The arts: general topics Books

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Book SynopsisThe Collins Gem series is being relaunched in Spring 2004 and this new title features a new internal design and a strong new cover design. Packed full of tips for the aspiring watercolourist, its handy format makes it ideal for quick reference either in the studio or out in the field.Contents include:essential tips on all the basic watercolour techniques, plus helpful advice on sketching and drawingguidelines on painting skies, backgrounds, foregrounds, the main subject, trees, details and shadowsclear and straightforward step-by-step instructions for painting a complete landscape in 7 easy stagestips on painting water in various forms and adding people to a paintingTable of ContentsPractical tips and techniques to get you started in watercolour Easy-to-follow step-by-step exercises throughout Tips on painting skies, trees, water, figures, buildings and landscapes

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Book SynopsisThe world''s most famous gay icons share everything you need to know about life in this bright and lively illustrated book of pithy preambles and indispensable quotes from Liza to Lil Nas X.If life had its own GPS system, navigating it would be a far less stressful slog. Alas, we suffer this pothole-filled dirt road alone… guideless. Thankfully, there’s one thing more knowledgeable and dependable than a GPS, and that’s a Gay Icon! From Beyonce to Betty White, and RuPaul to David Bowie, no one understands the highs and lows, loves and losses quite like a gay icon. Featuring inspiring and entertaining quotes and dynamic illustrations of the icons who said them, you''ll find these musings priceless, refreshing, and relatable... even if they''re coming from Oscar-winners, music legends, and fashion royalty. MORE THAN 70 ICONS are featured in this all-star collection of quotes and illustrations, including Judy Garland, Madonna, Cher

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Book Synopsis'A brave writer whose books open up fundamental questions about life and art' – TelegraphIn this inspiring collection of essays, acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing makes a vivid and politically-engaged case for the importance of art – especially in the turbulent weather of the twenty-first century.We are often told art can’t change anything. In Funny Weather, Laing argues that it can. It changes how we see the world, it exposes inequality, and it offers fertile new ways of living.Across a diverse selection of essays, Laing profiles Jean-Michel Basquiat and Georgia O’Keeffe, interviews Hilary Mantel and Ali Smith, writes love letters to David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and explores loneliness and technology, women and alcohol, sex and the body. Written with originality and compassion, Funny Weather is a celebration of art as a force of resistance and repair – and as an antidote to a frightening political moment.Trade ReviewA brave writer whose books open up fundamental questions about life and art * Telegraph *Olivia Laing is my new favourite non-fiction writer -- Nick HornbyLike all great critics, Olivia Laing combines formidable intelligence with boundless curiosity and fabulous taste, but she also has a rare quality of intimacy; an ability to connect the reader to a work of art or literature with a directness that lights it up like nothing else. It’s why I read her -- James LasdunHer observations and poetic incisiveness on art, writers and politics are a gift. This is a fascinating, excursive, tonic of a book -- Sinéad Gleeson, author of ConstellationsA thought-provoking, inspiring collection that you can go back to whenever the weather takes a funny turn * Evening Standard *Funny Weather gives the reader a tangible sense of the sprawling garden of work which Laing has planted. She is to the art world what David Attenborough is to nature: a worthy guide with both a macro and micro vision, fluent in her chosen tongue and always full of empathy and awe * Irish Times *Laing has acted as a kind of cultural sage for the past four years, an accidental literary grande dame of the emotional havoc wrought by late capitalism and digital disconnect * New York Magazine *Laing writes of her creative subjects in a winning, passionate voice that proves both soothing and galvanizing, especially amid a panic . . . It’s not just art we need in an emergency, but writers, like Laing, who gently guide our eyes to what’s out there -- Alina Cohen * Observer *The hospitality of world view in Olivia’s writing is a vital force in our disputatious present -- Maria Balshaw, director of TateLaing combines passion and curiosity in a collection of art-based essays and profiles that reflect the uncertainty of our age * Guardian *Never has a publication been more timely * Dazed *A warm, thinking, enticing sweep of a book, like spending the afternoon with your brainiest friend -- Kate Mosse, author of The Burning ChambersA fine writer’s embrace of the artists who preceded her, friendly visits with their lives and loving acknowledgement of their foundational contributions. A work of joy in recognition -- Sarah SchulmanThe book to help you make sense of the world . . . [a] mesmerizing collection of essays . . . this unique and compassionate book is a mind-expanding opportunity to rethink how we live, and what we can do to change things for the better. * Stylist *A light-footed tour of enriching stories, lives, and ideas * Dazed and Confused *Her gift as a critic is her ability to imaginatively sympathize with her subjects in a way that allows the art and life of the artist to go on radiating meaning after the book is closed * Elle *Breathtaking, beautiful, funny, shocking, sad, revealing, and timely -- Nina Stibbe, author of Love, NinaI yield to absolutely no one in my admiration of Olivia Laing; her essays are magical liberations of words and ideas, art and love; they're the essence of great 21st century literature: brilliantly expressed, wildly uncontained, wilful and wonderfully unbound. -- Philip Hoare, author of RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAROlivia Laing shines the light for art writing. Funny Weather urges us to humanise art, and listen to what artists say about life, love and crisis. -- Charlie PorterAn incivisive meditation on the value of heartfelt, messy art in our paranoid times * Telegraph *It’s not just art we need in an emergency, but writers, like Laing, who gently guide our eyes to what’s out there * Observer *Vibrant commentary on art and society by a writer with a sharp eye for the offbeat * Kirkus *Laing’s essays are urgent, compassionate, enlivening and acutely perceptive, and that’s true whether or not we encounter them “in an emergency” * the arts desk *Her words seem balefully accurate, given what has now overtaken us * Financial Times *Laing is an intelligent and acute writer, and this book is certainly interesting and assuredly well-written * Scotsman *Laing’s arts writing is sharp-minded, and her manner is generous toward both subject and reader * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisThis book of 20 postcards showcases whimsical, feline portraits. These cool cats are outfitted in fashionable clothing and accessories. Each kitty is striking a pose against a backdrop of colorful wallpaper or a quaint city scene. Flip through the postcard book to find your favorite tabby being a fashionista.

