Search results for ""prestel""

Time, Forward! questions the notion and function of time and how it relates to the way we create and interact with art in the 21st century. Featuring newly commissioned works by an international group of artists, this book illuminates a broad range of responses to an exponentially accelerating world. This volume features a speculation on the future of the senses by Haroon Mirza, an unorthodox history of modernity by Walid Raad, and stills from a science fiction film by Rosa Barba. Provocative essays from scholars, critics, poets, and filmmakers probe issues as diverse as the role of sleep in a 24/7 capitalist society and artistic privacy and appropriation in cyberspace. Some of these artists ask us to press the pause button, others take us back in time, and still others push us forward into the realm of science fiction-only to reveal these fictions to be a form of everyday present reality.

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This groundbreaking book explores the Russian avant-garde during the early post-revolutionary years of 1918-1922 and brings together the works of three of its most influential artists. When Marc Chagall took over the People's School of Art in his hometown of Vitebsk in 1919, he had already established himself as an avant-garde artist. For the next few years, Chagall established the once-sleepy Belarusian town as a hub of revolutionary art making. Along with Kazimir Malevitch and El Lissitzky, Chagall presided over a flowering of creativity and artistic energy that became a focal point of Russian modernism. This volume features 250 works and documentary items from Vitebsk, bringing to life a little-known chapter in the history of art. Every aspect of this brief but decisive period is examined here, from Chagall's notion of proletariat art to the birth of the UNOVIS group and its trailblazing expositions. Correspondence among Chagall, Malevitch, and Lissitzky are featured alongside important works from all three artists as well as art from their colleagues and students. The result is a multifaceted portrait of a unique collaboration that forged a new path for artistic expression which extended far beyond the boundaries of Vitebsk.

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Frances Stark deftly deploys text, image and literary sources in her drawings, collages, paintings and video works that reflect on her roles as artist, mother, woman and teacher. Throughout her career she has experimented with alternative modes of expression, as in her critically acclaimed video, My Best Thing; her PowerPoint work Structures that fit my opening (and other parts considered in relation to their whole); and the performance Put a Song in Your Thing. Companion to an exhibition that documents Stark's 25-year long career, this book contains 125 works in which Stark employs words and images to create provocative and self-referential works that speak to the complexities of daily life. This book includes full-page detailed images that provide an insight into the highly tactile and complex nature of Stark's work. Also included are newly commissioned essays and a collection of brief reflections by a variety of prominent artists and writers whom Stark asked to revisit specific topics they've discussed or written about previously.Filled with high-quality reproductions and thoughtful commentary, this book is the definitive resource on Stark's accomplished, varied and affecting body of work. Published in association with Hammer Museum, Los Angeles

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For a decade between 1935 and 1946, Weegee made a name for himself snapping crime scenes, victims and perpetrators. Armed with a Speed Graphic camera and a police-band radio, Weegee often beat the cops to the story, determined to sell his pictures to the sensation-hungry tabloids. His stark black-and-white photos were often lurid and unsettling. Yet, as this beautifully produced volume shows, they were also brimming with humanity. Designed as a series of "dossiers," this book follows Weegee's transformation from a freelancer to a photo-detective. It explores his relationship with the tabloid press and gangster culture and reveals his intimate knowledge of New York's darkest corners. It provides readers with a rich historical experience - a New York City "noir" shot through the lens of one of its most iconoclastic figures.

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Upcycling is the process of transforming seemingly low value items into something new. Today's upcyclists are creating stunning furniture, lighting and art objects that combine values of superb craftsmanship and design with ideas of how "waste" can be both inspiring and informing. While the environmental and financial benefits of upcycling are readily acknowledged here, these designers and makers show how the practice can result in pieces that are as aesthetically exciting as anything created using only raw materials. Based on the author's popular website, upcyclist.co.uk, this book extends far beyond the site's contents. Featuring hundreds of creations from an international collection of today's most exciting designers, the book is organised by material, with chapters dedicated to wood, metal, glass and ceramics, textiles, plastic, paper and mixed media. Reclaimed tree branches and barn doors are transformed into exquisite pieces of furniture; bicycle chains into chandeliers; t-shirts into rugs; saris into upholstery. Filled with an enormous range of materials and objects, this unique book will inspire any designer or design-conscious consumer to incorporate upcycling into their creative practice or interior design projects.

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Winner of the Pritzker Prize and the Praemium Imperiale, Norman Foster is one of the most innovative and forwardthinking architects at work today. This volume features more than 1,000 plans, sketches, and photographs of some of Foster's most renowned projects, including London's new Wembley Stadium, Germany's Dresden Station, and Beijing's new international airport. These and other important structures, along with lighting systems, furniture collections, and memorials, reveal the enormous range of Foster + Partners' work. In addition to offering insights into individual projects, this volume contextualizes Foster's work, identifying themes and connections, discussing influences and inspirations, and invoking a host of historical, cultural, and architectural references. A final chapter looks forward to forthcoming projects, further detailing a momentous career highlighted by creativity, innovation, and achievement.

