News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

It seemed appropriate this month to dedicate our picks of the photography books to those the library holds on legendary photographer Eve Arnold – who died on the 5th of January this year. Eve Arnold’s People, the most recent book on the subject of her amazingly diverse and long career was published in 2009.

Born in Philadelphia in 1912, Arnold left medicine for a photographic career after receiving a Rolleicord as a present in 1946. These were the heydays of documentary photography and Arnold dived into it wholeheartedly with only 8 weeks of training. Her career really began in 1951 after the British Picture Post published a story she had shot in Harlem which no American magazine wanted to take on. In 1957 she joined the acclaimed Magnum photo agency, becoming their first female photographer. She moved to London in 1951 and used the city as her base for the rest of her life, while travelling extensively on her many assignments for publications such as Life, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Geo, Epoca, Paris-Match and the Sunday Times.

A self-confessed workaholic, her work encompassed such diverse subjects as Hollywood stars (she will be most remembered for her intimate portraits of Marilyn Monroe, with whom she had a very long and productive professional relationship), but also (and as powerfully) underprivileged members of society – and even great heads of states. She travelled to China during a time when Westerners were only allowed in under strict supervision. She didn’t want to work under such conditions and relentlessly applied for a visa that would give her free rein. 10 years on, she was granted permission and in 1979 finally succeeded in making “a book about the lives of people, a book that would go beyond the ubiquitous blue suits and bicycles we had been seeing pictures of so many years”. She ”wanted to penetrate their humanity, to get a sense of the sustaining character beneath the surface”. She travelled thousands of miles in the most remote parts of the country and documented “the tripod on which China had built her revolution – the peasant, the worker and the soldier”.

Compassionate, understanding, generous, courteous and soft-spoken were adjectives often used to describe this gentle woman. She took her work to heart and her work reflects it.

A new retrospective book on her whole career titled All about Eve, is about to be published by teNeues. Watch this space. It will be hot property! In the meantime – check out her most memorable shots in the Guardian and watch a slide show and interview produced by Magnum in Motion, or delve into our comprehensive collection of books dedicated to this inspiring photographer. Here are a few of the titles we hold:

Hollywood Portraits
After having admired Eve Arnold’s stunning portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, and Clark Gable among many others, this book is the perfect transition from looking at a great photographer’s portraits to making portraits of your own, in the classic Hollywood style. It provides useful insight on how to set up, light and shoot, based on specific examples described with diagrams and step-by-step instructions.

Robert Rauschenberg Photographs 1949 – 1962
“Painter, sculptor, printmaker and photographer Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) provided a crucial bridge between Abstract Expressionism and Pop art. His exposure to photography while at Black Mountain College in North Carolina was so great that for a time he was unsure whether to pursue painting or photography as a career. Instead, he chose both, and found ways to fold photography into his Combines, maintained a practice of photographing friends and family, documented the evolution of artworks and occasionally dramatized them by inserting himself into the picture frame. This volume gathers and surveys for the first time Rauschenberg’s numerous uses of photography. It includes portraits of friends such as Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Merce Cunningham and John Cage, studio shots, photographs used in the Combines and Silkscreen paintings, photographs of lost artworks and works in process. This allows us to re-imagine almost the entirety of the artist’s output in light of his always inventive uses of photography, while also supplying previously unseen glimpses into his social milieu of the 1950s and early 60s. Considered one of the most innovative artists of his era, he died in 2008.” (Adapted from amazon.com)

A mixture of arty treats to start off your New Year – three great artist biographies and four stunning graphic art books. Enjoy!

Alessandro Raho / Michael Bracewell & Nicholas Cullinan.
“Exploring the career of Alessandro Raho (b.1971) from the early 1990s to the present day, this monograph, the first of its kind on the artist, places Raho in the context of the period in which his career was established and has flourished… Exploring the major themes and subjects found in his work, alongside his artistic and philosophic influences, this groundbreaking publication will appeal to experts and artistic enthusiasts alike and will be an essential purchase for all those interested in contemporary art.” (Adapted from Amazon.com description)

