Search results for ""Thames Hudson""

An essential guide to how the power of art has been harnessed to effect political change across the modern world, from the struggle for universal suffrage to Black Lives Matter. Here is a well-researched, concise guide to protest art, exploring what happens when artists join forces with radical political movements to foster change. The works and movements discussed emerged at times of great upheaval, war, colonialism, independence and changes of government, and reveal how art and politics have been intertwined throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. Jessica Lack adopts an inclusive and international approach, presenting examples from nations and societies around the globe, including: Sylvia Pankhurst's paintings depicting the harsh realities faced by women manual workers in early 1900s Britain; the revolutionary aesthetic created by Emory Douglas for the Black Panthers in the 1960s, which documented and galvanized the campaign for the rights of Black Americans; Nandalal B

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A timely re-examination of European engagements with indigenous art and the presence of indigenous art in the contemporary art world. The arts of Africa, Oceania and native America famously inspired twentieth-century modernist artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Ernst. The politics of such stimulus, however, have long been highly contentious: was this a cross-cultural discovery to be celebrated, or just one more example of Western colonial appropriation? This revelatory book explores cross-cultural art through the lens of settler societies such as Australia and New Zealand, where Europeans made new nations, displacing and outnumbering but never eclipsing native peoples. In this dynamic of dispossession and resistance, visual art has loomed large. Settler artists and designers drew upon Indigenous motifs and styles in their search for distinctive identities. Yet powerful Indigenous art traditions have asserted the presence of First Nations peoples and their claims to place, history and sovereignty. Cultural exchange has been a two-way process, and an unpredictable one: contemporary Indigenous art draws on global contemporary practice, but moves beyond a bland affirmation of hybrid identities to insist on the enduring values and attachment to place of Indigenous peoples.

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When long-term cat owner and Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen moved to Hong Kong, he was delighted to find that many of his neighbours were of the feline variety. It was only natural for him to make friends with the local shop cats and their owners, taking photos as he went. And this book is the charming result. Against a background of Hong Kong’s bustling dried goods trade, dusty shelves groaning with traditional products, the beloved cats either stand out as shop mascots or magically melt away behind boxes and jars. Meanwhile, their innermost thoughts, delivered deadpan, are revealed through Ian Row’s intuitive haiku and stories.With 90 illustrations in colour

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Biomimetics – imitating life’s natural processes – is one of the hottest areas of design research and inspiration. The natural world contains infinite examples of how to achieve complex behaviours and applications by using simple materials in a clever way, as all organisms make use of limited raw materials to survive. In the popular imagination, the best-known example is the microscopic ‘hook’ on burrs that led to the development of Velcro, but there are many more applications, from kingfisher beaks inspiring the shape of bullet trains to shark skin being used as a model for advanced swimsuits. This book presents many examples, showing each natural phenomenon alongside its application, with an accessible explanation of the biology and the story of the design. While most are concrete examples that have already been developed, others point the way to what might be possible for an enterprising designer, providing a starting point for creativity. This timely overview is the perfect introduction for designers of all disciplines, and a reminder that inspiration may be just down the garden path.With 439 illustrations

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This pioneering book stands as the most comprehensive treatment of the lives, ideas and art works of the remarkable group of women who were an essential part of the Surrealist movement. Frida Kahlo, Meret Oppenheim and Dorothea Tanning, among many others, became an embodiment of their age as they struggled towards artistic maturity and their own 'liberation of the spirit' in the context of the Surrealist revolution. Their stories and their achievements are presented here against the background of the turbulent decades of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and the war that forced Surrealism into exile in New York and Mexico.With 145 illustrations in colour

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Did you know that: • Deserts provide food for fish? • 70% of all birds on the planet are chickens? • Climate change was the reason why humans began to talk? • Cows emit harmful methane when they burp or fart? Filled to the brim with 123 astonishing facts about the environment and climate, this accessible book explores the history of climate change and offers suggestions on how we can keep our planet liveable.

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Created in collaboration with Dronestegram, the world-leading drone photography website, and Ayperi Karabuda Ecer, a highly renowned photography editor, Dronescapes is the first book to bring together the very best photographs taken by quadcopters around the globe. It grants us the thrilling opportunity to see our planet from entirely new vantage points, whether this is a bird’s-eye view of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, a photograph taken inches away from an eagle in mid-flight, or a vertiginous shot taken above Mexico’s Tamul Waterfalls. There are extended commentaries on how individual images were created, profiles on notable photographers and a separate user guide containing key advice on how to use your drone. An introduction also discusses how the arrival of drone photography signals a major shift in the history of aerial photography. Dronescapes is a landmark publication at the cutting edge of contemporary photography, taking the medium – for once, literally – to newfound, dizzying heights.

