Thames&Hudson

This book celebrates the cultural riches of Mantua. New photographs, most of which have been specially taken for this book following important restoration work, reveal superb details and bring the city and its treasures to vivid life. Mantua has attracted a line of prestigious artists and architects from the Renaissance onwards, including Pisanello, Alberti, Giulio Romano, Correggio and Rubens, all of whom were championed by the illustrious Gonzaga family, who ruled the city for nearly four centuries (13281708). The city is also closely identified with the painter Andrea Mantegna, whose technical mastery revolutionized painting in the 15th century, but the full range of Mantuas art and architecture also embraces early Gothic masterpieces and the exuberance of the Baroque. The vital cultural legacy of Mantua lives on in its beautifully restored frescoes and in the collections of the worlds greatest museums. These priceless works of art appear together with fresh impetus in the pages of this important volume.

»The Body in Contemporary Art» presents an international survey of art made over the last two decades in which the human form is central. Featuring work across a range of media, from painting and sculpture to installation, video art and performance, the book examines the different roles played by the body in art, from being the subject of portraiture to becoming an active presence in live and participatory events. Including the work of both internationally renowned and up-and-coming artists from Francis Alys, Marlene Dumas and Matthew Barney to Oleg Kulik, Olafur Eliasson and Ernesto Neto, the book shows how the body continues to be pivotal to our understanding and expression of our place in the universe.

Michelangelo is generally recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time, a universal genius in all fields of visual creativity—sculpture, painting, and architecture—as well as a widely admired poet. Much has been written on him. This pocket-sized history of Michelangelo’s art and life guides readers from Tondo Doni (about 1505) to the Rondanini Pietà (1564) and teaches them to easily understand his famous works as well as the lesser-known masterpieces.

Already hailed by Dazed & Confused magazine as definitive, an instant cult classic, this new collection of club flyers provides a unique visual record of London's nightlife and subcultures. Covered with inventive, unfurling doodles, hand-drawn lettering and images of sexy figures and party animals, these low-budget productions are created from drawings, tracings, photocopies, photographs, cut-outs and collages, and reference flyers first inspired by the cut-and-paste era of the late 1980s, but now given inspirational new form in the current scene. By turns provocative, subversive, shocking, decorative and witty, these flyers provide an alternative history of London's ever-changing club circuit.

Durable and easy to clean, tile has been a popular practical material for thousands of years, but its allure extends far beyond its ability to withstand wear and tear. Tile is a medium for bringing light and beauty into a space. Now, with more choices than ever before, tile has become an incredibly popular way to add personalized character to a home. In The Art of the Tile, tile enthusiast and design writer Jen Renzi walks readers through the basics, from incorporating certain materials in certain areas to installation considerations, from aesthetic aspects to pairing tiles with different patterns or materials in the same area. Focusing on choice and usability, this book is both accessible and inspiring, and will be of immense practical appeal to designers or anyone in search of ideas for their home.

The premise of this book couldn't be simpler: 130 photographs of British bad boy artist Damien Hirst by the great British fashion photographer David Bailey, taken during a single shoot lasting eight minutes. Famed as the inspiration for the swinging 60s photographer character in Michelangelo Antonioni's film «Blow Up» (1966), Bailey was one of the first fashion photographers to merge with rock coterie and the international jet set. In this series of portraits, each pose is spontaneous and determined not by Bailey but by Hirst, who sticks his tongue out, mocking the camera. These photos are unrehearsed, in the spirit of Bailey's recent work, which is characterized by an easy relationship with composition and lighting and no digital manipulation. With no text or even a title page, «8 Minutes» resists the familiar, formulaic style of the usual coffee table book. Always the rogue, Bailey's message is «what you see is what you get.»

Presenting the hottest architectural visionaries from around the world, Digital Architecture Now celebrates those architects who are pushing digital design and software to their limits and showing how radical experimentation can still lead to spectacular built results. Neil Spiller’s text places this contemporary work in the context of recent developments and considers the future trajectory of digital architecture. At the heart of the book are the architects’ best projects, presented in vivid, colourful and breathtaking detail through texts, plans and renderings that challenge our assumptions about 3-D space and redefine the future of architecture.