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German Edition with Commentary (16 pages)

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This inspiring stroll through Paris's mythic flea market spotlights a fascinating array of influential vendorsrevealing their unique wares, trade secrets, and the life-changing finds on sale there. The Paris Flea Market has been a mecca for designers and collectors all over the world for over 150 years. A village within a village, its bustling alleyways and hidden corners are home to over two thousand stands that collectively offer a masterclass in the history of art, craft and design. This book profiles twenty or so of the market's key dealers, inviting readers into their worlds and revealing the hidden workings of their trade. Vibrant double-page spreads immerse readers in this little- known world. With expertise and specialties ranging from mid- century modern and Art Deco, to Memphis Milano and Louis XVI, these antique and second-hand dealers drive the market's rich and eclectic profusion, not only preserving the history of the decorative arts, but also shaping future design tr

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Although less than twenty of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings are known to exist today, some of them - the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, along with his drawing of the Vitruvian Man - are among the most identifiable, reproduced, and popular works in the world. This monograph explores Leonardo as not just a painter but also a scientist, naturalist, architect, and engineer, showing how the artist's oeuvre reflected his boundless curiosity and imagination. 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.

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In this wholly original coloring book, children’s artwork can be turned into entertaining videos to play on a tablet or smartphone. Each page of this book features an aspect of Picasso’s art and life: from his studio—complete with rocking chair, paintbrushes, and dog—to the works themselves, including paintings, sculptures, and sketches. As the pages are colored, they can be photographed with a smartphone or tablet and, with the use of a free app, turned into an animated video, complete with movement, narration, and music. Containing sixteen pages that can be turned into eight twenty- second videos, this book teaches children about Picasso’s life and art through the work they create as well as the brief text introductions to each section. A satisfying blend of art and technology, this unique coloring book will help kids feel the joy of creativity, explore new technology, and let their imagination soar.

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These creative spaces were incubators of radical thinking, in which artists could exchange provocative ideas. They were welcoming environments for artists, dancers, designers, writers, and musicians pushing the boundaries of cultural and social norms. Spanning the decades from the 1880s to the 1960s, this unique and multi-faceted illustrated history of alternative artistic spaces covers four continents and includes both famed and little-known sites of the avant-garde. Organized by city, it features painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, film, and archival material emanating from over a dozen cabarets, clubs, and bars that were home to the likes of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Loie Fuller, Josef Hoffmann, Giacomo Balla, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Theo Van Doesburg, Jeanne Mammen, Jacob Lawrence, Ramón Alva de la Canal, and Ibrahim El-Salahi. It includes photographs of the interiors of the Chat Noir in Paris, the Café L’Aubette in Strasbourg and the Mbari Club in Nigeria; a cocktail menu from the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna; a 1930s night club map of Harlem; posters and invitations advertising performances at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich and Mexico City’s Café de Nadie; and countless artworks that emerged from these spaces conveying the energy and excitement of the time. A series of enlightening essays explore how each space fostered and stimulated new forms of artistic expression.

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This volume accompanies an exhibition of the same name, which includes artefacts from nearly 2000 years before Christ. Objects such as coffins, tombs, masks, jewellery, papyri, sarcophagi and sculpture reveal the reverence and awe with which the Egyptians considered the mystery of death.

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In Modern Forms, Nicolas Grospierre traveled the globe to sample the best modernist buildings from the 20th century. Now, he takes his camera indoors to show how modernist ideas are manifested within the walls of buildings both famous and obscure. Rather than a chronological or geographical tour, these photographs are organized in a visual flow, that allows readers to appreciate similar characteristics in interiors that would normally never be grouped together. Shot in the same distinctive and striking manner as his previous book, these images reveal the forms that define modernism. Built with forward-looking, Utopian ideals, decades later, they exist in a startling range of conditions, from dazzling to downtrodden. Through the visual flow of the book, readers can make connections between a private residence in Sri Lanka, a stair- way at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brasilia, a cinema in Bangkok, a bus station waiting room in Odessa, and the vaults of a bank on Wall Street, New York. Responding to our desires to categorize and catalog, this photographic journey crosses spatial and cultural borders to tell the story of modern architecture.

