Thames&Hudson

In the nineteenth century there was an amazing flowering of ironwork forms, mass produced and widely distributed, but of extreme variety and richness of design. Too often they have been overlooked, or referred to mistakenly as «wrought iron». E. Graeme Robertson's interest began decades ago with the realization that cast iron was being destroyed because its aesthetic value was not recognized. To remedy this situation he wrote a number of books on Australian ironwork and then, with his daughter Joan, traveled all over the world to compile this superb photographic inventory of the forms taken by cast iron ornamentation, its national variations, its relationship to architecture, and its contribution to the attractiveness of buildings. Supported by introductory texts, glossary, and bibliography, Cast Iron Decoration will be equally valuable to architects, art historians, and designers — and to anyone who cares for our cultural heritage. 521 illustrations.

Today we associate the Renaissance with the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture. Yet gem-studded gold-work and richly embellished armour, splendid tapestries, embroideries and textiles, ephemeral multi-media spectacles and other opulent creations were consistently more distinguished and celebrated by contemporaries. The author traces the decline of luxury arts from lofty markers of discernment in the Renaissance to their subsequent marginalization as trinkets unworthy of the status of art. By closely re-examining the objects themselves and their uses in their day, she elucidates how sumptuous creations constructed the world and taste of Renaissance cities. Without these art forms, the study of Renaissance arts is impoverished and history misrepresented.

Henri Cartier-Bresson is renowned for capturing the humour, spontaneity and universality of life in his photographs. This volume traces his artistic progression from his earliest works right up to the present, and includes images from France in the late 1920s and Mexico and Spain in the early 1930s. Compartative images by photographers such as Daguerre and Atget are included, and a selection of Cartier-Bresson's paintings and drawings are shown alongside his more famous photographs. The author analyzes his most famous images and discusses the various philosophies that inform his work, notably Zen and Surrealism.

The Centre Pompidou in Paris houses the largest collection of Modern art in Europe and one of the greatest collections of twentieth-century photography in the world. This comprehensive catalogue of the photo collection features 350 images, reproduced in tritone and duotone, by nearly 300 of the most famous artists and photographers to engage with the medium--from Franti ek Drtikol, Paul Strand, Walker Evans, Constantin Brancusi, Alexander Rodchenko and Berenice Abbott, via Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Man Ray and Edouard Boubat, to Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, Nan Goldin, Vik Muniz, Gregory Crewdson and Thomas Demand. It is divided into six sections, each of which is prefaced by a brief essay. Contributing scholars include Herbert Molderings (on Modernist photography), Alain Sayag (on Dada and Surrealist photography), Clement Cheroux (on «Poetic Realism»), Christopher Phillips, and Agnes de Gouvion Saint-Cyr and Quentin Bajac (on contemporary photography). This substantial and lavishly produced volume offers an authoritative perspective on twentieth-century photography as viewed through the contents of one of the greatest photographic archives in the world.

This is the last in the series of Sir John Boardman's acclaimed handbooks on Greek sculpture; a sequel to similar volumes on the Archaic and Classical periods. Here, the story continues through the fourth century B.C. to the days of Alexander the Great. The innovations of the period are discussed, such as the female nude and portraiture, along with many important monuments including the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and several of the great names such as Praxiteles and Lysippus who were lionized by later generations. The volume also presents Greek sculpture made in the colonies of Italy and Sicily from the Archaic period onwards, as well as that made for eastern, non-Greek rulers. A final section considers the role of Greek sculpture in moulding western taste to the present day.

For most people there is no more satisfying expression of Greek art than its sculpture. It was the first, the only ancient art to break free from conceptual conventions for representing men and animals, and to explore consciously how art might imitate or even improve upon it. The first stages of this discovery, from the semi-abstract beginnings in the eighth century BC to the more representational art of the early fifth century, are explored and illustrated in this handbook.

For most people there is no more satisfying expression of Greek art than its sculpture. It was the first, the only ancient art to break free from conceptual conventions for representing men and animals, and to explore consciously how art might imitate or even improve upon it. The first stages of this discovery, from the semi-abstract beginnings in the eighth century BC to the more representational art of the early fifth century, are explored and illustrated in this handbook.

