cannot fail to excite and inspire. Appealing to multi-media artists, textile artists, embroiderers and indeed anyone with a love of beautiful, innovative works of art, this book is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration. It provides not only a wealth of information on materials and methods, but also twelve step-by-step projects and numerous stunning photographs of Ann's own pieces, and so contains everything you need to explore this fascinating art. Discover how to create fantastic effects on metal by heating it, treating it with bleach, vinegar and other corrosive household substances, and adding texture and colour through foiling, stamping, stencilling, embossing and more. A thorough exploration of machine-stitching on metal covers everything from free-machining to decorative stitching, and the sections on woven metal strips, edgings, braids, beads, tassels, cords and a wide range of decorative finishes will not fail to fuel your enthusiasm and creativity. Finally, the twelve projects featured throughout the book will allow you to make some gorgeous items of your own, including a beautiful pewter pendant, a colourful brooch, decorative panels to adorn your home, and a fabulous metal-woven doll.Trade ReviewDec 08 As Ann Parr points out in her introduction, a wide range of metal forms are available for the textile artist and seemingly no end to the ways they can be heated and manipulated to produce spectacular results. Thank goodness that she has written this book to explain it all to us. We have an introductory section, which shows the metal used in the book, and also shows a variety of fabrics (decorative and backing), wires and threads and particular effects which sets the tone of the book. After decorative effects have been studied, you are moved on to a section on stitching, where there are 12 projects. Anyone looking through the first pages of the book to see Ann's beautiful piece 'Chatelaine' will be delighted to be able to experiment with stitching on pewter, which can give a wonderful filigree effect. So many techniques on metalare included. For anyone who has seen pictures of metalwork and have thought it was beyond their capability, you find find out just how user-friendly and versatile this material is in textile art. For those with a bit more experience, there will be inspiration on how to move one step ahead. Samantha Packer * Workshop On The Web *Dec 08/Jan 09 Wire mesh, tubular knitted wire, pewter, copper shim, woven mesh in stainless steel, copper or brass – they can all be stitched on. But stitching alone is not enough and Ann explores ways of adding colour to metals, from paints, foiling and heating to using corrosive substances such as bleach, lemon juice, salt and balsamic vinegar. Texture comes next and the metal is crimped, pleated, embossed, wrapped, rolled and treated with Xpandaprint. The metals are used to make three-dimensional statement pieces and embellished strips and pieces of metal are also incorporated into mixed media work. Projects range from a simple straight-stitch brooch to a free-machine stitched pewter box. Packed with inspiration – you won't be able to wait to get started! * Stitch *Jan 09 A beautiful book, it includes advice on materials, fabrics and finishes, wires and threads, adding texture and colour, decorative stitching, free machining and embellishments. We know that very many of you use embroidery machines and love the creativity it brings. If you're one of these readers, you simply must beg, borrow or buy Ann's book. The projects range from jewellery to richly decorated boxes and panels and combine traditional and contemporary methods and design to excite and inspire. The book is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration with stunning photographs of Ann's own pieces. A thorough exploration of machine-stitching on metal covers everything from free-machining to decorative stitching and the sections on woven metal strips, edgings, braids, beads, tassels, cords and a wide range of decorative finishes will not fail to fuel your enthusiasm and creativity. It's a 'must have' for everyone who enjoys machine embroidery. * Machine Knitting Monthly *Jan 09 At first glance metal might seem to be an odd choice for sewing on, but given the vast number of soft metals and metallic materials on offer it adds a whole new dimension to your mixed media craftwork. This is surely a good book for anybody who wants to break away from the tramlines of more usual crafts, and come up with some interesting combinations. The eleven projects teach you as you go many of the skills used, and at the beginning are many pages devoted to getting to know some unfamiliar materials, as well as how to use more familiar ones in new and innovative ways. Much is made of the wonderful shades copper foil goes when heated, and how to hammer, handsew, machine stitch, burnish, perforate, weave and paint various types of metal. I particularly liked some of the brief but illuminating asides, such as how to make your own textured hammer, and the lush inviting photographs of finished projects, projects on the go and raw materials in their full colorful glory. This is a book aimed more at those who are already familiar with a sewing machine, and possess a stash of craft materials but are looking to broaden their horizons with something entirely new. All rather unique and inspiring. * Myshelf.com *Feb 09 This is an amazing book full of ideas for creative textile artists looking to stitch something just a little different. Using a wide variety of base metals, author Ann Parr shows how to produce a stunning range of items including jewellery, containers, boxes, book covers and decorative pieces that are richly coloured and highly textured. Beautifully photographed in close detail, the book guides the reader through every step from start to finish including selecting materials, treating them with heat and substances to achieve a variety of finishes, adding colour with various processes and embellishing with free machine stitching. Finishing processes include foiling, stamping, stencilling and embossing whilst stitching techniques include decorative hand and machine methods plus beading and trimming. Tassels and cords can also be made to provide the perfect finishing touch. An inspiring title for multi-media stitchers. * SEWING WORLD *Feb/Mar 09 If you have ever thought about including metal in your art, [this book] will convince you to do it. The book begins with a detailed discussion of materials. From there, Parr talks about coloring metal with heat, chamicals, paints, inks and polishes; moves on to embossing, with helpful tips on using household items; and then on to stitching, from straight stitching to free-motion to using pre-programmed machine stitches...all on metal! Her explanations are thorough and her process shots are well-placed and helpful. So as not to leave any process unvisited, the end of the book explains weaving, embellishment, edging, punching metals, and making beads, tassels and cords. I don't think she's missed a thing. With the vast collection of colorful photos of both materials and processes, you're sure to be successful...and have a lot of fun along the way. * Quilting Arts *Summer 09 The first part of the book covers the types of metal that are suitable for sewing using a normal sewing machine. These can be foils of aluminium, copper, brass or pewter or fine metal meshes. It even includes utilising the metal from tomato paste tubes. The first 60 pages describe how to treat the metal in different ways to produce decorative finishes. These techniques range from heating, treating with everyday household chemicals, adding texture by tooling and adding colour. The remainder of the book describes how to machine sew your treated metals. The techniques include free machining as well as conventional straight stitching. The book has clear instructions accompanied by good colour photos with plenty of ideas on types of work that could be embellished in this way. It would have been helpful to include a page on suppliers. Sandra Woods, Wadebridge * West Country Embroiderers *June/July 09 If you ever thought stitching on metal was difficult and challenging, this book will have you thinking otherwise. Parr makes it look so doable that you'll wonder why you haven't tried it before. She has divided the book into three sections: Materials, Decorating the Metal, and Stitching. The photos are plentiful, varied and stunning. Readers are presented with 11 beautiful projects with easy to follow instructions, everything from small boxes to bookmarks, vessels, and cuffs. How about a quirky metal doll or some wonderful tassels or beads? Parr has chosen inspiring examples that are well-photographed and strategically placed. The process shots in the decorating and stitching sections are close-up and very helpful. This book is a gift; it is not only an inspiring source of information, it is a visual feast. * Quilting Arts *Sept 09 I used to claim that I included glitzy, glittery items in my quilts because my kids liked them, but I've been forced to admit that they're there because I like them. This book is filled with ideas of additional items that can be added to my collection – types of metal that can be stitched through and added as an embellishment to textiles, and metals used as decoration that can be embellished by using stitches to create patterns on the metal. Parr gives descriptions of the types of metals that work best: copper, aluminium, brass, stainless steel, pewter, as well as wires and threads. She then shows how to manipulate the surfaces with heat, chemical treatments and paints, as well as various textural additions. And finally she shows how to attach the metals to your projects. She also covers the use of foils and embossing powders. Parr gives step-by-step instructions for 11 projects. One of the most beautiful is the lid for an oval box made of pewter where the surface of the metal has been decorated with machine stitching. I can't wait to start playing... * Fiber Art News *September 2015 Twelve projects include a beautiful pewter pendant, a colourful brooch, decorative panels to adorn your home and a fabulous metal woven doll. Ann Parr's awe-inspiring art of stitching on metal is showcased here in her first book. Her work ranges from jewellery to richly decorated boxes and panels and represents a rare fusion of traditional and contemporary methods and design which cannot fail to excite and inspire. Appealing to multi-media artists, textile artists, embroiderers and indeed anyone with a love of beautiful innovative works of art, this book is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration. It provides not only a wealth of information on materials and methods, but also twelve step-by-step projects and numerous stunning photographs of Ann's own pieces and so contains everything you need to explore this fascinating art. Discover how to create fantastic effects on metal by heating it, treating it with bleach, vinegar and other corrosive household substances, and adding texture and colour through foiling stamping, stencilling, embossing and more. A thorough exploration of machine-stitching on metal cover everything from free machining to decorative stitching and sections on woven metal strips, edgings, braids, beads, tassels, cords and a wide range of decorative finishes will not fail to fuel your enthusiasm and creativity, Finally the twelve projects featured throughout the book will allow you to make some gorgeous items of your own, including a beautiful pewter pendant , a colourful brooch, decorative panels to adorn your home and a fabulous woven metal doll. * Workbox *Table of ContentsIntroduction Materials Metals Fabrics and finishes Wires and threads Decorating the metal Basic equipment Heating Using corrosive substances Adding texture Adding colour Stitching Starting to stitch Free-machining Book cover and book mark Decorative stitching Woven strips Embellishments Decorative stitches Index