An explosively growing collector’s market in design has fuelled the interest in young, emerging designers whose work has become as highly sought after as that of established names. Around the world more and more galleries are opening to meet this new demand. «The Independent Design Guide» is the first publication to present these undiscovered talents and their creations, presenting 400 of the most exciting design objects by the future stars of design. For professionals and buyers alike, the book features cross-references that highlight new design trends, innovative use of materials and related objects. • A one-stop sourcebook for all that is new, innovative and independent in the fast-paced world of design. • Truly international in scope: Laura Houseley travelled worldwide to all the international furniture fairs and uncovered the small studios around the world. • The book focuses on pieces that are produced locally or by designermakers who do not yet have international distribution.

Collecting is an art form, and our homes are the intimate museums where we display our treasures – and with them, aspects of ourselves. Stafford Cliff and Gilles de Chabaneix offer a fascinating compilation of images that celebrate the ways in which we integrate our favourite decorative objects into our homes. From the lavish display of expensive and cherished antiques to the imaginative use of found objects, the collection showcases Gilles de Chabaneix’s gift for photographing revealing remarkable interiors throughout the world.

»Graffiti World» is the ultimate graffiti book. With over 2,000 pictures of artworks from more than 180 international artists, no other book is remotely so comprehensive or up to date. Nicholas Ganz combines his own first-hand experiences with quotes from the artists themselves to offer a true insiders perspective of the key trends and style developments that have made graffiti what it is today: a global phenomenon. • An updated and revised edition of this classic • Dazzling design, bursting with artwork from a whole host of writers • Includes detailed profiles of over 180 artists from around the world • Offers an insider’s perspective of graffiti through quotes from the artists themselves and the author’s own experiences

This book presents some of the finest Art Deco jewelry produced by the world’s leading designers and makers between 1910 and 1937. Not only does it feature the most famous names of the Art Deco period, it also restores other notable makers to their proper place in an era that saw the creation of stunningly stylish and beautiful jewelry. Drawn from public and private collections worldwide, some of the best-known pieces of Art Deco jewelry are shown alongside many original drawings and designs, several for the first time. A number of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject explore the world of Art Deco jewelry in essays on the context of the modern movement; on clients and collectors; on the relationship between jewelry and the fine arts, architecture and cinema; and on the world of graphic art, commercial design and advertising. Eighteen designers and houses are featured individually, including Paul Brandt, Suzanne Belperron, Boivin, Cartier, Jean Després, Jean Fouquet, Gérard Sandoz and Raymond Templier, among others. Some were the heirs to jewelry dynasties, some were talented newcomers with fresh ideas, but all left their mark on the Art Deco era. Echoing the revolution that occurred throughout the arts in this period, their jewelry ranged from lavish gem-studded creations worn by Hollywood stars to innovative costume pieces that made creative use of unusual metals and materials. With expert guides and breathtaking illustrations, this entrancing and authoritative book will appeal to specialists and general readers alike.

In 1984 the groundbreaking Subway Art brought graffiti art to the world. 25 years on, the bible of the street art movement is back and better than ever! • Big, big format • More than 70 fresh photographs In new introductions Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant recall how they gained entry to the New York grahhiti community in the 19702 and 1980s. New afterwords continue the story from the decline of the subway graffiti scene in the late 1980s to its unexpected rebirth as a global art movement The authors bring us up to date on how the lives of the original subway artists have unfolded, and mourn the loss of several writers to the darker forces of the street.