The impact of more than one hundred years of aesthetics, form, and content on developments in graphic communications. This unique history of design, documenting over a century of creative brilliance, has now been brought into the twenty-first century. Showcasing the most influential designs and designers from 1900 to the present, this outstanding collection illustrates how the best ideas perpetuate themselves over time, one great concept inspiring the next. More than one hundred seminal images—one from each year—are shown alongside the works that influenced their creation and the designs that were inspired or evolved from them. Examples include work from both famous and anonymous graphic artists from Toulouse-Lautrec to Milton Glaser and Art Chantry, visually juxtaposing each example to illustrate a theme or artistic device.

Stickerbomb is the first collectable, fully-peelable sticker book featuring illustration, graffiti and graphics. It is filled with an amazing collection of over 250 specially commissioned stickers by artists, illustrators and graffiti writers from around the world. An essential part of the street art movement, inexpensive, and easy to produce, stickers often act as an informal business card for graffiti writers, and a quick and effective promotional tool for many artists and illustrators. As more and more stickers are placed around major cities in the world, interest in the subject keeps growing. Many street art books to date have featured photographs of stickers spotted in urban environments packed with examples of the real thing. Stickerbomb offers the fun of peeling and sticking, and of owning and collecting cool stickers.

This is an exceptional monograph-catalogue revealing the innovative drive in Gauguin's work. This catalogue offers a unique opportunity to view Gauguin's entire artistic development from his early impressionist works to his final masterpieces painted on the Marquesas Islands where the artist went in search of an Arcadian kingdom of ecstasy, peace and art, far from the typical European struggle for money. In reality such a paradise on earth no longer existed, not even on the other side of the globe, however the wealth and complexity of life that he found before him there, inspired the creation of a series of works which are among the most vivid and durable in the history of painting.

The design of multiple housing — a new building type, especially for growing urban populations — was a major new area of activity for architects at the beginning of the twentieth century, and one that continues into the twenty-first century. This book features 87 of the most influential modern housing designs of the last 100 years by some of the best-known architects in the field. Each project is explained with a concise text and photographs and specially created scale drawings, including floor plans and site plans, sections and elevations where appropriate. The projects are organized in six roughly chronological chapters tracing the history of both public and private housing around the world. The detailed drawings allow each project to be analyzed in depth, which, alongside the author's authoritative text, will make this an invaluable resource for architects and students. As an added bonus, the book includes a CD-ROM containing digital files of all the drawings featured in the book.

»Several new books have focused on the portrait, none with as much clarity as Face.» —American Photo «Highly recommended for all collections.»—Library Journal This groundbreaking publication announces the death of the conventional portrait. In an age when we are bombarded with flawless images of youthful beauty, when rejuvenation is available through a jar of cream or a scalpel, artists and photographers seek to portray the face in new ways. Through a variety of techniques, including computer manipulation, photomontage, and retouching, the artists present their new portraits. They replace clarity with blur, the split-second with the elastic moment, questioning the notion of a fixed identity, of universality of expression, of what constitutes beauty. Whether Cindy Sherman's disquieting disguises, Gillian Wearing's masked self-portrait, LawickMüller's composite portraits of couples, or Orlan's disturbing experiments with cosmetic surgery, these faces demand attention. 260 illustrations, 165 in color.

The classic Photofile series brings together the best work of the world's greatest photographers in an attractive format and at a reasonable price. Handsome and collectible, the books each contain full-page duotone and/or color reproductions, plus a critical introduction and a bibliography. Edward Steichen (1879-1973) had the rare ability to turn his talents to almost all genres of photography. Art and industry, fashion and beauty, celebrity portraits, landscapes and cityscapes, nudes and dancers—his legacy remains omnipresent. It was Steichen's curious and inventive mind that made this diversity possible, as he ignored established dogma to carve out his own unique path. This book presents the best of his work from a career that spanned well over half a century. 64 photographs in color and duotone

»Straightforward, intelligent approach to a complex subject.»—The Economist Sir Herbert Read traces the development of modern sculpture from Rodin to the present day and brings order into the apparently chaotic proliferation of styles and techniques during this period. 339 illustrations, 49 in color

Indian Wisdom 365 Days celebrates those who live in harmony with the forces of earth and sky, who aspire to nirvana — the highest level of heart, body — and mind-consciousness. This beautiful daybook by Danielle and Olivier Follmi presents the wise words of a great master, philosopher or poet for every day of the year, accompanied by Olivier's sensitive and moving photographs of Indian people and places. The effect is transformative, awakening our senses and preparing our souls to receive these simple yet profound teachings. Contemporary specialists on Indian culture have also contributed to Indian Wisdom 365 Days, which draws on such ancient yet timeless sources as poems by Rabindranath Tagore and Krishnamurti; the longest epic in world literature, the Mahabarata; and the most significant of the Hindu sacred writings, the Veda. A treasure in both content and form, this insprational book artfully conveys the essence of India.