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Book SynopsisCo-published in Association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London This book is a timely and engaging introduction to the way that artists working in all media think about craft. Workmanship is key to today's visual arts, when high 'production values' are becoming increasingly commonplace. Yet craft's centrality to contemporary art has received little serious attention from critics and historians. Dispensing with cliched arguments that craft is art, Adamson persuasively makes a case for defining craft in a more nuanced fashion. The interesting thing about craft, he argues, is that it is perceived to be 'inferior' to art. The book consists of an overview of various aspects of this second-class identity - supplementarity, sensuality, skill, the pastoral, and the amateur. It also provides historical case studies analysing craft's role in a variety of disciplines, including architecture, design, contemporary art, and the crafts themselves. Thinking Through Craft will be essential reading for anyone interested in craft or the broader visual arts.Trade Review'At a time when technical skill has been widely dismissed or outsourced in the production of art, Glenn Adamson crucially adds an entire spectrum of hand-crafted objects to the creative history of the post-war era. And at a time when theoretical frameworks have stagnated, these objects, in his hands, bring with them a fresh and sophisticated set of interpretive perspectives.' Thomas Crow, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University 'Adamson asks provocative questions about the marginalization of craft within the discourse of modernism. Best of all, he writes with a lucidity, energy and engagement that takes the reader with him all the way.' Pennina Barnett, Goldsmiths College, University of London 'A highly original contribution, Thinking through Craft is both thoughtful and exacting about crafted objects and the lessons provided by the artists' time, labor and material inventiveness.' Modern Painters 'A pathbreaking book' Elissa Auther, University of Colorado Throughout Thinking Through Craft, Adamson offers such provocative readings of both fine art and craft history that are likely to instigate radical new ways of thinking about each. Maria Elena Buszek, for Surface Design This book is ... full of thoughtful and pertinent analysis and achieves an impressive theoretical take on the role of studio craft within the history of modern art. The Journal of William Morris Studies A thoughtful, exciting and well-written book that touches on so many interesting ideas concerning craft. Museum Anthropology ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Supplemental "Homage to Brancusi" Wearable Sculptures: Modern Jewelry and the Problem of Autonomy Reframing the Pattern and Decoration Movement Props Chapter 2: Sensual Ceramic Presence: Peter Voulkos The Essence of Clay: Yagi Kazuo The Materialization of the Art Object, 1966-72 Breath Chapter 3. Skilled Learning by Doing: Teaching Modern Craft Thinking in Situations: Josef Albers Learning Architecture: Charles Jencks and Kenneth Frampton Chapter 4: Pastoral Regions Apart Two Versions of Pastoral North, South, East, West Chapter 5: Amateur "The World's Most Fascinating Hobby": Robert Arneson Feminism and the Politics of Amateurism Abject Craft: Mike Kelley and Tracey Emin Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA beautiful and simple introduction to the Book of Kells. George Otto Simms, a world-renowned authority on the Book of Kells, reveals the mysteries hidden in this magnificent manuscript, and the lives of the monks who made it. Newly-expanded colour plate section.