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023BARNES & NOBLE''S BEST SCIENCE & NATURE BOOKS OF 2023The arts can deliver potent, accessible and proven solutions for the wellbeing of everyone. In this book, Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. This can be anything from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture and more - no matter your skill level. Your Brain on Art is an authoritative guide to how neuroaesthetics can help us transform traditional healing, build healthier communities and mend an aching planet.

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Book SynopsisWhat Makes Great Art showcases a selection of 80 outstanding paintings and sculptures from around the world and throughout time, assessing just what it is that makes them so great.

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Book SynopsisThis irresistible chunky box of postcards features a vibrant selection of 100 different oversized colour chips from Pantone, the world colour authority.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times Bestseller "I wish I had read these rules forty years ago and carried them around like a bible. By chance or design I've followed most of them at some point but it took me a lifetime as an artist to find what worked. They are the generous, loving, enthusiastic, bullshit-free advice of a master communicator, just reading them makes me want to charge back into the studio" - Grayson Perry"Being an artist is a lonely pursuit - twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for the rest of your life. Most of the time it hurts. This book will help the pain" - Tracey EminOne of Elizabeth Gilbert's 2020 Quarantine Book Recommendations"Joy is palpable in these pages. We need such thinking right now" - Apollo MagazineAs the witty and passionate chief art critic for New York magazine, Jerry Saltz is often approached by artists, both amateur and professional, asking him for advice: How do I get started? How do I get better? Is what I'm doing even art at all? They want to know, in short, how to be an artist. Now, expanding on his viral cover story for New York magazine - and drawing on his decades of immersion in the art world - Saltz has the answers. How to Be An Artist is an indispensable book of practical inspiration for creative people of all kinds. Brimming with dozens of brand new rules, prompts, exercises, and tips designed to break through creative blocks, ignite motivation, and conquer bad habits, this book is designed to help artists of all kinds - painters, photographers, writers, performers - realize their dreams. Includes such advice as:- Make art for now, not the future- No, you don't need graduate school- Recognize convention, and resist constraint- Get lost- Listen to the wildest voices in your head- Know what you hate (it's probably you)- Finish the damn thing!- How to recover from critical injuriesTrade ReviewInspiration leaps off the pages from Jerry Saltz's new book on creativity. One wants to say he's revealing secrets, but really, he's revealing intuition - intuition formed from decades of thinking about art. This book is for the artist or non-artist, for the person who gets plain English, for the person who understands that practical talk can coax out the mystical messages that lie underneath - Steve MartinIn How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz is so right-on it scares me - Cindy ShermanJerry is an impassioned lover of all art and all artists, heartbroken when they're not good and joyous when they are. You don't read so much as bathe in his prose, turbulent but clear, emerging each time as hopeful as this morning - Peter SchjeldahlAn inspiring guide to making your art, putting it out into the world, and dealing with the consequences. I found a lot to steal here, and you will too - Austin KleonWhat is an artist? If most things make you bored or sad, but creating things makes you feel better, that's a sign that Fate is ushering you over to a tiny, rickety chair with a sign overhead that says, Hey, you. You might be an artist. The challenge then is, how to be a better artist. And Jerry Saltz is right: The truest answer is work. Practice. Make mistakes. Tear it up. Do it again. Get better. Keep going - Roz ChastI am so blown away by the astonishing simplicity of what Jerry Saltz succeeds at - the act of naming what it means to be an artist. The way he hands away the keys, offering these tips to anyone, is an inspiring move, because it takes the tools of the literal masters and offers them to whoever wants them. Any reader would be lucky to escape their self-doubt to indulge in this straightforward, funny, and delightful guide - Jill SolowayAh! How to Be An Artist is such a fun and juicy read for artists of all kinds. 'Artists are cats,' he says - such a simple but brilliant description of the artist's relationship to the world. I read this and thought, I guess I am a real artist! - Kim Gordon, Sonic YouthI was so moved by Jerry Saltz's incredible new book, How to Be An Artist...Deep and beautiful insights into how humans create - Amy Sedaris