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Francis Bacon was one of most elusive and enigmatic creative geniuses of the twentieth century. However much his avowed aim was to simplify both himself and his art, he remained a deeply complex person. Bacon was keenly aware of this underlying contradiction, and whether talking or painting, strove consciously towards absolute clarity and simplicity, calling himself ‘simply complicated’. Until now, this complexity has rarely come across in the large number of studies on Bacon’s life and work. Francis Bacon: Studies for a Portrait shows a variety of Bacon’s many facets, and questions the accepted views on an artist who was adept at defying categorization. The essays and interviews brought together here span more than half a century. Opening with an interview by the author in 1963, the year that he met Bacon, there are also essays written for exhibitions, memoirs and reflections on Bacon’s late work, some published here for the first time. Included are recorded conversations with Bacon in Paris that lasted long into the night, and an overall account of the artist’s sources and techniques in his extraordinary London studio. This is an updated edition of Francis Bacon: Studies for a Portrait (2008), published for the first time in a paperback reading book format. It brings this fascinating artist into closer view, revealing the core of his talent: his skill for marrying extreme contradictions and translating them into immediately recognizable images, whose characteristic tension derives from a life lived constantly on the edge.With 14 illustrations, 7 in colour

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Self-portraiture shows no sign of losing its ability to capture the public imagination. Given our current proclivity to snap and share ‘selfies’ in seconds, it is unsurprising to find a renewed interest in the genre among general audiences and students. Self-portraits have the power to illuminate a range of universal concerns, from identity, purpose and authenticity, to frailty, futility and mortality. In this volume, curator Natalie Rudd expertly casts fresh light on the self-portrait and its international appeal, exploring the historical contexts within which self-portraits have proliferated and considering the meanings they hold today. With commentaries on works by artists ranging from Jan van Eyck and Artemisia Gentileschi to Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Jenny Saville, the book explores the emotive and expressive potential of self-portraiture, and its capacities to distance or to demystify. Can self-portraits offer windows into artistic process? Is there ever a singular identity to be captured? Is it necessary for a self-portrait to depict the human form? In her vibrant and timely discussion, Rudd dissects these and other important questions, revealing the shifting faces of individuality and selfhood in an age where we are interrogating notions of personal identity more than ever before.With 97 illustrations in colour

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A timely re-examination of the pros and cons of legalizing drug use. Combining a unique visual approach with carefully constructed narrative text, this book provides a survey of the history of drug use, a review of the impact of the war on drugs, an appraisal of the effects of legal vs illegal drugs and an evaluation of the impact of the decriminalization of drugs. According to archaeological and historical records, ethanol in the form of beer in Sumeria and wine in Egypt has been used recreationally for 13,000 years, while psychotropic drugs have been used for thousands of years, mainly for religious purposes. This book sets out the history of the use of drugs since the Neolithic age, and explores the evolution of recreational drug use from the mid-18th century on. It considers the lethal and social impact of heavy use of legal alcohol or nicotine vs the hazards to health and society associated with illegal drugs. It evaluates the effects of the 50-year failed global war on drugs on the criminal production and trafficking of drugs on the black market and on the abuse, health and imprisonment of end users. Finally, it argues for the decriminalization of all drugs and the state regulation of the drug market, with suitable controls and regulation for each drug type.

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The best account of Angkor available in English takes the reader on a panoramic tour of Cambodian history from earliest times to the latest finds' Ben Kiernan, author of The Pol Pot Regime The ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia has fascinated scholars and visitors alike since its rediscovery in the mid-19th century. A great deal was already known about the history of Angkor and the brilliant Khmer civilization that built it thanks to pioneering work by archaeologists and scholars, but our knowledge has now been completely revolutionized by cutting-edge technology. Airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) has revealed entire cities that were previously unknown and a complex urban landscape with highways and waterways, profoundly transforming our interpretations of the development and supposed decline of Angkor. In this comprehensive edition of Angkor and the Khmer Civilization, respected archaeologist Michael Coe is joined by Damian Evans, who led this remarkable programme of scientific e

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Empires evoke potent images: Stanley, Livingstone and the colonial gallery of great explorers; the Spanish Conquistador’s quest for gold and silver; and the Dutch heritage of trade in the East Indies. For over 500 years empires have been a feature of the political landscape and – a generation or more after the final collapse of most of the European Empires – the subject is still a major issue for historians. For some countries – Germany and Italy – overseas dreams were short-lived; for others – the United States and the Soviet Union – imperialist activity existed but was never accepted as an official state policy; and the disappearance of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires has obscured some of the imperial dimensions of these states. This book shows how the maps of explorations, the chronologies of conquests, the records of settlers and administrators, the balance sheets of commerce and all else that made up the Age of Empires play a key role in explaining the global civilization of today.

