Search results for ""Thames Hudson Ltd""

One Christmas Eve, Prince Sanruddin Aga Khan gave to his wife a magnificent jeweled box made by Cartier in the 1930s. So began the making of perhaps the most remarkable jewelry collection of a remarkable era for jewelry – and for French jewelry in particular. In the 1920s and 1930s, smoky night clubs, cocktails, a new acceptance of make up beyond the boudoir, décor for smart apartments and dinner tables, provided a new landscape for the designs of the great jewelry houses of Europe, with Paris as the superstar of cities. The gloom of war was replaced either by an explosion of coloured gemstones and enamel, with bold colour codes of blue, green and orange, or by the simplicity of black, white and gold as risqué black became newly chic. Zen rock gardens, Chinese dragons, Persian birds, Japanese plum blossom or Tutankhamun motifs provided the richest source of global influences in a triumph of hedonistic creativity. How this new world developed, the tastes and skills of its decorative shapers – above all, Cartier – the process of design and making, the rules of feminine elegance are explored by expert authors, with detailed descriptions of over 100 objects by Sarah Davis accompanying them, in a parade of the finest from the single most popular era for all those interested in jewelry and the decorative arts.

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Included in Electronic Sound magazine’s Books of the Year Round UpThis spectacular volume is a compendium of beautiful recording and playback equipment and at the same time an engaging, comprehensive history of sound recording. Organized chronologically, it showcases specially commissioned photography of the beautiful, iconic and rarely seen objects contained within the diverse collections of the EMI Archive Trust. Recording equipment, playback devices, catalogues, artist files, records, master tapes, radios and televisions are all here, accompanied by detailed specifications and intriguing archival photographs. Interspersed with the timeline and images are in-depth articles that tell the complete stories of the pioneering advances in the evolution of sound technology, from the invention of the ‘Gramophone’ method to the development of electronic signal amplifiers, and from the arrival of magnetic tape recording to the advent of CDs and the dawn of the digital age. It is sure to prove irresistible to music geeks and design lovers alike.

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Commissioned in 1750, the Palazzo Venier was planned as a testimony to the power and wealth of a great Venetian family, but the fortunes of the Venier family waned and the project was abandoned with only one storey complete. Empty, unfinished, and in a gradual state of decay, the building was considered an eyesore. Yet in the early 20th century the Unfinished Palazzo’s quality of fairytale abandonment, and its potential for transformation, were to attract and inspire three fascinating women at key moments in their lives: Luisa Casati, Doris Castlerosse and Peggy Guggenheim. Each chose the Palazzo Venier as the stage on which to build her own world of art and imagination, surrounded by an amazing supporting cast, from d’Annunzio and Nijinsky, via Noel Coward and Cecil Beaton, to Yoko Ono. Luisa turned her home into an aesthete’s fantasy where she hosted parties as extravagant and decadent as Renaissance court operas – spending small fortunes on her own costumes in her quest to become a ‘living work of art’ and muse to the artists of the late belle époque and early modernist eras. Doris strove to make her mark in London and Venice during the glamorous, hedonistic interwar years, hosting film stars and royalty at glittering parties. In the postwar years, Peggy turned the Palazzo into a model of modernist simplicity that served as a home for her exquisite collection of modern art that today draws tourists and art-lovers from around the world. Mackrell tells each life story vividly in turn, weaving an intricate history of these legendary characters and the Unfinished Palazzo that they all at different times called home.

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Over the past 40 years, Lois Greenfield has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished and respected photographers of human motion. Her images of dancers in mid-flight or mid-movement are astonishingly beautiful and capture the magic of dance in a unique way. In the 17 years since her last book was published, Greenfield has moved into digital colour photography, and some 150 of these breathtaking images are reproduced in Moving Still. They reflect her collaboration with leading contemporary dancers, many of whom perform with international touring companies. The book reunites Greenfield with the distinguished writer and curator William A. Ewing, her enduring champion across the decades and author of her two previous monographs, who provides an illuminating introduction as well as an interview with the photographer about her recent work. The extended captions by Greenfield provide fascinating insights into the creative process. Divided into four picture sections, the free-flowing, rhythmic design of the book does justice to the majestic beauty of Greenfield’s photographs.

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There is no other designer quite like Anouska Hempel, and this volume is both a celebration of her achievement and an intimate insight into it. Here is a designer whose vision and creative flair know no bounds, whose interiors and landscapes are truly incomparable. The book is divided into thirteen chapters, each highlighting one of her many stunning achievements. There is Beluga , Hempel’s own opulent yacht, masquerading as a black-sailed pirate ship; the luxurious interiors and perfectly manicured gardens of Cole Park, the quintessential English country house; the clean lines of the Grosvenor House Apartments in Mayfair; and more. With over 400 stunning colour photographs of interiors, architecture and gardens, this beautiful volume is itself a masterwork of art, a joy for lovers of distinctive design and an essential reference for design professionals.

