History of art Books

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Book SynopsisA major survey of the Japanese designers, artisans, manufacturers and technologies that have shaped the world of modern design.Trade Review'A pretty impressive collection of objects, which serve as a reminder that Japan has led the way for much of what we consider good design' - Creative Review'Featuring hundreds of objects and dozens of profiles of designers, from household names (Issey Miyake; Global knives) to cult product makers (Oji Masanori; Ryoichi Kobayashi), the furnishings, textiles, graphics, packaging and household goods featured are simultaneously simple and sophisticated, everyday and extraordinary' - Observer'Ideal for armchair travellers' - Daily Telegraph'[An] authoritative sourcebook' - House & GardenTable of ContentsForeword by Maasaki Kanai • Introduction: The Craft of Japanese Design • The Design Titans • The Designers and Everyday Icons: Tables & Chairs • Essay by Naomi Pollock • Food & Drink • Essay by Makoto Shimazaki • On&Off • Essay by Shinji Hamada • Posters & Packaging • Warp & Weft • Essay by Matilda McQuaid • Lifestyle & Leisure • A–Z of Designers

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Book SynopsisThe first monograph on the influential contemporary CubanâAmerican interdisciplinary artist and writer Coco Fusco. Tomorrow, I will become an island is the first in-depth study of the performances, videos and social practice of the influential CubanâAmerican artist Coco Fusco. Featuring contributions by renowned scholars of art history, performance art and Cuban cultural politics as well as an essay by the artist herself, the book offers a comprehensive review of Fuscoâs interdisciplinary art practice and her transnational perspective on race, gender and power. For more than three decades, Fusco has been a leader in conversations around the intersection of identity, feminism, culture, and politics in the Americas and beyond. Emerging during the 1980s as a pioneering advocate of multiculturalism in the arts, Fusco utilizes performance, video, exhibition making, archival research and writing to reflect upon the ways that intercultural relations and colonial histories shape the coTrade Review'This beautiful book looks back at [Coco Fusco's] influential work, including many of her memorable performances, in the three decades since she emerged on the scene in the 1990s. It’s an unfinished story as Fusco is still making work and publishing words that bring deep discomfort to the powers to be' - HyperallergicTable of ContentsTomorrow I Will Become an Island: Olga Viso Introduction: Coco Fusco The Politics of Discomfort: Julia Bryan-Wilson Corporeality and Critique: Jill Lane Inverting the Frame: Anna Gritz Coco Fusco and the Empty Spaces of Havana: Antonio José Ponte Body of Work, 1988–2022: Compiled by Ursula Davila-Villa and Anna Stothart Exhibition and Performance History Artist’s Writings Selected Bibliography Contributors

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Book SynopsisAn essential visual overview for students and readers with an interest in Sienese art, history and Renaissance culture. For two centuries, the city-republic of Siena was home to a brilliant succession of painters who created some of the greatest masterpieces of all time; an imagery unmatched in colouristic intensity and spatial experimentation. This overview, now revised and updated, is an essential introduction to this extraordinary artistic tradition. Taking a broadly chronological approach, it moves from the 14th-century Siena of Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers, to the 15th-century city of Sassetta and Giovanni di Paolo. Perceptive visual analysis of the distinctive styles and conventions of Sienese painting is combined with clear explanations of traditional techniques such as fresco and tempera. The works are also placed in their social and religious context through discussion of Sienaâs system of government, its civic consciousness, the importance ofTrade Review'An unimprovable union of exceptionally acute looking, magical prose and authoritative scholarship … a wonderfully balanced account of a woefully neglected school' - David Ekserdjian, The Times Literary Supplement'Required reading for anyone visiting the city' - The Spectator'A work of enthralled advocacy' - Evening StandardTable of ContentsIntroduction: ’An Art Born Amidst City Streets’: The Image of the City 1. Duccio and the Religion of the Commune The Expanded Icon Pisans and Parisians The Maestà Narrative and Predella 'From Greek, Back into Latin’ 2. Simone Martini: ‘The Sweet New Style’ In the French High Fashion The Montefiore Chapel and Franciscan Narrative Simone in Siena 1328–33 The Guidoriccio and Barna Controversies With Petrarch in Avignon: ‘il mio Simon’ 3. Pietro Lorenzetti: Towards a Franciscan Art The Passion Cycle at Assisi 'A Sweetly Passionate Abandonment to Feeling’ New Majesties Imagery of the Journey: Dante and Blessed Umiltà A New Birth 4. Ambrogio Lorenzetti: The Golden Age Returns In the Service of Ben Comun The Image of a Just Society 'The Space of Vernacular Style’ The Winter Wall The Cosmographer 5. After the Black Death (1348–1420) Bartolo and Taddeo: ‘Patent Mediocrities’? The Fountain and the Font: Jacopo della Quercia 'Lowliness’: Bernardino and the Sienese Saints 6. Second Flowering: Sassetta An Alternative Renaissance Francis, Jester of God An Agglomeration of Glimpses Verticality 7. Giovanni di Paolo: The Chessboard Journey Death and the Dante Illuminations The John the Baptist Cycles The Storyteller 8. The Lost Cause: From the Master of the Osservanza to Francesco di Giorgio Asciano and the Shared Idiom Towards Pienza Francesco di Giorgio and ‘Mathematical Humanism’ Discarding the ‘Humble Style’ Epilogue: The Rediscovery