Hockney : the biography. Volume 1, 1937-1975 / Christopher Simon Sykes.
“In this astounding first volume of his authorised biography Christopher Sykes explores the fascinating world of the most popular living artist in the world today. David Hockney’s career has spanned and epitomised the art movements of the last five decades; His story is one of precocious achievement at Bradford Art College, the Swinging 60s in London where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the generation, to California and the cool of the swimming pool series of paintings, through the acclaimed set designs for countless operas around the world and major retrospective exhibitions.” (Syndetics summary)

Infinity net : the autobiography of Yayoi Kusama / Yayoi Kusama ; translated by Ralph McCarthy.
“In 1957, encouraged by Georgia O’Keeffe, artist Yayoi Kusama left Japan for New York City to become a star. By the time she returned to her home country in 1973, she had established herself as a leader of New York’s avant-garde movement, known for creating happenings and public orgies to protest the Vietnam War and for the polka dots that had become a trademark of her work. Her sculptures, videos, paintings, and installations are to this day included in major international exhibitions.” (Adapted from Amazon.com description)

Erratic : visual impact in current design / [edited by Robert Klanten, Floyd Schulze].
“Change is one of the few constants in the world. In recent years, more and more images are being created that not only capture a moment in time, but also point to a change that can and will take place directly thereafter. Erratic is a collection of current, often playful work by designers, photographers, and artists who are exploring the reciprocal effects between stability and instability, symmetry and asymmetry, and pressure and counter-pressure.” (Adapted from Amazon.com description)

Fingerprint no. 2 : the evolution of handmade elements in graphic design / by Chen Design Associates ; with an introduction by Joshua C. Chen ; foreword by Debbie Millman ; commentary by Colin Berry and visual essays from Stefan Bucher … [et al.].
For many designers, creating things by hand is a reaction to too much computer-based design. Since the first Fingerprint was published, ideas that were once on the fringe have begun to thrive in the mainstream. From typography and illustration to book-making and film titles, elements of handcraft have soaked into everyday life. Fingerprint No. 2 reflects the evolution of those ideas. In this second volume, you’ll still find plenty of projects created entirely without the aid of computer technology. But you’ll also discover how designers are beining to incporate the two aesthetics—handmade and digital—in order to best communicate their message. A third, hybrid aesthetic is emerging, one that marries the technologies of the past and future into a vibrant, exciting present (adapted from amazon.com description)

Juxtapoz illustration 2 / [edited by Saelee Oh ; writer, Evan Pricco].
The tenth book in the series revisits the magnetic attraction of the figurative line. Once again an exciting roster of contributors ranging from commercial illustrators to outsider artists put forth a retina-searing collection (Syndetics summary)

Vectorism : vector graphics today / [edited and produced by Viction:workshop].
Showcases over 480 vector works composed by over 50 graphic artists from all around the world (Syndetics summary)

Welcome to 2012! New year and maybe some new year resolutions?

There’s no time like now to start a new hobby or develop a new interest. That’s where I can help – the arts newsletter this month is an excellent way to discover something new. There’s a focus on photography, with some wonderful books to get you inspired (‘New York: a photographer’s city’ is my pick – it’s AMAZING!) and tips from expert digital photograher Scott Kelby in ‘Light it, shoot it, retouch it’. The craft selections offer a tantalising array of hands-on activities to take up and learn about. As does music – remember, it’s never too late to learn to play the piano!

Library News

• So Brilliantly Clever – free author talk with Peter Graham
• Treat yourself on Thursdays with free magazines!

Got a new toy for Christmas and want to delve into studio photography? Light it, Shoot it, Retouch it will get you started – there’s a wealth of information here about lighting layouts. Otherwise, why not just enjoy and admire other photographers’ work? This month we bring you titles that collect the work of Wim Wenders, as well as test Polaroids taken by Helmut Newton. Plus, 150 years of photojournalism, and Cecil Beaton’s portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. Enjoy!