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Fifty-six Irish writers have contributed new short stories, essays and poems to this anthology inspired by art from the National Gallery of Ireland collection. It includes work by acclaimed figures in contemporary Irish literature such as Colm Tóibín, John Banville, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann and Seamus Heaney. Each of the writers has selected a picture and used it as a setting-off point to explore ideas about art, love, loss, family, dreams, memory, places and privacy. Both the artworks and the literary responses to them are vibrantly diverse. The works range from paintings by old masters such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, El Greco and Velázquez to pictures by Claude Monet, Pierre Bonnard and Gabrielle Münter, and by Irish artists such as Jack B. Yeats, John Lavery, Gerard Dillon and Paul Henry. Published to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Gallery of Ireland, this beautifully illustrated book is edited by Janet McLean, Curator of European Art 1850-1950 at the NGI.

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William Helburn was the go-to photographer for many of the top advertising agencies in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. Shock value and an unrelenting hunger for success helped Helburn to a pioneer’s share in the revolutionary era of advertising and his work would also appear on the editorial pages and covers of major magazines. As well as cars and cosmetics, Helburn shot Coca-Cola, Canada Dry, whiskies, clothing lines, airlines, jewelry, cigars and cigarettes. He worked with the top models of the day, from Dovima and Dorian Leigh to Jean Patchett and Barbara Mullen, to Jean Shrimpton and Lauren Hutton. William Helburn: Seventh and Madison is the first book to survey Helburn’s work. It gives readers a delicious taste of the vivid reality that the television series Mad Men seeks to evoke. Most of these images have not been seen since they were first published decades ago. In addition to the photographs, Robert Lilly contributes a biographical account of Helburn’s life and work, and former colleagues Jerry Schatzberg, George Lois, Sunny Griffin and Ali McGraw offer insights into the lusty, creative spirit of William Helburn.

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Industrial-style furniture is in fashion – bistro tables and chairs, lockers, mail sorting racks and jointed lamps are all common elements in today’s interior design. In this book, Brigitte Durieux, an authority on the style, tells us the story behind fifty European and American objects that have made the surprising transition from factories to our livings rooms and become cult furniture. Featuring more than 250 images, Industrial Chic is a beautifully illustrated showcase that reveals the incredible reach, versatility and long-lasting appeal of industrial design. The remarkable histories of these distinguished objects – including the Gras lamp, the Singer stool, the Holophane reflector, the Brillié clock and more – accompany brilliant photographs by Laziz Hamani.

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Living Modern is the ultimate interiors sourcebook for stylish, design-conscious contemporary living. Understanding ‘modern’ more as lifestyle than as style, it is all about clean lines, elegant colour combinations, artfully displaying design objects and open areas for lounging, cooking and dining. Featuring modern interiors from around the world, and shots by renowned photogapher Richard Powers, the book includes a comprehensive index of designers and architects, along with a directory of stockists for those wishing to recreate these spectacular spaces.

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Published to accompany the Smithsonian Institution’s major exhibition, this book features more than sixty exceptional objects that large embassies, diplomatic missions and trade delegations from Ottoman Turkey and Safavid Iran offered to the tsars of Russia. Ranging in date from the early sixteenth to the late seventeenth century, these lavish gifts and tributes include rarely seen arms and armour and jeweled ceremonial vessels and regalia intended for the Russian court or the Orthodox church. Some of the finest pieces are equestrian in nature: stirrups with pearls, golden bridles with turquoises and rubies, and saddles covered with velvet and silk. This book explores the reasons why these extraordinary gifts were presented, their artistic and cultural impact, and how they inspired artists to develop a highly original visual identity that became a potent symbol for the Russian state and the Orthodox church.

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This is the indispensible, inspirational and practical guide to being resourceful by design in your home. Save money, save the planet and stay ahead in the style stakes: if there’s something going spare, there’s a use for it somewhere. With a wealth of tricks and tips, design examples from leading luminaries such as Jasper Morrison and Marcel Waanders, and step-by-step projects you can try around the house, Remake It: Home provides design inspiration and practical ‘know how’ in equal measure. Smart, savvy, entertaining and fully illustrated throughout, this book will show you how to make the most of the things you already have – in style.

