Search results for ""Prestel""
Prestel The Great Big Art History Colouring Book
Filled with imaginative drawings and sketches to color in and paint, this book features all twelve large plates and many more individual scenes from Annabelle von Sperber's Where's the Artist? book. Arranged chronologically, each scene depicts a critical juncture in the history of art: from the temples of ancient Egypt to Leonardo da Vinci's studio. The drawings encourage coloring and learning about artistic movements and personalities, making this a source of information as well as a welcome outlet for the artist in all of us.
£10.99
Prestel Coloring Book Hokusai
This delightful colouring book introduces children to one of the world's most celebrated printmakers, Hokusai. His series Thirtysix Views of Mount Fuji includes some of the most recognisable images in the world, including The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The Japanese artist is especially appealing to children, who will marvel at his enchanting landscapes and still lifes. This engaging activity book will inspire learning and creativity in children and will encourage young readers to make their own Hokusai-like creations.
£7.02
Prestel 13 Architects Children Should Know
Buildings of every shape and size and from all corners of the world, populate this colourful and beautifully produced book that introduces children to history's most iconic architectural feats and the people behind them. In lively illustrated spreads, young readers will learn how Christopher Wren reconstructed an 11th-century cathedral after London's great fire of 1666 to become the St Paul's Cathedral that we know today and how its dome survived the Blitz. They will find out how Thomas Jefferson, in building his plantation, Monticello, created a new architecture for a new nation. They will be introduced to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Zaha Hadid and can examine in detail the wonders of the Eiffel Tower, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and Rome's most beautiful theatre. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each architect's entry includes a concise biography, illustrations of major works and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Additional information about the buildings pictured, suggestions for further reading and online resources will satisfy the most curious of minds.
£10.99
Prestel Hieronymus Bosch: Coloring Book
Big art for little hands, this enchanting activity book allows young artists to explore the world's masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to color outside the lines. This delightful children's activity book is published to mark the 75th year since the Prado in Madrid acquired the Garden of Earthly Delights triptych and the quincentenary of the artist's death in 2016. This coloring book introduces children to the amazing landscapes, fantastic fruits and flowers, and fabulous animals which Bosch painted more than 500 years ago and we hope will inspire young readers to create their own imaginative works of art.
£7.62
Prestel The Little Hippo: A Children's Book Inspired by Egyptian Art
To the ancient Egyptians, the hippopotamus was one of the most dangerous animals in their world. The huge creatures were a hazard for small fishing boats and other river craft. But in this delightful story, a young boy befriends a little hippo and together they live out their days along the banks of the Nile. After many years, when the boy's life comes to an end, the hippo finds himself in a strange world populated with deserts, cities, forests and finally a museum where he is reunited with his friends. Early Egyptian civilization has long been a source of curiosity and fascination for children. Through this simple, moving, and beautifully illustrated story young readers will discover how and why the hippopotamus was such an important figure in that ancient world.
£11.99
Prestel From Mud Huts to Skyscrapers
Children will be utterly absorbed by this journey through the history of architecture, from the earliest mud huts to today's soaring towers. Chronologically arranged, this large-format book gives each iconic building its own double-page spread featuring an exquisite watercolour illustration and clearly written descriptions, facts, and features. These vibrantly detailed pages are filled with people, animals, and other objects that help bring the buildings to life. A detailed appendix includes a timeline, a world map that points out where each building can be found, and an extensive glossary. Children will enjoy poring over this book - and will come away with a fundamental understanding of not only the most common architectural terms, but of how the built world has evolved marvellously over time.
£14.99
Prestel The Art Treasure Hunt: I Spy with My Little Eye
Young children love a good game of "I Spy with My Little Eye." In this beautifully designed book they are playfully challenged to find details "hidden" in some of the world's greatest paintings. On each double-page spread, a large reproduction of a masterpiece such as Kandinsky's Heavenly Blue, Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Rousseau's The Dream or Breugel's Children's Games is paired with a list of items to search for: a dog, an umbrella, or a ball, for instance. A brief age-appropriate text makes connections between the art and the child's own environment. Arranged chronologically, the pictures expose children to an endless array of artistic styles, periods, and cultures. Although the appendix contains solutions to the challenges, every child knows that the fun is in the hunt. Filled with hours of joyful discovery, this art book sets the stage for greater artistic appreciation as children grow older.
£14.99
Prestel Edgar Degas: Coloring Book
Big art for little hands, this enchanting activity book allows young artists to explore the world of Degas' masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to color outside the lines.