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Widely considered Japan's most influential and prolific photographer, Daido Moriyama has been challenging conventions of the art form for more than a half century. This exhaustive and electrifying retrospective, published in cooperation with the Daido Moriyama Foundation and based on entirely new research, looks at every stage of Moriyama's extensive career, including his extraordinary images as well as his conceptual contributions to photography. One of a generation of postwar Japan's groundbreaking artists, Moriyama has continually established his own visual grammar. This book features more than 250 chronologically arranged images that reveal his constantly evolving career: his early editorial work of the mid-1960s, focused on the American occupation and the experimental theater; his radical experimentation of late 1960s and the 1970s; the self-reflexive photos of the 1980s and 1990s; and his ongoing exploration of cities, among other relevant moments. It also includes more than 400 spread reproductions of Moriyama's rarely seen publications, mapping the sources of his visual production. Rounding out the volume are texts by the editor and leading Japanese scholars, a personal essay by the artist, and a full chronology of his life and work. Accompanying a major exhibition on Moriyama's output, this impressive volume reframes Moriyama's legacy and is certain to become the definitive publication on his work.

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Opening with the psychedelic haunts of the 1960s New York pop art scene and closing more than half a century later with the rise of post-club happenings, Temporary Pleasure shows how nightlife spaces have evolved to meet the needs of their generation, and how each generation was seeking something a little different from the one before. Each chapter focuses on a distinct phase and city: Italy’s politically radical clubs of the ‘60s; New York City’s disco scene; Detroit and Chicago’s house and techno paradises; Ibiza’s counterculture communal retreats; Britain’s rave culture; and Berlin’s techno scene. The clubs come to life in double-page spreads that feature specs and detailed profiles. Author John Leo Gillen offers his take on various important cultural, design and architectural details, while numerous photographs offer their own vibey stories. The book features interviews with people who were involved in a number of the scenes included, from NYC disco mainstay DJ Justin Strauss to Ben Kelly, architect of Manchester’s legendary venue The Haçienda. As the world emerges from its Covid-induced isolation, this celebration of crowded rooms, dance-worthy beats, and communal transcendence feels more important than ever.

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When she discovered that nearly half of France’s 44,000 heritage sites were chateaux in various states of repair, Catherine Scotto embarked on a journey to find out who, exactly, lived in these medieval fortresses and, more importantly, what they were like on the inside. From Normandy to Provence and everywhere in between the owners of these chateaux–including decorators, antique dealers, artists, and collectors—represent the epitome of French culture and taste. Each chateau is presented in double-page full-color spreads that feature alluring interiors and information about the hosts and their design journeys. There’s something for everyone here—whether it’s homes where simplicity and minimalism reign, rooms as exuberantly busy as a 14th-century tapestry, or interiors transformed by surprising, era-bending feats. Morel’s breathtaking, naturally lit photographs of generous kitchens, cozy drawing rooms, spacious bedrooms, ingeniously imagined bathrooms, and intriguing hallways and stairwells offer endless inspiration, while Scotto’s engaging text gives readers a feel for the kinds of people who take on such a daunting yet satisfying challenge.

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Mark Rothko’s work is among the most recognisable in modern art history. His huge colour-field works enjoy enormous popularity for their luminosity, moodiness, and immersive qualities. But he didn’t always paint in bold, simple swaths of colour. This graphic biography traces Rothko’s entire life, from his boyhood emigration from Russia to America, to his suicide in 1970. It touches on his schooling and early work for the WPA in the 1930s; the evolution of his art from representational to purely abstract; and the dawning of his artistic philosophy, which took him farther and farther away from the material world and toward a universally emotional and expressionist modality. The book’s finely detailed drawings are Rothko’s signature colours and draw readers into his fascinating creative journey. While Rothko the artist was largely misunderstood during his lifetime, this unique graphic biography offers a way of making sense of his life and of decoding the visual language he invented.

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This groundbreaking graphic novel delves into the life of the acclaimed artist Edward Hooper, whose iconic works depict quintessentially American scenes and experiences. While many of Hopper's most acclaimed works have been embraced by American culture, the artist himself rejected much of the lyricism and romance that his audience imposed on his paintings. This unique overview of Hopper's life and career offers a fascinating and unflinching portrait of an artist trying to establish himself and define his own style. Using Hopper's own words as a jumping off point, the book traces his roots as an art student and commercial illustrator; his life-changing time in Europe; his rocky relationship with his wife Jo, and his incredible success later in life. It also shows how, as he became increasingly famous, he grew more taciturn and resolute in his disparagement of American society and the labels thrust on him. Using clean lines and a palette that mimics Hopper's own, the book's illustrations reflect the style and substance of the artist's life--and help create a refreshing reconsideration of a creative genius who never wavered from his vision.