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This stunningly illustrated book introduces for the first time the beauty of theatre puppets from all major Asian traditions, taking the reader on an inspiring journey through hundreds of years of craftsmanship and creativity in nearly 350 glorious photographs. Asian Theatre Puppets will have immense appeal both to audiences with an interest in the Asian arts, as well as to the general reader, as it opens up a whole realm of artistic expression that has hitherto been largely unknown in the West.

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The star pieces from fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's art collection – including works by Cézanne, Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse – have been unveiled in the Grand Palais, Paris, ahead of what auctioneers have dubbed the art ‘sale of the century.’Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé amassed the collection together before the designer’s death in June 2008. The works, which had adorned the pair’s Paris flats, the Chateau Gabriel in Normandy and their home in Morocco, include antiquities, Old Master and 19th-century paintings and drawings, Art Deco pieces and European furniture and art. Now Pierre Bergé has decided to sell the entire collection. It’s the end of an era and the sale has already excited enormous interest and speculation. This book shows, for the first time, the collection in situ in the pair’s homes. Although some pieces have been photographed separately in the past, they have never been photographed together, making this beautifully produced book the ultimate record of one of the 20th century’s great collections.

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The jewel-like watercolours of renowned Irish botanical artist Wendy Walsh portray a personal selection of about 100 plants that grow wild in Ireland or are cultivated in Irish gardens. Presented in 33 thematic sections,Walsh’s subjects range from well-loved and distinctive native plants to exotic species introduced from the New World and Asia, unusual plants that grow in some of the most extreme environments in Ireland, and striking hybrids created by plant breeders. Lively and accessible horticultural descriptions by distinguished botanist E. Charles Nelson accompany the paintings, celebrating the story of each plant along with its natural beauty. The great gardens, famous plantsmen, fascinating journeys and natural phenomena that have shaped the flora of Ireland spring to life in Dr Nelson’s engaging text. This elegant and unconventional guide will kindle the imagination of any plant lover or admirer of the Irish landscape.

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Nikos Stangos was a popular and highly influential figure in the cultural life of London until his death in 2004. As an editor at Thames & Hudson, he was responsible for many acclaimed books, and he worked with some of the bestknown artists and art historians of the day. He was also an accomplished poet, composing verse in both English and his native Greek. His poems, while rooted in the specifics of his life, deal with broad philosophical issues: the nature of beauty, love, art and reason. All the works in this posthumous volume are published for the first time here, accompanied by illustrations from some of the artists who knew and loved Stangos. Their works, and those of all the contributors to this unique book, stand as a testament to the esteem in which Stangos was held, and as a tribute to his enduring memory.

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The first book to explore the life and times of Chinese artist, businesswoman, socialite and style expert ‘Madame Song’, whose life was spent in the company of a Who’s Who of Cold War China and which paralleled the highs and lows of the country’s history. The extraordinary life story of Song Huai-Kuei, better known as Madame Song, follows the arc of 20th-century history. Artist, entrepreneur and impresario, Song broke cultural barriers for love, transcended Cold War borders for her art, and laid the foundations for a global fashion industry. With her cosmopolitan outlook, she defined an influential vision for Chinese culture on the world stage and asserted an Asian perspective in 21st-century art and design. Madame Song is a name that everyone interested in the roots of contemporary visual culture needs to know. At the heart of this volume is a critical biography that explores Song’s youth in revolutionary China, her cross-cultural marriage to Bulgarian fibre artist Maryn Varbanov, her success within avant-garde circles in Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War, and finally her efforts within China to revive traditional aesthetics in tandem with the explosive rise of global couture. Throughout her life, she cultivated an aspirational image of what a modern Chinese woman could be within a changing and opening world. A consummate networker, Song built bridges between people, disciplines and business interests, often in the elegant surroundings of Maxim’s de Paris, Beijing, the restaurant she famously helped to open. In tracking the highs and lows of the massive social changes that occurred throughout her lifetime, Madame Song’s exceptional life serves as a fascinating lens through which to view 20th-century China.

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A guide to the best of the collections at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. With flagship architecture by I. M. Pei, an interior designed by J.-M. Wilmotte, and one of the world’s finest collections of its type, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, is a dazzling showcase of the artistic achievements of the Islamic world. The collection represents the highest expression of artistic culture, covering lands from Spain to Central Asia and India, and ranging in date from the early Islamic period to the nineteenth century, including metalwork, miniatures, carpets, calligraphy and ceramics. Published to coincide with the re-opening of the museum galleries, this guide brilliantly conveys the quality and significance of the Museum of Islamic Art collection, presenting key objects with explanatory texts from the museum curatorial team.