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Antony Gormley occupies an unusual position as a highly popular sculptor – known chiefly for his Angel of the North (1998), a national landmark in the UK – who is also widely regarded as one of the most intellectually challenging artists working internationally. He is grounded in archaeology and anthropology, and looks to Asian and Buddhist traditions as much as to Western sculptural history, which he believes reached a punctuation point with Rodin. This is the first book to focus on Gormley’s thoughts on sculpture, positioning his career and artistic philosophy in relation to its history. The book is structured thematically over four chapters: the first explores Gormley’s thoughts on the body, time and space in relation to major works including European Field (1993) and ‘Still Standing’ (2011), Gormley’s rehang of the classical rooms at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The second chapter, ‘Sculptors’, was first delivered as a series of five lectures for the BBC; in each, Gormley discusses a sculpture he considers to be of huge creative importance: Epstein’s The Rock Drill (1913–15), Brancusi’s The Endless Column (1935–38), Giacometti’s La Place (1948–49), Joseph Beuys’s Plight (1985) and Richard Serra’s The Matter of Time (2005). In the third chapter, Gormley outlines the influence of Buddhist and Jain sculpture on his work and ideas, and the fourth showcases the artist’s most recent sculptures.

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In this innovative approach to Impressionism and its methods, Jonathan Stephenson’s instruction enables amateurs the world over to paint like the Impressionists. Vibrantly illustrated in colour throughout, both with well-known works of art and step-by-step examples, the book shows how the masters achieved their diverse effects and how their ideas and styles can be adapted to today’s tastes. Sections on the artists provide fascinating insights into individual techniques: learn how Monet produced his oil colour sketches, or how Sisley created his atmospheric landscapes. With an introduction providing the historical background to Impressionism, and a comprehensive section on artists’ materials, this is a highly practical book that will appeal both to beginners and more experienced artists, as well as to the many thousands of of people inspired by the brilliance and beauty of Impressionist painting.

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Described by an admirer as ‘the High Druidess of fashion, the Supreme Pontiff, Perpetual Curate and Archpresbyter of elegance, the Vicaress of Style’, Diana Vreeland is the cloth from which 21st-century fashion editors are cut. Diana joined Harper’s Bazaar in 1936, where her pizzazz and singular point of view quickly made her a major creative force in fashion. During her time at Harper’s Bazaar and later as the editor-in-chief of Vogue, the self-styled ‘Empress of fashion’ launched Twiggy’s career, advised Jackie Kennedy, and enjoyed the full swing of sixties’ London. In Diana’s Vogue, women were encouraged to resist fashion orders from on high, and to use their own imaginations in re-creating themselves – much as Vreeland spent her own life doing. In this book, Amanda Mackenzie Stuart portrays a visionary: a fearless innovator who inspired designers, models, photographers and artists. Diana Vreeland reinvented the way we think about style and where we go to find it. As an editor, curator and wit, she made a lasting mark and remains an icon for generations of fashion lovers.

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The Big Idea shortlisted for series design in the British Design and Production AwardsThe past sixty years have witnessed astonishing bursts of growth in the field of Artificial Intelligence – the science and computational technologies that teach machines to sense, learn, reason and take action. AI is already changing our lives, in ways that benefit health, productivity and entertainment. Are we on the threshold of an AI-dominated world, in which humans will no longer be necessary?

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One of only seven editors-in-chief in American Vogue’s history, Jessica Daves has remained one of fashion’s most enigmatic figures—until now. Diana Vreeland’s direct predecessor in the role, it is Daves who first catapulted the magazine into modernity. A testament to a changing America on every level, Daves’s Vogue was the first to embrace a ‘high/low’ blend of fashion in its pages and also introduced world-renowned artists, literary greats, and cultural icons into every issue, offering the reader a complete vision of how fashion, interiors, art, architecture, entertaining, literature, and culture were all connected and all contributed to refining and defining personal style. Profiling icons of American style from John and Jackie Kennedy to Charles and Ray Eames, Daves’s Vogue also featured the couture creations of Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, and Balenciaga. Organized in multifaceted, thematic chapters, 1950s in Vogue features carefully curated photographs, illustrations and page spreads from the Vogue archives (with both iconic and less-familiar images from photographers including William Klein, Irving Penn, Karen Radkai and Erwin Blumenfeld), as well as reproductions of fascinating archival materials and correspondence.

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Street Art is a phenomenon and subcultural movement that reaches from the darkest urban backstreets to the most glamorous international art fairs. Simon Armstrong examines how it evolved from its origins in the 1970s New York graffiti scene to embrace many new materials, styles and techniques along the way, tracing how this marginal art form graduated into art galleries and the art market, while also heavily influencing design, fashion, advertising and visual culture. Despite having earned a place in the canon of 20th-century art history, Street Art’s qualifications are often disputed both by the art establishment and practitioners themselves, all concerned with notions of authenticity. Examining Street Art’s controversial history in detail, this book provides a full-colour worldwide journey, taking in all of the movement’s significant artists and artworks, styles, materials and methods, and showcasing the works that have come to define it more than any other. It also examines its close relationship to Pop Art and Digital Art, and explores possible futures for Street Art.