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Book SynopsisBuilt between 1855 and 1860, Oxford University Museum of Natural History is the extraordinary result of close collaboration between artists and scientists. Inspired by John Ruskin, the architect Benjamin Woodward and the Oxford scientists worked with leading Pre-Raphaelite artists on the design and decoration of the building. The decorative art was modelled on the Pre-Raphaelite principle of meticulous observation of nature, itself indebted to science, while individual artists designed architectural details and carved portrait statues of influential scientists. The entire structure was an experiment in using architecture and art to communicate natural history, modern science and natural theology. 'Temple of Science' sets out the history of the campaign to build the museum before taking the reader on a tour of art in the museum itself. It looks at the façade and the central court, with their beautiful natural history carvings and marble columns illustrating different geological strata, and at the pantheon of scientists. Together they form the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite sculpture. The story of one of the most remarkable collaborations between scientists and artists in European art is told here with lavish illustrations.Trade Review“In this beautifully illustrated volume, John Holmes, the leading authority on the Pre-Raphaelites and science, equally at home with the visual arts and the written word, uncovers, with élan, the history, artistry, and wider significance of this quite extraordinary Gesamtkunstwerk.” * Liz Prettejohn, University of York *

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Book SynopsisThe inspiration behind William Morris's Earthly Paradise, the muse for J.M.W. Turner's superlative seascapes, a home to hardy fishermen and the top holidaying spot for wealthy Victorians, as well as the scene for relentless witch-hunts and mob justice in the 17th Century, Southwold is far more than a picturesque postcard town. From the time of Saint Edmund, through plagues, fire and wars, to Damien Hirst's driftwood creations, and the future day when this town will tumble into the sea, this book collects essays that reveal slivers of Southwold's essence. Some are part-myth, some part-legend. But all make for excellent stories, especially when complemented by beautiful art. This 2017 edition keeps its celebrated essays on some of the more well-known aspects of Southwold's past - such as the Battle of Sole Bay, one of the fiercest fights in British history. The Battle of Sole Bay was fought against the Dutch in 1672, and the bloody confrontation is fully described and illustrated with contemporary paintings and drawings. In addition, the text contains updated text and pictures. Among the most notable of the new sections is the chapter regarding the tragic dissolution of the romantic friendship between Franklin Lushington and Edward Lear, writer of the nonsense poem The Owl and the Pussy Cat and the lesser known (yet more autobiographical) The Daddy-Long-Legs and the Fly. Another remarkable addition is a page spread dedicated to the oil painting Tired Out by Philip Wilson Steer, which sold at Sotheby's for £674 500 in 2014. A history, a celebration and an ode merged into one, Geoffrey Munn's Southwold will take you on a trip through this famous seaside resort as you've never seen it before.

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Book SynopsisThis work covers 78 Italian bronze pieces from the V&A which are fully illustrated. Catalogue entries contain details of inscriptions and makers' marks and also substantial technical information, including data based on x-ray examination and metal analysis.

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Book SynopsisThis attractive series reveals the V&A's spectacular and extensive pattern collections. Each title in the series includes a free CD of high resolution images. Novelty Patterns showcases the innovative and fanciful decoration employed for lightweight fabrics made between the early 1920s and the late 1940s.