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Book SynopsisThe first biography of the circle of British inter-war artists and designers centred on Ravilious an enthralling narrative of creative achievement, joy and tragedy.Trade Review'Adds much new detail and factual fine-tuning to our picture of national, in contrast to international, modern art in interwar Britain' - Daily Telegraph'Friend excels … in the glimpses he offers of the lives behind the art' - The Times'A moving book' - Literary Review'A lovingly researched and crafted portrait of intricately connected creative lives... New voices emerge from the archives, unfamiliar images light up the pages. Here, above all, is the joyous making of art' - Alexandra Harris, author of WEATHERLAND'Beautifully illustrated' - The Times'Gorgeously illustrated' - The Lady'Beautifully written' - Sussex Life'The book is magnificent. I can’t recommend it enough ... Andy Friend seems to have opened new vistas on the lives, loves and connections of this mesmerising and migrant artist – right up to his last fatal flight off Iceland in 1942' - Robert Macfarlane'Valuable and absorbing' - Yorkshire Post'A deft example of that tricky genre, the group biography' - Martin Gayford, The Spectator'One of the best biographies this year … a lovely account' - Guardian'Shrewdly and sympathetically charts the wide-ranging influence of this group and their personal and professional relationships' - Sunday Times'Generously illustrated, beautifully written … a remarkable testimony to the making of art and friendship' - The Artist'A fascinating slice of English artistic and social history' - New York Review of Books'Engagingly written … beautifully produced' - Art Newspaper

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Book SynopsisAn important new survey on abstract art that takes content as a guide to form, and breaks open the canon to make room for artists from across the globe.Trade Review'Karmel approaches the field not as a steady tunnelling toward nothingness, as figures and other discernible objects fell away, but as something more dynamic - and much less white, Western, and male' - Vogue.com'Handsomely illustrated' - Best Art Books of 2020, Sunday Times'Magnificent … warmly recommended to anyone who loves art and possesses an open mind' - Evening Standard'Carefully conceived and beautifully produced... an original and valuable way to approach twentieth and twenty-first-century abstraction' - artblog.comTable of Contents1. Bodies: Dancers, Athletes and Poets; Workers and Machines; Totems; Presences; Organs and Fluids • 2. Landscapes: Vortexes and Gusts; Cliffs, Waterfalls and Fog; Waves; Open Windows; Vibrations • 3. Cosmologies: Orbits; Suns and planets; Star Charts • 4. Architectures: Towers, Buildings and Boxes; Windows, Plans and Elevations • 5. Signs & Patterns: Fabric and Decoration; Typography; Calligraphy; Maps and Charts

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth overview of Ukrainian art from the dawn of Modernism in the late nineteenth century to the start of the Russian invasion in Spring 2022. Ukraine is at a historic crossroads, with the nation's complex cultural identity at stake. Curator Alisa Lozhkina provides an authoritative overview of the country's art, artists and movements from the dawn of Modernism to the Soviet period, to post-Soviet times and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She discusses Ukrainian art and artists within historical and political contexts as well as showing how they have contributed to, and interacted with, Ukrainian culture and identity as the nation transformed from provincial status on the periphery of the Russian Empire, to a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, through to independence and the challenges of its most recent history. Arranged broadly chronologically and fully illustrated throughout, The Art of Ukraine offers a powerful opportunity to explore the rich and complex U