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A facsimile edition of the classic High Street, which pairs the timeless illustrations of Eric Ravilious with a fascinating text by architectural historian J. M. Richards. First published in 1938, this charming book introduces the British high street. Shops include the family butcher, the cheesemonger, the baker and confectioner and the oyster bar, as well as specialized establishments such as the plumassier, the clerical outfitter and the submarine engineer. Only 2,000 copies of the original book were printed before the lithographic plates were destroyed in the London Blitz. As a result, it has become one of the most collectible of all artists’ books from this period. This beautiful facsimile edition features all 24 of Ravilious’s colour illustrations, and includes an essay by Gill Saunders, Senior Curator of Prints at the Victoria and Albert Museum, that sets the book in its historical context.

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Troy is familiar to us from the timeless and epic tales of Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. These have been retold over the centuries by writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare to Madeline Miller and Rick Riordan, and enacted by stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brad Pitt. But how much do we really know about the city of Troy; its storytellers, myth, actual location or legacy? In this richly illustrated book, the story of Troy is told through a new lens. Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, it introduces the storytellers and Classical artists inspired by the myths of Troy, then examines the tales themselves – from the Judgment of Paris to the return of Odysseus – through the Classical objects for which the museum is internationally known. The third section focuses on Heinrich Schliemann’s excavations at Hissarlik, introducing the nineteenth-century search for the location of Troy that convinced the world that this city did once exist. Also explored is the possible Bronze Age background for the myth of the Trojan War, the historicity of which remains unresolved today. The final section delves into the legacy of Troy, and the different ways in which its story has been retold, both in literature and art, from Homer to the present day. Focusing on the major characters – Helen of Troy, Achilles and Hector, Aeneas and Odysseus – it illustrates how artists from Cranach and Rubens to Romare Bearden and Cy Twombly have been inspired by this archetypal tale to reflect on contemporary themes of war and heroism, love and beauty.

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William Morris’s interests were wide-ranging: he was a poet, writer, political and social activist, conservationist and businessman, as well as a brilliant and original designer and manufacturer. This book explores the balance between Morris’s various spheres of activity and influence, places his art in the context of its time and explores his ongoing and far-reaching legacy. A pioneer of the Arts & Crafts Movement, William Morris (1834–1896) is one of the most influential designers of all time. Morris turned the tide of Victorian England against an increasingly industrialized manufacturing process towards a rediscovered respect for the skill of the maker. Morris’s whole approach still resonates today, and his designs are popular and much admired. Published to mark the 125th anniversary of Morris’s death, this book includes contributions from a wide range of Morris experts, with chapters on painting, church decoration and stained glass, interior decoration, furniture, tiles and tableware, wallpaper, textiles, calligraphy and publishing. Additional materials include a contextualized chronology of Morris’s life and a list of public collections around the world where examples of Morris’s work may be seen today. This study is a comprehensive, fully illustrated exploration of a great thinker and artist, and essential reading for anyone interested in the history of design.With 668 illustrations in colour A Crafts Council Best Craft Book of the Year

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Everywhere in the world, tiles add colour and decoration to the façades and interiors of buildings. Both functional and decorative, and found in a multitude of shapes, sizes and designs – ranging from complex geometrical Islamic patterns to figurative 17th-century Delftware – they are among the most varied ceramic products. This striking book gathers together a diverse collection of ceramic tiles, and explores their rich history, purpose and decorative qualities. An introduction traces the little-known history of tiles, from their earliest mass production in Europe in the 13th century to today, and presents the development of different types of tile. Throughout this stunning book, tiles in every variety of shape are organized chronologically to illustrate the evolution of styles. The Tile Book is luxuriously illustrated, with generous examples of individual tile types and their overall laid patterns exhibited over double-page spreads. Captions provide descriptions of each tile, with some detailing interesting locations, trends or influential designers. Interspersed in this invaluable sourcebook, are tiles shown in situ around the world and at different periods in their remarkable history. This book is a dazzling mosaic, with colours and patterns that will uplift and inspire.

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Odysseus' ten-year homecoming in 1,000 pieces: dive into Homer's timeless epic with this jigsaw puzzle and concertina fold-out. Homer's Odyssey, predating the invention of writing in ancient Greece, is revived in this 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Encounter the one-eyed Cyclops, who feasts on the flesh of men; bewitching women, who charm with songs and spells; and meddling gods and goddesses, who shape the hero's fate. Follow Odysseus' journey using the accompanying concertina, exploring twenty key scenes. Daisy Dunn's text will ignite fresh interest in one of the world's oldest and greatest poems. Get ready for a modern take on this ancient masterpiece.