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Book SynopsisThis catalogue of illuminated manuscripts in the V&A's National Art Library provides a history of an art form over eight centuries. It documents not only the practice of medieval and Renaissance illumination, but also the survival of medieval book-making crafts alongside printing in the post-Renaissance period -and their revival in the nineteenth-century. Its three volumes bring together for the first time works such as the St Denis Missal of 1350 and the Chambord Missal of 1844, the Sanvito Petrarch of 1463-64 and William Morris's Book of Verse of 1870. Catalogue descriptions discuss in detail each work, and pay particular attention to the changing ways in which they have been evaluated and used through the centuries.

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Book SynopsisIn this new edition, delight in the wit and whimsy of Americans foremost living folk artist, Warren Kimble as he takes you on a tour of his gallery and museum shop in historic Brandon, Vermont, Learn of his early years, family and career influences. Enjoy an environment where antiques and collectibles from thepast are part of everyday modern life. Be inspired by the history of simpler times that has influenced Warrens art. More than 200 full-color photos and illustrations Favorite art themes and images of animals, fruits and florals, landscapes, lighthouses and patriotism American folk craft projects inspired by Warren Kimbles artincludes rug hookingprojects and quilts Clear, step-by-step illustrations and instructions

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Book Synopsis Learn of his early years, family and career influences. Enjoy an environment where antiques and collectibles from thepast are part of everyday modern life. Be inspired by the history of simpler times that has influenced Warren's art.

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Book SynopsisDrawings are accurate, complete and fully detailed. Gives readers complete information for reproducing these signature motifs.

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Book SynopsisIllustrated with lush reproductions of Grant and Nixie''s art and photographs of their amazing garden, The Romance Continues is a love story, an art-appreciation adventure and a garden tour, all wrapped up in one gorgeous volume. Nationally known artists Grant Leier and Nixie Barton are also husband and wife, parents and the creators of an astonishing and whimsical garden on Vancouver Island. Their paintings differ greatly, though both artists make extensive use of rich, luminous and vibrant colours, and both are widely admired and collected. Over their long careers, Grant and Nixie have experimented with subjects and styles, and observing the growth and change in their work is fascinating. When they moved to a rural, seven-acre property, they turned their love of colour and sense of fun onto the land, and the rambling, witty garden they created is a visual spectacle that draws thousands of delighted visitors every year.

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Book SynopsisIn Western Europe the Golden Age of Islamic metalwork in Iran was (and is) generally considered to be the earlier period, and later metalwork was collected almost by accident and has been correspondingly little studied and poorly published, though in recent decades the imbalance has been somewhat modified. The Hermitage Collection, which numbers 162 pieces is the largest collection in the world of later Iranian Islamic metalwork, from the West of Iran as far as the Punjab. The great majority of these are household utensils, and their manufacture is characteristic of the middling levels of urban societies, though in Khurasan in the late-15th and early 16th centuries brasses or bronzes inlaid with gold and silver were made for its Timurid rulers. The substantial numbers of Iranian copper-alloy astronomical instruments of this period were made by different craftsmen, for a different public, and deserve separate treatment, though not magic bowls, used in folk-medicine and divination, which are noticed in this volume.In his Introduction, Anatolii Ivanov gives a valuable directoryof museums and other institutions of the former Soviet Union with significant collections, which complement the holdings of the Hermitage and together amount to a truly substantial corpus. The latter were acquired from private collections, but the core of the collection, from the museum attached to the school of industrial drawing founded by Baron Stieglitz, came to the Hermitage in the 1920s, when this was broken up. As well as minutely detailed descriptions of each piece and analyses of their decoration, Ivanov presents a detailed critical survey of the limited documentary evidence afforded by the inscriptions many pieces bear, which is of permanent value as a basis for further scholars working on later Islamic metalwork in general.

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Book SynopsisIslamic artists channeled their energies not into easel painting and large-scale sculpture, but rather into what Western scholars, obeying a very different hierarchy of art forms, rather disparagingly termed the "decorative arts" or even "the minor arts". In point of fact, some of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic art are in the media of ceramics, metalwork, textiles, ivory and glass. Often the images they bear express a complex set of meanings, for Islam inherited much material from the iconographic systems of earlier civilizations, notably those of the ancient Near East and of the classical world. Islam also developed its own distinctive vocabulary of signs and symbols. Accordingly, questions of iconography and meaning bulk large among the studies gathered together in the present volume. These studies, written over a period of almost thirty years, and taken from a wide variety of published sources, deal with aspects of the decorative arts from Spain to India and from the 7th to the 17th century. They focus in turn upon ceramics and metalwork; on coins, carpets and calligraphy; and on carving in wood and ivory. They are arranged under three headings. The first comprises general surveys of the field covering the content of these arts and confronting the challenges they present, such as the Islamic approach to three-dimensional sculpture. The second deals with questions of iconography and meaning, while the third comprises a series of studies devoted to specific media such as ivory, woodwork and numismatics. This volume therefore offers not only a general introduction to some of the problems posed by Islamic art, but also readings of key objects in an attempt to explore their meaning; and finally, an in-depth focus on individual objects representing specific genres and media.Table of ContentsPreface Images of Authority on Kashan Lustreware The sarcophagus of Shah Isma‘il at Ardabil Problems in Islamic Pottery Review article. Persian Lustre Ware Richard Ettinghausen and the iconography of Islamic art Figural calligraphy in the Muslim world; Introduction: The Orient of the Imagination For God, Empire and Mammon: Some Art-Historical Aspects of the Reformed Dinars of ‘Abd al-Malik The Soul of Islamic Art The Syrian Connection: Archaic Elements in Spanish Umayyad Ivories; Islamic Figural Sculpture Islamic art; The major minor arts of Islam Recent Work on Islamic Iconography The Islamic re-working of the Sasanian heritage: two case studies Index