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

'My kind of theatre concerns itself with kings and queens, princesses sleeping or otherwise in ivory towers, or in enchanted castles with satins, furs and cloth of gold... There must be huge splashes of colour, wild music, beautiful people, monstrous Calibans; magic, imagination, illusion, fairies, oceans of blood and wine, and always happy endings…' So wrote Angus McBean of the theatre for which he was the court photographer for nearly thirty years – the London stage from the 1930s to the 1960s, an era that encompassed legendary productions of Shakespeare, Congreve, Shaw, Wilde and Coward, the fading British musical and the burgeoning Broadway musical, the operas of Benjamin Britten, and the beginnings of the Royal Ballet and the Royal National Theatre. Blending wit, drama and fantasy with the consummate skill of a master, McBean was one of the greats of theatrical, creative and commercial photography. The best of his theatrical portraits, in which he immortalized the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor and many others, are superbly reproduced in this sumptuous volume, which will appeal to everyone with an interest in British theatre, photography and surrealism.

'Eve Arnold’s People' brings together the finest work by one of the great photographers of the twentieth century and provides, for the first time, an overview of her greatest talent – exceptional photographs of people, both famous and unknown, captured in formal and informal settings. This survey of her extraordinary career includes not only classic and intriguing photographs of Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor, many of whom Eve came to know closely, but also of everyday people at work and at play around the world. Regardless of the subject’s fame, Eve’s unwavering eye and her ability to convey the spirit of the person in front of the lens remains constant. Created with Eve’s involvement, and featuring texts by Anjelica Huston and Isabella Rossellini and contributions from friends, associates and creative colleagues – Elliott Erwitt, John Tusa, David Puttnam, Michael Rand, Mary McCartney, Sheena McDonald, Jon Snow and Beeban Kidron – this book places Eve Arnold deservedly at the heart of the canon of photographic greats. It also stands as a testament to the keen attention her work has inspired from the latest creative generation.

Anonymous photography has a magic all of its own. The intriguing images assembled here are all mysterious – by turn poignant, humorous, erotic or disturbing. Their subject is the human condition and they explore every aspect of human experience – both public and private. Over 220 beautifully reproduced photographs showcase the work of photographers whose identities have been lost in time. The images are never less than mesmerising, and include among them previously unseen portraits of stars such as Cary Grant, Richard Burton and Marlene Dietrich. Complete with an introduction by bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, this follow-up to Robert Flynn Johnson’s widely acclaimed Anonymous will capture the imagination of anyone.

Every year since 1955 an international jury has convened in Holland under the auspices of the World Press Photo Foundation to choose the finest press photographs of the year. Universally recognized as the definitive competition for photographic reporting, it has been described by Michael Rand – for many years Art Director of The Sunday Times Magazine – as ‘the international photographic contest.’ Publishing the results of the most recent annual World Press Photo Contest, this exceptional book contains the most haunting and inspiring photographs from 2008 – nearly 180 pictures submitted by photojournalists, picture agencies, newspapers and magazines throughout the world. Selected from more than 96,000 images taken by over 5,000 photographers representing 124 countries, these prizewinning photos capture the most powerful, moving and sometimes disturbing events of the year.

This beautifully illustrated book offers a unique view of Ancient American art, featuring a rich array of stunning objects ranging from North America through Mexico to Central and South America. The most striking aspects of craftsmanship, materials and design are highlighted here in exquisite works of jade, turquoise, textiles, feather work, gold, wood, stone, ceramics and painted books, all drawn from the British Museumas outstanding collections. The book opens with an introduction asking 'What is Ancient American art?', in which the author explores fundamental relationships among the diverse artistic traditions of the Americas. He then examines each work in close-up detail, leading to intriguing comparisons between objects across a range of cultures and media. At every turn these masterpieces evoke the skilled hands and practised eye of the most accomplished Ancient American craftsmen over thousands of years. This book makes an ideal introduction or companion to a museum or gallery visit and provides endless creative inspiration for all the visual arts.

»Digital Textile Design» covers everything students and practitioners of textile design will need to learn about designing and printing digitally. Textile designers are beginning to realise the creative potential of digital textile design and are fast catching up with graphic designers who have taken to working digitally. New digital textile-printing technology is enabling designers to work with an almost unlimited palette of colours to produce work of staggering detail in relatively short timescales.Written specifically for textile designers, «Digital Textile Design» provides the know-how for students and professionals who wish to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator as design tools. A series of inspirational tutorials, presented in step-by-step format, guide the reader through the process of creating designs that will be suited to both the traditional textile production process, and to the new industry of digital printing onto fabric. Against the backdrop of the development of digital print, the book also discusses how designers can access this new technique, looks at the work of those currently exploring its possibilities, and also features the craft of embellishment that is being used to offset the apparent flatness of print.