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Book SynopsisDrawing on his own experiences and inspirations - from staging his first exhibition in his tiny Zurich kitchen in 1986 to encounters with artists, exhibition makers and thinkers - Hans Ulrich Obrist looks to inspire all those engaged in the creation of culture. Moving from meetings with artists to the creation of the first public museums in the 18th century, recounting the practice of inspirational figures such as Diaghilev, skipping between exhibitions, continents and centuries, Ways of Curating argues that curation is far from a static practice. Driven by curiosity, at its best it allows us to create the future.Trade ReviewOne of the most colourful figures in the artworld today . . . Hans Ulrich Obrist [is] not so much a curator as a human whirlwind * Guardian *An engaging and erudite work that argues persuasively for the continued relevance of curating for the arts and wider society. His book is about the curator's role as a maker of exhibitions, a task that involves tracing hidden connections between artworks and forging untrammelled routes across culture in search of new ways of experiencing art; new ways of looking at the world around us. If that sounds like an impossibly romantic definition it's because this is an unapologetically personal account of the profession's development -- Ekow Eshun * Independent *The sheer energy [Obrist] has brought to working with artists themselves is the abiding impression of Ways of Curating -- Brian Dillon * Literary Review *This is a highly intelligent, thoughtful and thought-provoking book. Obrist emerges as both scholarly and energetically engaged with the proliferation of ideas in modern culture today * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisDiscusses works by great painters such as Delacroix and Ingres. This title features writings on Poe, Flaubert and Gautier.Table of ContentsThe Salon of 1845 (extracts); the Salon of 1846 (extracts); of virtuous plays and novels; the universal exhibition of 1855 - the fine arts (extracts); of the essence of laughter, and generally of the comic in the plastic arts; Edgar Allan Poe, his life and works; further notes on Edgar Poe; some French caricaturists; "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert; Theophile Gautier; the Salon of 1859 (extracts); Richard Wagner and "Tannhauser" in Paris; the life and work of Eugene Delacroix; the painter and modern life.

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Book Synopsis"The Colour Bible is one to return to again and again." - Elephant"This definitive guide...will no doubt inform many future colour choices." - House & Garden An essential source for graphic designers, artists, interior designers, fashion designers, illustrators and creatives of any kind who work with colour.Colour is intrinsic to the human experience; it guides us with subconscious visual cues throughout our lives. Get it right in your design or art and you can enhance mood and atmosphere, and create a desired psychological or even physiological effect. The Colour Bible is a contemporary handbook for navigating this fascinating world of colour. It dives into 100 profiles of significant colours and tracks them through their genesis, historical usage in art and design, and contemporary connotations and uses. - A potted history of each colour- Key colour associations from around the world- Contemporary connotations and brand design- Practical advice on how to use and combine colours in your work

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Book SynopsisA diverse selection of contemporary ceramic work by Japanese women, featuring stunning pieces from virtuosic artists