£7.02
Prestel Journey on a Cloud: A Children's Book Inspired by Marc Chagall
This book tells the story of the postman Zephyr, who lives in a little blue village in the mountains where nothing ever changes. A dreamer hoping for adventures, he travels on a cloud, embarking on a fantastic airborne journey that takes him to distant and colourful lands. Eventually Zephyr falls to earth and meets a beautiful young woman. Together they return to the postman's home village which is now transformed in Zephyr's eyes and begin their exciting new life together. Inspired by Chagall's masterpiece, a world of colour and imagination awaits the readers of this book. Paintings based on Chagall's striking palette and elegant lines help tell a simple yet poetic story. The book includes a gorgeous reproduction of Chagall's masterpiece 'Les Maries de la Tour Eiffel' ('The Bride and Groom of the Eiffel Tower'), illustrating a journey of words and pictures, and introducing young readers to the work of one of the most popular artists of the twentieth century.
£11.99
Prestel Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910—1940
The early decades of the 20th century were marked by artistic, economic, and social transformation in Canada and around the world. Starting in Toronto, a group of young modern artists, including Tom Thomson, Lawren S. Harris, or Emily Carr in British Columbia, desired to create a new painting vocabulary for the young nation coming into its own cultural identity. They turned away from city life and explored Canada’s landscape, painting sublime vistas, monumental rivers, ancient forests around the great lakes, the mighty Rocky Mountains, and the arctic tundra, determined to break away from European stylistic traditions Together, their paintings imagined a mythical Canada, expansive and rugged, that added to their country’s growing sense of national pride. Featuring paintings, sketches, photographs, film stills, and documentary material, this catalogue examines the language of Canadian modernism. It also includes essays and interviews that offer contemporary indigenous perspectives on the impact of industry on nature, issues surrounding national identity, and modern Canadian landscape painting. This generously illustrated book critically reviews Canada’s modernism in art history.
£40.50
Prestel Hito Steyerl: This is the future
Artist, filmmaker, and writer Hito Steyerl is an acute observer and interpreter of globalized and digital cultures. This book examines three of Steyerl’s large-scale works—Hell Yeah We Fuck Die (2016), ExtraSpaceCraft (2016), and Liquidity Inc. (2014)—as well as other iconic works from the last 15 years. These essayistic documentary films blend personal with political and satire with seriousness. Her artworks and writings are inspired by her investigations of the impact of the internet and new technologies on our lives and are critical of the various forms of control and surveillance, as well as militarisation and cultural globalisation.
£26.99
Prestel En Passant: Impressionism in Sculpture
Is there such a thing as “Impressionist sculpture”? Since 1881 when Edgar Degas presented Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris, the term has existed along with the discourse around it. This book is dedicated to the extensive examination of the question what it would mean to translate the characteristics of Impressionist painting, such as light, colour, ephemerality, and the ethereal, into sculpture. The book features a selection of artists including Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, and Medardo Rosso and examines the artistic processes that traverse genres in which one medium is enhanced by others. This valuable, fascinating resource offers a unique addition to the scholarship on the Impressionist era.
£40.50
Prestel Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Throughout his career, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner employed a highly inventive and original use of colour. He favoured novel applications of paint in unusual matte finishes. For Kirchner, colour was of primary importance, coupled with technique and style. He was one of the leading Expressionist painters of the time and was one of the founding members of the Brücke. In his deeply personal depictions, he focused on the places where he lived and worked and his close friends and associates. This book, accompanying a major exhibition at the Neue Galerie New York, provides a visual survey of Kirchner’s oeuvre and offers an in-depth analysis of different aspects of the artist’s output. Essays by leading experts examine Kirchner’s approach to colour, his interest in the decorative arts, how electric light affected his treatment of colour, the impact of Nietzsche on his work, and how he was profoundly changed by World War I. This book includes illustrations of nearly 40 paintings, 30 prints, as well as drawings, sketchbooks, photographs, and decorative work.
£40.50
Prestel Leiko Ikemura: Toward New Seas
Luminous, large-scale paintings, fantastical, chimerical sculpture, girlish warriors, and Amazon goddesses—Leiko Ikemura’s artistic output is as diverse as it is prolific. In this book that gathers together drawings, monotypes, paintings, and sculpture, Ikemura’s unique talent for fusing Eastern and Western art is profoundly evident. In her work, Ikemura explores themes of hybridity, cross-culturalism, sexuality, and death. She works at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, shifting fluidly between media, and imbuing her pieces with raw energy and emotion. Ikemura’s exotic landscapes emerge from tempera-like washes. Her terra-cotta and bronze sculpture is both feminine and timeless and her unique pictorial language manifests itself in landscapes and figures that summon a sense of loss. Whether she’s celebrating the power of the female form or exploring a misty dreamscape, Ikemura achieves a unique synthesis of cultures, traditions, and perceptions in everything she creates.