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David Lynch has always been in the spotlight as a filmmaker, directing some of the most iconic movies ever made, but as a visual artist, he is less widely known. Lynch delights in the physicality of painting and likes to stimulate all the senses in his work. This new paperback edition brings together Lynch’s paintings, photography, drawings, sculpture and installation, and stills from his films. Many of these works reveal the dark underpinnings behind Lynch’s often-macabre movies. Others explore his fascination with texture and collage. Throughout, Lynch’s characteristic style—surreal, stylish, and even humorous—shines through. An introduction by music journalist and Lynch biographer Kristine McKenna, along with a thought- provoking essay by curator Stijn Huijts, offers fascinating new information and perspectives on Lynch’s life and career. This book reveals an unexplored facet of Lynch’s oeuvre and affirms that he is as brilliant a visual artist as he is a filmmaker.

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Although her reputation exploded in 2016 with her iconic portrait of Solange Knowles for the artist's album A Seat at the Table, self-taught photographer Carlota Guerrero has been producing work for more than a decade. This first book of her imagery is a record of Guerrero's evolving style and a compilation of her visual obsessions. It also features texts by some of her renowned collaborative partners including the musician Rosalía, Rupi Kaur, the fashion designer Paloma Lanna, and the writers Alejandra Smits and Leticia Sala, as well as an introduction by the artist herself. In turns dreamy and unflinching, Guerrero's work explores ideas of femininity and gender, nature and human connections, the female body, patterns, and the Golden Ratio. The monograph collects her early work, when she was just discovering her talents and her passion for photographing women in nature; stills from a performance piece that wowed at Art Basel Miami; a collaboration with poet Rupi Kaur; pictures from her project documenting the transgender community in Cuba, and more. At once subversive and ethereal, classical and distinctly individual, Guerrero's photography signals a young artist increasingly at home in a chaotic world and poised to take on whatever comes next.

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Explore the graphic work of Hundertwasser with this lavishly produced introduction to the artist.Friedensreich Hundertwasser was a painter. He created original graphic works--lithographs, silkscreens, mixed media, etchings, and aquatint as well as Japanese woodcuts. This bibliophilic gem is a Hundertwasser original, the first book designed and laid out by the artist himself. Bound in black linen, foil-embossed, and printed in six colors, this book features illustrations of all 71 of Hundertwasser's graphic works created between 1951 and 1976. Each work is given a full-page and is accompanied by a Hundertwasser poem or quote printed in silver on a black page. The book also contains an introduction and critical texts that make it indispensable for fans of Hundertwasser and lovers of beauty.

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At the forefront of modern architecture, tiny houses exemplify today’s ideals of minimalism, personal freedom, and low-impact construction—not to mention impeccable style and comfort. In multi-page spreads this book features highly detailed, full-color interior and exterior shots, along with informative texts that explore the inspiration and context of each home. From off-the- grid woodland dwellings that take you away from it all to high- density solutions to the urban housing crisis, these homes pack a lot of design ingenuity into their small spaces. While some of these structures feature state-of-the-art architectural flourishes and luxurious amenities, others are modest and environmentally sustainable retreats designed specifically for travel, creative pursuits, or affordable housing. Each of these homes offers endlessly innovative inspiration for building and living in your home, in spaces that fit your needs.

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Ernst Haas’s color works reveal the photographer’s remarkable genius and remind us on every page why we love New York. When Haas moved from Vienna to New York City in 1951, he left behind a war-torn continent and a career producing black-and-white images. For Haas, the new medium of color photography was the only way to capture a city pulsing with energy and humanity. These images demonstrate Haas’s tremendous virtuosity and confidence with Kodachrome film and the technical challenges of color printing. Unparalleled in their depth and richness of color, brimming with lyricism and dramatic tension, these images reveal a photographer at the height of his career.

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For bestselling cookbook author Hetty McKinnon, Asian cooking is personal. McKinnon grew up in a home filled with the aromas, sights, and sounds of her Chinese mother’s cooking. These days she strives to recreate those memories for her own family—and yours—with traditional dishes prepared in non-traditional ways. It’s a sumptuous collection of creative vegetarian recipes featuring pan-Asian dishes that anyone can prepare using supermarket ingredients. Readers will learn how to make their own kimchi, chili oil, knife-cut noodles, and dumplings. They’ll learn about the wonder that is rice and discover how Asian-inspired salads are the ultimate crossover food. McKinnon offers tips for stocking your modern Asian pantry and explores the role that sweetness plays in Asian cultures. Her recipes are a celebration of the exciting and delicious possibilities of modern Asian cooking—from Smashed Cucumber Salad with Tahini and Spicy Oil, and Finger-lickin’ Good Edamame Beans with Fried Curry Leaves, to Springtime Rolls with Miso Kale Pesto and Tamarind Apple Crisp. Featuring big, powerful flavors created from simple, fresh ingredients, these recipes are firmly rooted in the place where east meets west and where tradition charts the journey to the modern kitchen.