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Book SynopsisTo explore the Tarot is to explore ourselves, to be reminded of the universality of our longing for meaning, for purpose and for a connection to the divine. This 600-year-old tradition reflects not only a history of seekers, but our journey of artistic expression and the ways we communicate our collective human story. For many in the West, Tarot exists in the shadow place of our cultural consciousness, a metaphysical tradition assigned to the dusty glass cabinets of the arcane. Its history, long and obscure, has been passed down through secret writing, oral tradition, and the scholarly tomes of philosophers and sages. Hundreds of years and hundreds of creative hands—mystics and artists often working in collaboration—have transformed what was essentially a parlor game into a source of divination and system of self-exploration, as each new generation has sought to evolve the form and reinterpret the medium. Author Jessica Hundley traces this fascinating history in Tarot, the debut volume in TASCHEN’s Library of Esoterica series. The book explores the symbolic meaning behind more than 500 cards and works of original art, two thirds of which have never been published outside of the decks themselves. It's the first ever visual compendium of its kind, spanning from Medieval to modern, and artfully arranged according to the sequencing of the 78 cards of the Major and Minor Arcana. It explores the powerful influence of Tarot as muse to artists like Salvador Dalí and Niki de Saint Phalle and includes the decks of nearly 100 diverse contemporary artists from around the world, all of whom have embraced the medium for its capacity to push cultural identity forward. Rounding out the volume are excerpts from thinkers such as Éliphas Lévi, Carl Jung, and Joseph Campbell; a foreword by artist Penny Slinger; a guide to reading the cards by Johannes Fiebig; and an essay on oracle decks by Marcella Kroll.Trade Review“The ‘Library of Esoterica’ acts as a bridge between the dark halls of history and the vast data at our fingertips.” * Los Angeles Times *“Spiritual or not, it’s a beauty for the coffee table.” * gq-magazine.co.uk *“An exceptional selection of artist card images.” * ft.com *“For those fascinated with the occult, but wary of dabbling, this gorgeous art book on tarot may be the answer.” * thetimes.co.uk *“This book reminds us of our eternal and universal search for meaning, purpose, and the divine.” * itsnicethat.com *“Even skeptics can appreciate the artistry that’s gone into these artifacts.” * mentalfloss.com *“Jessica Hundley traces the fascinating history behind the occult tradition of tarot, which has served as a source of artistic expression and self-exploration for over 600 years.” * dazeddigital.com *“Combining historical timelines, scholarly insight, philosophical readings and an in-depth dissection of the symbolism of each card, it provides a crash course in cartomancy.” * Elephant *“This wonderful volume weds erudition and killer visuals – it’s a beautifully illustrated and completely fascinating study of tarot.” * Tatler *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE''Irreverent, provocative and funny'' Dazed''This book might change the way you look at art, or change the way you feel it'' Daisy Hildyard''A full-throated defence of the inherent value of making, experiencing and talking about art'' Frieze''Let me stay there, let me paint. Let me go to bed when the sun comes up. I don''t want life to sharpen me.''Why make art? Faced with a capitalist system that has turned art into artwork and creative expression into cut-throat competition, why do so many artists try anyway?In this eye-opening journey through the bizarre world of contemporary art, criticism duo The White Pube tell the story of art like never before. Poor Artists follows aspiring artist Quest Talukdar through childhood obsessions, art school lessons and her professional debut. In surreal encounters with other artists, Quest learns profound truths about money and power, and must decide whether she cares more about success or staying true to herself.Blending imaginative storytelling with dialogue from anonymized interviews with real people in the art world who have all had to wrestle with the same decisions including a Turner Prize winner or two, a few ghosts, a Venice Biennale fraudster and a communist messiah Poor Artists is a powerful testimony to the emotional, existential and financial experience of artists today.

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Book SynopsisImprove your skills and techniques for drawing mammals! This small, portable book presents more than 500 drawings for 100 species of mammals, collected into categories of habitat land, water, and air. In this book, artist and teacher Michel Lauricella defines the anatomical characteristics that are common to this class of animals (to which humans also belong) and demonstrates the links between form and function for mammals based on their behaviors, such as burrowing, walking, running, leaping, climbing, flying, and swimming. The instruction and drawings in this book offers profound insights for artists of all kinds, helping you in both your observational drawing of mammals and your creation of imaginary animals so that they will appear realistic and believable. Geared toward artists of all levels, from beginners through professionals, this handy, pocket-sized book will help spark your imagination and creativity. Publisher's Note: This book features an exposed binding style. This is intentional, as it is designed to help the book lay flat as you draw.)

