Search results for ""Thames Hudson Ltd""

This practical set of yoga positions, movements, breathing exercises and meditations lets you create a routine that's perfect for you. The 60 illustrated cards and accompanying booklet give clear instructions so that you can practice alone, and with confidence. The cards are divided up into five useful sections, helping you navigate quickly to the ones you need: Inversions and balancing; Back arches and twists; Standing poses; Supine and seated, and Breath and meditations. The different postures and exercises (asana) include variations and modifications to suit all abilities, body types and ages. Each card includes a graphic icon to highlight the main qualities of the pose or exercise being shown: calm, energy, focus, mobility and strength so you can zone in fast on the ones that suit your needs on any given day. Also included is a section of breathing and mindfulness exercises (pranayama) giving advice and bite-size information on the science of breath for stress release, sleep

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The first monograph on Richard Smith, a key figure in the development of British art. Richard Smith (1931–2016) was one of the most original painters of his generation, and one of the most underrated. As Barbara Rose said of Smith’s major Tate Gallery retrospective in 1975, he was ‘at once in and out of touch with the currents of the mainstream … au courant and aloof at the same time.’ That he latterly slipped under the radar to some extent is partly explained by his detachment from the mainstream as well as by his frequent switching of studios between England and the USA, although this helped charge his creative batteries. He is the only artist of his stature who has not been represented by a monograph, which the dazzling presentation of images in Richard Smith: Artworks now fulfils. It has been produced with the generous collaboration of the Richard Smith Foundation. Richard Smith: Artworks traces Smith’s entire career, from the breakthrough lyrical abstraction of the early Pop-inflected paintings, through the radical shaped canvases and three-dimensional works that he produced in the 1960s, to the ‘Kite’ works beginning in 1972 and, eventually, his return to the flat canvas. As a Senior Curator at Tate, Dr Chris Stephens knew Smith well, and he contributes a wide-ranging introduction to Smith’s art and life. Prof David Alan Mellor investigates and explains the Anglo-American cultural contexts that drove Smith’s art, while Alex Massouras’s two themed essays, ‘Young and British’ and ‘From Motion Pictures to Flight’, explore Smith’s originality from fresh perspectives. The book is completed with an Afterword by its editor, Martin Harrison.

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In this richly illustrated volume, Oliver Watson presents a comprehensive history of ceramics from Islamic lands. Clear and informative essays examine the art, archaeology and collecting of Islamic pottery, ceramic families and technical traditions, and Islamic pottery over five centuries. This is an important book that provides a whole new framework for the understanding and study of Islamic ceramics, and will be of great interest to the general reader as well as being an invaluable reference work for the student and specialist.

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Francis Bacon: Shadows continues in the revelatory mode established by Inside Francis Bacon. It comprises six essays on diverse topics, interpretative as well as factual, which cumulatively present an abundance of fresh ideas and information about Bacon. The fundamental aim of the series – to rethink Bacon’s art from new perspectives – is impressively fulfilled by the eminent authors. Martin Harrison opens the book with some hitherto unseen Bacon-related photographs and includes a tribute to the great Bacon scholar, David Boxer (1946–2017). Christopher Bucklow turns his attention to the contrast between Bacon's art and the art of our own times, setting Bacon in the context of Romantic Modernism's confidence in the unconscious as a source. Amanda Harrison’s essay explores imagery in Bacon’s paintings that relates to esoteric, mythological and alchemical themes, while Stefan Haus draws on the ideas of philosophers from Plato to Hegel to consider the impact of Bacon’s art. Hugh Davies’s unexpurgated 1973 Bacon Diaries are published here in their entirety for the first time, revealing a more complete view of Bacon as both man and artist. Sophie Pretorius examines Tate's Barry Joule Archive, a collection of working materials and drawings attributed to Bacon. Finally, Martin Harrison explores Francis Bacon's Lost Paintings – works Bacon dubbed 'failures', but preserved by his Estate and published here for the very first time.With 120 illustrations in colour

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Bridget Riley, one of the leading abstract painters of her generation, holds a unique position in contemporary art. She has developed and extended the range of her interests ever since her first success in the 1960s, creating a body of work which is both consistent and highly varied. This volume, now fully revised and updated, reveals the mind behind this remarkable achievement, drawing together the most important texts and interviews of the last fifty years. Riley’s writings show a passionate engagement with her subjects and a great insight paired with a freshness of approach and an exceptional clarity of expression. Quite apart from providing a key to understanding her own work, this book is a fascinating document reflecting the issues and problems facing an artist in the 21st century.