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What does it mean to live in a material world, and how do materials of the past and present hold the keys to our future? This book tackles these questions by focusing on various issues that human beings face and by discussing potential materials-related solutions. Through the lens of intriguing projects by designers, artists, makers, and scientists, it presents a colorful panoply of ideas, technologies, and creative efforts that focus on the earth's most basic elements, while also showing how these elements can be transformed into entirely new materials. It explores, for example, how ancient practices such as dyeing fabric and making glue may hold the secret to renewable and earth-friendly consumer products, as well as how recycling plastics can tackle food waste, and how a type of light metal being developed may one day make air travel less fuel-reliant. This book also investigates the potential of the digital experience, suggesting how this most ephemeral type of matter can be used to improve our world. Eye-catching and provocative, Why Materials Matter serves as both a stimulating catalog of possibilities and a timely manifesto on how to consume, manufacture, and design for a better future.

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From its birth in the 7th century through modern times, the Islamic religion has inspired glorious works of art. This stunning book includes more than four hundred reproductions of treasures of Islamic art that span the world: from southern Europe, along the entire Mediterranean basin to sub-Saharan Africa through the Middle East, India, and Central Asia. Arranged geographically, the objects include paintings, miniatures, ceramics, calligraphy, textiles, carpets, and metal works. Each region is given a thorough introduction that offers historical context and extensive descriptions of its artifacts. Accompanying essays offer guidance in interpreting the many themes that tie these works together, including typology, calligraphy, and religious beliefs. With its large format, exquisite reproductions, and extensive research, this book is a thorough introduction to the Islamic artistic tradition.

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This mid-career retrospective volume focuses on Viviane Sassen's fine art photography, revealing a surrealist undercurrent in her work. Sassen recognizes Surrealism as one of her earliest artistic influences, seen in the uncanny shadows, fragmented bodies, and otherworldly landscapes she captures in her work. In addition to images from the acclaimed series "Umbra," this volume draws from the series "Flamboya," in which she returned to Kenya, "Parasomnia," a dreamlike exploration of sleep, the "Roxane" series, a mutual portrait created with her muse, Roxane Danset, "Of Lotus and Mud," a study of procreation and fecundity, and "Pikin Slee," a journey to a remote village in Suriname. This book features a contextualizing essay and an insightful interview with the artist. Throughout, Sassen emerges as a poetic photographer obsessed with light and shadow and a brilliant technician, who is a master of both vibrant color and muted hues. Selected by Sassen herself from across the last ten years, the images draw on the surrealist strategies of collage and unexpected juxtapositions to give a survey of her practice.

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No artistic education is complete without a healthy dose of Impressionism. Here fifty of the most important works from the early nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries are gorgeously reproduced, including the best of Monet, Degas, van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, Cassatt, Manet, Seurat, and Pisarro. Each piece is given a brief overview establishing its place in the Impressionist pantheon as well as in its artist’s oeuvre. An introductory text explains the Impressionistic style, tracing the movement’s development, while an appendix offers biographies of the artists. The result is a veritable tour on Impressionism, offering an enjoyable and practical art history lesson that everyone can enjoy.

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"A painting must stand as a painting, made by human hand," wrote Caspar David Friedrich, "not seek to disguise itself as Nature." One of his generation's most popular painters, Friedrich imagined landscapes of powerful beauty and spirituality from within the confines of his studios. This breathtaking monograph, filled with glorious reproductions and details of his paintings, argues for Friedrich's reputation as a sublime artist and interpreter of nature. In his thoughtful and well-researched commentary, author Johannes Grave explores Friedrich's approach to landscape painting as well as his revolutionary thoughts about how these paintings should be received by their viewers. Looking closely at pieces such as Monk by the Sea, Abbey in the Oakwood, and the Tetschener Altar, Grave shows how Friedrich developed an innovative approach to landscape painting, one that communicated a new sense of space and time, and which draws the viewer into a unique aesthetic experience. Highly readable, insightful, and copiously illustrated, this compelling book sheds crucial light on Friedrich's celebrated body of work.

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Now available in a new format, this opulent book presents Vasily Kandinsky s major paintings from all phases of his artistic career and celebrates the artist and his groundbreaking work. This generously illustrated volume displays Vasily Kandinsky s brilliant use of color, shape, and composition through approximately 250 full-color illustrations. Essays by the world s leading Kandinsky experts focus on the evolution of his work throughout all periods of his career: his exploration of his Russian roots and his emigration to Munich; his attraction to the Art Nouveau and fauvist movements; the formation of the Blue Rider group; the influence of music on his painting; his years at the Bauhaus; and his late work in Paris. The book s design allows for a thorough examination of Kandinsky s most important works in all their extraordinary detail. Accessible, impeccably researched, and wide-ranging, this important volume offers an indispensable overview of the artist s seminal works and a tribute to the beauty and power of Kandinsky s vision.