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Type Tells Tales focuses on typography that is integral to the message or story it is expressing. This is type that speaks – that is literally the voice of the narrator. And the narrator is the typographer. This can be quite literal, for example when letters come from the mouth of a person or thing, as in a comics balloon. It can be hand lettering, drawn with its own distinctive peculiarities that convey personality and mood. Precedents for contemporary work might be in Apollinaire’s calligram ‘Il pleut’ or Kurt Schwitters’ children’s picture book ‘The Scarecrow’, or in Concrete Poetry, Futurist ‘Words in Freedom’ or Dadaist collage. Seeking out examples in the furthest reaches of graphic design, Steven Heller and Gail Anderson uncover work that reveals how type can be used to render a particular voice or multiple conversations, how letters can be used in various shapes and sizes to create a kind of typographic pantomime, and how type can become both content and illustration as in, for example Paul Rand’s ‘ROARRRRR’. Letters take the shape and form of other things, such as people, faces, animals, cars or planes. There are examples of how typographic blocks, paragraphs, sentences and blurbs can be used to guide the eye through dense information. This exciting, fresh take on typography goes far beyond the letter and word, exploding the boundaries of typographic expression. It will enthral designers and illustrators, wordsmiths and literati: anyone, in short, who loves the medium of the message.

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The perfect primer on American street photographer Bruce Gilden, best known for his candid close-up photographs of people on the streets of New York City. Bruce Gilden was born in 1946 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After taking photography classes at the School of Visual Arts, he embarked on his first major project: recording tourists and pleasure-seekers visiting Coney Island. Gilden is probably best known for his work on the streets of New York, focusing on the city's characters and outsiders, but he has also spent many years on projects in Haiti, Japan and Ireland. A member of Magnum Photos since 2001, Gilden has taken the genre of street photography and pushed it in new directions, documenting the essence of the people he sees and the social landscape through which they move.

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A compact survey of the photographer Frank Horvat, best known for his fashion photography published between the mid 1950s and the late 1980s. Frank Horvat (1928-2020) changed the course of fashion photography forever. The Italian-born photographer made his debut as a photojournalist in France, where he continued to live and work for the rest of his life. It was here he met Henri Cartier-Bresson, who encouraged him to continue his marvellous photojournalism. By the mid-1950s Horvat was collaborating with the biggest fashion magazines in the world, such as Elle, Vogue and Jardin des Modes – revolutionizing fashion photography through a more realistic lens, photographing models on the streets, in the squares and alongside the locals of post-war Europe. Horvat’s fresh and often imitated style, which brought reportage techniques and the 35mm film camera to the forefront of fashion photography, impressed designers and inspired fashion photographers for generations to come. Frank Horvat’s work can now be found in permanent collections in prestigious institutions around the world, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. With a foreword by Virginie Chardin, this title in the renowned Photofile series exhibits Horvat’s photographic opus through sixty full-page reproductions in a handsome and collectible pocket format.

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August Sander (1876–1964) was a documentary photographer whose greatest project lasted his entire working life. His series of portrait studies of the German people spanned three eras – the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany – and every social class, combining to form a fascinating social mirror of the country over a tumultuous period in its history. Working with calm determination, Sander cast the same lucid eye on bankers and boxers, soldiers and circus performers, creating strikingly honest images that fulfil his sole ambition: to tell the truth about humanity.

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A member of the celebrated Magnum agency, Richard Kalvar has spent more than four decades building up a diverse body of work that is characterized by a finely honed sense of observation. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he has travelled all over the world, capturing fleeting details and moments of absurdity. His images suggest glimpses into untold stories, reflecting an idiosyncratic approach to the act and practice of photography.

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Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) studied painting before taking up photography in his early twenties. One of the founders of the photography agency Magnum (together with Robert Capa and others), he is best known for the consummate skill with which he captured the most fleeting of scenes.This volume, introduced by Michael Brenson, includes selections from his photographs of France, Spain, America, India, Russia, Mexico and pre-revolutionary China.