This is a practical book on creating packaging prototypes that reflect sustainable and ecologically sound principles. It challenges the next generation of graphic designers to re-envision packaging design as a less environmentally destructive practice than it presently is, and examines an array of techniques and methodologies for creating innovative and sustainable packaging designs, from first concept to final production. The book is organised into two distinct sections embracing first the theory, including many case studies, and then the practice of eco-friendly packaging design. In the first part of the book, after introducing the student to the background of packaging design and its purpose, the author focuses on issues of sustainability. Through a series of case studies and interviews he looks at some of the companies that are leading the way in sustainable/green packaging.

In May 1909, Sergei Diaghilev astonished the world of dance with his first ballet presentations in Paris that demonstrated an unprecedented combination of vitality and grace, originality, and technical sophistication. This catalogue of over three hundred artworks related to the Saisons Russes between 1909 and 1929 is the official companion to an exhibition in Monte Carlo. The legendary productions are brought to life through stage designs, costumes, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and programs. The artwork comes from a wide variety of public and private collections, including the Fokine collection in the St. Petersburg Theatre Museum. Diaghilev’s scenic achievements are complemented by a number of contextual paintings, drawings, and other artifacts, which help to define Russia’s cultural renaissance of the first decades of the twentieth century. The documentary section of the catalog contains rich archival material, including letters, photographs, choreographic notes, and memoirs, many published here for the first time.

Extraordinary seascapes, a rigorous climate, a fascinating amalgamation of cultures, endless summer days and long winter nights these are just some of the factors that have combined to determine the distinctive architecture and way of living that are the essence of Baltic style. Baltic Homes features over twenty houses from this fascinating part of northernmost Europe, painting a sometimes nostalgic, sometimes resolutely modern picture of the area. With over 260 colour photographs by distinguished photographer Solvi dos Santos, this engrossing and seductive book is the perfect window onto a distinctive and beautiful way of life.

This new Chronicle documents the lives of tsars famous and infamous in a lively series of biographical portraits stretching from the late fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Discover the facts behind the reputations of rulers such as Ivan the Terrible, whose reign of terror was unparalleled in Russian history until Stalin; Peter the Great, dynamic reformer and dedicated Westernizer; Catherine the Great, the determined young German princess who usurped power and is remembered for her interest in the Enlightenment and for her colorful private life; and the last tsar, Nicholas II, vainly endeavoring to cope in a period of devastating change. Here too are the less familiar but equally intriguing personalities who occupied Russia's imperial throne: the pious but feeble Feodor I, the warmhearted and irascible Alexei Mikhailovich, and the Empress Anna, with her taste for cruel practical jokes. Chronicle of the Russian Tsars also introduces the key debates of Russian history. How did a small principality centered on Moscow develop into a vast empire stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific? What part did the Orthodox Church play in the rise of tsarism? Why did Russia develop political and social institutions so different from those of the West? With its comprehensive timelines, data files, quotations, and stunning illustrations, Chronicle of the Russia Tsars is at once an absorbing narrative history and an essential work of reference that brings to life a powerful empire and distinctive civilization whose impact on the history of Europe and the world is immeasurable. David Warnes is the author of Russia: A Modern History. The history of Russia has been his principal enthusiasmsince his final year at Jesus College, Cambridge, and he has been a frequent visitor to that country since the early 1980s, escorting study tours of its historic sites. His firsthand experience of the latest turbulent episode of Russian history — the demise of Communism and the struggle to adapt to free-enterprise capitalism — has deepened his wide-ranging understanding of Russian society and culture.

Exclusive interviews reveal the inside story of everything that makes the fashion world tick.