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In July 1975, Sheikh Nasser Sabah Ahmed al-Sabah showed his wife, Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, a splendid enamelled glass bottle dating from the Mumluk period (Egypt or Syria, 14th century), the first object of Islamic art he had acquired during one of his travels. It marked the start of an extraordinary adventure that mingled intelligence, love, research, curiosity and farsightedness.In eight years of concentrated and passionate work, the couple collected about 20,000 works of art, including masterpieces, many of which are deserving of study for the way they shed new light on techniques and little-known aspects, or intriguing pieces whose provenance has yet to be unravelled.On the occasion of the Kuwait’s National Day in February 1983, Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussah offered their country the inestimable gift of the permanent loan of their collection to the National Museum of Kuwait.This volume illustrates 300 from among the most beautiful objects in the Collection and, for those exploring the Islamic world for the first time, describes its culture and art on a chronological (from the early days to the great 16th-century empires) and thematic basis (calligraphy, geometric decoration, arabesques and figurative art). Lastly, there is a section dedicated to jewels, for which the collection is renowned worldwide.

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Carpets from Islamic lands have been treasured for centuries on nearly every continent on earth. Prized by European monarchs and traded as far afield as Tibet and the Americas, these woven and knotted masterpieces are both distinguished works of art and revealing utilitarian objects that offer a rare glimpse of life in the Islamic world. Carpets from Islamic Lands features more than forty fine classical carpets held in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, along with several important pre-Islamic carpet fragments. Friedrich Spuhler describes this spectacular collection in the context of the history of Islamic art, recounting the carpets’ fascinating stories and celebrating their intricate designs and masterful craftsmanship. Including pictures of many carpets never before reproduced in print, and a few that may have been lost forever following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this richly illustrated volume is essential reading for modern admirers of oriental carpets, and a treasure in its own right.

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Twenty art projects inspired by famous artworks for budding mini artists aged 3–6 years. The benefits of art to young children are well known. Art stimulates curiosity, creativity and the imagination. It also cultivates wellbeing, but being creative with young children can feel surprisingly daunting - and this is where Mini Artists comes in. The twenty projects in Mini Artists are designed to engage children with art through making. Mini artists will discover drip painting with Jackson Pollock, carve soap sculptures with Barbara Hepworth, and create their own obliteration room with Yayoi Kusama. They'll also travel through time and explore art from different periods, from cave painting to Medieval stained-glass, and Chinese ink painting to washable graffiti inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Each project requires minimal set-up so the maximum amount of time is spent creating together, and the step-by-step instructions show photographs of the projects in progress so they can be followed at a glance. The projects use simple materials, from clay to ink to paint. Being grounded in art history, Mini Artists features a range of interesting art techniques that are ideal for teaching new motor skills.

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A unique pop-up book from the master of the medium, David A. Carter. This spectacular pop-up book is packed with tabs to pull, wheels to wind, flaps to flip and lots more surprises. So many colourful shapes, stripes and spots are ready to come to life - all you need to do is make them move!

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Through 14 stories, this picture book edition of the multi-award-winning Black Artists Shaping the World makes the work and lives of Black artists accessible to a younger generation. Featuring full colour reproductions of 14 artworks and illustrations of the artists at work, this picture book is an ideal introduction to contemporary art for young children, and a fantastic tool for teachers wishing to de-colonise and diversify their classroom. Sharna Jackson's experience as a children's author who has worked for over a decade in the cultural sector, both at Tate in London and at Site Gallery in Sheffield, is combined here with the curatorial expertise of Dr Zoé Whitley, Director of London's Chisenhale Gallery and co-curator of the landmark Tate exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power'. Their book features artists working in a variety of media from painting and sculpture to ceramics and installation. The result is a refreshingly contemporary celebration of

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A beautifully designed, fact-filled fold-out book on Antarctica. John, an intrepid journalist, has long dreamt of visiting Antarctica - and finally his dream is coming true. He's off to Antarctica to be part of a scientific expedition. Join him on his journey as he learns all about this amazing continent and the people who work there.