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first authorised account of the history of the finest diamond jewellery in the world. It tells the story of the magnificent royal inheritance of diamonds from the time of Queen Adelaide in the 1830s to the present day. Illustrated with a wide range of archive material as well as extensive new photography of the jewels, this fully researched publication includes stones of international importance as well as pieces of great historic significance, and will be a standard work of reference on diamond jewellery for many years to come.

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating phantasmal worlds in the work of the artist Cathy Ward.Pulsing and surging with dark energies, Cathy Ward''s mesmerising drawings capture a restlessly inquiring spirit through the meticulous rendering of organic forms. Their mystery, emotional depth, and enveloping sensuality recall an occluded art-historical canon of weird psychedelia, hermetic alchemical illustrations and outsider horror vacui. Liberty Realm presents a broad survey of works ranging from the acclaimed drawings exhibited recently in “Phantasmata” at The Good Luck Gallery (Los Angeles), “Talespinning” at the Drawing Center (New York), “Romantic detachment” at PS1 MOMA (New York), and "Utopia" at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, Wisconsin), to new explorations and insightful glimpses of her earlier output and formative practice. Substantial essays by Doug Harvey and Robert Wallis further untangle these fascinating phantasmal worlds.

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Book SynopsisThe goldsmith and mineralogist Johann Christian Neuber (1736–1808) was one of the greatest masters of the gold objet – gold boxes, watch cases, chatelaines, etc. – which he in particular decorated to splendid effect with semiprecious stones – agate, jasper, carnelian and a host of others. In 1769 he became director of the Grünes Gewölbe, the magnificent State Treasury in Dresden, and in 1775 court jeweler to the court of Saxony. Neuber’s work features enchanting landscapes, intricate floral designs and complex geometric patterns made out of tiny cut stones, incorporating also Meissen porcelain plaques, cameos and miniatures. These one-of-a-kind objects are treasured in public and private collections all over the world today, but have never been brought together. This book is the first comprehensive introduction to this master craftsman’s oeuvre, presenting boxes and other decorative objects from the Grünes Gewölbe, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum and public and private collections in Germany, France and New York. One of its highlights is the‘Breteuil Table’, still owned by the family for which is was made as a diplomatic gift nearly 250 years ago. It accompanies a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, at the Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden, March–May 2012; at the Frick Collection, New York, May–August; at the Galerie J. Kugel, Paris, Autumn 2012. Beautiful photographs of all Neuber’s creations adorn this extraordinary book– well over 500 in number. The context and history of the growing interest in mineralogy and its celebration in these works of art are fully investigated. Its distinguished authors include Dr Jutta Kappel, of the Grünes Gewölbe; the specialists Sophie Mouquin and Philippe Poindront; the Marquis de Breteuil, Henri-François Le Tonnelier; and the editor of the volume, Alexis Kugel, of the famous Parisian gallery.

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Book Synopsis'Making it Modern' features approximately 100 folk art objects acquired by the avant-garde sculptor Elie Nadelman and his wife, Viola, between 1919 and 1934, when the couple were forced to find a buyer for their vast collection of 70,000 pieces. Most were bought by the New-York Historical Society in 1937. This substantial volume presents all of the objects in full-colour plates, covering a huge range of geographic areas and media, including Pennsylvania German folk art, imposing large-scale wooden sculptures and oil portrait paintings, 19th-century metal and wooden toys, drawings and watercolours and household tools and small objects. Archival photographs reveal the way in which the Nadelmans exhibited their most treasured works in their own purpose-built Museum of Folk and Peasant Arts in Riverdale, NY in the 1920s and 1930s. 'Making it Modern' explores several key themes, notably the definition of folk art, both in the early 20th century and as it is generally accepted today, its influence on modernism and Nadelman's own sculpture, and the relationship between American and European folk art. This is a major contribution to the study and understanding of folk art, and to Nadelman's own appealing and engaging sculpture. AUTHOR: Margaret K. Hofer is curator of decorative arts, New-York Historical Society Roberta J.M. Olson is curator of drawings, New-York Historical Society SELLING POINTS: . A major contribution to the study and understanding of folk art, and to Nadelman's own appealing and engaging sculpture. . Explores the definition of folk art, its influence on modernism and the relationship between American and European folk art. 250 colour and 50 b/w illustrations

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Book Synopsis"Craft for a Modern World" highlights nearly 200 of the extraordinary craft objects held at the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nora Atkinson looks at the whole notion of what defines craft, and how attitudes towards it are continually changing, from the pioneering years of the studio craft movement through to new definitions and expressions of craft today.This fully illustrated new volume features works by artists including Matthias Pilessnig, George Nakashima, Albert Paley, Ron Fleming, Zack Peabody, Billie Ruth Sudduth, Todd Hope, Michael James, Toots Zynsky, Michael Sherrill, Patti Warashina, Merry Renk, Kim Schmahmann.