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Aimed at anyone wanting to learn more about the increasingly popular art of calligraphy and lettering, this practical introduction showcases many fine examples in the V&A’s collection, and will give readers a new understanding and appreciation of letterforms. Fifteen beautiful step-by-step projects each take their cue from a different technique or tradition. Detailed instructions lead readers through the essentials of classic calligraphy styles such as Gothic and Italic lettering, on to vintage-inspired signwriting and chalkboard design and even into the elegant, image-led worlds of illuminated capitals and zoomorphic calligraphy. Designed by leading calligraphy teachers and practitioners, the projects include a handmade booklet, banner, menu, gift tags, a monogram stamp, greetings cards and more. Each project offers tips on how to take steps towards developing one’s own designs. This book is packed with inspiration and practical advice to enable anyone to find new creative direction through the timeless arts of calligraphy and hand-lettering.

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This remarkable and beautiful book brings together a collection of decorated papers dating from the 16th to the 20th century. They were produced for a wide variety of uses: as wrappers and endpapers for books, as the backing for playing cards, and even as linings for chests and cases. Some decorated papers were used as humble pictures for display in churches and the home; some were sold as souvenirs to pilgrims; and others were used merely as wrappings for foodstuffs such as gingerbread and chocolate. What unites all the papers in the book is the richness of their ornamentation and the thin, flexible characteristics of the original sheets. They are all further united by having been collected by Olga Hirsch (1889–1968), a trained bookbinder who left her collection of some 3,500 papers to the British Library, where they remain one of the largest and most diverse collections of decorated papers in the world. This anthology brings together some of the most exquisite examples. It will delight and inspire designers, bibliophiles and anyone with a love of pattern and decoration.

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The religious thinkers, political leaders, law-makers, writers and philosophers of the early Muslim world helped to shape the 1,400-year-long development of today’s secondlargest world religion. But who were these people? What do we know of their lives, and the ways in which they influenced their societies? Chase F. Robinson draws on the long tradition in Muslim scholarship of commemorating in writing the biographies of notable figures, but weaves these ambitious lives together to create a rich narrative of early Islamic civilization, from the Prophet Muhammad to fearsome Tamerlane. Beginning in Islam’s heartland, Mecca, we move across Arabia to follow Islam’s journey across North Africa, as far as Spain in the West, and eastwards through Central and East Asia; we see the rise and fall of Islamic states through the political and military leaders working to secure peace or expand their power, and, within this political climate, the development of Islamic law, scientific thought and literature through the words of the scholars who devoted themselves to these pursuits. Alongside the famous characters who coloured this landscape, including Muhammad’s controversial cousin, ’Ali; the first Sultan of Egypt, Saladin; and the poet Rumi, the reader will also meet less wellknown figures, such as Shajar al-Durr, slave-turned-Sultana of Egypt, and Ibn Fadlan, whose travels in Eurasia brought first-hand accounts of the Volka Vikings to the Abbasid Caliph.

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John Julius Norwich presents a sweeping tour of forty great cities that shaped the ancient world and its civilizations - and which in turn have shaped our own. The cities of the ancient world built the foundations for modern urban life, their innovations in architecture and politics essential to cities as we know them today. But what was it like to live in Babylon, Carthage or Teotihuacan? From the first cities in Mesopotamia to the spectacular urban monuments of the Maya in Central America, the cities explored here represent almost three millennia of human history. Not only do they illustrate the highest achievement of the cultures that built them, but they also help us understand the rise and fall of these ancient peoples. Eminent historians and archaeologists with first-hand knowledge of each site give voices to these silent ruins, bringing them to life as the teeming, state-of-the-art metropolises they once were.

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Embroidery: A Maker’s Guide contains 15 beautiful step-by-step projects for crafters at all levels. Each one takes its cue from a different historical tradition – from English goldwork to Indian beetle-wing embellishment, from Japanese kogin to Irish whitework. Projects include a bargello purse; blackwork moth and dragonfly motifs on napkins; a William Morris artichoke motif on a small cushion; Chinese-inspired motifs for adorning a denim jacket; Mountmellick whitework on a decorative necklace-collar; Indian shisha mirrorwork on a clutch bag; and machine-embroidered lilies on lingerie. Designed by teachers and practitioners at the leading edge of today’s craft revival, the projects are both functional and fashionable, and include tips on how to take next steps towards developing your own designs. This modern maker’s guide will inspire all readers with the confidence to express their creativity through the age-old craft of decorative stitching.

