Tag: collectables

Magnificent obsessions: Books on collecting

Xinxin

Today we have a booklist dedicated to collectors of all kinds: From sneakers, to sports cars; 19th century French sewing tools to retro photographs and more!

Golden kicks : the shoes that changed sport / Coles, Jason
“Did you know that Nike icon Michael Jordan was once a huge adidas fan? Puma and adidas were started by rival brothers? New Balance was founded by a chicken farmer? Favourites like the adidas Stan Smith, Nike Air Jordan and Puma Suede are worn by millions as everyday footwear but were originally bring victory on court, track and field. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The art of the sports car : the greatest designs of the 20th century / Adler, Dennis
“These sports cars have not only withstood the test of time but steadfastly defied it. Cars that have remained desirable and valuable for more than 50 years, to become the most treasured automotive artifacts of our time. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Magnificent obsessions : the artist as collector
“Picasso collected African and Oceanic art; Walker Evans amassed postcards depicting ordinary Americans; and Matisse was an avid collector of exotic textiles and furniture. This book takes a look at the private collecting habits of modern and contemporary artists including Arman, Peter Blake, Hanne Darboven, Edmund de Waal, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Martin Parr, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Andy Warhol, Pae White, Martin Wong and Danh Vo.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Retronaut : the photographic time machine / Wild, Chris
“An emporium of retro treasure from shocking sculptures of the 1700s, to Kodachrome snaps of 1950s Piccadilly Circus, to biblical scenes captured by Google Earth. Retronaut reveals strange yet enlightening photographs from the past. Martha Stewart as a fashion model, Kim Jong II in a bumper car, and Ronald Reagan modeling for a sculpture class; enriched with author Chris Wild’s unique wit and oddball knowledge is a must-have for collectors of the unusual. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

New Zealand history coined : coins of New Zealand (1933-1965) / Pepping, Robert
“Looks at all of New Zealand’s coins from 1933 to 1965 but also contains information on other significant numismatic items and events such as the New Zealand Pattern Penny of 1879, the Royal Visit Medal of 1953 and the proposed coinage of King Edward VIII. Here too readers will find, approximately 200 pages of fascinating information, many pictures and images, a selected bibliography and an index.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Collected : living with the things you love / Karch, Fritz
“Expert collectors and decorating experts Fritz Karch and Rebecca Robertson present a tour of peculiar, elegant, and awe-inspiring collections from around the world. The book teaches readers the basic principles of the hunt while exploring the thoughtful and inventive ways for displaying the various collections. The featured collections range from dice and café au lait bowls to 19th century French sewing tools to sand from world travels.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Chinese art at the library

Xinxin

Oriental art is not just about terracotta warriors, ancient collectables, brush painting and calligraphy, there are also famed contemporary Chinese artists. Our online resource DragonSource has about 3000 Chinese magazines covering a range of topics: including popular fashion, literature, music and film. There are also contemporary and traditional Chinese arts magazines.

How to read art magazines on DragonSource
  1. Login to DragonSource using your library card number and password
  2. Select the links beneath the magazines in this blog; then select the blue button to read
  3. You can also choose your own art magazines from Art magazines on DragonSource


 

Chinese art 中国美术             Chinese calligraphy 中国书法      Contemporary artists 当代美术家

 

Terracotta warriors : guardians of immortality
“This book marked the exhibition at Te Papa of the remarkable third century BC funerary statues excavated from the astounding archaeological site at Xi’an, China. The 200 especially selected pieces from the site have travelled to Wellington and then to Melbourne, for their first exhibition in Australasia for 30 years. This illustrated catalogue has images of all the objects in the exhibition as well as informative essays that explain the creation of the objects and their ongoing discovery.” (Adapted from the catalogue)

The art of Chinese brush painting / Wang, Lucy
“Chinese brush painting is an ancient art form associated with grace, simplicity, and precision. This wonderful Artist’s Library Series can help you learn the secrets to painting in this classic, fluid style. Accomplished Chinese brush artist Lucy Wang covers the fundamentals of this painting medium, such as handling the brush and creating elegant strokes with art history. Then she guides you step by step through a series of painting lessons, from flowers and animals to a landscape and a traditional figure.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The Chinese art book
“This highly illustrated book is an accessible, innovative introduction to the art of China. An overview of Chinese art from its earliest dynasties to the contemporary generation of artists enlivening today’s art world. 300 works represent every form of Chinese visual art, including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, figurines, jade, bronze, gold and silver, photography, video, installation, and performance art.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Things Chinese : antiques, crafts, collectibles / Knapp, Ronald G.
“Traditional Chinese objects are fascinating for the West and are long sought by collectors, from porcelains and finely detailed paintings, silk fabrics, and furniture to the lacquered or ebony-and-bone chopsticks. From painted cabinets and calligraphic scrolls to painted opera masks and moon cake moulds, and from Golden Lotus shoes , Mao memorabilia, mahjong sets and even kites.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Contradictions : artistic life, the socialist state, and the Chinese painter Li Huasheng / Silbergeld, Jerome
“Li Huasheng (b. 1944) represents the first generation of artists raised and trained in the People’s Republic of China. His career spans the painting of Maoist propaganda in the 1960s. Li has been driven by a fearless flair for drama that is expressed not only in his remarkable paintings of the Sichuan landscape but in a lifelong passion for Sichuan-style theatre. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

At work : twenty-five contemporary Chinese artists / Burris, Jon
“Documentary-style portraits of twenty-five of China’s most accomplished and fascinating artists at work.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)