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Book SynopsisA visually stunning introduction to the world of European bronze sculptures, seen through the remarkable collections of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.This book looks at bronze through the remarkable collections of European bronze sculptures in the Ashmolean Museum of the University of Oxford. Largely thanks to the generosity of Charles Drury Edward Fortnum (1820-1899), the Ashmolean houses one of the world’s great collections of Renaissance and Baroque small bronzes. The book provides a survey of the collection and an overview of the development of small bronze sculpture during a period of six centuries running from c.1200 to around 1800, although most of the works illustrated here were made within the shorter time frame of c.1450-1650. Any such survey is inevitably shaped by the strengths of the collection, which is conditioned by Fortnum’s taste, notwithstanding later acquisitions that have broadened its scope. He especially loved earlier Italian bronzes and so-called utensils — objects such as inkstands, candlesticks, salt-cellars, mirrors and seals — that are functional as well as beautiful. Fortnum was less interested in sculpture from the later 1500s onwards although, as this selection shows, he acquired some very interesting bronzes from the 17th and 18th centuries that deserve to be better known.

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Book SynopsisDisrupting Craft presents the work of Tanya Aguiñiga, Sharif Bey, Dustin Farnsworth, and Stephanie Styjuco, four artists who take innovative approaches to their selected mediums. They share a fascination with themes of identity, and the practise of their art as a means of engaging socially with communities in collective activity. The featured artists work in a remarkable variety of media including earthenware pottery, textiles and weaving, sculptural materials and woven plastic fabrics, and wood, metal and mixed media. Their visual sensibilities range from traditional African beaded culture, to digital media, the products of modern-day capitalist economies in the developing world, to post-industrial rust-belt of the American Midwest. Each is actively engaged in an artistic dialogue within their local and wider community, presenting mementos of bygone cultural eras and making sense of it for the present moment. Disrupting Craft is the second publication, and exhibition, devoted to the work of contemporary American craft practitioners and artists since the Renwick Gallery re-opened in fall 2015, following a major restoration and renovation.Table of ContentsDirector’s Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction by Abraham Thomas; Tanya Aguiñiga: Crafting Community, Designing Change by Annie Carlano; Sharif Bey: Blurred Borderlines by Abraham Thomas; Dustin Farnsworth: A Strange Inheritance by Abraham Thomas; Stephanie Syjuco: Pattern Recognition by Sarah Archer; Notes; Artists’ Biographies by Emily Peikin; Exhibition Checklist; Selected Bibliography; Image Credits

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Book SynopsisThis lively, lavishly illustrated volume presents rare decorative arts from Asia – all of exceptional quality – from ornate handled daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to diamond-studded jewels, magnifi cent embroidered silk and divination bowls by master craftsmen. The decorative arts of South and Southeast Asia, and especially those of the 18th and 19th centuries, and trade items produced during the same period, constitute a much neglected area. Such items, which in a Europeanized context tend to be labelled objets de vertu, are under-represented in public and private collections. While the decorative arts of later Western Europe and North America might be strongly represented, when it comes to South and Southeast Asia, there is a bias towards the ancient, the religious and the sculptural. And yet the decorative arts of Asia of recent centuries is a more accessible and tangible fi eld for many. The relative attractiveness of more recent Asian decorative arts, for which provenance issues need not be so acute, grows as the movement of archaeological and other early material across international borders becomes evermore complex and problematic, be it for commercial or for exhibition purposes. Seeking to redress the balance, this volume presents objects of exceptional quality that are often incredibly rare – ranging from ornate handled daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to diamond-studded jewels and magnifi cent embroidered silk. Only some of these objects were made for religious reasons, and, though old, few are ancient. Instead, they are the product of cultural infl uences that have crossed borders, produced in the quest for beauty. The catalogue also includes a selection of items usually designated as ‘tribal’ art. Many of these have a decorative as much as a ritualistic component. Among the objects from Nigeria are a stunning 19th-century processional staff , topped with the figure of a queen, two museum-quality divination bowls carved by master craftsmen, and a striking and possibly unique fi ve-headed dance costume. Most have been sourced from old UK and European collections, and most are likely to have been collected during the colonial era. This is important. Overwhelmingly, most ‘tribal’ art items available commercially today are reproduction pieces and have no place in serious collections. Michael Backman is widely published on Asian culture, art and politics. He is the author of six books that cover all aspects of Asia. His Asian Eclipse was named by The Economist among its ‘Books of the Year’ and appeared on several bestseller lists. His gallery in central London specializes in works of art from India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Himalayas, the Islamic World, and Colonial and Tribal art. The gallery sells to museums and important private collections across the world.