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Book SynopsisThe design revolutions of the early 20th century were woven into the very fabric of the carpets and rugs of that era. This book charts the evolution of carpet design out of the floral effusions of the Victorian salons and into the angular elegance of Art Deco and bold abstraction of Modernism popularized by the machine age.Trade Review'An impressive achievement. Carefully researched and scholarly, it is clearly structured and lucidly written, which makes for a highly enjoyable read' - Crafts'Generously sized and beautifully illustrated … here are Art Deco carpets at their most glorious' - HaliTable of ContentsIntroduction: From Art Nouveau to Art Deco • Art Deco: A Riot of Flowers & Colour: Carpets of the Coloristes (France); Towards an Industrial Aesthetic (Germany & Austria); A Boom in Carpet Weaving (Belgium and Holland); The Omega Workshops (Britain); A Diversity of Design Traditions (Scandinavia, Italy, Eastern Europe, Spain) • The Modernist Carpet: Art Meets Industry: L’Art Utile versus L’Art Decoratif (France); Crucible of Modernism (Germany, Austria, Switzerland); Abstract Interiors (Belgium & Holland); An Avant-Garde Revival (Britain); Swedish Modern (Scandinavia); A Style of Their Own (USA)

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive new reference book on the influential impressionist artist Edgar Degas, providing a detailed exploration of his life and the times in which he lived as well as a gallery of his best-known and most-loved works.

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Book SynopsisAn account of the Italian painter, architect and draughtsman, Raphael, one of the most influential artists of the High Renaissance. It explores his style and his compassionate depictions of Madonna and child groups, his portraits and his works based on Bible stories and myths.

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Book SynopsisA lively and expert account of Edouard Manet, one of the greatest French artists, whose striking realism has led to him being called the first modern painter. Vivid biography is combined with a superb gallery of his work, with 500 stunning reproductions and photographs.

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Book SynopsisGego infused her art with architecture and engineering to create unique works of delicate suspenseAccompanying the first major museum retrospective exhibition of Gego's work in the US in more than 15 years, this expansive, definitive catalog charts the evolution of Gego's singular approach to abstraction through organic forms, linear structures and systematic spatial investigations. Featuring nearly 300 images, including more than 160 sculptures, drawings, prints, artist's books, textiles and installations made between the early 1950s and the early 1990s, this volume also presents 11 illustrated essays by experts in the field of modern and contemporary Latin American art that trace Gego's artistic development across various mediums and disciplines, including her significant contributions to architecture and design; ground her practice in various art movements that materialized in Latin America, Europe and the US during her lifetime; and consider the pedagogicTrade ReviewI can assure you that you will not see any contemporary works, by anyone, more stimulatingly inventive than these. -- Holland Cotter * The New York Times: Arts *

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Book SynopsisEADT Reader''s Choice winner, The New Angle Prize for Literature 2011Scallop is at once a monument to a great musician-composer and a celebration of the origins of his art... A robust and poetic work of art (that) stands at the thrilling edge where culture meets nature - Mel GoodingMuch has been said and written about Maggi Hambling''s Scallop on Aldeburgh beach. Here is the artist''s own story, told as it happened, with interpolations by some of those who supported (and some who didn''t) her exhilarating and provocative sculpture to Benjamin Britten, one of Britain''s most exalted composers.Maggi Hambling traces her love of the sea back to earliest childhood and records how this lifelong passion has fired her work, culminating in the construction of a 15ft high, six-and-a-half ton stainless steel sculpture rising out of the shingle on Aldeburgh beach. Children love it. Lovers love it. Those paying tribute to lost loved ones gather around it. And there are those who would wish it melted down or carted away. The artist, and those nearest the action, tell the fascinating story of its conception, official acceptance and construction, and the unholy row that erupted after it was finally unveiled.