£26.99
Prestel Van Gogh: Still Lifes
From his first compositions to the colorful flower images of his late years, Vincent van Gogh repeatedly painted still lifes. In this genre, he could try out various pictorial techniques – from depicting space through light and shadow to experimentation with color. Although many of his still life compositions employed traditional approaches to the genre, he ultimately formulated an unmistakably unique artistic style. This lavishly illustrated book revisits the development of Van Gogh’s career and focuses on his still-life paintings, offering new insights into the working process and creative evolution of one of the most radical innovators in the history of modern art.
£35.99
Prestel Gauguin: A Spiritual Journey
This vibrant examination of Paul Gauguin’s life and work features more than fifty pieces from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek collection in Copenhagen, including paintings, wood carvings, and ceramics along with Oceanic art and Gauguin’s works on paper from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s permanent collections. Each piece is reproduced in exquisite detail, offering a superb opportunity to enjoy Gauguin’s groundbreaking use of color, line, and form. Essays examine Gauguin’s relationships and reveal the struggles, indulgences, awakenings, and betrayals of his personal and professional life. Other essays provide new insights into Gauguin’s travels to the far reaches of the French colonial empire in the Pacific and explore his cultural identity, sexuality, and spirituality. Beautifully designed to complement Gauguin’s extraordinary oeuvre, this book offers a refreshing take on an artist whose life and work continue to fascinate to the present day.
£40.50
Prestel The Cathedral of Music: The Archivo Storico Ricordi
This comprehensive and captivating book follows the evolution of Milan's Ricordi archive, from its founding in 1808 by publisher Giovanni Ricordi to its present-day holdings of thousands of scores, letters, libretti, sketches of opera scenery and costume design, photographs, and Art Nouveau and Art Deco posters. In addition, the original manuscripts of nearly all of the operas written by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Paganini are preserved inside its hallowed vaults. The book contains an overview of the archive's entire collection whilst also examining rare autographs, the often-unacknowledged significance of the libretto, and the phenomenon of Italian opera and its important contributions to the world of music and culture. Revealing fascinating stories of uncovered secrets and biographical insights into the composers this book is a treasure trove of musical ephemera which pays tribute to the glorious, dynamic, and colorful history of making, presenting, promoting, and preserving music for the ages.
£40.50
Prestel Breguet: Art and Innovation In Watchmaking
Abraham-Louis Breguet invented many of the standard components of today's most prestigious watches, earning the title "The Father of Modern Horology." The self-winding watch, the gong spring, the first shock-protection device and the enameled dial-all were created by Breguet. In addition, he invented the first travel clock, sold to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 and the first wristwatch, delivered to Caroline Murat, queen of Naples in 1812. Perhaps Breguet's most famous timepiece is the "Marie-Antoinette" pocket watch, which took forty years to make and was the most complex watch of its time. This fascinating, elegantly designed volume features more than seventy watches and clocks that were constructed by the Breguet company, and it contains many insights into the inner workings that made these objects so innovative and valuable. Engaging essays explore Breguet's personal history, the technologies he perfected and his vast international reputation-which survives to this day. This beautiful overview of Breguet's achievements will speak to anyone who treasures their watch-whether as an indispensable daily accessory, or as a prized piece of jewellery.Published in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
£29.99
Prestel 50 Photos You Should Know
The birth of photography opened the doors to a new kind of art, one that recorded events with the immediacy not possible with painting and drawing. This volume is a chronologically arranged compendium of memorable images of unforgettable people, places, and moments. Including images recording humankind conquering the air, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbing Mount Everest, and the attack on the World Trade Center, this volume features double-page spreads that create a visual timeline. From war to nature, movie stars to artists, the surface of Mars to the devastation of Katrina, this thoroughly up-to-date record captures historical moments such as the horror of the Japanese tsunami and the excitement of the political revolution in the Middle East. Recording moments both intimate and earth-shaking, these photographs speak volumes about where we've been and the direction we're headed.
£14.99
Prestel Caravaggio: Masters of Art
Although fewer than eighty of Caravaggio's painted works exist, they represent a critical moment in the development of European painting as the Renaissance style gave way to that of the Baroque. This monograph explores the Italian master's entire life and career by focusing on the most important of his works. Readers will learn about his innovative use of light and shadow, his physical and psychological realism, and his radical technique of omitting initial drawings and creating straight onto the canvas. Along the way readers will learn details of the artist's colourful, and often troubled life, as well as the important role he played in the evolution of Western painting. Overflowing with impeccably reproduced images, this book offers full-page spreads of masterpieces as well as highlights of smaller details - allowing the viewer to appreciate every aspect of the artist's technique and oeuvre. Chronologically arranged, the book covers important biographical and historic events that reflect the latest scholarship. Additional information includes a list of works, timeline, and suggestions for further reading.