Light it, Shoot it, Retouch it
“Scott Kelby, the world’s #1 best-selling author of photography books, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, and Publisher of the just-released Light It magazine, has reinvented how lighting books are written by finally revealing the entire process from start to finish. You see everything from the complete lighting setup (and all the gear used), to the shoot (including all the camera settings and a contact sheet of the progression of the shoot), to the all-important part that most books don’t dare include–the post-processing and retouching in Photoshop. This book also breaks new ground in the visual way it teaches you the lighting setup. There aren’t any sketches or 3D models – you see the lighting layout in a full-page photo, taken from above during the live shoot, so you can see exactly where everything’s positioned (the subject, the photographer, the lighting, the background – you name it – you see it all). Plus, you’ll see side, over-the-shoulder, and more behind-the-scenes views, so you can absolutely nail the lighting every time.” (Amazon.com)

Afterwards – Contemporary Photography Confronting the Past
This may sound like a difficult and unsettling subject . And it is. But the engagement is worth the reward. A collection of amazing photographs, thoughtfully captured and presented:
“Afterwards presents work from leading contemporary photographers, with each in a self-contained sequence of images. More than 30 photographers are featured, including Robert Polidori, Suzanne Opton, Raphaël Dallaporta and Simon Norfolk, inviting the viewer to contemplate the aftermath of events in modern history – the Srebrenica massacre, human trafficking and slave labour, the Hiroshima bombing, the Holocaust and natural disasters – and get a sense of the physical and emotional scars they left behind. Accompanied by essays on cognitive responses to photographs, the ability to see and empathize, the nature of trauma and others, Afterwards shows the ability of contemporary photography to question what happens in the world and begin to understand it better.” (Adapted from publisher).

Helmut Newton – Polaroids
A collection of Helmut Newton’s test Polaroids:
“Polaroids occupy a special place in the hearts of many photo enthusiasts who remember a time when ‘instant photography’ meant a one-of-a-kind prints that developed within minutes of clicking the shutter. What was once a crucial tool for photographers to test their shots before shooting on film has now become obsolete in the face of digital photography. Luckily for us, legendary photographer Helmut Newton saved his test Polaroids, allowing a privileged and rare chance to see the tests from a selection of his greatest shoots over a period of decades, including many from the TASCHEN titles SUMO, A Gun for Hire, and Work. Put together by his widow, June Newton, his collection captures the magic of Helmut Newton photo shoots as only Polaroids can.” (From amazon.com)

Wim Wenders – Places, strange and quiet
““When you travel a lot, and when you love to just wander around and get lost, you can end up in the strangest spots. … I don’t know, it must be some sort of built-in radar that often directs me to places that are strangely quiet, or quietly strange.”
Wim Wenders—painter, actor, writer, and one of the most successful contemporary filmmakers around—has assembled a fascinating series of large-scale photographs taken from 1983 to 2011 in countries all over the world. From his iconic images of exteriors and buildings to his panoramic depictions of towns and landscapes, this book presents the full range of Wenders’s photography.” (From publisher’s description)

Photojournalism – 150 years of outstanding press photography
“The events of the past few years, from 9/11 to the South Asian tsunami disaster, have once again shown us that despite round-the-clock news coverage, the Internet and multi-channel cable TV, the still image is as powerful as ever. Photography remains the ideal tool for capturing human emotion, drama and tragedy. “Photojournalism” features evocative and stirring images from the world’s greatest photojournalists, as well as providing a history of the medium. Starting with some of the first key figures such as Roger Fenton, who photographed the Crimean War with a bulky large-format camera, it moves on through the decades covering defining events in our history, from the Great Depression to space missions, the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the recent war in Iraq.” (From publisher’s description)

Queen Elizabeth II – Portraits by Cecil Beaton
After the speech on Christmas day, here is timely collection of portraits by photographer, costume designer, avid diarist Cecil Beaton:
“A “romantic royalist”, Cecil Beaton’s glittering photographs of Queen Elizabeth II were among the most widely published portraits of the 20th century. This fascinating book explores Beaton’s long relationship with the Queen and the royal family, and describes how his royal portraits shaped the monarchy’s public image from the 1930s to the late 1960s. It is a celebration of Beaton, the enduring flair of his portraits, and the myriad sources of inspiration that resulted in photographs so powerful that they molded the world’s perception of a mother, princess, and monarch.” (Adapted from amazon.com)

This month our picks of the new art books include something bold, something new, something stolen, and something blue (and green). Read about European modernism, sitting for a portrait, stealing Rembrandts, some very famous paintings, and more. Have a browse!