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Japanese houses today have to contend with unique factors that condition their design, from tiny plots in crowded urban contexts to ever-present seismic threats. These challenges encourage their architects to explore alternating ideas of stability and ephemerality in various ways, resulting in spaces that are as fascinating as they are idiosyncratic. Their formal innovation and attention to materials, technology and measures to coax in light and air while maintaining domestic privacy make them cutting-edge residences that suggest new ways of being at home. Contemporary Japanese architecture has emerged as a substantial force on the international scene ever since Kenzo Tange won the Pritzker Prize in 1987. This overview of 50 recent houses powerfully demonstrates Japan’s enduring commitment to design innovation.

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From the eminent historian Norman Stone, who has lived and worked in the country since 1997, comes this concise survey of Turkey’s relations with its immediate neighbours and the wider world from the 11th century to the present day. Stone deftly conducts the reader through this story, from the arrival of the Seljuks in Anatolia in the eleventh century to today’s thriving republic. It is an historical account of epic proportions, featuring rapacious leaders such as Genghis Khan and Tamerlane through the glories of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent to Kemal Atatürk, the reforming genius and founder of modern Turkey. At its height, the Ottoman Empire was a superpower that brought Islam to the gates of Vienna. Stone examines the reasons for the empire’s long decline and shows how it gave birth to the modern Turkish republic, where east and west, religion and secularism, tradition and modernity still form vibrant elements of national identity. Norman Stone brilliantly draws out the larger themes of Turkey’s history, resulting in a book that is a masterly exposition of the historian’s craft.

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It was 1953 when, not long after arriving in New York City, a young artist named Andy Warhol had begun to make his way in the world of commercial illustration. As Arthur Edelman, his former employer, relates in his introductory note, ‘In a hallway of the Empire State Building, outside a shoe manufacturer’s office, stood a young man with Jackson Pollock shoes, a rumpled black suit, a portfolio and a shock of white hair.’ Over the next decade, Warhol created scores of whimsical advertisements for the Edelmans, including a colouring book that could only have come from the mind of Warhol, created especially for clients’ children for Christmas in 1961, and somewhat of a cause célèbre when it was published in 1990. The original edition was only 24pp, but Warhol actually created many more drawings through the mid/late 1950s and early 1960s; this revised edition is extended with many more of these images. A Coloring Book: Drawings by Andy Warhol will amuse a new audience with its delightfully carefree menagerie and mid-century charm.

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This is the story of streetwear. King ADZ and Wilma Stone recount how a long line of subcultural movements have been incorporated into a multi-billion-dollar global industry and taken over both the high street and high-end fashion. Starting from the building blocks of repurposed sportswear, workwear and combat-wear, they explain just how it is that a revolutionary sartorial trend has evolved to encompass a vast range of disparate tribes, offering a powerful sense of belonging and identity to all. The story begins in 1972, in Jersey City, USA, with the birth of the first ever streetwear shop, Trash and Vaudeville. The journey then encompasses punk, Ivy League preppies, the hip-hop kings and queens of Harlem, the dresser/casual movement born out of British football culture, the skater scene of California, the paninari scooter-brats of Milan, and much more. We are shown how streetwear, worn with integrity and swagger, has transcended culture, race, gender and age to become a lasting worldwide phenomenon. Whether focusing on major brands such as Stüssy, Carhartt, Tommy Hilfiger and SHUT or today’s up-and-comers from South African townships or downtown Seoul, this dynamic study surveys the scene. It also takes a look at how the Internet era has changed the ways streetwear is sold and consumed, and how the field may evolve in the future. Packed with profiles of industry pioneers, Q&As with key figures and over 300 illustrations, this is the complete history of fashion’s fastest-growing and most influential movement.

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The modular did not have to be invented: it can be found everywhere. We divide surfaces into grids, spaces into parts, and time into rhythmic units. Modular structures are also increasingly being recognized as a way of communicating, where the aim is not to construct a universal principle but to facilitate interplay between different systems. Building on the visionary design system that architect Fritz Haller and engineer Paul Schärer developed in 1965 for Swiss furniture company USM, Rethinking the Modular brings together specially commissioned essays and interviews with leading designers, architects and thinkers to present the wide-ranging importance and influence of modular design over the past fifty years. In revealing the broad possibilities created by balancing structure with flexibility, the timely publication redefines the place of modularity in modern design history, and offers a rich resource for designers today.

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Evolution: The Whole Story contains everything you need to know about the development and survival of life on Earth. Each chapter of this accessible and lavishly illustrated book takes a major living group and presents thematic essays discussing the evolution of particular subgroups as they appeared on Earth with reference to detailed comparative anatomy, evolutionary legacies, and the breakthrough theories of eminent scientists. Accompanying the essays are amazing photographic features that investigate the characteristics of individual organisms in detail: in some, remarkable fossils, assembled skeletons, and lifelike reconstructions are presented and analyzed; while in others, living species are depicted and compared in detail to their direct ancestors, creatures that may have lived millions of years ago.

