Ai Weiwei

survey by Karen Smith, interview by Hans Ulrich Obrist, focus by Bernard Fibicher. 2009

Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is truly an artist for the twenty-first century. In his sculptures, he refashions artefacts and antiques into surprising, sometimes monumental constructions such as "Template" (2007): hundreds of wooden doors and windows taken from demolished Ming and Qing dynasty temples and arranged into a massive outdoor sculpture.As much as these materials look to the past, they also speak of the present, because never before (and probably never again) have they been available in such abundance. Like his benches carved from centuries-old temple beams, "Template" is a sly commentary on the speed with which China's building boom is obliterating its past. (When Template collapsed in a rainstorm two weeks after its unveiling at Documenta 12, the artist embraced its demise as a clever artistic twist)... What truly marks out Ai as a twenty-first century artist is the multiplicity of his roles: not just artist, designer and architect but also curator, publisher, web blogger and compass for an entire generation of Beijing artists.He has been described more than once as the Chinese Warhol, overseeing a factory-like studio (Fake) with dozens of assistants engaged in countless projects in a range of disciplines. And indeed his outsize public persona is an inseparable part of his art. It should come as no surprise that when Herzog & de Meuron came to Beijing to conceive of a new stadium for the 2008 Olympics, Ai was the one who provided them with a design concept: an interlaced form based on the woven baskets his wife collects at local antique markets.At a time when the West is finally discovering Chinese contemporary art, Ai is one of the few to have transcended the label 'Chinese artist'... (Amazon)

Bauhaus women : art, handicraft, design

Ulrike Muller with the collaboration of Ingrid Radewaldt and Sandra Kemker. 2009

This monograph - published to coincide with the Bauhaus exhibition at the MoMA (November 8, 2009-January 25, 2010) - celebrates the work of twenty women artists who created feverishly in all the teaching, workshop, and production branches of the Bauhaus - women who should have been included in the major art histories of the twentieth century long ago, but whose names, masterpieces, and extraordinary lives have only gradually become known to us. Recognized figures such as Anni Albers - the first textile artist to be exhibited at the MoMA - and Marianne Brandt - whose elegant geometric tableware have become classic Alessi designs - are showcased alongside previously unknown artists such as Gertrud Grunow, who taught "Harmonizing Science"; Helene Borner, who led the textile workshop; and Ilse Fehling, a sculptor and the most sought-after set and costume designer of her generation. Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus and most of its students were poor and lacking in just about everything. What it did have, however, was an abundance of enthusiasm, talent, and innovative creativity. Furthermore, over half of those seeking to enroll at the school were women. This tornado of the "fairer sex" was initially seen as a threat, and the weaving mill was quickly turned into a separate "women's facility." Nevertheless, over the years the mill became a hotbed of groundbreaking production, whose impact far surpassed national borders, as demonstrated by the international acclaim of photographers Lucia Moholy, Florence Henri, and Grete Stern. (Amazon)

George Tooker

Robert Cozzolino, Marshall N. Price, M. Melissa Wolfe. 2008

One of America's pre-eminent painters, George Tooker (born 1920) is known for his haunting works that evoke the alienation and anonymity of urban life. Working in egg tempera, a Renaissance medium that produces a luminous quality yet requires meticulous application, Tooker first came to prominence as part of the post-war Magic Realist movement, creating surrealistic visions that captured the uncertainty of the Cold War era. Often compared with Hopper and Wyeth, Tooker continues to examine modern life with his disquieting imagery. This beautifully produced book, published to coincide with the first major retrospective in 30 years, features superb reproductions of Tooker's timeless paintings, and includes essays offering new perspectives on his passion for composition, his spirituality and his exploration of identity. [Amazon]

Inside the painter's studio

Joe Fig. 2009

Inside the Painter's Studio collects twenty-four remarkable artist interviews, as well as exclusive visual documentation of their studios. Featured artists were asked a wide range of questions about their day-to-day creative life, covering everything from how they organize their studios to what painting tools they prefer. Artists open up about how they set a creative mood, how they choose titles, and even whether they sit or stand to contemplate their work. Also included are a selection of Fig's meticulously detailed miniatures. In this context Fig's diminutive sculptures reproducing minutiae of the studio, from paint-tube labels and paint splatters on the floor to the surface texture of canvases become part of a fascinating new form of portraiture as diorama. Inside the Painter's Studio offers a rare look into the self-made universe of the artist's studio. Inside the Painter's Studio features interviews with Gregory Amenoff, Ross Bleckner, Chuck Close, Will Cotton, Inka Essenhigh, Eric Fischl, Barnaby Furnas, April Gornik, Jane Hammond, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Ryan McGinness, Julie Mehretu, Malcolm Morley, Steve Mumford, Philip Pearlstein, Matthew Ritchie, Alexis Rockman, Dana Schutz, James Siena, Amy Sillman, Joan Snyder, Billy Sullivan, and Fred Tomaselli. (Amazon )

Lucian Freud on paper

editor, Mark Holborn. 2009

Lucian Freud is widely regarded as one of the greatest living artists, and drawing is fundamental to his development as an artist and to how he sees. Speaking recently about his early years he claimed, "I would have thought I did 200 drawings to every painting in those early days. I very much prided myself on my drawing." Drawing became an important part of Freud's life from the start and a famous sketchbook, The Freud-Schuster Book, has survived dating back to January 1940, when Freud was in Snowdonia with Stephen Spender, as do sketches from Freud's life as a merchant seaman on a cargo vessel in the Atlantic in 1941. His then surreal style lent itself to illustrations and his fascination with animals, birds, and fish was revealed in the famous line drawings he produced for Nicholas Moore's book of poems, The Glass Tower (1944). This volume charts Freud's work on paper, including the etchings, over his entire career. It includes the formative early work, the sketches in preparation for painting his masterpiece, Large Interior W11 (after Watteau) (1983), the sketches of the completed painting in the studio and the astonishing later studies of his mother. The book ends with the etchings of recent years. The works on paper are an extraordinary achievement, providing even deeper insights into the work of perhaps the greatest figurative artist of our time. (Amazon)

Art that moves : the work of Len Lye

Roger Horrocks. 2009

A companion to the author's bestselling biography of Len Lye, this compelling volume shifts the focus from Lye's life to his art practice and innovative aesthetic theories about "the art of motion," which continue to be relevant today. Going beyond a general introduction to Lye and his artistic importance, this in-depth book offers a detailed study of his aesthetics of motion, analyzing how these theories were embodied in his sculptures and films. Thoroughly researched and fully illustrated, this unique set also includes a DVD featuring Lye's films, kinetic sculptures, and interviews with the artist himself. (Amazon)

Good design : deconstructing form and function and what makes good design work

Matthew Porter. 2009

Sean Adams. 2009 (Amazon)

The author polls several designers of different age groups and phases in their careers about what they consider good design to be. Each has selected an existing design piece they feel to be good, based on their personal definition of what good is. The author also takes a critical look at the design to determine if it is effective with its target market and interviews the designer of the piece to unlock the concept behind the design. By taking this backwards approach through design from completed piece back to conception readers will discover why the design works and how they can use this information in their own projects.

Kodomo manga : super cute!

Kamikaze Factory Studio. 2009

Discover step-by-step all the tricks - both freehand and digital - to get the best manga characters. Here is an amazing manual of manga for artists of all ages! Concentrating on Kodomo manga and Kodomo anime, Kodomo Manga is a practical, hands-on guide to learning the skills of Kodomo drawing. It includes detailed information on how to apply digital colour, 3D designs, vectorial drawing, and a host of other fascinating and useful design applications. And each project in Kodomo Manga includes step by step instructions specifying software, tools, and professional tricks to achieve the cutest and most captivating kawaii manga illustrations. Not just for kids, Kodomo Manga takes manga artists, illustrators, and graphic designers from initial black-and-white sketches to a vibrant, fully costumed collection of characters. (Amazon)

Agitate! educate! organize! : American labor posters

Lincoln Cushing and Timothy W. Drescher. 2009

In Agitate! Educate! Organize!, Lincoln Cushing and Timothy W. Drescher share their vast knowledge about the rich graphic tradition of labor posters. Lavish full-color reproductions of more than 250 of the best posters that have emerged from the American labor movement ensure that readers will want to return again and again to this visually fascinating treasury of little-known images from the American past. Some of the posters were issued by government programs and campaigns; some were devised by unions as recruiting tools or strike announcements; others were generated by grassroots organizations focused on a particular issue or group of workers-all reveal much about the diverse experiences of working people in the United States. American labor posters are widely scattered, difficult to locate, and rarely archived. Cushing and Drescher examined several thousand such images in the course their research, guaranteeing a truly representative selection. The presentation of the posters is thematic, with a brief history of activist graphic media followed by chapters on Dignity and Exploitation; Health and Safety; Women; Race and Civil Rights; War, Peace and Internationalism; Solidarity and Organizing; Strikes and Boycotts; Democracy, Voting, and Patriotism; History, Heroes, and Martyrs; and Culture. Along with the stunning color images, the text contributes to a much deeper understanding of the politics, history, artistry, and impact of this genre of activist art and the importance of the labor movement in the transformation of American society over the course of the twentieth century. (Amazon)