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The evolution of modern architecture has been inextricably entangled in issues of politics, nationalism, and the environment, creating a tension between local context and global development that is unresolved to this day. In this context, few writers have exerted as much influence on architectural theory and practice as Kenneth Frampton. In this illustrated volume, twenty-nine contributors from around the world amplify and pay tribute to his writing and thought. Intended for all those concerned with the built environment, this book offers further evidence of how this scholar, humanist, and teacher has shaped our understanding of the working reality of the architect. The premise of Modern Architecture and the Lifeworld is rooted in Frampton’s understanding of how architecture must engage with both cultural and constructional imperatives; and it addresses strategies for grappling with contemporary concerns such as regional identity amidst urban globalization, and tectonic culture and landform in the construction of place.Supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

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A career-spanning, slipcased monograph in two volumes presenting the work of one of Asia's most thoughtful and innovative architects. With rising populations around the world and the pressures of looming climatic catastrophe, the work of Vo Trong Nghia is a call for architecture to transform itself from a source of pollution to a reason for hope. Nor is this idea anecdotal: the World Green Building Council estimates that 39% of energy-related carbon emissions can be attributed to buildings. An awareness of architecture’s responsibilities has permeated the profession in the developed world, while new ideas and solutions are coming from places where these issues are most acute. Following a long recovery from decades of war, Vietnam has emerged as one of the most exciting centres of design Asia – led largely by the work of Vo Trong Nghia, born one year after the end of the Vietnam War, whose work has gained an international following. As a student in Japan, he studied under the minimalist architect Hiroshi Naito and encountered the work of the Colombian architect Simón Vélez, a proponent of bamboo architecture with its large spans and high, voluminous spaces – the ideas and teachings of both were to have a profound influence on his own designs. The buildings of Vo Trong Nghia Architects, established in Ho Chi Minh City in 2006, make clear reference to these sources and influences of the past, and to Vo’s own adherence to the Five Precepts of Buddhist teaching. The architect's two main themes - green architecture and bamboo as a building material - form the basis of this two-volume celebration of his work. From the Wind and Water Bar, his first foray into bamboo as a building material, to resort complexes, art installations and his game-changing series of residences, House for Trees, Vo Trong Nighia: Building Nature proves that green architecture creates local relevance, beauty and elegance in its own right.

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One of the most important designers and architects of the 20th century, Eileen Gray (1878–1976) wielded enormous influence – though often unacknowledged, especially in her lifetime – in a field largely dominated by men. Today, her original furniture sells for dizzying sums and her iconic designs, including the luxurious Bibendum chair and the refined yet functional E.1027 table, are renowned throughout the world. Resolutely independent and frequently underappreciated, Gray evolved from a creator of opulent lacquer furniture into a pioneer of the modernist principle of form following function. Remaining separate from major schools or movements such as Bauhaus and De Stijl, she developed her own distinctive take on the forms and materials favoured by fellow International Style designers such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Mies van der Rohe. This definitive new edition of the biography by Peter Adam, the only surviving person to have been close to Gray during her reclusive later years, is a uniquely intimate survey of her life and work. Comprehensively updated and illustrated with material drawn from Gray’s personal archives – correspondence, journals, photographs and architectural sketchbooks – it tells the full story of her life from aristocratic beginnings in Ireland, through the extravagance of Art Deco-era Paris, relationships with lovers, male and female, and her productive years in southern France. It reveals fresh details about her elegant, largely overlooked paintings; tense exchanges with Le Corbusier; and the fate of E.1027, the home that she designed and furnished herself, and which set a new standard for radically modernist living.

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Sean Godsell, an award-winning pioneer of ‘Australian bush minimalism’, has established himself as an influence on the global architecture scene. This survey of his residential architecture features twelve houses and dwellings across Australia, each illustrated with full-colour photography and the architect’s hand-drawn plans and exploratory sketches, which illuminate how each house connects to its surrounding landscape. Featuring an essay by Godsell about the influences of Australia’s particular landscapes and culture, this survey also includes an introduction by leading critic and commentator Philip Goad about the achievements of Godsell’s career, and the global importance of his visionary designs. With a complete illustrated chronology.

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Thirty of the world’s leading architects, including Norman Foster, Thom Mayne, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, talk about the houses they designed for themselves over the past decade. What inspired them, what were the constraints, how did their concepts take shape? Michael Webb explores the creative process and traces the influence of architects’ houses over the past two hundred years, from Jefferson’s Monticello to the creations of Charles and Ray Eames, Toyo Ito and Frank Gehry. Texts, images, sketches and plans are interwoven to illustrate houses that differ widely, in size, material, character and location. There are urban infills, rustic retreats, experiments, and fusions of new and old. They all make a statement, modest or ambitious, and each reflects the personality and tastes of its owner. These architects have accepted the challenge of doing something out of the ordinary, turning constraints to advantage. They give different answers to a crucial question: how can a house enrich lives and its surroundings? Spacious or frugal, refined or rough-edged, daring or reductive, these adventurous dwellings will inspire other architects and everyone who would like to design or commission a house that is one-of-a-kind.