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In this delightful follow-up to How to Light Your Dragon, readers see how fun life with a pet dragon can be. In five short, amusing stories full of colourful illustrations, the child and dragon playact as firefighters, doctors, and even Christmas trees! But living with a dragon is anything but normal; when they get tired and need to nap, dragons snore and little sparks come out of their nose that attract fireflies. Pure magic and wonder!

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First published in 1961, this charming story follows a small boy named Edward who lives in the soaring heights of New York and yearns for a pet to keep him company. Edward lives on the twenty-first floor of a large apartment block in New York, which has a sign in the lobby that reads: ‘No dogs or cats allowed’. This isn’t much fun for someone like Edward, who would have loved a dog or cat to keep him company, or even more than that, a horse. But the sign doesn’t say anything about horses... Edward sets out in search of a horse who likes the city and who won’t cost a lot of money to keep. With the help of a friendly fireman, Edward discovers Smitty, whom he unhitches from a vegetable cart and takes home immediately. Before Edward and Smitty can get anywhere near the freight elevator, they are stopped by Smitty’s owner, who kindly offers to let Edward ride with them around the city whenever he pleases.

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What surprises await beneath the flaps? Find out in this charming book in the bestselling Flip Flap Pop-Up series. Everybody needs a hug, as this delightful addition to the Flip Flap Pop-Up series demonstrates. Packed with interactive tabs, this pop-up book is full of flaps to lift, tabs to pull and plenty of surprises!

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Meet Belle, a Parisian girl who goes on holiday to the countryside and is eager to explore on her new bicycle. Soon, though, disaster strikes: Belle falls off her bike and is lost and alone. Now it’s time to meet a talking bee! Yes, a bee who speaks! The talking bee rescues Belle and they set off together… Follow the wonderful adventure of Belle and the bee as they meet every kind of plant and animal proud to call the countryside their home. Just like Belle, you’ll be amazed to discover how nature works: you’ll never look at the natural world around you in the same way again.

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What makes your body work? Is it all in your mind? Sort of! Take a tour of the human body from head to toes and everything in between. Aimed at curious children who want to know how their body works and how their brain keeps it running, The Brainiac's Book of the Body and Brain answers need-to-know and quirky questions about the bodies we live in. This fun-filled introduction to the often complex, sometimes gross, and completely fascinating functions of the human body explores what happens to the food we eat, how medicines can fool us into making us feel better, as well as how and why we dream. Showcasing and celebrating the differences that make every person unique, this inclusive book features easy and fun practical activities and experiments, including keeping a poo diary and optical illusions. Written with a zany sense of humour and packed with facts and hands-on activities, this latest instalment in the Brainiac's series is the perfect creative and accessible introduction

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The second title in the laugh-out-loud series of picture books starring Bad Apple, a truly terrible piece of fruit. Bad Apple is back and grumpier than ever after his run-in with Snake, who graciously spat him out with just a warning. Granny Smith and her posse of golden apples step in to teach him a lesson. But Bad Apple stoops to a new low and seals them up in a delicious apple crumble... In the second instalment of Huw Lewis Jones's hilarious new series of picture books, a truly terrible piece of fruit is once more wreaking havoc far beyond the rim of the fruit bowl. Bad Apple’s behaviour is so outrageous, even his own Granny Smith gangs up on him. Illustrated in a deadpan, painterly style by Ben Sanders, Apple Grumble will entertain the entire family.

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Why Do Cats Meow? is the second book in the series of natural history books for children that answer curious questions about favourite and familiar pets. The book highlights the qualities of different types of cats, and answers some of the more curious questions children have about cats, including: why do cats like scratching things? Why do cats like bringing us dead things? and Why do cats have wet noses? Through the book, children will come to understand what’s so unique about a cat's body and its behaviour and why they deserve to be well cared for. The book also profiles famous cats from history and popular culture, including the cat-headed Egyptian goddess Bastet and Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, who lives and works at 10 Downing Street in London. By incorporating zoological information about the feline species with stories from history, art, religion and popular culture, Why Do Cats Meow? celebrates why cats have been such dear pets to us for centuries.

