Chantal Allés

Crazy Art will be a revelation to anyone who thinks that art is more or less limited to painting, sculpture and photography. The title features the work of more than sixty contemporary artists drawn from all over the world, demonstrating that there a re absolutely no boundaries to expressing the most inventive and exciting ideas through a vast range of different media and materials. Five chapters pitch well-known artists - such as Carl Warner with his bizarre "foodscapes", or Nathan Swaya, creat or of Brick Art, and Larry Moss with his famous balloon sculptures - alongside young practitioners like Pei-Sang Ng, an artist whose stunning matchstick designs burn brightly but all too briefly. Each artist and subject receives a short introduction , whilst illustrations and detailed descriptions provide insight into their most important, individual and creative works of art. From Food Art to Body Art, Junk Art to Street and even Dust Art, Crazy Art brings their original, radical and provocativ e ideas to life. Website links guide the reader toward more information on the artists, their work and the galleries or museums that give them patronage.

It gets harder every year. Finding something new and unusual for that close friend's birthday, or searching out an original present for a dear old uncle (surely, not socks again). You want to give them something different; you want to surprise them w ith something individual and interesting. Crazy Gifts could be your salvation. It's an inspirational sourcebook for present givers, designers and style-conscious consumers, packed with fantastic gift ideas, from the practical (think self-heating bab y's bottle) to the cutely quirky (pop art toaster anyone?) and downright clever (how about a swimming mask that shoots video?). Sections on kitchen gifts, well-being, games, gadgets, home, techno and fashion contribute to an indispensable compendium of new 'stuff'. Some gifts, like the snake-shaped LED bench, stand out for their design qualities, whilst others, such as the massaging head spa that relieves the symptoms of migraine, have proven health benefits. Website listings guide you through to the right stockists for each of the almost 200 featured items, whilst the Crazy Gifts' multiple indexing system allows you to search for a gift by genre, recipient, occasion or price.

In art as in life, things aren't always what they appear to be. With the invention of photography almost two centuries ago, the subjective eye of the artist had a new rival, and one that ostensibly depicted the world as it actually was. Today we know better, particularly now, in the age of digital imaging when photographs can be adulterated so easily. 'Crazy Photography' presents the work of more than fifty contemporary photographers from all over the world demonstrating how the way we capture and look at images has been revolutionised in recent years. In four chapters, well-known photographers such as Liu Bolin, Ian Crawford and Pep Ventosa alongside young practitioners like Ari Mahardika and Jan Oliehoek take us on a stunning tour through a visual gallery that reflects our dreams and fears and gives us new, original insights into our consciousness as well as our environment. By skilfully manipulating and playing with images, the artists challenge our perceptions and beliefs, inducing in us an altered view of what seems to be familiar or ordinary.

It gets harder every year. Finding something new and unusual for that close friend's birthday, or searching out an original present for a dear old uncle (surely, not socks again). You want to give them something different; you want to surprise them w ith something individual and interesting. Crazy Gifts could be your salvation. It's an inspirational sourcebook for present givers, designers and style-conscious consumers, packed with fantastic gift ideas, from the practical (think self-heating bab y's bottle) to the cutely quirky (pop art toaster anyone?) and downright clever (how about a swimming mask that shoots video?). Sections on kitchen gifts, well-being, games, gadgets, home, techno and fashion contribute to an indispensable compendium of new 'stuff'. Some gifts, like the snake-shaped LED bench, stand out for their design qualities, whilst others, such as the massaging head spa that relieves the symptoms of migraine, have proven health benefits. Website listings guide you through to the right stockists for each of the almost 200 featured items, whilst the Crazy Gifts' multiple indexing system allows you to search for a gift by genre, recipient, occasion or price.