Masters of design : corporate brochures : a collection of the most inspiring corporate communications designers in the world

Sean Adams. 2009

Masters of Design: Corporate Brochures profiles 20 current design leaders. This book features the best corporate designers - those who create award-winning annual reports, internal communications, and corporate brochures. These are often the most challenging projects to design because of the sheer amount of information that is required as part of the assignment. Featured design firms include Cahan & Asssociates, VSA Partners, Blok Design, and 3 Deep Design. The principal creatives at these firms share their insight and experience on creating successful designs for major corporations. (Amazon)

Regular : graphic design today

edited by Robert Klanten, Sven Ehmann & Adeline Mollard. 2009

Graphic design is in constant flux. In recent years, the digitalisation of media and the return of materials and personal identity have strongly influenced the development of graphic design and its adjoining disciplines. This evolution has prompted designers to define new rules and aesthetics paving the way for future media. Regular documents the current state of graphic design and presents a new generation of creative excellence. The book features examples of progressive manifestations in the printed form from poster design, book and magazine editorial design to typography. This expansive volume provides an in depth look at the state-of-the-art of contemporary graphic design. (Amazon)

Letterhead & logo design 11.

2009

This latest edition in the best-selling annual "Letterhead and Logo Design" series will feature the most innovative and exciting work in the field from well-known design leaders, new design firms, and cutting-edge artists. From logos to labels, business cards to envelopes, the creative techniques and full-color images portrayed in this broad range of work will inspire new design solutions for age-old challenges that beg for a fresh approach. (Amazon)

January 2010

New Art Books:

Ancient American art in detail

Colin McEwan. 2009

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 Museum's 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. (Amazon)

Contemporary African art since 1980

Okwui Enwezor, Chika Okeke-Agulu. 2009

Contemporary African Art Since 1980 is the first major survey of the work of contemporary African artists from diverse situations, locations, and generations who work either in or outside of Africa, but whose practices engage and occupy the social and cultural complexities of the continent since the past 30 years. Its frame of analysis is absorbed with historical transitions: from the end of the postcolonial utopias of the sixties during the 1980s to the geopolitical, economic, technological, and cultural shifts incited by globalization. This book is both narrower in focus in the periods it reflects on, and specific in the ground it covers. It begins by addressing the tumultuous landscape of contemporary Africa, examining landmarks and narratives, exploring divergent systems of representation, and interrogating the ways artists have responded to change and have incorporated new aesthetic principles and artistic concepts, images and imaginaries to deal with such changes. Organized in chronological order, the book covers all major artistic mediums: painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, installation, drawing, collage. It also covers aesthetic forms and genres, from conceptual to formalist, abstract to figurative practices. Moving between discursive and theoretical registers, the principal questions the book analyzes are: what and when is contemporary African art? Who might be included in the framing of such a conceptual identity? It also addresses the question of globalization and contemporary African art. (Amazon)

The contemporary art book : the essential guide to 200 of the world's most widely exhibited artists

Charlotte Bonham-Carter, David Hodge. 2009

Without doubt, the international contemporary art stage increases annually, drawing new crowds and new interest. Whilst enticing, contemporary art can be bewildering. This accessible and beautifully produced guide will pinpoint key artists and events, and so help demystify a generation of rapid change in the art world. The A-Z listing (by artist's name) will feature 200 of the most widely exhibited and remarkable artists who have made substantial contributions over the past 40 years; with biographies, insights into their key works and cross-referencing to linked artists, themes and movements. This essential directory will clarify new art developments for a wide audience and highlight international venues and events to visit. The comparative titles include: "Art Now" by Taschen with smaller format, and directory of cutting-edge artists, which doesn't include the progenitors of contemporary art; "20th Century Art Book" by Phaidon Press, stops at year 2000; and, "Cream and Ice Cream" from Phaidon Press with cutting-edge new artists for a niche audience. (Amazon)

A face to the world : on self-portraits

Laura Cumming. 2009

Focusing on the art of self-portraiture, this effortlessly engaging exploration of the lives of artists sheds fascinating light on some of the most extraordinary portraits in art history. Self-portraits catch your eye. They seem to do it deliberately. Walk into any art gallery and they draw attention to themselves. Come across them in the world's museums and you get a strange shock of recognition, rather like glimpsing your own reflection. For in picturing themselves artists reveal something far deeper than their own physical looks: the truth about how they hope to be viewed by the world, and how they wish to see themselves. In this beautifully written and lavishly illustrated book, Laura Cumming, art critic of the Observer, investigates the drama of the self-portrait, from Durer, Rembrandt and Velazquez to Munch, Picasso, Warhol and the present day. She considers how and why self-portraits look as they do and what they reveal about the artist's innermost sense of self -- as well as the curious ways in which they may imitate our behaviour in real life. Drawing on art, literature, history, philosophy and biography to examine the creative process in an entirely fresh way, Cumming offers a riveting insight into the intimate truths and elaborate fictions of self-portraiture and the lives of those who practise it. A work of remarkable depth, scope and power, this is a book for anyone who has ever wondered about the strange dichotomy between the innermost self and the self we choose to present for posterity -- our face to the world. [Amazon]

John Piper, Myfanwy Piper : lives in art

Frances Spalding. 2009

Art historian Frances Spalding here provides an exuberant and richly illustrated dual biography of John Piper--one of the best loved and capacious English artists--and his wife the librettist Myfanwy Piper, collaborator with Benjamin Britten. Together they stood at the heart of the English cultural landscape of the mid-20th century. Drawing on substantial original research, including many interviews with those who had either known or worked with the Pipers, Spalding's biography sheds new light on the story of British art in the 1930s. In the middle of this decade, the Pipers were at the forefront of avant-garde activities in England, with Myfanwy editing the most advanced art magazine of the day and John working alongside Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and others. The book contains 80 color and 80 black-and-white plates, and also presents a wealth of information on the major commissions of John Piper's lengthy career as well as his work in print-making, stained glass, illustration, theatre design, and fireworks. And it illuminates Myfanwy Piper's collaborations with the composers Benjamin Britten and Alun Hoddinott, and her role as Betjeman's muse. (Amazon )

Magritte : attempting the impossible

Siegfried Gohr. 2009

The ongoing relevance of Belgian painter Rene Magritte may lie in the semiotic character of his work and its ability to create chasms between the world, its surfaces and the signs we use to occupy it. Magritte's paintings offer a space for the viewer to contemplate the emptiness of signs and to locate that emptiness in a world we recognize--indeed, the artist relies on the props of normalcy in order to upend, invert and collapse them into the terra incognita where life leaves off and art begins. "The mind loves the unknown," he avowed, "it loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown." In Attempting the Impossible we have a new definitive Magritte monograph, replacing David Sylvester's volume of the early 1990s. Featuring more than 300 works, it contains much unpublished material and includes chapters covering Magritte's photography, drawings and influence on German and American contemporary art. Each chapter opens with a close reading of a key work--such as "The Treachery of Images" ("This is not a pipe") of 1928-29--and a reconstruction of its intellectual and historical contexts. Art historian Siegfried Gohr examines Magritte's marriage and friendships, the phases of his work (from his sunlit Renoir period and his "periode vache" to his bright and visually arresting postwar work, which had such an influence on the advertising industry), the Belgian roots of his wit and sensibility and his word paintings and investigations into the paradoxes of representation. (Amazon)

Revolution on paper : Mexican prints 1910-1960

Dawn Ades and Alison McClean with the assistance of Laura Campbell ; edited by Mark McDonald. 2009

Between 1910 and 1920, Mexico was convulsed by socialist revolution, from which emerged a strong left-wing government that laid great stress on art as a vehicle for promoting revolutionary values. This led to a pioneering programme to cover the walls of public buildings with vast murals and, later, to setting up print workshops to produce works for mass distribution and education. This book is published to accompany the first ever exhibition on this period to be held in Europe, on view at the British Museum from 27 October 28 February 2010. It will feature approximately 130 prints by over 40 artists, including the three great men of Mexican art of the period: Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. In this title, a fascinating range of material includes not only single-sheet artists prints but also large posters with designs in woodcut or lithography, as well as illustrated books on many different themes. Also included are earlier works by the popular engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada, adopted by the revolutionaries as the archetypal printmaker working for the people, and whose macabre dances of skeletons have always fascinated Europeans. Essays by Alison McClean and Dawn Ades will set Mexican printmaking in its artistic and political context. The book will also contain concise biographies of all the artists featured. (Amazon)