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Danny Dodo is a detective on a mission. Over the years, hundreds of amazing animals have disappeared. Where did they go? Why did they vanish? It’s Danny’s job to find out – and he wants readers to help! Danny Dodo’s Detective Diary includes tales about Skye the passenger pigeon; Lily, the snail muse of Hawaii whose shimmering shell inspired poetry; and Mayleen the Baiji river dolphin, known to many as the ‘Goddess of the Yangtze.’ But Danny doesn’t just want to celebrate his extinct friends – he’s going to help everyone get to know some of his endangered friends too. Featuring the quirky illustrations of Rob Hodgson, Danny Dodo’s Detective Diary stands apart from other natural history titles with its characterful creatures and humorous approach to zoology based on the latest scientific research, and includes handy tips for young children on what they can do to help the planet.With 48 illustrations in colour

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Why do dogs play dead? How do you speak dog? Why do dogs go about in handbags? This book will help children to understand what’s so unique about a dog’s body and its behaviour and why they deserve to be well cared for. The book also profiles famous dogs from history and popular culture, including the dog-headed Egyptian god Anubis and internet sensation Boo, the cutest dog in the world (according to Google). By incorporating zoological information about the canine species with stories from history, art, religion and popular culture, Why do dogs sniff bottoms? celebrates why dogs have been such dear pets to us for centuries.

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Readers are invited to travel across some of world’s driest landscapes and discover the remarkable animals and plants that survive in desert climates, both hot and cold. Along the way, they will encounter over 300 rare and little known plants, animals, reptiles, birds and insects, casting new light on desert environments and revealing the abundance of life underlying their barren image. Through fifteen bright and graphic desert landscapes the book looks in detail at unusual species, their tactics for survival, nocturnal desert life, the desert food chain, lethal creatures and degrees of dryness.

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Have you ever wondered how animals have babies? Maybe you’ve seen your cat or dog give birth – but what about a turtle or a seahorse? There are lots of different kinds of animals living on planet earth, and lots of different ways of giving birth. This delighful book uses delicate illustrations overlaid on transparencies to show the miracle of birth and new life in the animal kingdom.

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Two tiny orange goby fish play beneath the waves. A giant shoal swims past the friends and sweeps one fish away… Beautifully illustrated by Emily Rand in spectacular neon colours, every layered scene in this pop-up carousel book celebrates the vibrancy of ocean life. The cover can be tied back so the book stands on its own, presenting five different pop-up scenes. Follow the little fish on its journey through a kelp forest, underwater caves, into the open ocean and back to its home in the busy coral reef and revel in the wonders of the ocean.

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Photo Adventures is an activity book by photographer and professional fun-maker Jan von Holleben, who reveals the secret to bending reality using nothing more than a simple smartphone and a playful approach. With the aid of props lying about the house, and a generous dose of imagination, children will discover how to fly like a superhero by turning the ground into the sky; create a ‘brain portrait’ of what’s hiding in their heads by re-photographing an existing photo; put their parents up a pole using tricks of perspective; devise an impossible pinball machine by combining some junk with a tight picture crop; and transform siblings into one-eyed, three-legged monsters with only a mirror and a sharp camera angle! Featuring pro tips and secret tricks from von Holleben, whose trademark photos fill the book with energy, colour and creative inspiration, Photo Adventures shows that there’s more to photography than tech wizardry or applying a filter. Using just a camera phone or basic digital camera, Jan’s addictively playful projects are readily accessible, not to mention enormous fun, for the whole family

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How do you sleep? Up a tree? In a pouch? Upside down??? These pages are packed with flaps to lift, tabs to pull and plenty of surprises!