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The magic and mastery of anime springs to life in this gorgeous celebration of the genre that features more than one hundred and fifty full-color frames. A uniquely powerful form of artistic expression, anime has embraced complex and provocative ideas since its inception in the mid twentieth century. This dynamic and wide-ranging book explores eighty key themes of the genre, from wars to natural disasters, nature to ecology, childhood to magic, dystopias to fables. It looks at more than one hundred masterpieces of Japanese animation, including Akira, Ghost in the Shell, One Piece, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies and Howl's Moving Castle, to show how practitioners consistently balance tradition with modernity and how anime's distinct style has influenced other forms of media such as video games, comic books and live-action films. Covering an enormous range of talent-from Isao Takahata, Katsuhiro O tomo, and Makoto Shinkai to Studio Ghibli and Mamoru Oshii-it demonstrates how anime makes room for limitless creativity. Unfettered by the physical constraints of nature's laws, these artists realize our deepest emotions and our wildest dreams.

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A woman ahead of her time, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was an intrepid explorer, naturalist and scholar, as well as a magnificent artist. This lovely, impeccably designed book tells Merian's incredible life story alongside colourful reproductions of her engravings and watercolours of the butterflies she encountered during her lifetime in Germany and the Netherlands and her seminal trip to the Dutch colony of Surinam. The book recounts Merian's monumental expedition, her work as an advocate for the slave laborers of Surinam and her important studies of the anatomy and life cycle of the butterfly. Author Boris Friedewald employs Merian's favourite insect as a metaphor for the artist's own pioneering evolution from budding entomologist to educator, activist and artist. A visual treasure as well as a satisfying read, this exquisite volume is the perfect gift for anyone interested in Merian's amazing life and groundbreaking body of work.

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From one of the most renowned photographers working today, this collection of images explores human spirituality in all its remarkable diversity and beauty. American Magnum and National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry is known for his compelling and evocative images that capture the human experience and the spirit of place; his 1984 portrait of Sharbat Gula, the Afghan Girl, is one of the world's most recognizable photographs. This powerful collection of spiritually inflected images is gleaned from the entirety of McCurry's forty-year career traveling to every corner of the globe. From a mosque in Afghanistan to Burma's Golden Rock; an Easter offering in Paraguay to an elderly couple at Lourdes; a Tibetan monk in India to evangelicals in America's heartland-McCurry captures penetrating moments of devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, and dedication. Reproduced in stunning color, these photographs honor the universal desire to create meaning in the midst of everyday life and offer viewers an opportunity to connect with their own spirituality- whatever form that takes.

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Considered one of the most important figures in German art of the nineteenth century, Caspar David Friedrich is best known for his dramatic and emotional paintings, which often feature contemplative figures, sweeping landscapes, and an emphasis on the sublime and the spiritual. This book takes a chronological approach to Friedrich’s career, beginning with his early years producing traditional religious and historical scenes. It explores his innovative use of light and color, and his unprecedented treatment of the landscape as a living, dynamic entity, rather than simply as a backdrop or setting for other subjects. The beautifully reproduced works and details in this volume help readers appreciate the astounding qualities of Friedrich’s works: his palette of muted, atmospheric colors; swirling clouds, dramatic mountains, and turbulent seas; and subtle changes in light and shadow that occur throughout the day. Readers will come away with a renewed appreciation for Friedrich’s portrayals of the natural world and the unique and provocatively emotive qualities of his work.

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Gary Otte accompanied the Aga Khan as a photographer for more than thirty years, and gained unique access to the archives of the Prince at Aiglemont in France. Presented for the first time in one volume, these images offer a narrative of the Aga Khan’s life and work as a public figure and private citizen. More than 200 photos, each with a caption, span eight decades and forty-eight different countries, and include the work of Gary Otte and fifty other photographers. From his childhood years in Nairobi, Kenya, to his education at Harvard and his numerous visits to various countries all over the world, the photographs above all illustrate the Aga Khan’s numerous achievements in the areas such as economic development, education, international diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and architecture in Islamic countries, especially through the actions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). This unprecedented collection of images is certain to interest anyone curious about the life of a man who has straddled the globe in more ways than one.

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As inviting and sensual as a warm summer day, this opulent exhibition catalog offers a deep appreciation of Klimt's ornate, exquisitely detailed, and atmospheric landscape paintings. For the last twenty years of his career, Gustav Klimt devoted considerable energy to painting landscapes during his summer vacations-and these bucolic scenes became some of his most sought-after pictures. Filled with vibrant high-quality reproductions and featuring engaging essays by leading scholars in the field, this exhibition catalog situates Klimt's landscapes alongside fin-de-sie cle fashion, photography, and decorative arts of the Wiener Werksta tte in particular. Klimt's landscapes are examined within the context of his larger oeuvre and traces the evolution of his style: from one informed by the academic tradition, to his ornate "golden style" decorative approach influenced by the ideal of the Gesamtkunstwerk, and then to a more painterly manner of working in pure color. The book also considers Klimt's relationship with his muse, fashion designer Emilie Flo ge; his deep engagement with the Viennese avant-garde; and the specific techniques he employed to achieve mesmerizing, harmonious works that literally shimmer with light and color.