£9.99
Prestel 13 Artists Children Should Know
Whether it's Leonardo da Vinci's mysterious Mona Lisa, Vermeer's vibrant depictions of light, Van Gogh's mesmerizing brush strokes, or Matisse's playful cutouts, the art featured here is introduced in a format and style that will appeal to children. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each artist's entry includes a concise biography, beautiful reproductions of major works, and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Games, quizzes and other activities help readers learn about the significant contributions of each artist in a way that is both fun and inspiring. Additional information about museums, suggestions for further reading, and online resources will satisfy the most curious minds.
£11.99
Prestel 13 Buildings Children Should Know
Children's fascination with buildings is a natural outgrowth of their curiosity about anything strange or huge or complex. This unique book brings together thirteen architectural wonders that have intrigued children for years. Through activities such as games, quizzes, drawings and other activities, it teaches them the history behind each of the buildings, and presents fascinating facts about the design, historical use, and construction techniques. This book features pyramids built by men with pulleys, a tower that leans, an opera house shaped like a sailboat, a museum built like a spiral, and the most recent example, a bird's nestA" stadium where the 2008 summer Olympics were held. Each of these buildings and more are introduced to young readers through lively texts and illustrations that will serve to heighten their interest and knowledge about the world's most important architecture, and perhaps inspire them to dream and build on their own.
£10.99
£13.49
Prestel The Book of Time
In this thought provoking book, curious readers will discover all kinds of fascinating information about how and why we think about time. Chapters on mythology discuss Chronos, Janus, and the legend of the Phoenix. Others look at how different cultures perceive time—as a straight line or in circles? Young readers will learn how animals and plants tell time, how the study of longitude and latitude is related to clocks, and why an hour used to last one hundred minutes. Along the way, they’ll encounter historic time pieces such as sundials, chronometers, and Al-Jazari’s famous 12th-century elephant clock. The book also invites readers to ponder important questions about what time means to us today: can you actually save time? Can you run out of it? And is it really better to accomplish more in less time? These concepts are introduced in accessible chapters and illustrated with vibrant drawings. Absorbing and world- enlarging, this elegant book explores a challenging concept in an engaging way that encourages discussion and further learning.
£18.99
Prestel Sticker Seurat: Bathers at Asnieres
The perfect fun and relaxing art project for adults and children, this activity pack includes everything needed for readers to make their own Pointillist sticker masterpiece. Containing 14 sticker sheets with over three-thousand colored circular stickers and an 18" x 32" (46 x 82.5 cm) poster "canvas" of colored outlines, readers simply need to match the colored stickers to the outlines found on the poster to recreate the painting. Given that Pointillism relies on the ability of the eye and brain to blend colored dots into a fuller range of tones, it's not necessary to place each sticker on precisely the right outline. As a result, every finished poster will be somewhat different- and extremely satisfying. With a handy folder-style flap that allows for easy storage and transportation of the artwork in progress, Dot Art: Sticker Seurat makes the perfect activity to take on vacation or to unwind after a busy day.
£10.99
Prestel Akihiko Okamura
Published as a collection for the first time, these arresting and poetic and images of Northern Ireland reveal a rarely examined facet of the oeuvre of a celebrated twentieth century war photographer.Akihiko Okamura became a renowned war photographer during the first years of the Vietnam war and later, as he documented wars in Biafra and the Middle East. In 1969, he moved from Southeast Asia to Dublin. From there, Okamura traveled frequently to Derry and other parts of Northern Ireland to document the country's Troubles. This beautifully produced book brings together for the first time Okamura's Irish work, which was almost entirely unpublished before now. Presented in full page plates without text, Okamura's images are imbued with soft, muted colors that contrast with the violence of the situation in which they were conceived. Brimming with feelings of fear, dread, anticipation, and resignation, these images reveal Okamura's humanity and curiosity, hi
£36.00
Prestel Si Mangia
Blending simple yet elegant recipes with delightful family memories, this beautifully inviting cookbook brings the pleasures of the Tuscan countryside to your own kitchen table.Chef and food stylist Mattia Risaliti grew up in Tuscany with a large family that gathered often at their enormous table, eating the region’s amazing food and telling stories of their friends and neighbors. In Si Mangia (Let’s Eat!), Mattia opens his family’s recipe book and shares his culinary heritage with cooks at every level of expertise. Familiar dishes such as eggplant parmigiana and polenta are included here, as well Tuscan classics—stuffed artichokes, fried zucchini blossoms, rice in broth, ricotta dumplings, and pork roast. But this book is also highly personal, with recipes passed down from generations, and colored by Risaliti’s reflections on the Tuscan culture and landscape. Tantalizing color photography showcases not just the recipes and techniques but al