Avant-garde art in everyday life : early-twentieth-century European modernism / edited by Matthew S. Witkovsky ; with essays by Jared Ash … [et al.].
“Purposeful jumbles of eye-popping graphics, zany color insertions, zipping diagonals, mixtures of typefaces, and disparities in scale are hallmarks of the early 20th-century European graphic and design avant-garde and are featured in this studious exhibition catalog. Witkovsky, chair of the Art Institute’s department of photography, gathers essays on John Heartfield, Gustav Klutsis, El Lissitzky, Ladislav Sutnar, Karel Teige, and Piet Zwart. The collection emphasizes the range of their designs (e.g., posters, drawings, photographs, illustrated magazines, book jackets, advertising, postage stamps, clothing, table settings) influenced by Dada, surrealism, and constructivism… As befitting the subject, the catalog is a visual delight.” – (adapted from Library Journal summary)

Girl in a green gown : the history and mystery of the Arnolfini portrait / Carola Hicks.
The Arnolfini portrait, painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434, and now in the National Gallery, London, is one of the world’s most famous paintings. It intrigues all who see it. Scholars and public alike have puzzled over the meaning of this haunting gem of medieval art, a subtle and beautiful double portrait of a wealthy Bruges merchant and his wife.

Mysterious wisdom : the life and work of Samuel Palmer / Rachel Campbell-Johnston.
Mysterious Wisdom is a biography of the painter Samuel Palmer whose world of slumbering shepherds and tumbling blossoms, of mystical cornfields and bright sickle moons, has enchanted admirers since the nineteenth century. The lynchpin of the first British art movement, Palmer dreamed of creating a new rural ideal. Leading a band of fellow artists – the brotherhood of Ancients – from London to live in the village of Shoreham in Kent, he pursued his vision. If English tradition had ever encompassed the making of icons they would not have been so different from Palmer’s enraptured landscapes.

Pissarro’s people / Richard R. Brettell.
“This definitive portrait of Camille Pissarro by one of the world’s foremost authorities on Impressionism and French painting reveals the deep connection between Pissarro’s humanitarian concerns and his creative output.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Stealing Rembrandts : the untold stories of notorious art heists / Anthony M. Amore and Tom Mashberg.
“Unlike the glamour and intrigue in James Bond films or literary mysteries, art theft is no “Dr. No”, as Amore (head of security, Isabella Stewart Gardner museum) and Mashberg (investigative reporter) explain artfully. In reality, most of the thieves are not wealthy masterminds seeking to add to their private collection, but penny-ante burglars and robbers whose rap sheets include home invasions, bank robberies or drug dealing. Inspired by a series of thefts of three Rembrandts and other rare gems in 1990, the authors give the inside scoop on the heists, the investigation, and even Rembrandt himself. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

And, last but not least, something blue – my pick for the whole of 2011:

Man with a blue scarf : on sitting for a portrait by Lucian Freud / Martin Gayford.
“In most works of art, we see only what the artist wants us to see. In this book the lens is reversed as the subject looks back at the artist. Gaylord is a writer, art critic and curator who spent over two years sitting for a portrait by Lucian Freud. In his diary of the experience the reader learns about the artist in his own words along with his memories of others artists from Picasso to Francis Bacon to David Hockney. The creative process is chronicled in minute detail, much more that Freud could explain, it being instinctual to him and interspersed with the commentary are marvelous anecdotes. Freud’s works and those of other artists who are mentioned in the account are reproduced in color along with photographs of Freud and many of his sitters, allowing the reader to appreciate the finished product as much as the steps taken to achieve it. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The season of giving being upon us, the first book in this month’s selection may give a few ideas to those who count photography buffs among their friends and relatives. Analog photography is not dead, contrary to popular belief. It is actually enjoying a revival and that old camera locked away in the dusty attic may just be the perfect gift this year!

For the rest, a wide range of titles that will delight, inform and entertain:

Classic Cameras
“From Colin Harding’s highly successful “Classic Cameras” feature, which runs regularly in “Black and White Photography” magazine, comes a superb showcase of photographic equipment. These 75 cameras, drawn from the National Media Museum in Bradford, England, appear in chronological order, with a chapter for every era and a double-page spread devoted to each camera. They range from old, rare, sophisticated and expensive models to some that are relatively common and simple, but still influential, like the Kodak Instamatic. Each spread has a large and impressive shot of the highlighted camera, smaller pictures of any variants, historical insight into the camera’s development, and, when appropriate, a short biography and photo of the inventor. – Inspired by a very popular column – The perfect gift for any camera enthusiast.” (Library Catalogue)