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This celebration of 20 of China’s latest generation features detailed profiles of each architect, exploring their routes to success, their inspirations and the challenges posed for those working and designing in this richly diverse and rapidly evolving region. Each profile is followed by a selection of recent works, including everything from small-scale conceptual plans to country houses, schools, offices and large-scale city development projects. From exploring new ways to build with radical, sustainable materials to sensitively honouring the vernacular traditions of the country’s complex history, each architect brings their unique vision to the question of what architecture means in China today.

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WOW: Experiential Design for a Changing World explores the work of the multi-disciplinary design firms Warner Wong Design and WOW Architects. Through the selection of twelve breathtaking hotel, restaurant and custom home projects located across five different countries, as well as one provocative architectural installation that was commissioned by the Singapore Institute of Architects, WOW Architects and Warner Wong Design’s experientially engaging work is beautifully presented in this book.

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Leonardo da Vinci may be best known to us as the artist in such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and The Virgin on the Rocks. However, Leonardo was also endlessly curious about the physical world. His amazing notebooks reveal the breadth of his research into areas as diverse as anatomy, architecture, botany, geometry, mathematics, physics and engineering, including many anticipations of modern technology. As with all the titles in this amazing pocket-sized series, hundreds of illustrations of paintings, sketches and designs are closely integrated with detailed, fascinating texts and contemporary documents.

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In 334 BC the twenty-two-year-old King Alexander of Macedon led his army across the Bosphorus to challenge the mighty Persian empire. Ten years later his conquests had taken him to the edge of the known world. But, as Asia Minor, Egypt and parts of India lay at his feet, Alexander was dying, his huge empire soon to be split up. Alexander the Great celebrates his legendary life and his legacy to civilisation in a host of illustrations woven into the fascinating story, written by a renowned specialist in the history of the period.

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Supremely successful at the beginning of his life; lonely, bankrupt and virtually ignored at its end, Rembrandt produced some of the most powerful and psychologically penetrating works in the whole of world art.Poverty, illness, the deaths of his wife, children and devoted mistress – nothing deflected him from his inner vision and his unique handling of light: which would change the course of painting for ever.

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Through his intense vision Van Gogh was able to create paintings that speak directly to us all, and today this disturbed and rejected misfit is the most universally loved of all artists. The story of his thirty seven years of poverty, loneliness and failure is in fact a triumphant saga of absolute dedication and the final realization of genius. This extravagantly illustrated volume in the hugely popular New Horizons series, includes the story of his life; his relationships with his brother Theo and contemporaries such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and Gauguin; his descent into madness and his eventual suicide. As well as the many reproductions of paintings and drawings by Van Gogh and his contemporaries, extensive documentary evidence includes extracts from his letters, critical writings and documentary photographs.

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An entirely fresh perspective on the history of western art that uses timelines to trace cultural development from prehistory to the present. Most surveys of the history of art come neatly packaged. They are divided up into historic periods, artistic schools and movements, and the careers of individual painters. They may make the subject appear more manageable, but they are oversimplifications. In reality, movements and careers overlapped and intertwined, reacting to events in the world around them. A Chronology of Art places the genuine developments of the art world into sharp focus. By prioritizing a purely chronological approach and side-stepping the clichés of conventional, academic pigeonholes, it presents an entirely fresh perspective on the subject. The book is structured around a central timeline, which features lavish illustrations of paintings, together with commentaries, and additional information about the social, political and cultural events of the period. The tex

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The definitive biography of the greatest photographer of modern times - a vital addition to the library of everyone with an interest in photography. Henri Cartier-Bresson was the eye of the 20th century. His lens chronicled the decisive moments of his time from Chinese communist victories to the Spanish Civil War and the Liberation of Paris. A co-founder of Magnum Photos, Cartier-Bresson produced unparalleled portraits of his contemporaries, capturing the spirit of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and William Faulkner. Cartier-Bresson took Pierre Assouline into his confidence over a number of years, detailing his youthful devotion to surrealism, lifelong passion for drawing, and experiences of war and prison camps. This sensitive biography emerges from a meeting of two minds, revealed with the same truth as one of Cartier Bresson's photographs.

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An authoritative step-by-step manual, combining tutorials, inspirational galleries, extensive cross-referencing and advice on metal jewelry-making. Thanks to the popularity of workshops and classes, metal jewelry-making is no longer the exclusive realm of professional jewelry designers. Now, with a little patience and the right instruction, anyone can learn to create beautiful jewelry with metalsmithing techniques. This book is one of the most comprehensive volumes on metal jewelry-making available. Freshly commissioned, full-colour photographs accompany detailed step-by-step tutorials, while comprehensive sidebars detail the relevant considerations for applying each technique to a variety of different metals, with cross-references where applicable. The book also includes profiles of contemporary practitioners, providing readers with an understanding of a wide range of different working methods, materials and developing techniques. With its combination of tutorials, inspirational galleries, extensive cross-referencing and advice, Metalsmithing for Jewelry Makers is an authoritative reference that is guaranteed to appeal to professionals and amateurs alike.