£23.40
Prestel Category Is Cocktails
Category Is: Cocktails! features original recipes for 60 cocktails and zero-proof drinks, alongside beautifully-rendered illustrations and profiles of the personalities who inspired them. The drag legends here run the gamut: designers, dancers, comedians, community activists, contortionists, Emmy winners, and Broadway actors. The book includes drag's big names, such as stars of reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race Kim Chi, Trixie Mattel, and Latrice Royale, to scene stalwarts Divine and Peaches Christ, to international performers like Pabllo Vittar and Pangina Healsas well as culturally significant figures, like vaudevillian king Annie Hindle and activist Stormé DeLarverie. While the drinks in most drag bars could easily fuel a transatlantic flight, this collection puts forth a radical thought: drag performers and their fans deserve better. The tipples here are equal parts delicious and quirky, featuring unusual but easily-sourced ingredients. Along with strai
£12.99
Prestel Spray Nation: 1980s NYC Graffiti Photos
If you were a graffiti writer in 1980s New York City, you wanted Martha Cooper to document your work—and she probably did. Cooper has spent decades immortalizing art that is often overlooked, and usually illegal. Her first book, 1984’s Subway Art (a collaboration with Henry Chalfant), is affectionately referred to by graffiti artists as the “bible”. To create Spray Nation, Cooper and editor Roger Gastman pored through hundreds of thousands of 35mm Kodachrome slides, painstakingly selecting and digitizing them. The photos range from obscure tags to portraits, action shots, walls, and painted subway cars. They are accompanied by heartfelt essays celebrating Cooper’s drive, spirit, and singular vision. The images capture a gritty New York era that is gone forever. And although the original pieces (as well as many of their creators) have been lost, these powerful photos feel as immediate as a subway train thundering down the tracks.
£31.50
Prestel Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design
You've seen their work-but have you seen them? From advertising to architecture, cartooning to fashion design, Black designers have been working in every major industry but, for the past decades, have not been given the spotlight anywhere near to the extent of their white counterparts. This vibrant and wide-ranging book more than corrects that oversight, bringing a century of Black designers and their work fully into focus. The book is organized into three sections by discipline, focusing on Fashion, Architecture and Graphic Design. Each section explores the key figures from the 20th century whose pioneering work gradually entered the mainstream, before revealing how, today, the Black design community is finally becoming visible. Each section features interviews that shed light on its historic period, as well as a deeper dive into several designers whose work and life represents their era. Filled with photographs and illustrations throughout this is a compelling and entertaining visual essay that reports from the intersection of race and the arts while raising important questions about the nature and sustainability of Black Design in Western culture.
£22.49
Prestel New European Baking: 99 Recipes for Breads, Brioches and Pastries
2023 JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE FOR BAKING AND DESSERTS Just like many pandemic-driven Americans, Europeans are turning on their ovens and rediscovering their roots through baking. This collection of nearly one hundred recipes is presented with elegant yet friendly flair by Laurel Kratochvila, an American-born, boulangerie-trained baker with her own Jewish bakery and bagel shop in Berlin. Each chapter is dedicated to a certain kind of baked product—breads, brioches and enriched doughs, viennoiseries and laminated pastries, tartes and biscuits—and includes foundational recipes and time-honored techniques for dough-shaping, fermentation, seasoning, and fillings. Sprinkled throughout the book are profiles introducing readers to eleven other European bakers who are turning out delicious pastries and breads that reflect the cultural heritage of their home cities of Paris, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Madrid, London, and Lisbon. Recipes such as Baltic rye bread, toasted sesame challah, elderflower maritozzi, honey and fig tropézienne, lamb and fennel sausage rolls, soft pretzels, and spicy ginger caramel shortbreads combine Old World traditions with twenty-first century flavors. Filled with luscious photography, and suitable for bakers at every level of experience, this sophisticated yet accessible guide to home baking is crammed with centuries of European history.
£23.40
Prestel Dieter Rams: Ten Principles for Good Design
For decades, anyone who cared about product design looked to the Braun label when choosing their appliances, radios, and other consumer items. Dieter Rams, the guiding force behind the Braun look, breaks down his design principles and processes in this elegant new paperback edition. Enumerating each of his ten principles such as good design is innovative; good design is aesthetic; good design is useful, etc., this book presents one hundred items that embody these guidelines. Readers will find items that are familiar such as the ubiquitous coffee grinder but also those that are more unusual such as shelving systems and cigarette lighters. A fascinating essay places Dieter Rams in the context of modern design, from Bauhaus to Philip Johnson. Archival materials include photos of Rams’ design team and excerpts from his publications and speeches.