New York: A Photographer’s City
“An unparalleled compilation of contemporary photographs of New York City and its boroughs by famous and emerging artists. New York City has experienced extreme flux over the last ten years. Today, contemporary photographers from all over the world have been capturing the City, its dynamic boroughs, and all its transformations, offering views, cityscapes, and vignettes we’ve not seen before. New York: A Photographer’s City is a world-class look at the city, reflecting the avant-garde spirit of New York and containing previously unpublished work by well-known and emerging contemporary artists. This volume includes more than 350 images from all five New York City boroughs by more than one hundred artists such as Jack Pierson, Atta Kim, Doug Aitken, Joel Meyerowitz, Andreas Gursky, Tim White Sobieski, Ed Burtynsky, Thomas Struth, Jenny Holzer, and Michael Eastman, among many others, which not only document the city but also reflect and explore an innovative perspective of New York in the twenty-first century. New York: A Photographer’s City reveals a post-9/11, visually fresh approach to the City and will appeal to both fans of art photography and of New York.” (From Amazon.com).

Art Photography Now
“Now revised and expanded, this essential survey presents the work of eighty of the most important artist-photographers in the world. A must read if you want to keep your finger on the pulse of contemporary photography. The book is divided into seven sections—Portrait, Landscape, Narrative, Object, Fashion, Document, and City—that explore the diverse subjects, styles, and methods of the leading practitioners. Introductions to each section outline the genres and consider why photographers are attracted to certain themes, and how issues like memory, time, objectivity, politics, identity, and the everyday are tied to their approaches. Each photographer’s work is accompanied by Susan Bright’s commentaries and by quotations from the artist.” (From Amazon.co.uk)

Photography as Activism
“You want to look through the lens of your camera and change the world. You want to capture powerful moments in one click that will impact the minds of other people. Photographic images are one of the most popular tools used to advocate for social and environmental awareness. This can be as close to home as drug use, prostitution, or pollution or as far away as famine, war, and the plight of refugees and migrant workers. One well-known example of an activist photographer would be landscape photographer Ansel Adams, who trudged to Washington with stunning images of the American west to advocate protecting these areas. His images and testimony were instrumental in creating the National Park System and garnering specific protection for Yellowstone National Park. More recently Robert Glenn Ketchum’s images of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge raised awareness of why this area should be protected. Nigel Barker’s seal photographs advocates against seal clubbing. What is your cause and how can you use your camera to make the world a better place? This book provides a comprehensive theory of, and history of, photography as activism. It also includes interviews with contemporary photographers. It is a call to action for young photographers to become activists, a primer of sorts, with advice for how to work with NGOs and non-profits, how to work safely in conflict zones and with suggestions for distribution on websites, blogs, and interactive agencies.” (Library Catalogue)

PhotoBooth – The Art of the Automatic Portrait
“Since its introduction to the public in September of 1926 on a street corner in New York City, the automatic photobooth has captured the interest of the general public and fine artists alike. Raynal Pellicer, author of “Mug Shots,” examines the self-portraits–sometimes practical, sometimes whimsical–produced by this enduring 20th-century novelty. The countless documents included here feature shots of Francis Bacon, Billy Childish, Allen Ginsberg, John F. Kennedy, Anne Frank, Salvador Dali, Andre Breton, Wim Wenders, Walker Evans, and John Lennon, among others. “Photobooth “draws a fantastic inventory of artistic variations on the snapshot, bringing together works of art and self-portraits of persons both known and unknown, from the 1920s to the present.” (Syndetics)

Eyewitness – Hungarian Photography in the Twentieth Century
“The names of these photographers are familiar and their iconic images even more so: American Soldier Landing on Omaha Beach, D-Day, Death of a Loyalist Militiaman. Yet the common Hungarian background of Brassai (born Gyula Halasz), Robert Capa (Endre Erno Friedmann), Andre Kertesz (Kohn Andor Kertesz Andor), Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Martin Munkacsi (born Mermelstein Marton) has been lost to immigration and pseudonyms. Just as a photographer frames the subject through the viewfinder, this book frames Hungarian photography in a larger context, drawing new relationships between its five subjects, generating fresh insights into the impact of history on this particular art form. The three opening essays and the organization of the images into five chronological chapters capture key themes or tensions in the development of Hungarian photography.” (Syndetics)