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The 90s are back! In a richly illustrated volume, which accompanied her first ever curated exhibition, Claudia Schiffer brings together legendary fashion photographers, designers and supermodels, whose visions captivated and shaped the decade. The book draws from a diverse panorama of various aspects, characters, and places, the interplay of which made fashion become a kind of ‘total artwork’ during the 90s. Major photographic works by legendary photographers are balanced with unseen material from Schiffer’s private archive. Readers gain insights into a diverse world of images: the extravaganza of Arthur Elgort’s oeuvre is shown next to Corinne Day’s intimate and immediate style. Ellen von Unwerth’s sense of humour and exuberant play with sexiness, meet the sculptural and perfectly composed works by Herb Ritts. The provocative photos by Juergen Teller contrast with Karl Lagerfeld’s elegant and timeless images. Many more iconic photographers are featured in the volume. The accompanying essays by leading heads of the fashion industry shed light on a decade which strongly shapes the culture of the present.

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Michelangelo’s nude drawings are celebrated for their depiction of the heroic figure. Emanating exceptional strength, monumentality, and vigorous emotions, his nudes became the standard bearers for centuries of figure drawing. This book examines the legacy of that ideal, through highly engaging texts and luminous reproductions of drawings, prints, and sculptures. In addition to key works by Michelangelo—including drawings for the Sistine Chapel, the unfinished fresco of the Battle of Cascina, and the tomb of Pope Julius II—readers will discover works by Raphael, Dürer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Klimt, and Schiele. Each chapter highlights a significant aspect of Michelangelo’s ideal of the human body and investigates its influence and adaptation by his contemporaries and subsequent artists. Topics such as depictions of Adam and Eve, the Crucifixion and the Pietà, and motifs from mythology such as the Labors of Hercules; how Michelangelo’s methods were taught in art schools from the 17th to the 19th century; the emergence of woman as subject; and the decline of the idealized human figure during modernism. These side-by-side comparisons provide generous insights into how artists portrayed the human body—as a model of virtue and heroism, and as a conveyor of vice and fragility. Together these texts and examples provide the perfect resource for students of the human form and of the history of western art.

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Young Gabrielle came from a poor family, was orphaned at age 12, and learned to sew in a convent school. She worked as a seamstress and sang in cabarets, where she was given the nickname Coco. This story—and the remarkable career that followed—is exuberantly told in Isabel Pin’s simple yet detailed illustrations. Young readers will learn about Coco’s beginnings as a hat designer, and how her earliest creations presaged the concept of sportswear. They’ll learn about her iconic designs— the little black dress, the impeccable suit, the squared-off perfume bottle, and the acclaimed logo. And they will learn how a freethinking young artist who freed women from the corsets and extravagant ornamentations of the early 20th century grew into a ferociously ambitious designer who staged her own comeback at the age of 70. Whether they are interested in the history of fashion, or looking for encouragement to pursue their own dreams, young readers will find this entertaining biography both fascinating and inspiring.

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A swing on a hill overlooking the water is at the center of this lovely meditation on childhood, growing older, friendship and loss. “The swing has always been in this place—ever since I can remember,” declares the narrator. “Here we stood together, looking out to sea, waiting for something to change. . . for something new, something exciting. But every day was the same.” But as seasons change and years pass, things do change. Friends come and go, lovers meet and kiss, spring turns to autumn, and the swing set grows creaky with age. All of these changes are gorgeously communicated by Teckentrup’s signature collage paintings that employ soft, radiant colors and simple yet powerful compositions. With its equally compelling text, readers of every age will experience time as a gentle but inescapable force, bringing about new experiences. And as the narrator grows older and wiser, readers themselves will understand that life’s most important memories can never disappear.

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A gray day turns into a kaleidoscope of fun in this marvelously offbeat and stimulating journey through the world of color.One winter morning, Otto the cat looks out the window and sighs, "Why is everything so gray today?" Luckily his friend Leon the chameleon is around to show him just how many colors there are in the world. In these exciting and funny spreads filled to the brim with brilliantly illustrated objects, Leon and Otto identify people, places, and things of every hue. On pages dedicated to infinite shades of a single color, Tom Schamp's brilliant drawings play with perspective and unexpected pairings. An enormous Bengal tiger lords over an orange-tinted world, while a giant blue whale dwarfs elephants, pairs of jeans, and police officers. Throughout, cleverly inserted puns and allusions will elicit plenty of laughs from parents and children alike. Parents will enjoy the numerous ways color is depicted and kids will spend hours looking for their friends Otto and Leon as they traverse the busy pages. Best of all, this delightful adventure comes to a perfect end when all the colors come together in one beautiful, joyful rainbow of fun.