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Book SynopsisAn artist’s record of the homes of 89 leading creatives from interior designers to ceramicists, antiques dealers, florists and chefs. SJ Axelby brings new life to interior portraiture, capturing in paint the favourite rooms of 89 leading creatives from interior designers to ceramicists and antiques dealers (and florists and chefs). A sumptuously illustrated record of a home or special project, each interior portrait is accompanied by a charming and quirky interview with the owner, in which we discover invaluable nuggets of design advice, cocktail choice, life hacks and so much more – all illustrated in watercolour by SJ. There is a long tradition of painting rooms to provide a record of grand homes, giving a glimpse into the life and times of previous generations. Today there is a resurgence of interest in our living spaces, but there is no book in the tradition of illustrated room portraiture to inspire you. SJ Axelby's Interior Portraits will take you into multiple unique and colourful homes, seen through the artist’s eye. Creating an authentic and characterful scheme is much like the composition of a painting: the shape, form, contrast, colour, pattern and texture all need to work in harmony. This pictorial guide includes not only Sarah-Jane’s original watercolours but scrapbook pages annotated with design wisdom from each room’s owners, which will enthuse and empower the reader to try new ideas in their own homes. It’s a creative who’s who of the international design world featuring mouth-watering compositions bursting with colour and pattern and displaying the true joy of a home that reflects its owner’s personality. With a foreword by Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels. Just a few of the creatives featured:Alexandra TolstoyAlice Stori LiechtensteinAnna SpiroAshley HicksBen Pentreath & Charlie McCormickCath Kidston PadghamErica DaviesFlora SoamesHenry HollandKit KempLucinda ChambersLulu LytleLuke Edward Hall & Duncan CampbellMatilda GoadPenny MorrisonRobert KimeSkye McAlpineSophie ConranTrade Review‘A glorious book.’ — Dame Joanna Lumley 'I love Sarah-Jane's charming interiors paintings, she has an eye for the quirky and depicts the real homes of interesting people so well.' — Sophie Conran ‘I feel very lucky to have my rooms captured by the enchanting hand of SJ Axelby. The pictures are exquisite and completely capture the essence of the rooms and the book is just wonderful!’ — Cath Kidston Padgham ‘SJ Axelby’s illustrations really bring interiors to life. The spaces we design aren’t static but full of energy and her work tells that story with beautiful colour and style.’ — Martin Brudnizki ‘Some Covid lockdown projects seem to have crystallised over time into treasured bits of contemporary culture. The best ones are generous of spirit: Grayson’s Art Club, PE with Joe, and – for interiors fans – the Instagram account @sjaxelby.’ —House & Garden

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Book SynopsisAn exciting new account of Irish high crosses This landmark study of Irish high crosses focuses on the carvings of an unnamed artist, the “Muiredach Master,” whose monuments—completed in the early years of the 10th century—deserve a place alongside the Book of Kells as great works of their time. Drawing on a wealth of recent research, Roger Stalley describes in vivid detail how the crosses were made, where they were carved, and how they were lifted into place. His lively prose situates the works in their context, identifying patrons and exploring their motives, as well as venturing to understand what the crosses may have meant to those who gazed at them a millennium ago. In doing so, Stalley rejects preconceived notions about the imagery of the crosses, including the extent to which they were inspired by images from abroad. Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British ArtTrade Review“Engagingly and expertly written by Roger Stalley, Early Irish Sculpture and the Art of the High Crosses is the ideal replacement or preparation for a visit to these unparalleled works of art.”—Christopher Howse, The Tablet“[W]ell written and widely researched. . . . I join with the author in wishing that the book will make high crosses better known outside Ireland.”—Peter Harbison, Irish Arts Review“Roger Stalley demonstrates yet again his status as one of the pre-eminent art historians of the Middle Ages. Displayed throughout this book is an ability to blend an engaging and readable summary with an encyclopaedic knowledge, where the overall narrative never gets lost in the detail. As such, this volume is destined to become a landmark in the study and understanding of Ireland’s high crosses and medieval art.”—Patrick Gleeson, Journal of Irish Archaeology“Explores how High Crosses were constructed; how and where the stone was quarried and carved. . . . This approach leads to new insights into the crosses.”—Elizabeth Alexander, Burlington Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe story of an innovative designer and farsighted art entrepreneur and the important role he played in the dissemination of 19th-century Aestheticism This book follows the phenomenal rise of Daniel Cottier (1838–1891) from an apprentice coach painter in Glasgow to the founder of Cottier & Co., a fine and decorative arts business with branches in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne. This gifted designer and brilliant art entrepreneur keenly spotted one of the key aspects of late nineteenth-century bourgeois culture – its focus on family, home and church – and seized the artistic and commercial opportunities of the building and decorating boom that it brought about. Cottier was a proponent of the Aesthetic movement, an international trend in the history of culture, art and design from the mid-1860s to the late 1890s: he understood the era’s desire for beauty and realised the economic possibilities of its commoditisation. Beyond biography, therefore, this book illuminates a significant event of late nineteenth-century cultural history – Aestheticism’s cult of beauty meeting with the bourgeoisie’s financial ability to possess it.Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British ArtTrade Review"This publication is a fascinating, comprehensive and engaging account of Cottier’s life and work. Beautifully illustrated . . . it is a fitting testament to a great design thinker."—Claire Blakey, DAS Newsletter

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Book SynopsisPresenting for the first time the Alexis Gregory Gift to The Frick Collection, this exquisite publication provides illuminating insights into Gregory’s magnificently eclectic collection, cataloging his fine and decorative works of art in detail.Twenty-eight works of art bequeathed to the Frick by Alexis Gregory range from Limoges enamels to Saint-Porchaire ware to pastels by the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera. This remarkable gift has introduced new types of objects to the Frick: works in ivory and rhinoceros horn are the first of their kind to be held in the collection.Gregory’s gift includes fifteen Limoges enamels, one of them produced in the workshop of Suzanne de Court, the only woman known to have led an enamel workshop in Limoges. Also part of the gift are a gilt-bronze sculpture, an ivory hilt, a pomander, ewers, saltcellars, and two clocks. Many of Gregory’s objects came from such prestigious owners as the French royal collections and the Rothschilds. Included in the publication are commentaries on each gift.This lavishly illustrated publication accompanies an exhibition that will be on view at The Frick Collection February 16 through May 14, 2023.