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In 1987 Fabio Ponzio decided to embark on a photographic odyssey in search of Eastern Europe. When he arrived in Poland the country was on the verge of collapse. There was little food in the shops and the queues to buy bread were immense. In Ceausescu’s Romania, people’s lives were reduced to a succession of dark days; the Securitate wielded absolute control and used informants, bribery and violence to beat any instinct for freedom out of individuals. In the same period, in Yugoslavia, the beginnings of what was to become the catastrophe of successive years were being laid out, while the West looked on in supreme indifference. In the autumn of 1989, everything changed. The various regimes of the communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe began to collapse in Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Prague, Sofia and Bucharest in a domino effect that continued in Albania and ended two years later in the Soviet Union. Ponzio continued his travels across an immense territory with a Leica, three Nikons and 100 rolls of film, in search of the people of the East, documenting the old energy that had been fortified through pain and sacrifice, now joined by a new energy, full of hope. Year after year, Ponzio returned to capture the many faces and stark differences of the other Europe, in search of the elements that make up the shared destiny of the peoples of Eastern Europe. Collected here are his stunning portraits of their traditions and faith, humility and courage, vulnerability and survival.

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Jim Shaughnessy: Essential Witness is a comprehensive overview of Shaughnessy’s sixty year as a railroad photographer. Starting in the late 1940s, he began documenting in earnest the rapidly changing railroad scene in the Northeastern United States. His interests and travels also took him to other areas of the country to document the Rio Grande narrow gauge in Colorado and the UP Big Boys in Wyoming, and various locations in Canada. His timing was perfect: he was there to record the dramatic transition between the steam and diesel eras as well as documenting and recording for posterity the workers behind the machines that operated in the depots, roundhouses and back shops of the American railroad environment. Lucius Beebe once described Shaughnessy as ‘a master in the massive effects of black and white.’ The book includes some 150 duotone photographs taken between 1948 and 1970, with the emphasis on the 1950s and 1960s. Images include landscapes, cities and towns; action shots of formidable trains barreling down the tracks; snaps of weary railroad workers; nighttime photos of shadowy enclaves within the railyard; and many more.

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Gathering some of Alex Webb’s most iconic images, many of which were taken in the far corners of the earth, The Suffering of Light brings a fresh perspective to his extensive catalogue. Recognized as a pioneer of American colour photography, Webb has since the 1970s consistently created photographs characterized by intense colour and light. His work, with its richly layered and complex composition, touches on multiple genres, including street photography, photojournalism and fine art, but as Webb claims, ‘to me it all is photography. You have to go out and explore the world with a camera.’ Webb’s ability to distil gesture, colour and contrasting cultural tensions into single, beguiling frames results in evocative images that convey a sense of enigma, irony and humour. Featuring key works alongside previously unpublished photographs, The Suffering of Light is Webb’s first comprehensive monograph and provides the most thorough examination to date of this modern master’s prolific, thirty-year career.

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This survey presents the most striking, innovative and unusual white houses by contemporary architects spanning the globe from Asia to the Americas, showcasing inspirational residential projects by established and emerging talents, including Aires Mateus, Jakob + Macfarlane, Jürgen Mayer and Shinichi Ogawa. From radical new takes on traditional building forms in Latin America to state-of-the-art urban projects in Europe and Japan, each featured house employs the apparent simplicity of white to reflect light and accent materiality, pressing the frontiers of form to the point of abstraction. A white house is also a statement, translating a desire to stand out, just as it may also create a neutral surface for expression. This stylish and timeless publication therefore celebrates a universal form for all people and lifestyles.

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Andrew Bromberg, of global architecture and design practice Aedas, was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of the United States and now lives and works in Asia. He is a leading light in the design of cutting-edge skyscrapers and large-scale development projects that consider cities not just as collections of buildings but as human-made landscapes shaped by social and economic forces as gradual or as abrupt as the erosions, accretions, uplifts and explosions that shape the natural world. Now inhabiting the craggy mixture of natural and human-made structures that define Hong Kong, Bromberg has long modelled his work on his knowledge of nature and his understanding of tectonic forces, both natural and human. Drawing on a series of conversations and exploratory walks in major Asian cities – including Singapore and Ghuangzou – architecture critic Aaron Betsky reveals how Bromberg visualizes his settings and locates his designs within the complex and dynamic contexts in which they appear. Interspersed amid these urban reflections is a largely visual presentation of over twenty of Bromberg’s most exciting recent projects across Asia and the Middle East. Together these comprise a monograph/manifesto that offers a singular vision for the cities that will shape our future world.