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Finally a book on African design that celebrates the contemporary! It is packed with works that show how the continent’s rich array of craft traditions are being preserved and revived with an exciting contemporary twist. An introductory section identifies the sophistication, vitality, diversity and soulfulness of the past that is now being harnessed to develop a contemporary African identity. Sections on furniture, textiles, ceramics, basketry and lighting bring together the work of respected designers, makers and organizations based on the African continent or part of the diaspora. Celebrating the wider changes occurring across Africa, the fifty or so designers and crafters included have been chosen for their innovative approach to creating sophisticated products. Many of the pieces demonstrate how sustainability and recycling are often of the utmost importance. The book is completed by a glossary and bibliography.

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From ancient and classical masterpieces to contemporary, cutting-edge buildings, architecture has defined our world throughout history. Drawing its examples from all around the globe, Architecture: The Whole Story is a richly illustrated and comprehensive account of the architects, plans, designs and constructions that over the centuries have most engaged our minds, inspired our imaginations and raised our spirits. For everyone who has ever wished for greater insight into the art of building design, Architecture: The Whole Story provides the analytical tools to appreciate to the fullest the variety of architectural achievement and the built environment in the world.

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This lively, authoritative account of a crucial period in Britain’s history has been revised and updated to incorporate the very latest findings and research. Guy de la Bédoyère – the popular face of Romano-British archaeological studies – puts the Roman conquest and occupation within the larger context of Romano-British society and how it functioned. With nearly 300 illustrations and dramatic aerial views of Roman sites, and brimming with the very latest research and discoveries, Roman Britain will delight and inform all those with an interest in this seminal epoch of British history.

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Can an artist claim that an object is a work of art if it has been made for him or her by someone else? If so, who is the ‘author’ of such a work? And just what is the difference between a work of art and a work of craft? New in paperback, the first book to highlight and explore the way artists collaborate with artisans and craftspeople to realise their work. The Art of Not Making tackles explores the concepts of authorship, artistic originality, skill, craftsmanship and the creative act, and highlighting the vital role that skills from craft and industrial production play in creating some of today’s most innovative and highly sought-after works of art. The book analyses hundreds of artworks by the most important international artists, including Chris Burden, Louise Bourgeois, Matthew Barney, Grayson Perry, Mona Hatoum, Ai Weiwei, Daniel Buren, Carsten Höller, Mark Wallinger, Kiki Smith, Fred Wilson, Pae White, Tony Cragg, Roni Horn, Liam Gillick, Sherrie Levine, Ugo Rondionone, Subodh Gupta, Kara Walker and Maurizio Cattelan. ‘Enjoyable … Petry clearly knows his stuff’- Art Quarterly ‘Timely...Petry has identified a significant art world trend’ - The Art Newspaper ‘Glorious’ - Harper's Bazaar ‘A handsome volume...provides pause for thought, and should be commended for drawing attention to the ideas of collaboration’ - Ceramic Review ‘Refreshingly fun to read and look at’ - State of Art ‘The arguments presented in this glossy erudite art book are bold, intriguing ... beautiful’ - GT (Gay Times)

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The elegance of Tuscany’s grand cities is found on a more intimate scale in its numerous small towns and villages, the most charming of which are celebrated in this revised, compact edition of the bestselling book. Thirty-six villages from all over Tuscany feature here, from those clustered around the great cities of Lucca and Florence, which produce some of the finest olive oil and are home to some of the world’s greatest works of art, to the Chianti region and the valley of the Orcia, devoted to the cultivation of aromatic herbs. The vivid, highly descriptive accounts of each village are accompanied by page after page of marvellous colour photographs. ‘Beautifully composed photographs … graceful, knowledgeable text’ – Country Living ‘Breathtaking photographs … the riches and variety of Tuscany are laid out for all to see … a well balanced, well presented and well written exploration of one of Italy’s most beautiful regions’ – Contemporary Review

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The Complete Roman Army draws on archaeology, ancient art and original documentary sources to present the most convincing picture ever published of the world’s most famous fighting machine. Every aspect of the Roman army, from the daily lives of individual soldiers to the outcome of major campaigns, is explored in five accessible sections. Discussions of key Roman battles, hundreds of illustrations and brief biographies of the great commanders bring the campaigns and personalities to life.

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Tells the story of fashion. This book brings to light the fundamental stylistic and formal principles that make up the history of fashion.