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Book SynopsisPacked with allusions to art history and full of rambunctious cartoon energy, Green's paintings eviscerate the gruesome imagery of racismBronx-based painter Jameson Green (born 1992) creates psychological parables rendered in a visual language steeped in the grandeur of art history, inflected with comics and illustration and filtered through a highly introspective lens. Sampling art-historical references ranging from Jacob Lawrence and Bill Traylor to Crumb, Picasso, Goya, Guston, Kokoschka and Rubens, Green creates a form of visual hip-hop infused with tremendous momentum and energy. Since receiving his MFA from Hunter College in 2019, Green has refined his remarkably evolved practice over the course of just three years, boldly deploying the imagery of racism in what he describes as a representation of corruption in pursuit of power, racial division, bigotry, and through these things personal suffering.This book is the first to chronicle the artist's rec

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Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Design and Culture provides a comprehensive guide to the changing relationships between design and culture from 1900 to the present day with an emphasis on five main themes:â Design and consumptionâ Design and technologyâ The design professionâ Design theoryâ Design and identities.This fifth edition extends the traditional definition of design to embrace its more recent manifestations, which include service design, user-interface design, co-design, and sustainable design. It also discusses the relationship between design and the new media and the effect of globalisation and transnationalism on design. Most importantly, it looks at its contents through a new lens which acknowledges the post-industrial, post-colonial, postmodern, (and, arguably, post-design) climate of the twenty-first century and the challenges that it poses.Taking a broadly chronological approach, Professor Sparke employs historical methods to show how these themes developed through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century and played a role within modernism, postmodernism and beyond. Over a hundred illustrations are used throughout to demonstrate the breadth of design, and examples â among them design in Modern China, the work of Apple Computers Ltd., and design thinking â are used to elaborate key ideas. The new edition remains essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of design studies, cultural studies and visual arts.

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Book SynopsisTake a tour through the history of painting from the Early Renaissance to modern day in this richly illustrated hardback guide, filled with spectacular full-colour artwork.Great artists change the way we look at the world. From Manet to Goya, and Rothko to Caravaggio, this comprehensive guide traces the development of artistic styles and the spot connections between them. Discover the major movements in western painting, and the life and times of the influential artists whose experimentation paved the way.• Suitable for everybody, from the casual reader to students of art history • A clear chronological structure allows the reader to see each movement in its historical context and to appreciate the patterns that emerge • A comprehensive overview of painting, from the sacred beauty of Giotto''s The Raising of Lazarus to Gerhard Richter and Luc Tuymans • Includes an essay on the development of painting techniques

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Book SynopsisDiscover the 2023 Winner of the Historical Writers'' Association Gold Crown Award an atmospheric and suspenseful tale of intoxicating art and dizzying ambition, forbidden love and twisted obsession in Renaissance Venice Damian Dibben''s kaleidescopic The Colour Storm ''A glorious, exuberant read'' THE TIMES''Addictive, ambitious and knife sharp. A compelling thriller and a celebration of art. Ravishing'' RACHEL JOYCE''A rich and rousing tale of art, love, rivalry and obsession in Renaissance Venice'' CHLOË ASHBY, AUTHOR OF WET PAINT''An engaging thriller and a compelling exploration of an artist''s obsession with love and colour''SUNDAY TIMES_______Venice, 1510.The world''s greatest artists gather to enjoy fame, fortune, and colour. When a wealthy merchant discovers a mysterious new pigment, he knows it would create a masterpiece in the right hands.For Trade ReviewA glorious, exuberant summer read. Dibben's triumph is the character of Zorzo, a buoyant, loveable guide to the grandeur and the dangers of Renaissance Venice * The Times *Ravishing, addictive, knife-sharp, ambitious, and singing with detail. A compelling thriller that takes us to the heart of sixteenth century Venice where the world's most famous painters compete to win the greatest commission of their lives. There is so much to think about and relish. Not simply the story itself - with all its glorious twists and turns - but the search to express ourselves. A celebration of art and a hymn to colour. -- Rachel JoyceAn engaging thriller and a compelling exploration of an artist's obsession with love and colour * Sunday Times *The Colour Storm takes readers on a thrilling, murderous journey through the serpentine waters of High Renaissance Venice as one of art history's most gifted but often overlooked painters - Giorgione - searches for love, fame, and, most importantly, colour. Written with language as vibrant as a Giorgione masterpiece, The Colour Storm is for lovers of art, Italy, and page-turning plot -- Stephanie StoreyA story filled with intrigue and secrets as well as colour, Damian Dibben's new novel is filled with vivid descriptions . . . very rich in atmosphere and tone that keeps you wanting to read more * Love London Love Culture *A terrific book . . . Absorbing, exciting and, dare I say it, colourful. An original tale told beautifully -- A. D. SwanstonArt and ambition, love and obsession all come into play in this compelling and spellbinding tale set in Renaissance Venice * STYLIST *Hugely evocative, it's a love story, it's a thriller, it's a fantastic page turner -- Sophie Haydock, author of THE FLAMESA rich and rousing tale of art, love, rivalry and obsession in Renaissance Venice -- Chloë Ashby, author of WET PAINTAn intoxicating story about an incredible period in history * SUN *The pace of this elegant thriller quickens as truths are bared between controlling Jakob Fugger and abused Sybille with her tortuous past, while lovestruck Zorzo is pulled into a powerful situation that draws richly upon all elements of the 16th century * Perspective *An intoxicating and illuminating tale, bathed in colour, passion and ambition . . . A must for lovers of Renaissance art and the wonders of sixteenth century Venice -- S. W. PerryThe pace of a thriller and the riches of a Renaissance painting -- Rachel Joyce * Observer *A vivid imagining of the artistic world of Renaissance Venice. There is an incredible charm in its depiction of the great painters of the period with all their flesh-and-blood idiosyncrasies and flaws. The life of the studio and the supreme importance of colour in all the essentials of its make up is rendered absolutely convincingly. The work has all the more emotional power as it focusses on a lesser known artist as he negotiates the precarious life of his city alongside competitors, those whose names have resounded through history. -- S. G. MacLeanA great work of historical fiction, which weaves together conspiracy, art and love in a thriller * Ruth Millington *Praise for Damian Dibben * - *Bask in the brilliance * Mail on Sunday *Original, ambitious, moving * Stylist *What a novel! Ambitious and wonderfully achieved * Michael Morpurgo *I was captivated from the beginning. Ornate, vivid, deeply coloured, and so precise I could smell and taste the world * Rachel Joyce *An epic tale of love, of courage, of hope * Evening Standard *A stunning and captivating tale * The Sun *A grand sweep of adventure and travel, war and romance, and a rich exploration of love, life and loyalty * National Public Radio *[An] opulent tale, with elements of both love story and thriller, featuring some of Venice's most admired High Renaissance artists hunting desperately for a dazzling new pigment that will transform their work and fortunes * Metro *