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Book SynopsisThe first-ever visual expansion of Wernerâs Nomenclature of Colours, featuring over 800 illustration references from the natural world.Trade Review'Patrick Baty shares the beauty of our world through a rich and diverse palette' - .Cent'This new version of Syme’s book provides new examples for each hue the artist described but it also lays bare how endless is the project of classifying colour' - The Age'Fascinating, lavishly illustrated … the essays by four leading experts are both informative and accessible … a very enjoyable read' - House & Garden'Utterly beguiling' - Apollo'Like a beautiful antique cabinet of curiosities … a delight to delve into … An evocative exploration of all the shades of the natural world' - The Simple Things'This is a beautiful book, a fascinating object in itself' - Amateur PhotographerTable of ContentsIntroduction The Origination, Purpose and Development of Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours by Patrick Baty • i. Whites, Greys and Blacks • 1. Werner’s Mineralogical System and how his Nomenclature of Colours Became Syme’s Colour Standard by Peter Davidson • ii. Blues and Purples • 2. Colours in Zoology: Subjective or Systematic? by Elaine Charwat • iii. Greens • 3. Syme’s Colour Chart in Botany: Origin and Impact by Giulia Simonini • iv. Yellows and Oranges • 4. One for All? Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours as a General Standard of Colour and its Particular Use in Medicine by André Karliczek • v. Reds and Browns

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Book SynopsisAn epic coming-to-America success story, this is the autobiography of Pakistani-born American artist Jamali who originated Mystical Expressionism and whose mission is to bring peace to the world through art.In this heavily illustrated memoir the reader is treated to an epic saga covering seven decades and three continents about an artist's dream for a more peaceful world. The eldest son of a prominent family living in the foothills of the Himalayas, Jamali experienced the horrors of war through the Indian Partition, which led him to pursue a life of peace through art on a prolific scale producing more than 40,000 original works to date. The complex surfaces and mystical imagery found in Jamali's paintings have been compared to the neo-expressionists Anselm Kiefer and Georg Baselitz. His gestural techniques link him to Jackson Pollock and the New York School. But the pre-eminent art critic Donald Kuspit observed that Jamali's singular method required its own name--MysticaTrade Review"With the release of his long-awaited autobiography artist, Jamali brings us a formidable, life-affirming narrative that begins in the deserts of Northern Pakistan. The pursuit of this mission, to bring the world Art and Peace, led him to a solitary life and a set of 40 prophetic, life-changing dreams that defined his future path. He founded Mystical Expressionism, the 6th major style of art in history. We follow Jamali as the survives numerous brushes with death, and a literal firing squad, and ultimately finds his way to Europe and America, only to encounter new walls of racism and rejection." —ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS

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Book SynopsisThe first complete monograph and retrospective on the sixty-year career of Frank Stewart, photographer of an astonishing range of intimate and empathetic images of Black life, music, and culture.Frank Stewart’s Nexus presents an overview of the career of this noted photographer, who since the 1960s has captured spontaneous and sensitive portrayals of African American culture in many forms, including art, food, dance, and music—especially jazz. Best known for his work as senior photographer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Stewart produced energetic street scenes and profound landscapes on his worldwide travels with the orchestra. The intimate and subtle relations between and among people are at the heart of Stewart’s art, whether shot at a Manhattan jazz concert, in the studio of artist Romare Bearden, or during a sacred rite in an African village. This sweeping survey of 103 images, with an artist interview and texts by multiple critical voices, illuTrade Review"At 14, Frank Stewart borrowed a camera from his mother and shot the 1963 March on Washington. He has been documenting American life, with a focus on the Black experience, ever since. This retrospective collects more than 100 of his photographs taken over six decades, including the 30 years he worked as the lead photographer for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra." —Lauren Messman, with the New York Times

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Book SynopsisBuilding on the foundation established with the first book in the series, Framed Perspective 2 guides artists through the challenging tasks of projecting shadows in proper perspective on a variety of environments and working with characters in perspective set in particular situation or setting. Author and artist Marcos Mateu-Mestre reveals the many techniques and mechanics he has used to become proficient in such endeavors, including using anatomy, shadows, and clothing folds to define the shape and volume of characters within an environment. He also shares how to effectively observe a model or object to extract the right amount of information to then translate it into an impactful graphic and visual image, the goal of every visual storyteller.

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