£35.99
Prestel Bookstores: A Celebration of Independent Booksellers
Bookstores are treasure troves of knowledge and ideas, invaluable for the imagination, and often reflect their owners’ personalities in ways internet behemoths could never recreate. In this book, photographer Horst A. Friedrichs opens the door to the world of bricks-and-mortar bookstores, showcasing their variety, quirkiness, and vitality with lavish photography. It celebrates the passion and commitment of the owners with interviews and anecdotes. Explore William Stout Books, a specialty store for architecture and art books in San Francisco, and Baldwin’s Book Barn in Pennsylvania, a 5-story bookstore housed in a dairy barn open since the mid-1940s. Discover Gay’s the Word, the UK’s first and only dedicated LGBTQI bookshop and Livraria Lello, whose art deco interior is a temple to reading in the middle of Porto, Portugal. Some of the featured bookstores specialize in a certain genre, some are massive with vaulted ceilings, some are tiny and filled to the brim with books, some are in historic buildings that evoke a different time and place, and some are brand new, high- tech, architect-designed spaces. What all the bookstores have in common is that they are all dedicated to spreading the written word to their communities. This is an ideal book for anyone who loves to read, browse, or simply linger in the analog world of books and bookstores.
£31.50
Prestel Buddha Photographs by Michael Kenna
Michael Kenna’s black-and-white photographs of Buddha statues featured in this book are a restorative, inspiring antidote to a chaotic modern world.Michael Kenna is celebrated for his mysterious and exquisite black-and-white natural and industrial landscapes. He is especially revered for his images of Asia, where he has traveled to some of the world''s most beautiful locations. It is no wonder that among Kenna''s prolific creations are numerous images of the Buddha from countries such as Cambodia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Captured in shrines, temples, sanctuaries, private homes, and museums, these images are quiet, uncluttered, and striking in the interplay of dark and light, line and shadow. Also included in the book are a selection of Kenna''s Asian landscape photography, an essay about Buddhism, and excerpts from Buddhist scriptures. Fans of Kenna''s distinctive evocative style will savor the myriad perspectives of th
£36.00
Prestel Stationery Fever: From Paper Clips to Pencils and Everything In Between
This beautifully designed book shows how the seemingly mundane objects that populate desks and cubicles everywhere are now being re-imagined as collector's items. And as today's trendsetting artists and designers are increasingly returning to non-digital techniques and methods, letterpress stationery, typewriters, and ink pens have developed the cache of vintage fashion and cars. Stationery Fever showcases the plethora of retro and fine office goods being produced and sold around the world. Organized like your favourite stationery store-pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers, greeting cards, school supplies, etc.- it features exquisitely photographed objects that transcend the decades since laptops took over most of our office needs. Each chapter highlights distinct objects and features a store that specialises in that category. Along the way, readers will learn the history of the lined notebook, the proper way to sharpen a pencil, and the story of how postcards came to be. Whether you're stuffing a college backpack or decorating your home office, this book will appeal to lovers of lo-fi and bespoke objects alike.
£22.49
Prestel Jean-Michel Basquiat: Of Symbols and Signs
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s symbolic, complex, and often emotionally charged work made a huge impact on the 1980s downtown New York City art scene. And though his all-too-brief career ended when he died at age 27, Basquiat left behind an enormous legacy—not only in the number of works he produced, but also in the messages he encoded around political, social, racial, and cultural issues. This exciting book shows how Basquiat used an intricate network of signs and symbols to challenge the very system that made him a darling of the art world. It traces his inspiration from cartoons, children’s drawings, and advertising as well as his own Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage; discusses the influence of African-American, African, and Aztec cultural histories; and shows how Basquiat incorporated into his work classical themes and contemporary icons—from athletes to musicians. What becomes clear is how, even as a young man, Basquiat had a profound understanding of the artist’s role in art history, and of his position as a young Black artist in a world of racism, suppression and social injustice. This book helps readers decode Basquiat’s unique lingua franca, an intoxicating body of work brimming with social commentary that was in turns incisive, angry, comic, hip, and heartbreaking, and that remains powerful and meaningful today.
£36.00
Prestel Kingfisher with Lotus Flower: Birds of Japan by Hokusai, Hiroshige and Other Masters of the Woodblock Print
Chickadees amid cherry blossoms, peacocks nestled in wisteria branches, sleeping owls against a moonlit night sky and majestic cranes diving in the ocean waves—these are some of the transcendent pleasures offered in this exquisite collection of plates bound in an accordion style format that honors the Japanese bookbinding tradition. Every major artist of this genre is included—from Keisai, Keibun and Hokusai to Hiroshige and Koson—as the history of Japanese printmaking unfolds in stunning detail. An introductory booklet explores the centuries long role that nature has played in Japanese art, from Chinese influenced works of the Kano school, which depicted the bird as a Buddhist symbol, through to the ukiyo-e, when artists strove to capture fleeting moments of pure joy. Fans of Japanese art, lovers of birds, and anyone who enjoys beautiful depictions of the natural world will cherish this sumptuous, satisfying volume of earthly delights.