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Illuminating the evolution of bag designs and uses from the medieval period to today, the author explores early drawstring creations and richly worked ecclesiastical purses, before looking at large work bags of the 18th century, and by contrast the small reticules that were designed to complement high-waisted Empire line dresses. Increased travel in the 19th century brought about the leather handbag as we know it today, while the 20th century saw an explosion of innovations, from 1930s designs reflecting the streamlined American aesthetic and the use of new synthetics such as imitation patent and Vynide, to the rise of the luxury designer handbag by the likes of Hermès, Gucci, Chanel and Prada. After a general introduction, chronological chapters unfold, illustrated throughout; a detailed glossary, bibliography and index conclude the book. An inspiring, impeccably researched and concise history of bags through the ages, Bags: A Brief History is a musthave resource for students, designers and lovers of fashion and costume.

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Designers, stylists and artists from across the country and around the globe make London their home, finding inspiration in its quirky British style and lively cosmopolitanism. The New Creative Home is a celebration the city’s rich mix of living spaces – from a spacious, contemporary flat in trendy Clerkenwell to a stylish Victorian terrace in Notting Hill. This exclusive peek into the personal spaces of the world’s most ingenious talents offers lifestyle and interior inspiration for any home, whatever your style.

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The fashion world has long been celebrated for its scintillating salon wit. The sharpest tongues and quickest repartee have always sprung from the lips of fashion royalty. From Oscar Wilde to Miuccia Prada, fashion’s words of wisdom have become our daily bread. Fashion Quotes presents hundreds of the snappiest quotations from over three centuries, from the society beaux of the 18th century and the literary wits of the 19th century, to the celebrity elite of the 20th century and today’s hippest twitterati. Christian Lacroix has gilded the pages with creative inspiration, his illustrations perfectly expressing the colour and panache that we expect of fashion’s finest. The collection is divided into quotations from different spheres, including: Elegance, Shoes, Dressing up, The Little Black Dress, Dandyism, Eros, Eccentricity, Models, Vanity. Fashion Quotes will be the must-have gift for every fashionista and aspiring wit, or for anyone looking for the ultimate smart put-down, cheeky pick-me-up, whip-crack wisdom or poisonous punchline.

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South Africa has an established, vibrant and highly politicized contemporary art scene that is often in dialogue with the deep and recent past. South African Art explores this relationship between past and present, showing contemporary and historic art objects from the earliest human artistic tendencies three million years ago to 20th-century apartheid Resistance Art and the art of post-apartheid transformation. South African Art begins with the first artistic stirrings of our earliest ancestors and the first African kingdoms through to the creation of 3D figurative art and specialised artisans. It then considers the influence of Dutch, British, Malay, Chinese and Indian settlers from the 16th century onwards and the ensuing conflicts, followed by a focus on the British colonial period and the European obsession with the exotic and the objectification of African bodies. A chapter on segregation after the Union of South Africa in 1910 and Resistance Art during the apartheid era of c.1970 to 1989 is followed by a final section looking at South Africa’s transformation from an apartheid state to the ‘Rainbow Nation’, and the country’s current artistic optimism.

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Not only do scripts and alphabets form bridges between cultures, but their history and the stories they tell are the perfect springboard for calligraphic experimentation. From India to Ethiopia, Tibet and beyond, Denise Lach has travelled widely in the world of script. Here, she documents complex and simple characters, playful shapes and vibrant colours, which she then translates into her own visual art. She demonstrates the exciting design possibilities offered by script: you can repeat, turn, mirror and rotate letters; you can also experiment with rhythms, contrasts, colours and line widths. In addition to calligraphic techniques, Lach introduces examples from printmaking, fabric printing, collage making and digital techniques. As illustrated by its beautifully photographed works of art – on paper, stone, fabric or ceramic material– Journeys in Calligraphy will take you to many surprising destinations.