The invention of New Zealand : art & national identity, 1930-1970

Francis Pound. 2009

Engagingly written by one of New Zealand's most brilliant and original art historians, this study of 20th-century New Zealand art helps define a national identity within the cultural context of art and literature. The essence of New Zealand and the invention of a specifically New Zealand high culture is presented and celebrated in this beautifully illustrated volume. (Amazon)

Yayoi Kusama

Laura Hoptman, Akira Tatehata, Udo Kultermann

CHECK OUT Yayoi Kusama's current exhibition at City Gallery, Wellington (until 7 February 2010)

This is a monograph on the extraordinary 40 year career of Japanese sculptor and performance artist Yayoi Kusama, recently the subject of a major retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, which toured the United States and Japan through 1999. In January-March 2000 the Serpentine Gallery, London will be presenting a large solo exhibition devoted to Kusama's work. Internationally noted for her soft sculptures an psychedelic installations, Kusama explores themes of love, infinity and obsession throughout her work, from her net-like pattern paintings begun in 1959, to her Pop-inspired love happenings in the 1960s, to installations in which every surface has been compulsively covered in polka-dots, mirrors or stuffed phallus-like protrusions. A visionary whose work is unique in the panorama of post-war art, Yayoi Kusama is known not only as an artist but also as a fashion-designer, poet and novelist - all documented in this comprehensive monograph. (Amazon)

Dirty fingernails : a one-of-a-kind collection of graphics uniquely designed by hand

John Foster. 2009

The artists featured in Dirty Fingernails, make a concerted effort to do projects that require them to step away from the computer to create one-of-a-kind designs for clients and themselves. They demonstrate that good design doesn't have to be clean - in fact, the messier the better. From silkscreen prints to collages created from photocopies, to hand-drawn lettering, each designer explains their process and why they've chosen to work in their chosen medium. It's an inspirational collection that will make even the most computer-savvy designer drool. (Amazon) )

Handmade graphics

Anna Wray. 2009

Get back to basics with Handmade Graphics, which will reinvigorate every graphic designers image-making process. Reawaken your dormant art student, step away from that computer, get your hands dirty, and start to play! From pencils to computers, from scissors to paper, from stencils to printers, a vast array of mark-making tools are investigated and manipulated, illustrated with examples and exercises that stretch the limits of conventional usability, reinvent traditional, hand-making methods, and break all the rules along the way. (Amazon)

The big book of contemporary illustration

Martin Dawber. 2009

This large format 400 page book is perfect for anyone interested in illustration. Over 1000 illustrations show the best in all fields of the subject from 400 illustrators all over the world. The categories include graphic design, fashion, pop, manga and fantasy art. They include traditionally produced work as well as digital. (Amazon)

The big book of bags, tags and labels

Cristian Campos. 2009

Bag, tag, and label design is critical in the world of marketing and sales, yet can be challenging to execute successfully. The Big Book of Bags, Tags and Labels is a unique visual collection featuring work from top companies around the globe. It offers hundreds of ideas, pages of inspiration, and loads of professional advice from designers on styles ranging from classic to modern, sophisticated to conceptual, with a consistent focus on name recognition and branding. (Amazon)

1000+ more graphic elements : unique elements for distinctive designs. Volume II

Andy Schmidt. 2009

1000+ More Graphic Elements is the follow-up to the extremely successful 1000 Graphic Elements, published in 2004. This edition features 1000 new unique graphic embellishments across all kinds of projects, from books to brochures, invitations to calendars to annual reports. It is often the smallest detail that can turn a project from ordinary to spectacular. Inspiration will be at your fingertips with examples of specialty processes such as diecutting and embossing, unique materials, fasteners, specialty inks, binders and more. (Amazon)

December 09

New Art Books:

Andy Warhol

Arthur C. Danto. 2009

This penetrating new entry in Yale's Icons of America series synthesizes biography, cultural criticism and aesthetics. Former Nation art critic and Columbia philosophy professor emeritus Danto (After the End of Art) argues that Andy Warhol radically redefined the question of art. His Brillo Boxes and Campbell's Soup Cans challenged the viewer to ask, What is the difference between two things, exactly alike, one of which is art and one of which is not? Danto, whose visit to a Warhol show in 1964 inspired him to become a philosopher of art, views many of Warhol's most important works as answers to such philosophical puzzles. Danto's writing is elegant and his insights acute: the Marilyn Diptych's transformative repetition is linked to Coltrane's compositions; Warhol's final Last Supper series represented, Danto argues convincingly in a profound final chapter, the culmination of the artist's mission to externalize the interiority of our shared world. This valuable work of critical cultural analysis reveals aspects of Warhol so far uncovered and unexplored that will appeal widely to the interested generalist as well as to scholars of contemporary art, American culture and aesthetics. (Amazon - Publisher's weekly review)

Arshile Gorky : a retrospective

edited by Michael R. Taylor ; essays by Harry Cooper ... and others ; chronology by Melissa Kerr. 2009

Arshile Gorky (c. 1904-1948) was one of the central figures in American art's shift toward abstraction during the first half of the 20th century. Accompanying the first major retrospective of his work in almost thirty years, this stunning book traces the evolution of Gorky's arresting visual style. Nearly 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints from all phases of his career, a number of which are published here for the first time, are beautifully reproduced, including a large figurative painting from 1927 known previously only through its preparatory studies. Throughout the volume, some of Gorky's best-known and most powerful works are paired with related pieces or with meticulous preliminary studies, shedding new light on his artistic process. Illustrated essays incorporating recently discovered biographical information and photographs examine his experience of the Armenian genocide (during which he witnessed the death of his mother), his collaboration with the Works Progress Administration, and his early explorations of abstraction and Surrealism, providing important reassessments of his life and career. Admired by many of his contemporaries and hugely influential on subsequent generations of artists, Gorky created a complex and deeply moving body of work that encompasses styles ranging from Impressionism to Cubism, Surrealism, and the beginnings of Abstract Expressionism.

Chalo! India : a new era of Indian art

2009.

This book explores the contemporary art of India in a volume as colorful, vibrant, and diverse as the country itself. Chalo means 'Let's go!' in Hindi and the enthusiasm of that expression is evident throughout the pages of this catalogue for an exhibition at the Essl Museum in Austria. Encompassing a broad range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, the book features more than one hundred works by artists and collectives from all over India. Themes of identity, urbanization, spirituality, and politics reflect the country's recent transformation into a global power. Accompanying the reproductions are essays that explore the impact of the economic and cultural revolution on India and focus on the modern art of specific geographic regions throughout the country. Looking beyond the popular Bollywood-influenced images of twenty-first-century India, this important volume reveals the complex artistic practices taking place throughout the country. (Amazon )

Grayson Perry

Jacky Klein. 2009.

A major new monograph on the work of celebrated and controversial British artist Grayson Perry. Grayson Perry, famous for his ceramic vases decorated with shocking and unconventional imagery, is one of a generation of contemporary British artists to have emerged on the international stage in the last two decades. He rose to fame in 2003 when he won the prestigious Turner Prize and collected the award wearing a lilac babydoll dress and red pumps. His hard-hitting yet exquisite work, which includes prints, embroidery, sculpture, drawings, and ceramics, references his own upbringing and his life as a transvestite as well as engaging with broader issues such as war, religion, and sex. This lavishly illustrated monograph explores Perry's work through a discussion of his major themes and subjects, and the text is complemented by a series of intimate, insightful commentaries on individual pieces by the artist himself. The book features some 150 of Perry's works as well as a rich selection of the visual material that has inspired him, from Afghan war rugs, medieval altarpieces, and satirical prints to the paintings of Pieter Brueghel, Anselm Kiefer, and the American Outsider artist Henry Darger. With an up-to-date biography, bibliography, and exhibition history, this definitive book is the first to explore fully the achievements of Perry's twenty-five-year career. (Amazon)

Life and death in Picasso : still life/figure, c. 1907-1933

Christopher Green ; with an essay by J.F. Yvars. 2009.

A groundbreaking and richly illustrated study of the leading artist of the twentieth century. In this original and innovative book, Christopher Green explores how Pablo Picasso, through the manipulation of pictorial signs, explored ideas about the living and the dead. Oscillating between the animate and the inanimate, Picasso created objects that live, and figures that are as dead as objects. Covering the period from the creation of the Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907 to the artist's association with the Surrealists in the early 1930s, the book offers a journey through Picasso's imagination and reveals - by way of Apollinaire, Breton, and Freud, among others - the ideas and reflections associated with life and death in his work. Published in association with the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, the book also includes an essay on Picasso's biomorphic motifs by the leading Spanish critic J. F. Yvars. (Amazon)

100 contemporary artists

edited by Hans Werner Holzwarth. 2 vols. 2009.