China is booming not only in the shape of a rapidly growing economy, but also in the decorative and fine arts, in interior design and in architecture. This book showcases 36 of the most exciting interiors that have been born of this second cultural revolution. Some of the structures have taken the traditional Chinese vernacular and reinvigorated it, while others show a distinctly western influence. But whatever the emphasis of their design principles, all the buildings and interiors have a distinctive air of visual excitement and vibrancy, and all are utterly contemporary.

The Bayeaux Tapestry is unique both as a historical document and as a work of art. It was made soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and it tells the story of the events that led up to William the Conqueror's invasion of England and the battle itself.

Photofile is back after an absence of some ten years. Each book in the series brings together the best work of the world's greatest photographers in an attractive format and at an easily affordable price. Handsome and collectable, the books are printed to the highest standards. Each one contains some sixty full-page reproductions printed in superb duotone, together with a critical introduction and a full bibliography.

This final volume of previously unpublished drawings and photographs completes the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopadia trilogy. Danzig Baldaevs unparalleled ethnographic achievement, documenting over 3,000 tattoo drawings, was made during a lifetime working as a prison guard. The motifs depicted represent the uncensored lives of the criminal classes, ranging from violence and pornography to politics and alcohol. In this title, a medieval knight is surrounded by the severed heads of his enemies, a naked woman simultaneously services a man and two dwarfs, a crying President Gorbachev grips a human bone between sabre-like fangs, a group of angels drinks vodka with God on a cloud, and the meanings of these arresting images are explained to the uninitiated eye. Accompanied by graphic photographs showing the grim reality of the Russian prison system and some of the alarming characters that inhabit it, the illustrated criminals of Russia tell the tale of their closed society.

When the original edition of this book was published, John Russell hailed it as a massive contribution to our knowledge of one of the most fascinating and mysterious episodes in the history of modern art. Revised and expanded by Marian Burleigh-Motley, the book remains the most compact, accurate, reasonably priced survey of sixty years of creative dynamic activity that influenced the progress of Western art and architecture.

Nobody photographs the splendid and intimate cathedrals of knowledge as beautifully as Candida Hofer. This superbly produced volume contains Hofer's famously ascetic images of the Escorial in Spain, the Whitney Museum and the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, Villa Medici in Rome and the Hamburg University Library, among others. Umberto Eco contributes an essay on libraries.

Istanbul: City of Two Continents showcases both the historical as well as the modern aspects of Istanbul, a fascinating capital of two past empires and the largest city in modern Turkey. The illustrations, artistically rendered using digital techniques, feature famous landmarks together with the lesser known but equally evocative areas of modern Istanbul. The historic centre of Istanbul is an overwhelming record of Byzantine, Ottoman and republican history; of incomparable religious buildings, fine secular architecture, and bustling commerce.To the north, across the fabled Golden Horn, fashion centres, high-rise buildings and the latest in shopping malls cater to a thriving economy. To the east lies the Bosphorus. Lined with enchanting waterfront houses, palaces and castles, this bustling waterway joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and forms the boundary between Europe and Asia. On the Asian shore, which houses one-third of the city's population in ever-spreading suburbs, the historic co-mingles with fine stores, lively cafes and tranquil marinas.

Organized into units that reflect required courses at leading design colleges, it contains 20 step-by-step exercises aiming to assist in finding inspiration, developing techniques of observation, and creating finished fashion drawings both in colour and in black and white. Separate sections are devoted to getting started and understanding figure proportions, planning and designing garments, and creating and assessing flat specification drawings. The book also features cross-references and a glossary of designer's terms.

Here is six decades of creativity collected and secured in book form. This sumptuously produced volume is the first complete retrospective of Pierre Cardin, the veteran French designer who has beeen at the forefront of fashion for over fifty years. Produced with Cardin's full co-operation, it is packed with magnificent illustrations of his iconic creations, arranged thematically, and accompanied by scores of photographs of Cardin and his millieu.