£17.09
Prestel Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity
Like no other 20th-century movement, Surrealism was keenly inspired by tropes of magic, myth and the occult. In their engagement with the irrational and the unconscious, numerous of its members looked to magic as a poetic and deeply philosophical discourse, related to both arcane knowledge and individual self-empowerment. In their works, they heavily drew on esoteric symbols and cultivated the image of the artist as a magician, visionary, and alchemist. This catalog explores the myriad ways, in which magic and the occult informed the development of the Surrealist movement in international perspective, from the “metaphysical paintings” of Giorgio de Chirico through to works of the post-war period. Lavishly illustrated, it combines longer research essays with focused chapter introductions, all penned by leading scholars in the field. Amongst the many fascinating artists included in the volume are Victor Brauner, Leonora Carrington, Paul Delvaux, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonor Fini, René Magritte, Roberto Matta, Kay Sage, Kurt Seligmann, Dorothea Tanning, Yves Tanguy, and Remedios Varo.
£35.99
Prestel Camille Pissarro: The Studio of Modernism
As one of the founding figures of Impressionism, Camille Pissarro exerted considerable influence over the movement’s other members, such as Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas, and Mary Cassatt. This publication focuses on Pissarro’s collaborations with these and other artists. It also celebrates the avant-garde quality of his painting, particularly in his contributions to Neo-Impressionism. Focusing on his role in the revolutionary Impressionist movement of the 1870s, the book traces Pissarro’s work in dialog with his fellow artists, particularly Cezanne and Gauguin, and also reveals his influence on works by Alfred Sisley, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and others. In addition to pages of exquisite reproductions of works by Pissarro and his contemporaries, this volume features illuminating essays on fascinating aspects of the life and work of this prolific artist. Readers will come away with a new understanding of how Pissarro’s unique talent for collaboration and unity was vital to the development of French painting in the late 19th century.
£44.99
Prestel Carlo Scarpa
Although he was not widely known during his lifetime, Carlo Scarpa has in the past-half century become one of the most revered of modern architects. His passion for integrating the ancient with the modern, the natural with the built environment, and the sensual qualities of glass, wood and stone, makes him the perfect architect for this moment, when the preservation of historic buildings and sensitivity to environmental impact is of supreme importance. As authoritative as it is attractive, this book features balanced introduction to Scarpa's work, weighing the opinions of both champions and critics of his work. More than 200 photographs and their accompanying illuminating texts capture the astounding beauty of Scarpa's designs, allowing readers to experience the interplay of light, texture and line in a way that is second only to viewing the works in person. Arguably the most definitive volume available on this consummate craftsman and artist, this book explores Scarpa
£45.00
Prestel Bicycles
The newest pop-up book from renowned paper engineer Dominique Ehrhard artfully traces two centuries of bicycling history and lore. Perfect for seasoned bikeaholics and budding pedal-pushers alike, this brief, whimsical history of the bicycle features eight meticulously crafted pop-up scenes. There's Karl Drais' 1817 invention that featured two wheels and little else to propel it; how technical advances at the end of the 19th century saw an upsurge in the popularity of bicycling among women; we see the first mountain bikes from the Klunkerz of California and Coloarado; and a scene from the Tour de France. From high-wheelers to hipsters on wheels, Dominique Ehrhard offers glimpses of biking trends that flickered briefly and flamed out and others that have stood the test of time. As biking grows in popularity as a climate-friendly alternative to the automobile, this gem of a book is a perfect keepsake for bike-lovers of all ages.
£14.99
Prestel Many Shapes of Clay: A Story of Healing
Winner of the Bookstagang Best of 2021: Best Conversation Starter Picture Books of 2021. Longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize. Ezra Jack Keats Award Honoree. Eisha lives with her mother, a ceramic artist, who helps her make a special shape out of a piece of clay. The shape reminds Eisha of her father, of the ocean, of a lemon. As Eisha goes through her neighborhood doing errands with her mother, the piece of clay hardens and then shatters into pieces when Eisha taps it. In poignant and powerful words and pictures, Kenesha Sneed shows how Eisha learns to live with the sense of loss and of the joyful power of making something new out of what is left behind. Illustrated with Sneed's bold colors, graphic lines, and gestural textures, the book celebrates diversity and shares a gentle message that we all have the ability to heal and create.
£11.99
Prestel Coloring Book Chagall
Big art for little hands, these enchanting activity books allow young artists to explore the world’s masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to color outside the lines.