This special two-volume edition compiles the 100 most exciting artists from the seminal TASCHEN title Art at the Turn of the Millenium as well as the renowned Art Now series, condensing them to a comprehensive compendium of contemporary art at the beginning of the 21st century. Our selection features a wide variety of works by pioneering artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marlene Dumas, Damien Hirst, Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, Albert Oehlen, Richard Prince, Charles Ray, Cindy Sherman, and Christopher Wool alongside outstanding artists of a younger generation like Glenn Brown, Natalie Djurberg, Tom Friedman, Mark Grotjahn, or Terence Koh. (Amazon)

Yayoi Kusama

Laura Hoptman, Akira Tatehata, Udo Kultermann

CHECK OUT Yayoi Kusama's current exhibition at City Gallery, Wellington (until 7 February 2010)

This is a monograph on the extraordinary 40 year career of Japanese sculptor and performance artist Yayoi Kusama, recently the subject of a major retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, which toured the United States and Japan through 1999. In January-March 2000 the Serpentine Gallery, London will be presenting a large solo exhibition devoted to Kusama's work. Internationally noted for her soft sculptures an psychedelic installations, Kusama explores themes of love, infinity and obsession throughout her work, from her net-like pattern paintings begun in 1959, to her Pop-inspired love happenings in the 1960s, to installations in which every surface has been compulsively covered in polka-dots, mirrors or stuffed phallus-like protrusions. A visionary whose work is unique in the panorama of post-war art, Yayoi Kusama is known not only as an artist but also as a fashion-designer, poet and novelist - all documented in this comprehensive monograph. (Amazon)

Calligraphy : a book of contemporary inspiration

Denise Lach. 2009

Calligraphy can be a very personal pathway to explore a multiplicity of design concepts. In this striking and original book, images of the natural world are turned into a rich source of inspiration for a variety of calligraphy projects. Renowned calligrapher Denise Lach invites us to look closely at details and textures, expanding our powers of observation and finding creative ideas in the world around us. (Amazon) )

Color harmony compendium : a complete color reference for designers of all types

Terry Marks and others. (includes CD-ROM). 2009

A selection of content from the entire Color Harmony library offers readers the most comprehensive reference book on the usage of color available today. Included are swatches and material for designers and all types of artists looking for inspiration and guidance to ensure the right color choices for every project. (Amazon)

Design for taste: graphics and interiors for cafes, bars and restaurants

Gingko Press. 2009

Although food is the most important ingredient to the success of cafes and restaurants, the graphics is also a tremendous help to drawing a crowd. This is why the dining industry spends big bucks on upping the ante of the graphics, in addition to hiring the best chefs around. (Global Books in Print)

Face fashion : a guide to drawing the fashion face

Nancy Riegelman. 2009

Face Fashion teaches how to draw, quickly and easily, the face as it appears in fashion drawing an elegant and beautifully stylized face that complements and illuminates the accompanying garments. A comprehensive, highly effective, results-oriented guide, Face Fashion employs a similar foundation technique to that used in Riegelman's 9 Heads where the shapes, positions and proportions of the faces component parts are understood through direct measurement and comparisons. (Amazon)

The insider's guide to creating comics and graphic novels

Andy Schmidt. 2009

In this unprecedented, behind-the-scenes guide, former Marvel editor and current IDW senior editor Andy Schmidt and his superstar industry friends give you the inside track on creating engaging, professional-looking comic books. Written for upcoming creative stars and comic book enthusiasts, The Insider's Guide to Comics and Graphic Novels covers the entire creative process from beginning to end, from fine-tuning a script to the nuances of camera angles, costume design and lettering. You'll learn not only how to emulate a camera pan, hit `em with a splash page and shift into slow motion, but also WHEN and WHY to dip into that bag of graphic tricks for maximum impact. (Amazon)

The Pattern sourcebook : a century of surface design

Drusilla Cole. (includes CD-ROM). 2009

The book is aimed at anyone with an interest in surface design and pattern whether they are students, hobbyists or professionals. 400 images from the last 100 years or so are presented with informative captions and ordered aesthetically. The images will be drawn from a wide variety of styles, art movements and countries of origin to give an overview of pattern design from the beginning of the last century to the present day. Images include fabric designs and wallpaper patterns primarily, plus some ceramic and other decorative patterns where appropriate. (Amazon)

November 09

New Art Books:

Charley Harper : an illustrated life

Todd Oldham. 2009

Charley Harper was an American original. For over six decades he painted colorful and graphic illustrations of nature, animals, insects and people alike, from his home studio in Cincinnati, Ohio until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 84. Renowned New York based designer Todd Oldham rediscovered Charley's work in 2001, and collaborated closely with him in the ensuing years; combing through his extensive archive to edit and design this stunning monograph. This coffee table tome is a ... beautiful tribute to Charley Harper's singular style, which he referred to as Minimal Realism (Amazon)

Dick Frizzell : the painter

foreword by Hamish Keith. 2009

Dick Frizzell's images populate our world - you find them on t-shirts, on TV ads, in shop windows, on wine bottles, on cushions and t-towels, and in art shows. People appropriate (or borrow) his images in much the same way that he too appropriated many of the images he has painted over the years. He's reached iconic status in NZ - we love him, he's one of our own ... Dick Frizzell: The Painter contains all of his major paintings, the story of his life in his own thoughtful and highly articulate words, and an essay by Hamish Keith on Dick's work and its place in the New Zealand art world. (Random House website)

Len Lye

edited by Taylor Cann & Wystan Curnow. 2009

Len Lye (1901 - 1980) is one of New Zealand's most celebrated, influential and inspirational artists who continues to be recognised internationally as a pioneer film maker, kinetic sculptor, poet, writer and painter. The world centre for Len Lye is the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery where his collection is housed on behalf of the Len Lye Foundation. (Random House website)

Marlene Dumas

Dominic van den Boogerd and others. 2nd edition, 2008.

Marlene Dumas, a South Africa-born, Amsterdam-based painter, is one of the world's most admired artists, a titan of contemporary painting. Her work recalls the painterly gestures of Expressionism while combining the critical distance of conceptual art with the pleasures of eroticism. Through her delicately painted oil-on-canvas or ink-and-watercolor depictions of the female form as well as portraits of children and erotic scenes, she makes a commentary on the state of painting today. What does it mean to be a woman working within the predominantly male genre of expressionist painting? The artist often depicts women: their expressions, their bodies, their facial typologies, their self-image, and their ideals. The relationship between art and female beauty or between art-historical models an twentieth-century supermodels are constant themes in Dumas' work. She does not paint from life but deliberately chooses 'stock' images from a variety of sources, from magazine cuttings to picture postcards to Old Master paintings, as observed through her contemporary perspective. Since the late 1970s she has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at the Tate Gallery, London (1996), the Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (1998), the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerp (1999), and Centre Pompidou, Paris (2002). Her work has been shown in some of the world's top international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1995 and 2005) (Amazon )

Russell Drysdale

Lou Klepac. Revised edition, 2009.

This edition of Russell Drysdale has been fully revised to integrate the paintings into the body of the text and includes a new introduction by author Lou Klepac, written to put Drysdale's iconic paintings into a contemporary context. This book traces the career of the unusual and remarkably gifted Drysdale, discussing both the sources of his inspiration and the scope of his achievement. It features more than 150 colour plates that illustrate the work of this popular and significant Australian artist. (Amazon)

Atlas of graphic designers

Maia Francisco. 2009

This comprehensive collection illustrates the world of graphic design country by country, featuring the best graphic designers from all over the world. An amazing reference, this book provides insight into how designers from varied backgrounds approach their work, how different cultures associate communication and creativity in different ways, and how we see this reality used, pushed to its limits, and even completely transformed by design. No matter where you are from, this book will leave you with a broadened awareness of your own visual taste and an in-depth, contextual understanding of graphic design worldwide. (Amazon) )

Born in the streets : graffiti

2009

A survey of the artists who contributed to the origins and spread of the graffiti movement worldwide, published to accompany an exhibition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. Beginning in July 2009, the Fondation Cartier will be hosting an exhibition that celebrates street art. The show and the accompanying catalogue first reexamine the birth and evolution of the graffiti movement in New York in the early 1970s, and feature documentation from that time, including press clips and photographs of tags and graffiti by artists such as Lee, Seen, and Lady Pink, among others. The book then explores the explosion of creativity worldwide that followed the New York movement, especially in Paris, which became the nerve center for European graffiti in the 1980s. It juxtaposes the different aesthetics of cities like New York, Paris, London, Berlin, and Sao Paulo, highlighting styles specific to each city and the diverse practices of contemporary artists who began in the graffiti movement. There are interviews with artists who influenced the development of street art and with others, such as gallery owners, who were involved in its evolution. 460 in color and black & white (mainly color). (Amazon)