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This stylish publication celebrates the impact of contemporary Nordic style on interiors, furnishings and product design. Its attractiveness lies in the simplicity, attention to detail and high quality of materials that have long been associated with Scandinavian design. This book features fifty notable interior and product designers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. Whether they are well established or up and coming, the designers all share a passionate commitment to an elegant design style with widespread international appeal. New Nordic Design builds on the success of the author's earlier Fashion Scandinavia, in the same format, while also being completely new with great potential to reach a wide, global audience for whom Scandinavian living is a dream and an aspiration.

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Woody Allen is a uniquely innovative performer, writer and director with nearly fifty movies to his credit, from cult slapstick films and romantic comedies to introspective character studies and crime thrillers. Classics such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories, Broadway Danny Rose and Hannah and Her Sisters still resonate, and more recently Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine have been notable successes. In this timely retrospective, Tom Shone reviews Woody Allen's entire career, providing incisive commentary on his films and shedding light on this uniquely self-deprecating filmmaker, with the help of comments contributed by Allen himself. Superbly illustrated with more than 250 key images, this is a fitting tribute to one of the masters of modern cinema, published to mark Woody Allen's eightieth birthday.'I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.' Woody Allen

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This landmark study is the first comprehensive exploration of the ‘Proportioned Script’, an Arabic writing system attributed to the Abbasid wazir (minister) Ibn Muqla and the master scribe Ibn al-Bawwab that has dominated the art of Arabic and Islamic penmanship from the 10th century to the present day. Volume One, ‘Sources and Principles of the Geometry of Letters’, traces the origin of the Proportioned Script to the cross-cultural encounter between Greek learning and the scientific, artistic and philosophical pursuits of classical Islam. On the basis of instructions in surviving sources it identifies a grid module that serves as a common foundation for the design of all the Arabic letter shapes. In Volume Two, ‘From Geometric Pattern to Living Form’, the authors construct each of the letter shapes on the grid module and compare their findings to samples traced by two classical master scribes. They conclude by examining the religious, aesthetic and cosmological significance of the Proportioned Script in the wider context of the Islamic cultural heritage. Drs Moustafa and Sperl have succeeded in unearthing the very foundations of Arabic penmanship, with implications for the arts of Islam as a whole.

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Brazil is full of energy, creativity and originality. Amid its glamorous beaches and tropical vegetation, a new generation of architects are establishing a global reputation for themselves with houses and hotels that combine a bold contemporary aesthetic with a uniquely Brazilian sensibility. From São Paulo to Rio, to the coastal towns of Paraty and Ilhabela, the locations in this lively book cover a diverse range of projects, from stunning city homes to country retreats and tempting coastal escapes. All the buildings feature new takes on indoor-outdoor living, beautifully crafted local materials and original elements such as indoor gardens or integrated courtyards, and a mastery of natural light. These qualities build upon the potent legacy of Brazilian modernist design, which includes figureheads such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lina Bo Bardi and Robert Burle Marx, and is represented today by such design luminaries as Marcio Kogan, Isay Weinfeld and Arthur Casas. Featuring iconic projects by Marcos Acayaba and Pritzker-prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, together with homes by designers such as Fernanda Marques, Guilherme Torres and André Piva, New Brazilian House is a wonderful reflection of the vitality and verve of Brazil’s architecture and design today.

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Built for Federico II Gonzaga Duke of Mantua between 1525 and 1536, Palazzo Te is the masterpiece of Renaissance artist, designer and architect Giulio Romano, the most accomplished and favoured of all Raphael’s pupils. Ugo Bazzotti, former director of the Palazzo Te, takes the reader via superb photography through the atriums, halls, courtyards and gardens that constitute this elaborate masterpiece of Mannerist decoration, explaining its history and the inventiveness and versatility of its creator, Giulio Romano. From the erotic scenes of the Sala di Psiche to the famous Sala di Giganti, based on the mythological defeat of the Titans by the gods of Olympus, the High Renaissance ideal of classical harmony and balance is overtaken by breathtaking illusionist techniques, with images of giants, falling masonry and the gods’ thunderbolts filling the visitor’s imagination.