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Almost 300 editions and reissues of The Natural History of Selborne testify to its the lasting and universal appeal, but none before has been so beautifully and fittingly illustrated. Gilbert White’s painstaking study of the fauna and flora of his native parish, Selborne in Hampshire, first appeared in 1789 and has delighted and inspired generations of readers ever since. His regular correspondence, beginning in 1767, with two distinguished naturalists forms the basis of The Natural History of Selborne, which was published in the form of his letters to them. The fascination of the book lies in the magic of its prose and the vividness of its description, which have earned it the distinction of being the only work on natural history to have received equal acclaim as a masterpiece of English literature. To complement the text, 124 colour plates have been faithfully reproduced from the hand-coloured engravings of Gilbert White’s contemporaries, giving an invaluable extra dimension to this most captivating of books.

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Living in Morocco celebrates the arts of a country at the height of a cultural renaissance, a land where an ancient tradition of craftsmanship has been sustained and recently reinvigorated. Lavishly illustrated chapters on decorative and folk arts alternate with chapters on Moroccan life today. We visit Chaouen in the Rif mountains, where the town’s smooth, undulating surfaces are painted a bone-chilling blue-tinted white. We take in the shady blue-and-pink world of the Majorelle Gardens, and explore the stories behind the famous hotel La Mamounia. Most importantly, we see Morocco’s arts brought to life in its homes – from former harems to traditional Hispano-Moorish houses. A host of glorious photographs make this a book to relish, and the detailed documentation of Morocco’s houses, arts and crafts make it an invaluable resource for anyone involved in interiors or design.

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People all over the world have always used symbols to express and communicate the things that mean most to them. From a country's flag, which can signify more than patriotism, to a charm bracelet, with its 'portable memories', symbolism takes various forms. Familiarity with symbolism opens up levels of understanding most of us have probably never been aware of. Why, for instance, do we share a secret with the words 'a little bird told me'? What is it about a horseshoe that, in the right circumstances, brings luck? Why a horse's shoe? How old is the swastika, and where has it been used as a symbol (and what was Jung getting at when he said the Nazi's used it 'backwards')? In nearly 1500 entries, many of them strikingly and often surprisingly illustrated, J.C. Cooper has documented the history and evolution of symbols from prehistory to our own day. Lively, informative and often ironic, she discusses and explains an enormous variety of symbols extending from the Arctic to Dahomey, from the Iroquios to Oceania, and coming from systems as diverse as Tao, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Tantra, the cult of Cybele and the Great Goddess, the Pre-Columbian religions of the Western Hemisphere and the Voodoo cults of Brazil and West Africa.

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Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages are now understood as times of extraordinary skill and creativity in the decorative arts. In the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) artists and craftsmen transitioned from ‘Roman’ to ‘Byzantine’ art and inspired a move from naturalism to a more hieratic and symbolic style, drawing on the deep artistic links connecting the Mediterranean world and the East. The many spectacular artefacts from this period in the Wyvern Collection are luxury objects, most commissioned by wealthy patrons or the Church, ranging in date from the fourth century to around 1300. Masterpieces of great significance for art history, including a 5th-century Artemis missorium, previously unpublished, and an 11th-century enamelled enkolpion from Constantinople are among the highlights of the collection. Other extraordinary objects – Late Roman chariot decorations, a stone funerary door from Syria and brooches brought across Europe by the families of Roman soldiers – complete this artistic panorama of the great Mediterranean and Persian civilizations, whose creative influence extended to the far west of the Islamic world. The catalogue, by Byzantine metalwork expert Marco Aimone, is augmented by three essays from technical specialists: Jack Ogden (enamelling), Peter Northover (metallurgy) and Erica Cruikshank Dodd (hallmarks). Rika Gyselen also contributes readings of Persian inscriptions.

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An expert palaeoarchaeologist reveals how our understanding of the evolution of our species has been transformed by momentous discoveries and technological advancements. Who are we? How do scientists define Homo sapiens, and how does our species differ from the extinct hominins that came before us? This illuminating book explores how the latest scientific advances, especially in genetics, are revolutionizing our understanding of human evolution. Paul Pettitt reveals the extraordinary story of how our ancestors adapted to unforgiving and relentlessly changing climates, leading to remarkable innovations in art, technology and society that we are only now beginning to comprehend. Drawing on twenty-five years of experience in the field, Paul Pettitt immerses readers in the caves and rockshelters that provide evidence of our African origins, dispersals to the far reaches of Eurasia, Australasia and ultimately the Americas. Popular accounts of the evolution of Homo sapiens emphasize biomolecular research, notably genetics, but this book also draws from the wealth of information from specific excavations and artefacts, including the author’s own investigations into the origins of art and how it evolved over its first 25,000 years. He focuses in particular on behaviour, using archaeological evidence to bring an intimate perspective on lives as they were lived in the almost unimaginably distant past.