Drawing life

Mariscal. 2009

Javier Mariscal is a prolific illustrator and designer. His energetic career began in Spain during the 1970s and he continues to work on a large number of projects with his team at Estudio Mariscal. Mariscal's designs and artwork encompass a wide range of mediums, he is celebrated for his comic strips, graphic design work, furniture designs, painting, animation, interior design, illustration and work with brand and logos. Across these disciplines, Mariscal's bold and inquisitive imagination, his sense of humour and fun, and his enormous appetite for life contribute to a unique and characteristic style. Mariscal's first published works followed his move from his hometown of Valencia to Barcelona to study Graphic Design. These included the radical underground comic El Rrollo Enmascarado, produced with a group of friends in 1973. The comic had such an immediate and large impact that it was closed down by government order after only two months. In 1979 Mariscal created his famed 'BAR CEL ONA' logo. Combining graphic design and typography into a welcoming symbol that encapsulated the confidence of the city as it emerged from the constraints of Franco's rule, the logo also established Mariscal as an internationally recognised designer... Designed, written and illustrated entirely by Javier Mariscal, [this book] details the varied works of Mariscal and his studio, as well as featuring entirely new artwork produced for the book. (Amazon)

Edgycute : from neo-pop to low brow and back again

by Harry Saylor with Carolyn Frisch. 2009

IThe resurgence in the popularity of illustrative art can be attributed to an array of factors. Although the acceptance of graphic novels as something more than just comic books has been established for quite some time, when McSweeneys released its all-comics issue in 2004, the mainstream medias reaction elevated the medium, its words and images, to something beyond genre. As a result, such drawings and illustrations have found their ways into marketing campaigns, ads and galleries. While the work of individual artists varies greatly, much of it strikes an irresistible pose, whether viewers are staring at enlarged heads on distorted bodies or a shot-dead bird, its killer and a birdhouse both crying. The work is at once disturbing but oddly attractive. Here at MBP we have dubbed this quality EdgyCute. For more than a decade, Harry Saylor, owner of Orbit Gallery, has been an advocate of art ranging from Neo-Pop to Low Brow, having represented the likes of Gary Baseman, Kathie Olivas, Travis Lampe, Angelique Hautkamp and Michael Caines. With EdgyCute: From Neo-Pop to Low Brow and Back Again, Saylor utilizes his vast expertise in the field to compile a contemporary look at practitioners of this aesthetic, from the famous to the unknown. With more than 100 examples of this work, many of which have been commissioned for this book, and artist interviews, EdgyCute is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in bleeding-edge illustration. (Amazon)

Mute magazine graphic design

Pauline van Mourik Broekman, Simon Worthington, Damian Jaques. 2008

Tracing the roots and evolving design of cult magazine Mute, it tells you everything you need to know about current trends in graphic design. Given that award-winning British writers like Hari Kunzru and James Flint cut their teeth on the magazine and it's influenced many others since, it's worth knowing having a look. (Amazon)

October 09

New Art Books:

Hell bound : new gothic art

Francesca Gavin. 2009

The first book to focus on new gothic art Hell Bound highlights a new generation of contemporary artists who are increasingly obsessed with the darker things in life. Illustrators, street artists, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, installation artists, and painters are all reflecting this renewed interest in gothic imagery. Horror has become a more accepted part of everyday life - and art as always is a reflection of life. Here death metal, the war on terror, and throwaway pop culture meet feeding the popular fascination for all things gothic. Among the art featured is the iconoclastic work of Ken Kagami, Terence Koh, Ricky Swallow, the photographic collages of Marnie Weber, the drawings of Chloe Piene and Wes Lang, the paintings of Matt Greene and Iris Van Dongen, the outsider punk art of Pure Evil ,and the illustrations of French. (Amazon)

Japanese art and design

editor, Joe Earle ; texts, Joe Earle and others. Updated edition, 2009

An overview of Japanese art from the last four centuries, this newly updated edition is an indispensable survey of the V&A's greatest treasures from the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art. The Museum's superb Japanese holdings, acquired over a period of 150 years, begin with the international exhibitions of the second half of the 19th century and continue to the present day. Among its treasures are exciting contemporary works by leading artists as well as historical masterpieces. Brilliantly illustrated, this book is an unrivalled panorama of Japan's achievements in art and design from the earliest times, showcasing netsuke, ceramics, lacquerware, textiles and dress, woodblock prints, armor, and metalwork. (Amazon )

Paul Thek : artist's artist

edited by Harald Falckenberg, Peter Weibel. 2008

Paul Thek occupied a place between high art and low art, between the epic and the everyday. During his brief life (1933-1988), he went against the grain of art world trends, humanizing the institutional spaces of art with the force of his humor, spirituality, and character. Twenty years after Thek's death from AIDS, we can now recognize his influence on contemporary artists ranging from Vito Acconci and Bruce Nauman to Matthew Barney, Mike Kelley, and Paul McCarthy, as well as Kai Althoff, Jonathan Meese, and Thomas Hirschhorn. This book brings together more than 300 of Thek's works - many of which are published here for the first time - to offer the most comprehensive display of his work yet seen. The book, which accompanies an exhibition at ZKM/Museum of Contemporary Art presenting Thek's work in dialogue with contemporary art by young artists, includes painting, sculpture, drawing, and installation work, as well as photographs documenting the room-size environments into which Thek incorporated elements from art, literature, theater, and religion. (Amazon)

Posters for the people : art of the WPA

by Ennis Carter. 2008

This lavish coffee-table book highlights 500 of the best posters produced by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during America's 1930s and 1940s. The WPA employed hundreds of out-of-work artists to raise awareness about public issues and civic life in the United States. These posters provide a snapshot of life (and graphic design) during the Great Depression and offer timeless messages about the merits of hard work, good parenting, a clean house, and healthy personal hygiene. "Posters for the People" includes many 'new' images never before published in book form. Full of beautifully reproduced images and fascinating text about a decisive moment in American history, "Posters for the People" is essential reading for artists, designers, collectors of Americana, and anyone interested in U.S. history. (Amazon )

Younger than Jesus artist directory : the essential handbook to a new generation of artists.

2009

"Younger than Jesus: The Artists Directory" is the product of some of the most wide-ranging research in the field of contemporary art in years: the first 'Younger than Jesus' triennial at the New Museum. Working with a team of 200 'insiders' (curators, writers, teachers, critics, bloggers and artists) scattered across the globe, curators Massimiliano Gioni , Lauren Cornell and Laura Hoptman have selected the 500 best international artists under the age of 33, from which they will curate the exhibition component of the triennial in spring 2009. While most generational exhibitions are retrospective, this one will be predictive, anticipating the future and revealing upcoming trends. "Younger than Jesus: The Artists Directory" will therefore be an unparalleled resource for curators, collectors, dealers and critics. By serving as a handbook to currrent artistic innovation, it will also appeal to artists, designers and anyone curious about the latest developments in visual culture. (Amazon)

Vermeer and his world, 1632-1675

Serena Cant. 2009

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) is recognized as one of the foremost painters of the Dutch Golden Age. This period witnessed an explosion of artistic activity in which an unprecedented number of painters depicted an increasingly diverse range of subjects. Vermeer's subjects are absolutely typical of the Golden Age, yet his vision is supremely distinctive. Vermeer and his World begins with a comprehensive introduction to Vermeer and his paintings: from his early life and influences, key themes and inspirations to his artistic vision and technique. A virtual gallery presents an illustrated timeline of Vermeer's entire oeuvre in chronological order. Individual chapters showcase all 36 works attributed to Vermeer in giant size accompanied by an informative commentary on the historical context, explanations of key themes and box features on how particular paintings have influenced and inspired other works. (Amazon)

Art Direction Explained, at last!

Steven Heller

This book is a highly informative, highly entertaining introduction to what art direction is and what art directors do. Written by two of the world's leading experts on the subject, it covers the role of art director in numerous environments, including magazines and newspapers, advertising, corporate identity, museums, and publishing (Amazon) )

Drawing for Interior Design

Drew Plunkett

This book covers all stages of visual presentation as part of the interior design process, from early concept sketches and more evolved technical drawings to complex computer renderings, models for client presentation, and production drawings for contractors. Step-by-step sequences and special tips show students how to make the most of the available media, while practical advice on everything from communicating with clients and contractors to the legal implications of production drawings are covered (Amazon)

Juxtapoz car culture

Juxtapoz magazine

Juxtapoz Car Culture provides the unique opportunity to fill your imaginary tank and zoom into a segment of the real world populated by those totally devoted to car culture. Packed with meaty profiles on featured artists together with cartoonists, stripers, painters and photographers working in the field, this book is indeed one of a kind (Amazon)

Logo Design, Vol. 2

editor, Julius Wiedemann

In this follow-up to our immensely successful first volume, you ll find over 2000 logos as well as special case study features on brand identities such as MTV, CCTV, and the Metropolitan Museum s Berlin branch (Amazon)

Printmaking : a complete guide to materials and processes

Beth Grabowski

Printmaking is a comprehensive and up to date introduction to fundamental printmaking techniques including relief, intaglio, collagraph, lithography, screen print and monoprint. It shows how some of the latest and most experimental prints have been made using these techniques (Amazon)

What is Illustration?