£7.02
Prestel The Drawings of Al Taylor
This book investigates important and illuminating aspects of Al Taylor’s drawings, which numbered over five thousand at the time of his death. It includes a chronological survey of Taylor’s drawings from the mid-1980s, when he abandoned painting in favour of sculpture and drawing, and highlights the combination of technical refinement, humour, and sensuousness that characterises his works on paper. Stunning reproductions of the works, which were inspired by such ordinary things as tin cans, pet stains, and broomsticks, reveal the drawings’ minute details, nuanced shading, and playfully agile pencil lines. Lively texts explore how the rich and complex visual sensibilities of Taylor’s drawings resonate with that of late Renaissance and Baroque Old Masters. The book also examines Taylor’s innovative approach to process and materials, such as photocopier toner, with its intense black, and the extreme white of correction fluid. Created with equal parts humour and technical virtuosity, and informed by scientific models as well as everyday minutiae, Al Taylor’s magnificent drawings are meditations on form and structure that stand as testament to great draftsmanship.
£30.11
Prestel Christian Warlich: Tattoo Flash Book
Christian Warlich was a world famous German tattooist and his flash book is one of the most coveted objects in the tattoo world. It is now available in this exquisite edition that includes over three hundred hand-drawn designs restored to their original vibrant state. It also includes photographs and other archival material, much of which has never been published before. This book brings Warlich’s career into new focus, reflecting the latest research on how his early years at sea may have influenced his work. Intricate renderings of cowboys and indigenous Americans, Chinese dragons and Japanese geishas, daggers, snakes, and skulls reveal not only Warlich’s influence in the iconography of tattoos, but also suggest the interplay of ideas with tattooists across Europe, North America, and Asia. The book also explores how the art of tattooing was reframed during the Nazi era and how Warlich’s estate helped shape the state of tattoo art today. This elegant book is invaluable in understanding the importance of Warlich to the history of tattooing.
£31.50
Prestel Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha is known largely for having originated Art Nouveau, when his poster of the actress Sarah Bernhardt became a legendary icon of the movement. Mucha went on to design hundreds of pieces in the decorative arts field, but later distanced himself from the style he pioneered, devoting his time and energy to painting. This book presents the full array of Mucha's artistic contributions - not only his posters and jewellery designs but also his design for the pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 1900 world's fair. The book also contains his works on canvas, which include pastels and frescoes and his magnum opus, The Slavic Epic, a series of 20 paintings depicting the history of his native people. A stunning selection of 700 colour illustrations is accompanied with essays that explore Mucha's style and inspirations, his transition away from the decorative arts and his forays into photography. Fans of Art Nouveau will treasure this dazzling and unique study of the artist and his contributions to design and illustration.
£35.99
Prestel Lawrence Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity
This important re-evaluation of the Dutch- born painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema traces his personal and artistic journey towards international fame and success in London and investigates how this exceptionally creative artist used his own houses and studios as laboratories to produce vivid paintings of life in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Lawrence Alma-Tadema s paintings were immensely popular among his contemporaries, and have since enchanted a wide audience through the medium of cinema. Anyone who has ever enjoyed the great epic films of antiquity from Italian silent classics and Cecil B. DeMille to Ridley Scott s Gladiator will instantly recognize their origins in sets and costumes Alma- Tadema invented. Accompanied by glowing reproductions of the artist s rich and detailed works, this book boldly re-assesses Alma-Tadema s art through the idea of home: from his admiration for the interiors depicted in early Dutch paintings through his fascination with Pompeian ruins, to his creation of large studio houses that were artworks in their own right. Building upon Alma-Tadema s renown as the archaeologist of artists, the new scholarship in this impressive volume shows how the spaces he created and inhabited with his talented artist-wife Laura and their two daughters reflected an aesthetic vision that has thrilled viewers and other artists for more than a century. Appealing to general and scholarly audiences alike, this book underscores Alma-Tadema s reputation as one of his era s greatest creative talents."
£31.50
Prestel Robert Mapplethorpe: Polaroids
Critically praised for his finely modeled and classically composed photographs, Robert Mapplethorpe remains intensely controversial and enormously popular. This book brings together almost three hundred images from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation's archive and private collections, to provide a critical view of Mapplethorpe's formative years as an artist. These works reveal the themes that would inspire Mapplethorpe throughout his career. Included is a selection of his color Polaroids and objects incorporating his early "instant" photography. Some images convey a disarming tenderness and vulnerability, others a toughness and immediacy that would give way in later years to more classical form. The author traces the development of Mapplethorpe's use of instant photography during a period of five years, from 1970 to 1975, when the artist worked mainly in this medium. The images include self-portraits, figure studies, still lifes, portraits of lovers and friends such as Patti Smith, Sam Wagstaff and Marianne Faithful and observations of everyday objects. Marked by a spontaneity and creative curiosity, these fragile images offer an illuminating contrast to the glossy perfection of the work for which Mapplethorpe is best known, allowing us a more personal glimpse of his artistry.
£31.50