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Spanning the Minoan and Mycenaean origins of Greece to its eventual conquest by Rome, this new single-author survey combines an authoritative and engaging retelling of the history of ancient Greece with an assessment of the relevance of the Greeks today. Beautifully illustrated with examples of art, archaeology and architecture – from the frescoes of Akrotiri to the spectacular discovery of the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior in 2015 – this account foregrounds the variety and diversity of what it meant to be Greek. Dedicated chapters on Athens and Sparta highlight the differences of culture and civic structure within the Greek world, as well as the political tensions that would precipitate the Peloponnesian War and the subsequent Macedonian Hellenistic Age. Numerous maps and timelines support the clear chronological narrative, while ‘Spotlight’ features at the end of each chapter offer a visual commentary on specific concepts, places and institutions, such as the oracle of Delphi and the image of Alexander the Great. Greece in the Ancient World is the story of a culture that transformed the Western world. The Greeks’ achievements and failures, their ideals and their faults, established a legacy that remains at the heart of our modern life.

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Alfred Russel Wallace, Henry Walter Bates and Richard Spruce were English naturalists who went to Amazonia 150 years ago. This book is the first to combine all three young men’s experiences of the Amazon, drawing heavily on their own letters and books. All three explored an unknown river and had many thrilling adventures: violent attacks of malaria, fearful rapids, murder attempts, encounters with newly contacted indigenous peoples, shipwrecks, and many other hardships. In addition to their huge contributions to knowledge of the Amazonian environment, each is particularly famous for one discovery. Wallace is acknowledged as a co-discoverer, along with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution. Bates discovered protective mimicry among insects, a phenomenon named after him. Spruce transported the quinine-bearing Cinchona tree, the most important medicinal plant of the nineteenth century, to India, where it saved countless lives from malaria.

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This handy guide to Egyptian mythology explores how the ancient Nile-dwellers explained the world around them. It delves into the origins of life, the creation and evolution of the world, and the reigns of the gods on earth, before introducing us to the manifestations of Egypt’s deities in the natural environment; the inventive ways in which the Egyptians dealt with the invisible forces all around them; and the trials and tribulations of the life hereafter. This is the perfect introduction for modern readers to the mysteries of Egyptian mythology.

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This book tells the remarkable lives of the pioneers of science – from Galileo and Newton, Faraday and Darwin, Pasteur and Marie Curie, to Einstein, Freud, Turing, and Crick and Watson. A series of seventy articles, written by an international team of distinguished scientists, historians of science and science writers, provides an unrivalled account of the lives and personalities behind the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time. Organized thematically, starting at the ‘Universe’, and moving smaller through the ‘Earth’ and ‘Molecules and Matter’ to ‘Inside the Atom’, with the final two sections looking at ‘Life’ and ‘Body and Mind’, it covers all the major scientific disciplines, including astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computing, ecology, geology, medicine, neurology, physics and psychology, as well as mathematics. The Scientists will intrigue budding scientists, those fascinated by the lives of great individuals, and anyone curious to know how over the centuries we came to understand the physical world around us and inside us.

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The most comprehensive, practical, and beautiful directory of type, organized by type category - Serif, Sans Serif, Display, and Script - and covering all styles throughout history. Type Directory offers over 1,800 examples of the best in type design, spanning almost 600 years of design history. From classics such as Garamond, Baskerville, Futura, and Helvetica, to more idiosyncratic recent creations such as Gotham and Filosofia, Type Directory features illuminating profiles of the most important and influential typefaces ever created. Organized by type category - Serif, Sans Serif, Display, and Script - each typeface is presented in uppercase and lowercase alphabetical letters, along with numbers, key punctuation marks, and symbols. This comprehensive guide also features profiles and interviews with leading designers and type foundries, as well as inspirational examples of graphic designs using specific typefaces.

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The Field Guide to Typography explores and explains the myriad typefaces that we see around us in our day-to-day lives, from airplane liveries to computer screens, from billboard hoardings to signage systems. It presents over 120 typefaces – old and new, common and unusual – with photographic references to help ‘font spotters’ identify particular typefaces in the wild. Accompanying background information explains the origin, usage and key features of each typeface, and ‘Field Facts’ provide little-known nuggets of information to expand your typographical awareness. Attractive and informative, The Field Guide to Typography is a unique visual reference for novice font fans and experienced designers alike, and a comprehensive celebration of our expanding typographic world.

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One of the greatest Netherlandish artists, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525/30–1569) is best known today for his paintings of peasant life. Yet it was above all through his exceptional graphic work that he achieved widespread fame during the 16th century. This luxurious book offers readers the opportunity to get up close and personal with Bruegel’s famous prints. Published as part of this special Bruegel year, it accompanies the exhibition at the Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels, which is renowned as a pioneer in Bruegel scholarship and holds an unparalleled collection of the artist’s graphic work.

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