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Book Synopsis''Alex von Tunzelmann is one of the most gifted historians writing today. Brilliant and trenchant, witty and wise, Fallen Idols is a book you will adore, devour, and talk about to everyone you know. Hesitate no longer; buy this book.'' Suzannah Lipscomb, author, award-winning historian and broadcaster''Like all the best historians von Tunzelmann uses the past to explain what the hell is going on today. She does so with a flair, her signature mix of scholarship and succinctness that is so compelling. If you want to make sense of the statues debate, and the coming culture war over our history, this is where you need to start.'' Dan Snow''A timely, sparkling and often hilarious book.'' Michael WoodIn the past few years, there has been a rush to topple statues. Across the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Belgium and elsewhere, Black Lives Matter protesters defaced and in some cases hauled down statues of slaveholders, ConfTrade ReviewAlex von Tunzelmann is one of the most gifted historians writing today. Brilliant and trenchant, witty and wise, Fallen Idols is a book you will adore, devour, and talk about to everyone you know. Hesitate no longer; buy this book * Suzannah Lipscomb, author, award-winning historian and broadcaster *This timely, sparkling and often hilarious book is all that we have come to expect from Alex von Tunzelmann - witty (often wickedly so) scintillating, skewering pomposity. Readers will relish her eagle-eyed knack of offering jaw dropping anecdote while always keeping us aware of the big picture * Michael Wood, Historian *Like all the best historians von Tunzelmann uses the past to explain what the hell is going on today. She does so with a flair, her signature mix of scholarship and succinctness that is so compelling. If you want to make sense of the statues debate, and the coming culture war over our history, this is where you need to start * Dan Snow *Alexandra von Tunzelmann has chosen a subject akin to a minefield for her new book, except that the mines are statues and very much above ground . . . Tunzelmann is as skilled a guide as one could wish for; her erudition and light touch are major advantages. There is not a dull sentence in the book, which from the moment American revolutionaries topple George III in New York, grips the reader from start to finish. -- Michael Burleigh * Literary Review *It's a lively, engaging and often witty exploration of why statues are put up, why they are taken down and what this teaches us about history and memory . . . If it has an agenda, it's one that urges us to see the layers, the nuance and the different points of view * The Sunday Times *Forensically unpicking polemical arguments from all sides in the debate, von Tunzelmann calmly and deftly guides us through this important issue, while never stopping being hugely informative, surprising and entertaining. * Aspects of History *Timely and necessary. -- Philippe Sands * Financial Times *Alex von Tunzelmann deftly captures ... [that] ... statues are always works in progress: toppled, moved, reworked, re-erected and reinterpreted. There has never been a time when they were not contested. -- Mary Beard * Guardian *It's a timely, well written and often entertaining look at statues that were pulled down not only in 2020's wave of iconoclasm but in other places and at other times too. * New Statesman - Books of the Year, Richard J Evans *Excellent -- Professor Anna Whitelock * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable and little-known story of Henri Matisse and his groundbreaking time in Morocco, a fertile period that transformed his art and cemented his legacy.