Lawrence Zeegen

This new title in the highly successful Essential Design Handbooks series sets out to explain the underlying principles of illustration, as a means of visual expression, as a highly competitive industry, and as a contemporary, innovative practice. What is Illustration? is a must-have guide for illustration practitioners and students, as well as graphic designers and other media professionals who require an understanding of the issues and principles surrounding contemporary illustration (Amazon)

September 09

New Art Books:

Chalo! India : a new era in Indian art

Essel, Karlheinz. 2009

"Chalo means "Let's go!" in Hindi and the enthusiasm of that expression is evident throughout the pages of this catalogue for an exhibition at the Essl Museum in Austria. Encompassing a broad range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, the book features more than one hundred works by artists and collectives from all over India." (Product description, Global books in print)

Exactitude : hyperrealist art today

Taylor, John Russell. 2009

"This astonishing book presents a selection of contemporary artists working in a figurative, hyperrealist style. It includes work ranging from still lifes and extreme closeups to large scale cityscapes and landscape painting, and features an enormous range of artists from around the world, all of whom work in a meticulous fashion and for whom the brushstroke is subservient to the image itself. This breathtaking, large format volume will be essential reading for anyone interested in art in the 21st century." (Product description, Amazon UK)

Georgia O'Keefe : abstraction

edited by Barbara Haskell. 2009

"Although Georgia O'Keeffe (1887�1986) has long been regarded as a central figure in 20th-century art, the abstract works she created throughout her career have remained critically and popularly overlooked in favor of her representational subjects. Beginning with charcoal drawings made in 1915, which were among the most radical creations produced in the United States at that time, O'Keeffe sought to transcribe pure emotion in her work." (Amazon US)

Henry Darger

Biesenbach, Klaus. 2009

"This large-format, lavishly illustrated volume presents the iconic American outsider artist in a new critical light, locating him for the first time as a major figure in the history of contemporary art." (Amazon US)

Titian : the last days

Mark Hudson. 2009

Towards the end of his life Titian didn't finish his paintings. The elderly artist kept them in his studio, never quite completing them, as though wanting to endlessly postpone the moment of closure. Created with the fingers as much as the brush, Titian's last paintings are imbued with a sense of final, desperate effort - a rawness and immediacy that weren't to be seen again in art for centuries. But what did Titian, who experienced as much in the way of material success as any artist before or since, mean by these works? Are they a harrowing, final testament or simply a collection of unfinished paintings? In the outbreak of plague that finally killed him, Titian's studio was looted, and many paintings taken. What happened to them is not known. This book is a quest - a journey through Titian's life and work, towards the physical and spiritual landscape of his last paintings. Looking at Titian's relationships with his artistic rivals, his patrons - including popes, kings and emperors - and his troubled dealings with his own family, the narrative moves from the artist's hometown in the Dolomites to the greatest churches and palaces of the age. Parallel with these physical travels is a journey through the paintings, following the glittering trajectory of Titian's life and career, the remorseless formal development that led to the breakthroughs of his last days. Titian: The Last Days is an exploratory history of the artist and his world that vividly recreates the atmosphere of sixteenth-century Venice and Europe, a narrative in which the search for the subject becomes part of the subject itself. The result is a brilliant and compelling study of one of Europe's greatest artists that is at once passionate, engaging and deeply personal. (Amazon)

Art:21 : art in the 21st century. Seasons:- three & four (DVDs) - we also have seasons 1&2!

2005 & 2007

DVDs: Contemporary artists work in globally influenced, culturally diverse and technologically dynamic milieus. In the US artists reflect a varied and changing landscape of identity, values and beliefs. The artists featured in this series demonstrate the breadth of artistic practice across the country and reveal a wealth of multicultural talent. Each episode is organized around a theme to help audiences compare and contrast the artists profiled. (Amazon)

Art for Obama : designing manifest hope and the campaign for change

Fairey, Shephard. 2009

"Few events in recent memory have captivated the world's attention like that of Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign. Not only did it stir passionate political momentum, but it also inspired the creative talents of a world of artists, illustrators, and graphic designers. Shepard Fairey's iconic Hope portrait became the face of the campaign and, more than ever before, innovative graphic design became a central strategy for winning the race." (Amazon US) )

Printmaking + mixed media : simple techniques and projects for paper and fabric

Elisha, Dorit. 2009

"Learn simple printmaking techniques and how to incorporate printed images into mixed-media artwork on paper and fabric with, a twist on traditional methods. No printing presses or special papers are required with this creative approach. From screen printing, collagraph, monoprinting, and sun printing, these techniques are especially affordable and accessible to any artist, from beginner to experienced." (Amazon UK)

Born on the streets : graffiti

Chandes, Herve. 2009

"The book then explores the explosion of creativity worldwide that followed the New York movement, especially in Paris, which became the nerve center for European graffiti in the 1980s. It juxtaposes the different aesthetics of cities like New York, Paris, London, Berlin, and Sao Paulo, highlighting styles specific to each city and the diverse practices of contemporary artists who began in the graffiti movement. There are interviews with artists who influenced the development of street art and with others, such as gallery owners, who were involved in its evolution." (Amazon US)

The art of Osamu Tezuka : god of manga

McCarthy, Helen. 2009

"The Art of Osamu Tezuka is the first authorized biography celebrating his work and life and featuring over 300 images - many of which have never been seen outside of Japan. With text by respected manga expert Helen McCarthy, The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga pays tribute to the work of an artist, writer, animator, doctor, entrepreneur, and traveler whose curious mind spawned dozens of animated films, and over 170,000 pages of comics art in one astonishingly creative lifetime." (Amazon US)

August 09

New Art Books:

Art and spiritual transformation : the seven stages of death and rebirth

Finley Eversole. 2009

Art and Spiritual Transformation presents a seven-stage journey from the darkened soul to the light of spiritual illumination that is possible through the world of art. Finley Eversole introduces a meditation practice that moves beyond the visual content of an art form in order to connect with its embedded spiritual energy, allowing the viewer to tap in to the deeper consciousness inherent in the artwork and awaken dormant powers in the depths of the viewer's soul. Examining modern and postmodern artwork from 1945 onward, Eversole reveals the influences of ancient Egypt, India, China, and alchemy on this art. He draws extensively on philosophy, myth and symbolism, literature, and metaphysics to explain the seven stages of spiritual death and rebirth of the soul possible through art: the experience of self-loss, the journey into the underworld, the experience of the dark night of the soul, the conflict with and triumph over evil, the awakening of new life in the depths of being, and the return and reintegration of consciousness on a higher plane of being, resulting finally in ecstasy, transfiguration, illumination, and liberation. To illustrate these stages, Eversole includes works by abstract expressionists Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko and modern visionary artists Alex Grey and Ernst Fuchs, among others, to reveal the powerful and liberating forces art contributes to the transformation and evolution of human consciousness. (Amazon)

Contemporary art in the Middle East

edited by Paul Sloman. 2009

Contemporary Art in the Middle East is the first in an exciting new series--ARTWORLD--that seeks to showcase the most engaging, cutting-edge contemporary art being made around the world today. Contemporary Art in the Middle East gives those with a genuine interest in art and culture a vital source with which to see the amazing work coming out of a region where reports of political conflict often eclipse those of cultural innovation. With essays by esteemed writers, academics and practitioners, Contemporary Art in the Middle East profiles the work of the most cutting edge artists coming out of the Middle East today, including that by Khosrow Hassan Zadeh, Shrin Neshat, Mona Hatoum, Farhad Moshiri, Shadi Ghadirian, Ghazel, Mitra Tarizian, Reza Aramesh and Yehudit Sasportas. With artist pages presenting specially-commissioned works from some of the most important artists currently working out of the region, Contemporary Art in the Middle East is the first survey of its kind, shattering old stereotypes and providing a forum for art that is insightful, humourous, interesting and inspiring. (Amazon)