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Our fast-changing world seen through the lenses of 140 leading contemporary photographers around the globe. With close to 500 images, many previously unpublished, this landmark publication takes stock of the material and spiritual cultures that make up ‘civilization’. Ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from our great collective achievements to our ruinous collective failings, Civilization: The Way We Live Now explores the complexity of contemporary civilization through the rich, nuanced language of photography. Featuring images by some 140 photographers – from Reiner Riedler’s families at leisure parks, Raimond Wouda’s high schools, Wang Qingsong’s Work, Work, Work and Cindy Sherman’s Society Portraits, to Lauren Greenfield’s displays of ostentatious wealth, Edward Burtynsky’s oil fields, Pablo Lopez Luz’s views on a sprawling contemporary megalopolis, Thomas Struth’s images of high technology, Xing Danwen’s electronic wastelands and Taryn Simon’s Contraband, Civilization draws together the threads of humankind’s ever-changing, frenetic, collective life across the globe. Visually epic, Civilization is presented through eight thematic chapters, each featuring powerful imagery and accompanied by provocative essays, quotes and concise statements by the artists themselves.

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A panoramic insider’s account of the global art industry, revealing the fascinating but mysterious workings of the world of contemporary art. Over the last few decades the contemporary art world has become more globalized and more visible than ever before – and yet in many ways it remains closed and obscure. What actually happens behind the doors of a contemporary artist’s studio? At an auction house before a major sale? In the vaults of an art storage unit? How can art museums keep up with Instagram – and why does everyone seem to hate art fairs? Join curator, writer and art historian Matthew Israel on a year-long journey through the contemporary art world. From Los Angeles to Hong Kong via Venice, Basel, Paris and New York, from biennials in summer to auction houses in autumn, Israel reveals the joys and anxieties of this sometimes baffling, often intimidating field. Blending an insider’s knowledge with in-depth profiles, interviews with key art-world figures and a keen ear for an anecdote, A Year in the Art World is a compelling, generous companion for any art-lover curious about how art is being made, valued, sold, cared for and looked at today.

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A fully updated, third edition of this essential practical foundation course in fashion design. Becoming a successful fashion designer involves understanding a wide variety of core principles. This foundation course is an ideal introduction for students, dressmakers and anyone interested in the creative side of fashion. Step-by-step tutorials, practical exercises and inspirational interviews with industry professionals teach you how to create your own unique fashion design collections. Design schools around the world are now emphasising design thinking and conceptualisation more than just mere skill building. Packed with scores of new images, this new and fully updated edition provides students with more diverse methods of creating fashion, including digital design iteration and final projects, fabric design development, 3D 'sketching' on the dress form, paper collage design techniques and much more. This book concludes with practical advice for anyone considering a career in fashion, offering ideas on building a portfolio, preparing for interviews and continuing on a path to a professional career.

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A stunning showcase of the unique lifestyle opportunities afforded by contemporary courtyard design in the Asia-Pacific region. Courtyards have long played an important function in residential design, regulating light, shade and the use of space. With thousands of years of tradition as inspiration, contemporary architects are realizing courtyard living afresh. This lavish survey of 25 residences across the Asia-Pacific region features homes from Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Structured by courtyard function, the book consists of five chapters – on privacy; multigenerational living; sightlines; light and ventilation; and living with nature – that are richly illustrated with photography as well as architectural illustrations showing courtyard positions within floor plans. Showcasing the unique lifestyle opportunities afforded by contemporary courtyard design, this is an inspirational resource for anyone interested in indoor-outdoor living.

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When we look at the landscape, what do we see? Do we experience the view over a valley or dappled sunlight on a path in the same way as those who were there before us? We have altered the countryside in innumerable ways over the last thousand years, and never more so than in the last hundred. How are these changes reflected in – and affected by – art and literature? Spirit of Place offers a panoramic view of the British landscape as seen through the eyes of writers and artists from Bede and the Gawain-poet to Gainsborough, Austen, W. G. Sebald and Barbara Hepworth. Shaped by these distinctive voices and evocative imagery, Susan Owens describes how the British landscape has been framed, reimagined and reshaped by each generation. Each account or work of art, whether illuminated in a manuscript, jotted down in a journal or constructed from sticks and stones, holds up a mirror to its maker and their world. With 80 illustrations

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