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Book SynopsisA study of the public art that you can see today in Birmingham. Over 300 colour photos along with a detailed text describing the way that the Birmingham has accumulated the largest collection of public art of any UK regional city.Trade ReviewThis is an outstanding compendium of images and narrative which illustrates the wealth and diversity of 'free to all' public art in this historic and constantly evolving city. Whatever one's familiarity with this hub of the Midlands, Jonathan Berg's fine book will serve as a companion to much artistic treasure in the city centre and its suburbs. It is a book to be proud of and its contents are alluring in many ways: for those murals, statues and sculptures which thousands of people file past every day, it serves as well written explanation of the background to these creations; for those pieces of work which are less familiar it serves as an enticement to seek them out. Beautifully produced, it will admirably grace any coffee table or bookshelf and command revisiting time and time again for there is much to discover and rediscover within its pages. The photography admirably captures the heart of the city and the narrative is a tribute to its people past and present. A Dudley, Nov 2023.

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Book SynopsisAudio Erotica is a perfectly pitched visual anthem to home audio entertainment. Using sales brochures from the 1950-1980s, a symphony of graphic nostalgia tracks the technological progress of our listening pleasure. Remember roller-skating wearing your first Walkman? Or relaxing to easy-listening in your pure white Philips lounge? Or playing chess on your JVC tabletop radio? All these scenarios can be found in the geeky and rarefied world of the vintage hi-fi brochure, where graphic design and acoustic apparatus make magical music together. From austere post-war Britain to poppy pre-millennium Japan, Audio Erotica presents a nostalgic nirvana of the strangest and most significant period hi-fi brochures. Alphabetically listed, from Aiwa to Zenith, with Braun, JVC Nivico, Nakamichi, Sony and everything in between, this book will resonate with any music fan. Setting the tempo are the pipe-smoking, high-end separates (amplifiers, speakers, turntables) of the 1950s, followed by the s

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Book Synopsis***'An indispensable volume'Vogue'As rabid admirers and collectors of contemporary art and photography we wholeheartedly recommend this passionate and joyous book. Without art the human soul is unfulfilled. This collection by Russell and Robert fully explains why.' Sir Elton John and David Furnish'Russell and Robert have made talking art not just pleasurable but necessary.'Lena Dunham 'As witty, wise and well informed as Russell and Robert's excellent podcast.'Edward Enninful, OBEWhen launching the Talk Art podcast in 2018, actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament had one clear aim: to make the art world more accessible. Since then, the podcast has grown to be a global hit, featuring exclusive interviews with leading artists, curators, gallerists, actors, musicians and fellow art lovers such as Lena Dunham, Sir Paul Smith, David Shrigley, Noel Fielding, Edward Enninful, Rose Wylie and Sir Elton John.Talk Art, the book, is a beautiful and accessible celebration of contemporary art, and a guidebook to navigating and engaging with the art world. Covering a range of different media from photography and ceramics to performance and sound art, the book explores the way art interacts with our society, highlights lesser-known artists, and provides a snapshot of the art world as it is today.With a wealth of imagery - some never before seen in print and some created exclusively for the book - and an informative, engaging narrative, Talk Art will become the must-have book art lovers return to again and again. The book features highlights from interviews with: Tracey Emin, Jordan Casteel, Jerry Saltz, Elton John, Grayson Perry, Ian McKellen, Alasdair McLellan, Helen Cammock, Somaya Critchlow and many more. Praise for the podcast:'Lively, accessible and enthusiastic' - Financial Times'As fast-paced and gossipy as it is genuinely interesting' - Dazed'Trendy, gossipy, fast-paced conversational fun' - New York Times'It's an education, but not in an alienating highbrow way' - NME