Futurism

edited by Didier Ottinger. 2009

Impassioned, polemical, and rebellious, the Futurist movement exalted the modern world by placing machines, speed, and technology at the heart of its artistic experimentations. Futurism embodied the same reality that it tried to capture: a dynamism that reflected the changing structure of the visible world. This landmark survey, published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Manifesto of Futurism, traces the movement from its origins in Italy to the international creative forum. Richly illustrated with 130 works by luminaries such as Boccioni, Balla, Picasso, Braque, Leger, Sonia and Robert Delaunay, Duchamp, and Malevich, the book explores different modes of expression within shared themes: the lighting of modern cities, dance, crowd movement, and the speed of new mechanical means of transport. Featuring essays by the world's leading authorities on Futurism and the avant-garde, Futurism is a radical reassessment of the movement and essential for understanding the genesis of many of modernism's greatest works. (Amazon)

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Averil King. 2009

The innovative, highly original work of Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) helped pave the way for modern art in Europe. In recognition of her achievements the first museum in the world devoted to the work of a woman artist, the Paula-Modersohn-Becker-Museum, was founded at Bremen. Designed as an introduction to the life and work of an artist whose output is not widely known elsewhere, this book aims to set her in her time and place for readers unfamilair with the art and culture of late nineteenth-century Germany. Paula trained in Berlin and at the rural artists' colony of Worpswede, near Bremen, marrying her fellow artist Otto Modersohn in 1901. She continued to live at Worpswede, but in the remaining years of her short life insisted on spending time in Paris, in order to experience the work of other important European artists and sculptors. Forming a close intellectual friendship with the great lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke, she especially admired Cezanne, Rodin and Gauguin. Her persuasive and distinctive use of form and colour mean that she is now thought of as an early Expressionist. (Amazon)

Sleuth : the amazing quest for lost art treasures

Philip Mould. 2009

CSI meets Who Do You Think You Are? meets Time Team meets The Antiques Roadshow. Two-dimensional works of art become three-dimensional thrillers. Philip Mould is an international art dealer who has lived the high stakes game of art sleuthing for twenty years. In Sleuth, we encounter the fascinating dealers, experts, auctioneers and restorers who risk fortunes and reputations to turn overlooked artworks into coveted treasures. Sleuth is laced with dramas: / Gainsborough's earliest picture emerges in a Los Angeles saleroom - the author has three days to find the missing facts and decide what to pay. / The most powerful man in the art establishment, with the influence to elevate a copy into a priceless original, is asked to look at a 'fake' Rembrandt self portrait: if he says yes a GBP5,000 picture turns into GBP5 million masterpiece. / A Vermont professor unlocks the door of a defunct Catholic church to reveal a hidden cache of 300 portraits. / An auctioneer notices from the upper story of a bus that Damien Hirst's restaurant is being dismantled. He swoops in and sells the fixtures and fittings for GBP13 million. Sleuth is a series of stories which not only reveals the extraordinary culture of detection but the people behind it. Paintings and their discovery become a way into the minds, preoccupations and professions of a raft of influential figures beyond the commercial and museum facade - men and women who have shaped their lives in pursuit of truth and profit through art. (Amazon)

Bacon's arena (DVD)

2009

DVD: Francis Bacon is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century. This special edition has been created to mark the centenary of his birth and is produced in association with the Estate of Francis Bacon and the film is considered to be the definitive biographical documentary on Francis Bacon. (Amazon)

The cool school : how L.A. learned to love modern art (DVD)

2009

DVD: New York City has long been regarded as the heart of the American art movement, but near the end of the 1940s, as the post-war rise of Abstract Expressionism became the new wave of painting in the United States, a small but determined band of painters, curators, and collectors on the West Coast were determined to make themselves known. Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the rise of the Los Angeles art scene and how it brought a new and vigorously American slant to contemporary painting in the documentary The Cool School. Neville profiles Walter Hopps and Irving Blum, owners of the Ferus Gallery, which championed the new school of Los Angeles art; sculptors Ed Kienholz and Larry Bell; and painters Ed Ruscha, John Altoon, and Billy Al Bengston, all of whom were championed by the Ferus Gallery; architect Frank Gehry, whose ideas dovetailed with those of the new L.A. artists; and Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell, actors and Hollywood bohemians whose love of the new L.A. art (and willingness to buy pieces) provided crucial support for a struggling movement. Jeff Bridges serves as narrator. (Amazon)

The freelance design handbook: don't start work without it

Fishel, Cathy.

The Freelance Design Handbook is a practical and inspirational illustrated desk reference for freelance designers hoping to develop a long term and successful career path. The book is packed full of best practice, practical business tips, and professional and creative strategies from successful freelancers, case studies, alongside industry reference resources, to inform aspiring freelance designers of their options. This book explores the different design fields open to freelancers, covering all genres of graphic design, including, branding, corporate identity, publishing, information design, and how each area is best approached from a freelance standpoint. (Amazon] )

The handy book of artistic printing

Clouse, Doug.

Print design, like virtually all other decorative arts, exploded in a profusion of ornament during the late nineteenth century. The authors of this book painstakingly unearthed examples of this once-ubiquitous if short-lived design culture, and present a treasure trove of visual material, most never before seen by today's designers. (Global books in print)

The independent design guide : innovative products from the new generation

Houseley, Laura.

The availability of high design at affordable prices has created a new generation of consumers who are looking for unusual and one-of-a-kind objects. A growing collector's market has fueled the interest in young, emerging designers, whose work has become highly sought after, and galleries are opening everywhere to help meet this new demand. This is the first publication to present these recently discovered talents and their creations. The focus is on pieces that are produced locally or by designer-makers who do not yet have international distribution. (Amazon)

Invitation and promotion design : ideas with impact

editors, Lou Andrea Savoir, Paz Diman.

Every day, countless promotional e-mail, business cards, flyers, posters and invitations are printed, sent and received, but only a select few capture our attention and interest or are remotely memorable, desirable, or even collectable. Invitation and Promotion Design presents the best of this genre worldwide. This incredible collection is an excellent reference demonstrating design examples that have had great impact in a noisy, media-glutted world. (Amazon)

1,000 garment graphics : a comprehensive collection of wearable designs

Everett, Jeffrey.

This book offers designers a vast collection of inspiring and innovative graphic works from the real world. The main emphasis is on fashion from t-shirt graphics, to sneakers, to baseball caps and more. The book will feature trends as well as graphics that endure the test of time. (Amazon]

Play all day : design for children

edited by Robert Klanten.

Play all day presents fascinating examples of innovative and well-designed toys, playgrounds, play environments, room decorations, wall coverings, furniture and kindergarten architecture. In addition to these products, it also presents illustration, photography as well as new and original ideas offering playful solutions that talented designers and creative parents are designing for and with their kids. (Amazon]

July 09

New Art Books:

Abstract America

Saatchi Gallery. 2009

A radical new generation of American abstract painters has emerged in the twenty-first century. Whereas their predecessors advanced abstraction in the shadow of the Cold War, this new generation arose at the cusp of the transition to the digital era and is marked by the traumatic events surrounding 9/11 and its ongoing social and political aftermath. In these shifting times the artist's alter ego might well be the DJ - brushstrokes are replaced by "riffs" while "old school" palettes are discarded for "Teletubby purple" or "bubble gum pink". This is the age of "the remix" where raw material is downloaded and "Photoshopped". Contemporary artists have irony at their disposal and switch to tie-dye aesthetics or psychedelia as fast as they can quote Malevich. This next wave is thrilling. Painted loops, reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, are revealed to be motorcycle skid marks - bringing new meaning to Abstract Expressionism. Even though traditions are "deconstructed" and paintings can echo "grunge", historical continuity remains. As Max Henry writes in his introduction, "The American Dream does not exist any more. It is itself an abstraction." Abstract America is being published in conjunction with the opening of one of today's most important institutions collecting and exhibiting contemporary ar - the new Saatchi Gallery in London. (Amazon)

Degas : the uncontested master

Jane Kinsman with Michael Pantazzi. 2008

Born in Paris in 1834, Edgar Degas art was considered radical in his adoption of modern subject matter and he was to become a key figure in the evolution of modern art. Degas: The Uncontested Master covers the period from Degas early portraiture and historical subject matter of the 1870s through his move to modern subject matter, to his late experimental paintings and photographs from the 1890s until his death in 1917. Degas exhibited with a group of other young artists who came to be known as the Impressionists, but he was seen to stand apart from them in his treatment and choice of subjects. The book includes work from the many mediums Degas used painting, sculpture, printing, pastels monotypes and photography and his favourite subjects: the ballet, the opera, the racetrack, women in bordellos and bathing, milliners and laundresses. It conveys the richness of colour and Degas experimental approach with his mediums. A major essay by curator Jane Kinsman looks at Degas role in organising the first Impressionist exhibitions and the break from the traditions of the Salon, quoting prominent critics of the time. The second major essay, by internationally renowned Degas expert Michael Pantazzi, presents a detailed biography of Degas with many new facts never before published. (Amazon)

Francis Bacon

edited by Matthew Gale and Chris Stephens ; essays by Martin Harrison and others. 2008