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Book SynopsisCraft is at the very heart of British identity, from stained-glass windows in country churches to the Enid Blyton charm of thatched houses; from Harris Tweed® (famously poached by Coco Chanel) to the ceremonial livery worn by horses at Buckingham Palace. The burgeoning of digital craftsmanship is also enriching ground-breaking technologies, including microbial weaving and bespoke-made vessels for growing human tissue. Craft Britain brings together watchmakers with saddlers; bell casters with neon benders; shoemakers with silversmiths; potters with orrery-makers; stonemasons with weavers; embroiderers with basket-makers – and a myriad other craft traditions.This book aims to beat the drum for craft, waking people up to the fact that they need to support the country's rich seam of incredible craftspeople and so encourage new generations to master the skills needed to preserve and continue craft traditions. Craft Britain proves that craftsmanship in Britain is neither dying nor dead, but is a continuing and exciting exploration of process, materials and ideas spanning architecture, interiors, fashion, art and design.

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Book SynopsisMadge Garland, Janey Ironside, Joanne Brogden and Wendy Dagworthy, a quartet of remarkable educators and doyennes of style and skill, encouraged their students with rigorous determination to produce nothing but the best. Garland, previously Fashion Editor of Vogue magazine and a brave pioneer when the educational establishment regarded fashion as ‘frippery’, laid foundations on which Ironside, the sparkling innovator built. Then Brogden took the School into a more competitive commercial world with fashion becoming a major economic force. When Dagworthy took over in the final decade of the 20th century, she guided her students into a new era while still respecting the inheritance of her predecessors. Today’s markets demand high-fashion-ready-to-wear, with the RCA School of Fashion’s reputation second to none for innovation in design and manufacturing techniques, and its alumni now in positions of influence throughout the world. From retail and industrial connections forged in the 1950s, RCA designers such as Ossie Clark and Zandra Rhodes, established their reputations, and top world-wide brands including Kenzo, Givenchy, Gucci , Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein, clamoured to employ star RCA students.Trade Review"A fascinating and entertaining exposure of the professional and (sometimes scandalous) private lives of these four brilliantly stylish and inspirational women. The turbulent and often unconventional history of the College in the second half of the twentieth century forms a fitting backdrop to these stories, but it’s the strength, passion, charisma, and rigorous standards of these women that we must admire. Goodden tells their story compellingly and with insight." -- Betty Jackson, Royal Society of Arts"This remarkable book is about, for the first time in detail, four strong personalities—eccentric, stylish, talented, driven. Together, they defined fashion at the College from the Second World War right through to the twenty-first century." -- Sir Christopher Frayling, author of Once Upon a Time in the West: Shooting a Masterpiece

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Book SynopsisThe automobile has long been a symbol of status, power, and autonomy, and ever since King Tut rolled through Egypt on his golden-wheeled chariot, artists and drivers have dreamed up mobile masterpieces. A striking photographic tribute and social history, Road Show navigates a path across high and low art, showing how people around the world are transforming their vehicles into stunning folk art, obsessive collections, social commentary, and visionary performances. In this fascinating showcase, we see how Henry Fords motto, Any color as long as its black, has been hung out to dry. From the Wienermobile to a hand-carved wooden Ferrari that drives in the canals of Venice to a giant red stiletto heel, Road SHow brings the museum of the streets to life.

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Book SynopsisWith Practical Origami a world of simple useful designs await. With little more than some paper and your hands colorful sheets are transformed into everyday necessities such as stationary, packaging, toys and even kitchen utensils. You can impress your friends with origami-inspired wallets, table settings, and envelopes that pop up, fan out, and even hold hidden goodies. With a few basic techniques under your belt and the endless opportunities that paper offers, Practical Origami's projects will teach you the fundamentals of origami as you create playful animals and other designs perfect for greeting cards, jewelry, and more.The possibilities for using origami in design are limitless. Some applications take advantage of the richness of the folds that have a depth all their own. In addition to explaining the three very simple steps of the technique, the authors show how even novice folders can create breathtaking works of paper craft, as well as accessories and home furnishings incorporating these three-dimensional embellishments. Sweets BoxDeli BoxLunch BoxCutlery CaseHandbagJapanese Chopstick HolderRabbit-shaped Chopstick RestHat-shaped Chopstick RestCrane-shaped Chopstick HolderCherry Blossom DishCrane-shaped Place-matPepper ShakerHeart-shaped Napkin RingCard StandPhoto FrameCD CasesWalletsBusiness Card CasePencil Box

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Book Synopsis

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