A Cold War Tourist and His Camera
“Cold War-era imagery is defined by the striking contrast between the ideal of the nuclear family and the nightmare of nuclear annihilation. In 1963, Warren Langford, a Second World War air force veteran and career public servant, travelled through Europe, North America, and Africa as part of the National Defence College’s curriculum of Cold War training. Langford, never before much interested in photography, bought a camera and produced some 200 slides of his travels. In A Cold War Tourist and His Camera, his art historian daughter and political scientist son bring his photographs – an unexpected combination of iconic images of Cold War dangers and touristic snapshots – back into view.” (Syndetics)

The Alice Behind Wonderland
Not so much a photography book as a book on a photographer and the story behind one of his most famous subjects.
“In the summer of 1858, in a garden behind Christ Church in Oxford, Charles Dodgson–better known by his pseudonym Lewis Carroll–dressed the six-year-old Alice Liddell in ragamuffin’s clothes, and then snapped the camera’s shutter. In The Alice Behind Wonderland, Simon Winchester uses the famous photograph of Alice as the launching pad for an appreciative energetic and penetrating look at the inspiration behind, and the making of, one of the greatest classics of children’s literature. Indeed, Winchester shows that Dodgson’s love of photography deeply influenced his view of the world, helping to transform this shy and half-deaf mathematician into one of the world’s best-loved observers of childhood. Much like the fictional Alice’s world, as the photograph is subject to closer examination, ‘Alice Liddell as The Beggar Maid’ becomes curiouser and curiouser, capturing a moment during a golden afternoon that would endure forever. ‘Alice Liddell as The Beggar Maid’ was, in short, the muse that would inspire the creation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Deftly engaging with Dogson’s published writings, private diaries, and photography, Winchester weaves together the poignant, turbulent, and entirely fascinating story behind Lewis Carroll and the making of his Alice.” (Syndetics)

(This title is a timely addition to the collection that comes as Tate Liverpool hosts Alice in Wonderland, a unique exhibition that gives insight into the creation of the famous novel and its inspiration on generations of artists.)

Hotel Il Pellicano
Again, you will not find this book on the Photography section of the Art, Music and Literature area of the library but rather, in the travel section, as it is dedicated to the famous Il Pellicano hotel.
“A captivating look at the glamorous, jet-setting lifestyles of those who frequent the legendary Hotel Il Pellicano, overlooking a secluded bay in Tuscany’s Porto Ercole. One of the hippest and most beautiful destinations in the world, the chic Hotel Il Pellicano, located on the Argentario, is a hangout for many from the design, fashion, and art worlds. With photographs by the great chroniclers of yesteryear glamour, John Swope and Slim Aarons–who captured the likes of Emilio Pucci, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Britt Ekland, Kenneth Tynan, and Susanna Agnelli relaxing here–as well as Juergen Teller, one of the most influential fine art and fashion photographers working today, the book presents three different epochs in the history of this modern-day dolce vita. A Visitor’s Note by Bob Colacello and a full history of the hotel by Bronwyn Cosgrave explore Il Pellicano’s illustrious legacy and its continuing seductive allure.” (Syndetics)

It’s summer at last and it looks like the warmer weather has finally arrived.  Time to start counting down to Christmas and holidays!  Also time to start thinking about some summer holiday reading.  There’s a great selection of new arts, music and crafts books this month, which you can take out or reserve.  However, I wouldn’t recommend taking The Louvre: All the Paintings to the beach with you – as beautiful as it is, at over 700 pages, and with a DVD, it’s more of a rainy Boxing Day book if you ask me. (Check out a clip of the book HERE).

Library News

• Central Library is turning 20!
• Treat yourself on Thursdays with free magazines!

After you’ve read this new and improved edition of “1001 paintings you must see before you die” you might need a lie down! For a bit of a break try some armchair art travel with the wonderful book, also listed here, called “The Louvre : all the paintings” – yes, ALL – it also has a DVD with it.