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In this fairy tale-like story a beloved tree is saved and children learn how architecture can co-exist with nature.The Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser believed that humanity and nature shared a harmonious partnership, a philosophy that he demonstrated with his architectural creations. Filled with color-saturated illustrations that echo Hundertwasser's bold style, this story introduces young readers to the idea of environmentally conscious and playful architecture. When construction starts on a new building in Lea's neighborhood, she fears that her favorite tree will be chopped down. For days she watches anxiously as the tree is covered up and surrounded by bricks. Finally, she learns that the tree has been spared and made the centerpiece of a fantastic new building, where it will live a long and healthy life. Lucie Vandevelde's joyful drawings convey a kid's-eye view of city life, complete with people, pets,automobiles, and machinery. As the new building emerges, readers will come to learn about some of Hundertwasser's celebrated and offbeat principles--such as the rights of tenants to paint the walls outside of their windows, that trees should be given their own rooms, and that "straight lines lead to the downfall of humanity." A brief biography of Hundertwasser at the end of the book fills readers in on the work of this pioneering artist whose ideas were once radical but are now integrated into many architectural concepts.

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Winter has arrived and everywhere you look people are embracing the season. At home there’s baking, reading, and sleeping in, while on the farm the fields are fallow and quiet. Outside people are bundled up against the cold as they are skating, sledding, and running to catch a crowded bus. The town’s buildings are alive with activity—piano lessons, a dentist appointment, shopping for presents, and visiting the museum. And if you look closer, you’ll recognize the same characters on page after page, each with their own story. Wilfred the jogger has lost his keys, and Erica is shopping for a Christmas tree. Each minutely detailed scene is bursting with different people, such as a cheerful lady with an umbrella, and a young violinist, as well as animals and birds. In the tradition of Richard Scarry and Where’s Waldo, this book encourages kids to return again and again to these charming spreads, following along with the characters and inventing their own stories. They’ll recognize parts of their own world, while also learning about the endless ways we live, work, and play in the winter.

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What's the difference between watercolour and gouache, or between a collage and an assemblage? How are frescoes and mosaics made? Why do prints look so different from each other? These questions and others are explored through major works of art in dazzling colour reproductions. Children will learn about drawing through cave paintings and Leonardo's sketches, they will understand how Holbein and van Gogh used oil paints to vastly different effect or what Henri Matisse accomplished with coloured paper and a pair of sharp scissors. Along the way they will be encouraged to make their own masterpieces using similar techniques to the masters.

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In her hugely successful books Creatures of the Deep and What's in the Egg, as well as her enormously popular series of greeting cards for the Museum of Modern Art, Maike Biederstaedt has established herself as one of the preeminent paper artists working today. Now Biederstaedt takes book engineering to new heights as she immerses readers in five electrifying weather scenarios. As each spread unfolds, a meticulously designed landscape emerges--a freighter balances like a nutshell between high waves in the sea; a tornado takes terrifying aim at a truck trying to outrun it; a rain-spewing storm cloud towers like a skyscraper over a farm house. Nature's delicate beauty emerges in the intricate shapes of a snowflake and in the luminous arc of a rainbow. Each page features an informative description of its weather event and the book closes with sobering commentary on the effects of climate change. A wondrous introduction to weather for budding climatologists, this is also an artistic tour de force that collectors will treasure.

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Set in Casa Batlló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s most renowned buildings, this joyful story introduces young readers to the architect’s work, inciting their curiosity and imagination along the way. While her nanny is sleeping, young Paloma hears a noise. She climbs the stairs of her house until she reaches the roof, where a dragon is perched. Unafraid, Paloma reaches out to pet the dragon—but he is ticklish, and as he laughs, he spews a myriad of sea animals that he had unwittingly swallowed. The house is transformed into a dreamy aquarium and the dragon settles into a deep sleep on the roof. Cécile Alix’s playful story and Fred Sochard’s boldly graphic illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Gaudí’s exuberant vision. As readers make their way through Paloma’s home, they are introduced to its fabulous elements—columns shaped like elephant legs; marine-inspired tiles, glass, and ironwork; and of course the spectacularly undulating, iridescent roof, which resembles a sleeping dragon. The end of the book includes a brief history of Gaudí’s career and provides helpful background to Paloma’s story. Kids will want to linger over the pictures and imagine what their own house would be like if a dragon were living on their roof.

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Certain to provide hours of entertainment and a fun-filled way to learn about art and history, this sticker book features a delightful world of real and fantastical animals, dragons and other medieval creatures, as well as knights, kings and queens.

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