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Book SynopsisMaster Carver Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721) is famous for his breathtakingly delicate, intricate and realistic carvings, both in wood and stone. Tantalising cascades of fruit and flowers, puffy-cheeked cherubs, crowds of figures and flourishes of architecture are all trademark features of his energetic, animated carvings that grace stately homes, palaces, churches and colleges across the country. His work can be found in some of Britain’s most beloved buildings, including St Paul’s Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace. From his early work in the Low Countries to his ‘discovery’ by the diarist John Evelyn in London, and his appointment as the king’s Master Carver, this book celebrates Grinling Gibbons’ unequalled talent, his visionary genius, and his ability to transform humble pieces of wood into some of the most exquisite artworks of his day.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Origins and Genius of Grinling Gibbons By Royal Appointment Oxford and Cambridge Chapels, Churches and a Cathedral Country Houses and Stately Homes Latter Days Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE FRANCO-BRITISH SOCIETY LITERARY AWARD 2020'Art is a Tyrant recounts [Bonheur's] life with no little brio.' Michael Prodger, The Times Books of the Year 2020 'A diligently researched, beautifully produced and insistently sympathetic biography.' Kathryn Hughes, GuardianA new biography of the wildly unconventional 19th-century animal painter and gender equality pioneer Rosa Bonheur, from the author of the acclaimed Mistress of Paris and Renoir's Dancer.Rosa Bonheur was the very antithesis of the feminine ideal of 19th-century society. She was educated, she shunned traditional 'womanly' pursuits, she rejected marriage - and she wore trousers. But the society whose rules she spurned accepted her as one of their own, because of her genius for painting animals. She shared an intimate relationship with the eccentric, self-styled inventor Nathalie Micas, who nurtured the artist like a wife. Together Rosa, Nathalie and Nathalie's mother bought a chateau and with Rosa's menagerie of animals the trio became one of the most extraordinary households of the day. Catherine Hewitt's compelling new biography is an inspiring evocation of a life lived against the rules.Trade Review[A] diligently researched, beautifully produced and insistently sympathetic biography. -- Kathryn Hughes, Guardian[A] lively biography of groundbreaking French painter Rosa Bonheur ... Art is a Tyrant is an impressive achievement, situating Bonheur's artistic achievement in the historical context of the Second Empire and Third Republic, and the artistic context of realism. * Spiked *Enthralling ... this biography, written every bit as compellingly as the best of novels, with a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, tells a story just as fantastical. * Art Quarterly *Art is a Tyrant recounts [Bonheur's] life with no little brio. -- Michael Prodger * The Times, Books of the Year, 2020 *In Hewitt's third commanding biography of an overlooked French woman ... she recounts with enriching detail and narrative drive Bonheur's absolute dedication to her work and her independence, vividly establishing the tumultuous social and political contexts in which Bonheur overcame entrenched misogyny and negative views of lesbianism. ... Hewitt's rousing biography will propel a resurgence of appreciation for Bonheur and her achievements. * Booklist, starred review *

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Book SynopsisA wrenching portrait of the Russian sculptor and a tribute to the potential of political artJohn Berger explores the life and work of Ernst Neizvestny, who, after clashing with Khrushchev, was excluded from the ranks of officially approved Soviet artists. Abandoned to obscurity, Neizvestny laboured to realize a monumental and very public vision of art. Exiled to the United States, he finally found recognition, returning to his homeland with the fall of the Berlin Wall.Berger’s account illuminates the very meaning of revolutionary art. In his struggle against official orthodoxy – which brought him into face-to-face conflict with Khrushchev himself – Neizvestny was fight-ing not for a merely personal or aesthetic vision, but for recognition of the social role of art. His sculptures earn a place in the world by reflecting the courage of a whole people, commemorating, in an age of mass suffering, the resistance and endurance of millions.

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Book SynopsisThe English Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775–19 December 1851) was a brilliant landscape artist, a watercolourist and printmaker. His style, powerful and fierce, melding the elements with humankind are thought by many to have prepared the way for Impressionism. In his time he was controversial, but his focus on land and seascapes widened the palette of artists and their audience, and his impressionistic brushwork prepared the way for the fragmentation of the modern era. This wonderful new book brings to life his greatest achievements, with such paintings as The Fighting 'Temeraire’, Inside Tintern Abbey and Rain, Steam and Speed (The Great Western Railway).