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As an editor, curator and wit, Diana Vreeland made a lasting mark and remains an icon for generations of fashion lovers. During her fifty-year reign as the ‘Empress of Fashion’, she launched Twiggy, advised Jackie O and coined some of fashion’s most eloquent proverbs, such as ‘the bikini is the biggest thing since the atom bomb.’ She aimed to ‘instruct where possible, to delight, to give pleasure, to bring to the reader what interests her.’ In this book, the first full-length biography of Vreeland, Amanda Mackenzie Stuart portrays a visionary: a fearless innovator who inspired designers, models, photographers and artists, and who reinvented the way we think about style and where we go to think about it.

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This publication presents a fresh look into the private dwellings of the most exciting creative talents in Paris – individuals from the music, fashion, design, film and art worlds. The 27 properties photographed exclusively for the book are loosely arranged by their location across the city’s grooviest, on-the-edge arrondissements – from the elevated bohemianism of the Left Bank to the trendy Marais and the edgier Belleville and 13th – and reflect the cosmopolitan melting pot that influences Paris’s design trends. Aimed at an urban audience who dream of revamping their city crash pads, or who want to inject glamour into their personal spaces, New Paris Style is packed with creative and inspiring ideas, for wherever you live.

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Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was, without doubt, the most influential designer of the 20th century. This book honours her influence by celebrating the key elements that defined and still define her style through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs. Juxtaposing fashion plates from Chanel's own time with the most recent creations by Karl Lagerfeld, such as Cecil Beaton's portrait of Coco Chanel presented alongside one of Cate Blanchett by Lagerfeld himself, the resonance between archive and contemporary photographs becomes sharp, vibrant and telling. The vocabulary of Chanel's style - the little black dress, baroque inspirations, androgynous chic - is revealed in eleven chapters that compare original forms in the 1920s with the full range of their later expressions through every fashion era. Chanel's legendary fashion house continues to captivate a huge audience with an insatiable appetite for one of fashion's undisputed style perennials.

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'Classic and Modern Fabrics' is the definitive reference guide to all the major types of fabric in circulation today. In clear and succinct language, the author describes over 600 examples, from classic tweeds to state-of-the-art nano fabrics. Ease of recognition is the book’s primary aim: each entry is written in an easy-to-follow format, including a definition, notes on structure, and a list of the fabric’s principal applications – and almost all examples are accompanied by a photograph and/or diagram designed to show defining characteristics at a glance. In addition, the text contains a wealth of detail covering patterns, history, and obsolete terms that the reader might still encounter. Combined with a comprehensive reference section, this unique work will prove itself invaluable to a whole range of users, from design students, teachers, designers and historians to manufacturers, buyers and merchandisers worldwide.

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Silk has long captured the imagination of peoples round the globe, inspiring creativity in the making of luxurious textiles. This major new survey draws on the exceptional collections of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and explores tradition and innovation across the history and geography of silk production, celebrating the ingenuity and skill of designers and makers. Structured by technique, from weaving and knitting to dyeing, printing and embroidery, this compendium showcases a rich variety of artworks, furnishings and clothing, including fashions from recent designer catwalk shows in North America, Asia and Europe. Silk will inform every student, connoisseur and admirer of beautiful textiles.With 620 illustrations in colour

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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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Even in the digital age, the printed poster retains an important, much-loved role in connecting with audiences in a way that both entertains and informs. The V&A was one of the first museums to start collecting posters and to recognize the importance of doing so. Far from ephemeral, posters are both a representation of the time in which they were produced and distributed and, in many instances, have shaped the societies in which they were seen. The story of the poster is both one of changing styles and new innovations in design, illustration and printing, and a visually compelling social history. The Poster brings together over 300 examples that tell a comprehensive visual history of poster design and the various ways the poster has been used to tell, to sell, to charm and to spur on change. Organized into seven thematic chapters that tell the story of the poster as a medium, each poster is accompanied by a concise commentary that explains the work in terms of its design, printing, content, message and the commercial, social or political impact it may have had. Featuring works by the masters of poster design that have become popular and highly collectible classics, charting the ebb and flow of styles such as Art Nouveau, Modernism, Art Deco, Psychedelia and Punk and featuring the nostalgic glow of muchloved brands as well as posters that shook and changed the world, The Poster will be an essential visual resource for graphic designers and illustrators – a reference for anyone with an interest in collecting posters and an engaging design and social history for all who appreciate this most popular of art forms.

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