Along with JMW Turner, Francis Bacon (1909-92) is regarded internationally as Britain's greatest painter. Drawing on low-art sources, including photographs torn from magazines and imagery from films, coupled with a keen awareness of the rich historical tradition of painting stretching back to the renaissance, he developed a way of portraying the human body that was unique in the history of painting. ...Towards the end of the first decade of a new century it is time to re-assess the achievement of this unique artist, whose style was so personal and distinctive that his influence lay more in his commitment to art itself than in any stylistic legacy. Can a painter still be seen as vital in the digital age? Do Bacon's tortured, despairing figures still speak to the human condition? It might be that for the contemporary viewer, Bacon's imagery appears to have foreshadowed the scenes that have filled our newspapers and television screens in recent years. Leading expert on international modern art Matthew Gale and renowned expert on British art Chris Stephens are joined by other international critics in a radical reassessment of Bacon's position for the twenty-first century. (Amazon)

Frida Kahlo : the still lifes

Salomon Grimberg. 2008

The Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous artists of all time. However, while much has been written about Kahlo's striking self-portraits, her still-life paintings (of which 40 or so are documented) have not been subjected to such close scrutiny until now. In this groundbreaking study, noted Kahlo scholar Salomon Grimberg explores in detail and interprets all of the artist's still lifes, including some that have come to light only recently. Offering provocative new perspectives on Kahlo's creative process, and revealing how the still lifes reflected her internal reality and complement her self-portraits, this book represents an indispensable contribution to the literature on an enduringly popular artist. (Amazon)

Henry Moore textiles

edited by Anita Feldman ; introduction by Sue Prichard. 2008

"Henry Moore Textiles" is the first publication on this relatively unknown aspect of Moore's work. Much of the material, including many recently discovered textile designs, has never been published before. At the instigation of Czech textile guru Zika Ascher, in 1943 Moore began filling four notebooks with drawings for textiles. Other designs followed in the early 1950s commissioned by David Whitehead Fabrics following the Festival of Britain. Moore's prolific work resulted in the production of twenty-eight designs for silk squares, dress and upholstery fabrics, and wall hangings. Using strikingly vibrant colours and modern materials, the aim was to brighten up the post-war wardrobe and bring art into the realm of daily life. Generously illustrated, "Henry Moore Textiles" offers a new angle on a popular artist, and is published to coincide with the first exhibition devoted to this facet of Moore's work at the Henry Moore Foundation in Hertfordshire. (Amazon)

Mother : portraits by 40 great artists

2009

Artists paint their mothers for many reasons - as a loving tribute, of course, but also to capture a memorable face, to work through conflicting emotions, as a family legacy, or the simple availability of a model. Looking at each work and considering its individual history reveals much about the relationship, the artist, and about the time and place in which it was created. Mother collects more than 40 of these fascinating portraits. Selected by art historian Juliet Heslewood, the portraits are displayed chronologically, and the changing nature of the subject can be seen as time progresses over the centuries to the present day. Text accompanying each portrait provides compelling background information about the artist and his or her mother, the mother's impact on the artist's career, and the artist's painting style. Among the painters represented are Rembrandt, Rossetti, Van Gogh, Sargent, Picasso, Kahlo, and Hockney. (Amazon)

Merchants, princes and painters : silk fabrics in Italian and Northern paintings, 1300-1550

Lisa Monnas. 2009

Covering a period that witnessed the flowering of the Renaissance and the major expansion of the Italian silk industry, this volume examines the Italian silk fabrics depicted in paintings from Italy, England and the Netherlands over the course of 250 years. Lisa Monnas offers a masterly evaluation of these paintings as source material for classifying surviving textiles, giving particular attention to the identification of historic textile types and their weave structure. Monnas examines a wide range of subjects, including silk as a marker of social status, the material possessions of artists and their ownership of textiles as props, the involvement of painters in silk design, and the repetition and transfer of patterns. She considers the evidence of paintings not only for the veracity with which the silks are depicted but also for their value as a historic source concerning the use of fabrics. (Amazon)

Neo utopia : the art & work of Superblast

by Manuel Osterholt. 2008

Berlin based graphic designer SUPERBLAST was immersed in the world of punk rock and skateboarding when he discovered graffiti in 1990 and quickly became addicted to the energy and vitality of the street art underground. As a logical evolution of writing with spraypaint, he started a career as graphic designer in 1999. While studying graphic design, he freelanced for several urban brands, had solo and collective art shows. In 2004 he honed his skills in the beautiful craft of creating letters, by attending lessons in Fontdesign from the world-famous Luc(as) de Groot. His unique iconic style and use of color in illustrations, lettering and wall pieces lead him to projects with some of the most interesting and innovative artists and companies in his field. Most notable are his collaborations with Playstation Portable, Ecko Unltd, Volkl Skateboards, Montana Cans, and many more. SUPERBLAST has designed clothing, graphics, magazine ads, and skateboard decks. Neo Utopia - The Art & Work of Superblast is a fascinating career retrospective from a pioneer of the European graffiti world. Included is a personal selection of graphic design work, graffiti, illustration, ad campaigns, logo design, typography and related art of the past 17 years as well as sketches and full color photos of work in progress. (Gingko Press)

One thousand years of manga

Brigitte Koyama-Richard

In recent years, Manga has seen phenomenal success, not only in Japan, where it dominates the publishing industry, but also in the West, where it is steadily growing in popularity and influence. As swift and sudden as the popularity of this graphic art form may seem, Manga has, in fact, deep roots in Japanese culture, drawing on centuries-old artistic traditions. As early as the twelfth century, Emakimono scrolls existed, a narrative form in which stories of all kinds�romantic, fantastic, even comic�were told through the combined use of text and illustration. Japanese art continued to change as profound political, social, and economic transformations remade the country in the centuries to follow. Today there is little doubt as to the meaning of the term Manga�nor to the astonishing popularity of the form�but few in the West understand the long artistic history that gave birth to this phenomenon and the social factors that continue to shape it today.One Thousand Years of Manga is both an informative account of the genesis of the form and a visual delight. Through its captivating illustrations and enlightening text, the book situates Manga in its proper context, appreciating it for what it truly is: an integral part of Japanese art and culture that is as rich and revealing as it is popular. (Amazon)

Street art San Francisco : Mission muralismo

edited by Annice Jacoby for Precita Eyes Muralists ; foreword by Carlos Santana. 2009

San Francisco's legendary Mission District boasts a greater concentration of street art than any other neighbourhood in the world. Beginning in the early 1970s as a form of social and political activism, a vibrant public mural movement has flourished in this dynamic, multicultural community. The result is a spectacular, ever-changing urban landscape transformed by the artistic convergence of traditional Mexican mural painting, folk art, Surrealism, Pop art, underground comics, advertising and graffiti.With 900 stunning photographs, this provocative book showcases more than three decades of work by a diverse array of artists, from the conspicuously anonymous to the internationally famous. Gronk, Rigo, Las Mujeres Muralistas, Barry McGee (Twist), R. Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, Michael Rio, Chuy Campusano, Susan Cervantes and Neckface are among the many who have made the streets of the Mission their public gallery. Both reverent and subversive essays and commentaries by writers and artists involved with the movement document the artistic, social and political forces that have shaped Mission Muralismo. (Amazon)

Graphic design referenced : a visual guide to the language, aplications, and history of graphic design

Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit

Graphic Design, Referenced is a visual and informational guide to the most commonly referenced terms, historical moments, landmark projects, and influential practitioners in the field of graphic design. With more than 2,000 design projects illustrating more than 400 entries, it provides an intense overview of the varied elements that make up the graphic design profession through a unique set of chapters: "principles" defines the very basic foundation of what constitutes graphic design to establish the language, terms, and concepts that govern what we do and how we do it, covering layout, typography, and printing terms; "knowledge" explores the most influential sources through which we learn about graphic design from the educational institutions we attend to the magazines and books we read; "representatives" gathers the designers who over the years have proven the most prominent or have steered the course of graphic design in one way or another; and "practice" highlights some of the most iconic work produced that not only serve as examples of best practices, but also illustrate its potential lasting legacy. Graphic Design, Referenced serves as a comprehensive source of information and inspiration by documenting and chronicling the scope of contemporary graphic design, stemming from the middle of the twentieth century to today. (Amazon)

Sketchbooks : the hidden art of designers, illustrators & creatives

Richard Brereton. 2009.

A fantastic source of inspiration, the book gives insight into the inner workings and private inspiration of creatives from the world of advertising, design, graphic design, fashion design, art, street art, and illustration. Intimate and often unseen, sketchbooks document the sources of inspiration as well as the journey to final execution. Providing a showcase of ideas, the sketchbooks themselves are complemented by interviews where the artists explain how they use their sketchbooks and how these relate to finished works, giving readers a direct and unmediated insight into the process of research and creation. (Laurence King Publishing)

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