1001 paintings you must see before you die / general editor, Stephen Farthing ; preface by Geoff Dyer.
“From ancient Egyptian wallpaintings to contemporary Western canvases, this book is truly comprehensive in scope and beautiful to leaf through. Within its pages you will see displayed 1001 of the most memorable, haunting, powerful, important, controversial and visually arresting paintings that have ever been created…. The paintings are listed by artist and by title, making it easy to find a specific painting or trace the development of one painter’s work. 1001 Paintings is a collector’s must for the bookshelf.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk product description)

“The Louvre : all the paintings / preface by Henri Loyrette ; photography by Erich Lessing ; edited and introductions by Vincent Pomarède ; text by Anja Grebe.
“Endorsed by the Louvre and for the very first time ever, every painting from the world’s most popular and renowned museum is now available in one stunning book. All 2,981 paintings on display in the permanent collections of the Louvre are presented in full color in this striking … book, which comes with an enclosed, supportive DVD-ROM.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The artists : 21 practitioners in New Zealand contemporary art c. 2011-2013 / Arron Santry, Kylie Sanderson & Tamara Darragh.
This book, following in the tradition of its predecessor, showcases the current practice of 21 NZ contemporary artists working in the fields of sculpture, painting and photography.

Contemporary art in Eastern Europe / [edited by Phoebe Adler and Duncan McCorquodale].
“… a fresh, challenging, and insightful compilation of the most inspiring Eastern European art made from the 1960s to the present day. From Russia to Poland and Romania, and from the Czech Republic to Yugoslavia and East Germany, Contemporary Art in Eastern Europe is an ambitious attempt to chart the changing realities of the eastern half of the continent, as seen through the eyes of artists, critics, photographers and curators.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk product description)

Defining contemporary art : 25 years in 200 pivotal artworks / [authors, Daniel Birnbaum ... [et al.]].
” … Assembled and written by eight of the most prominent curators working today, all of whom have both witnessed and shaped this period, Defining Contemporary Art tells the story of the two hundred pivotal artworks of the past twenty-five years. These artworks include not only the most talked about pieces but also the quietly influential works, those which may have been overlooked at the time of their making but which went on to change the paradigm of their era. Arranged year by year, these two hundred works provide a true chronological depiction of creativity in our era, forming a mosaic in which readers may find their own patterns…” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk product description)

There are some truly beautiful new ‘arts’ books arriving at the library this month.  Covering the work of a diverse and interesting range of artists, musicians, photographers and crafters, they look at both popular culture and more high-brow artistic endeavours.  My pick is the great street-style photography of ‘Vintage 80s’, but the huge Taschen tome on Linda McCartney is definitely worth a look for any Beatles fans!   Too many to choose really, so get exploring – and remember you can reserve any of these selected titles here (or through the library’s catalogue).

We’ve got some great new contemporary art books in the catalogue this month. Current perspectives in Japanese Illustration and profiles on new artists at the cutting edge, take a look!

It’s all about the image / [Dick Frizzell].
“This is the A to Z of Dick’s philosophy dissembled through 100 or so images that have influenced his point of view…” – (adapted from Back cover)

Contemporary art : world currents / Terry Smith.
“Diversity – the contemporaneity of difference, not a convergence towards sameness, Smith argues, is what makes today’s art contemporary.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

A bigger message : conversations with David Hockney / Martin Gayford.
“David Hockney’s exuberant work is widely loved and widely praised, but he is also an incisive and original thinker on art. Based on a series of conversations between Hockney and the art critic Martin Gayford, this book distills the essence of the artist’s lifelong meditations on the problems and paradoxes of representing a three-dimensional world on a flat surface …” – (adapted from Amazon product description)

Japanese illustration now / [edited by] Cristian Campos.
“This example-packed overview of contemporary Japanese illustration showcases the works of 100 of Japan’s most successful and exciting artists and designers …” – (adapted from Amazon product description)

100 new artists / Francesca Gavin.
“100 New Artists brings together the creatives who are shaping the aesthetics of the next decade. All the artists featured were born after 1970 … ” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Vitamin P2 : new perspectives in painting / [designed by Julia Hasting].
“The first volume of Vitamin P, published in 2002, inaugurated a vibrant period for painting. Since its publication, a whole new generation of painters has emerged, some inspired by the artists who appeared in that book, others taking cues from new sources. Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in Painting introduces this new wave of painters to the world…” – (adapted from Amazon product description)