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Book Synopsis'One is never over-dressed or under-dressed with a Little Black Dress'Karl LagerfeldNinety years after Vogue dubbed Coco Chanel's simple short black 'Ford' dress 'the frock that all the world will wear', Chloe Fox celebrates the best LBDs in Vogue Essentials: Little Black Dress. From the bold, dramatic designs of Zandra Rhodes to the eye-catching LBDs by Vivienne Westwood, from the pared-down simplicity of Calvin Klein's shift dresses to an asymmetric shoulder evening gown by Versace, Vogue Essentials: Little Black Dress celebrates the very best of the LBD.Published simultaneously with Vogue Essentials: Handbags. This irresistible new series from Conran Octopus and British Vogue explores the key pieces in a stylish woman's wardrobe and features photographs from Vogue's peerless archive of more than a million pictures.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated study that casts a new light on Oiticica's most important work of quasi-cinema on its fortieth anniversary.

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Book SynopsisHow are contemporary artists responding to the climate crisis? Filipa Ramos takes an original approach to the subject by addressing two parallel strands. She looks firstly at pioneering approaches to ecology by key contemporary artists from different generations and cultural backgrounds working in different art media; and she considers the balance between ecology as theme and ecology as practice, underscoring the imperative for both artists and art institutions to adopt responsible environmental positions in their practice. This topical and important book discusses the work of artists who have returned to the land; reviews how questions of shared rights and environmental justice are represented in contemporary artistic practice; highlights the renewed importance of performance and time-based media in ecologically themed art; and looks at artists' and art institutions' complex relationship to environmental action.

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Book SynopsisThis publication is the first to cover the entirety of the multivalent art of Pakistan-born American artist Shahzia Sikander, with a particular focus on her painting. It contextualises her art within her early education in Lahore, move to America in 1993, and then her establishment in the New York art world since 1997. Sikander's work is among the most thought-provoking and ambitious in the contemporary art world. Initially transforming the traditional form of miniature painting, she pioneered what is now recognised as the Neo-Miniature movement, and over the past 20 years has sought to diversify a predominant Eurocentricity in contemporary art. Her paintings, video animations, mosaics and sculptures interweave historical and contemporary ideas about narrative, gender, trade, empire, and diaspora while centring on women's lives. This book considers the scope of Sikander's considerable ambition and achievement.

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Book SynopsisWilliam Morris Textiles was the first comprehensive survey of the many hundreds of original, colourful textiles produced by William Morris and the two commercial companies he founded and managed. To this day it remains the authority in the field, and this revised edition has been completely rewritten and expanded with beautiful new photography. Linda Parry provides new insight into the embroideries, printed and woven textiles, carpets and tapestries produced by Morris & Co., giving in-depth information about their design and manufacture. The varied, often highly specialized processes involved are discussed in detail, as are Morris's working methods.

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Book SynopsisNational Portrait Gallery: The Collection introduces the key people who have shaped the history of Britain, its culture and identity, by exploring essential highlights from the National Portrait Gallery’s unrivalled Collection. National Portrait Gallery: The Collection is published to celebrate the reopening of the Gallery after a three-year redevelopment project. Designed by Daniela Rocha, this engaging and inviting book takes the reader on a chronological journey through Britain’s history in portraiture, from the Tudors to Now, featuring the country’s most impactful and famous individuals, from Queen Elizabeth I to Mary Seacole, and Virginia Woolf to David Bowie. The book is richly illustrated with beautiful paintings, photographs, sculptures, drawings and digital works. Readers will enjoy a selection of the most popular and recognisable portraits from the Collection, accompanied by short chapter introductions that introduce key historical periods, their most exciting figures, and their most important historical, political, social and cultural moments. This accessible structure allows the reader to dip into any of the beautiful portraits and their stories, and understand their place in British history. An Introduction by Director Dr. Nicholas Cullinan will highlight why portraiture has been fundamental to people and society historically, but also to contemporary audiences, by exploring themes of culture, identity and the representation of diversity. This will also introduce readers to the nation’s newly-reopened National Portrait Gallery, explaining how it came to be the nation’s home of portraits and the world’s most significant Collection of people.Table of ContentsIntroduction15001600170018001900–19501950–20002000Index of sitters and artistsPicture Credits

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