Thames & Hudson strana 78 z 103

Vincent van Gogh's letters have long been prized as some of the most valuable documents in the world of art. Not only do they throw light on Van Gogh's own complex and intriguing character, they enlighten the whole creative process as seen through his eyes. Here we can observe Van Gogh's thoughts and opinions at first hand, as well as his close ties with his brother Theo, his sometimes troubled relationships with friends and fellow artists, his personal doubts and fears, and above all his overriding passion for his art. This is not only an immense treasure trove of biographical and art-historical information, it provides a lasting pleasure as a personal written testimony to a life consecrated to art. Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters belongs on the shelves of every reader in search of self-revelatory documents of one of the greatest creative minds.

Giorgio Vasari's The Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1568) is a classic of cultural history. A monumental assembly of artists' lives from Giotto to Michelangelo, it paints a vivid picture of the progress of art in the hands of individual masters. This illustrated standalone edition of Vasari's Life of Raphael offers a new translation of this rich and remarkable 'Life', elegantly rendering Vasari's literary text in modern terms. A work of authoritative skill and precision, the translation preserves Vasari's compelling narrative, while beautifully reproduced illustrations bring it newly to life. Editors Paul Joannides and Rick Scorza bring together the original and expanded Italian editions of 1550 and 1568, with succinct commentary drawing upon their expert knowledge of Raphael's career.

This visually rich survey - the first of its kind - showcases the work of over 200 artists and celebrates the explosion of street art in Africa over the last decade. Including twelve in-depth interviews with street artists active in Africa today as well as coverage of the continent's major street art projects, collectives and festivals, it takes the reader on an introductory tour of the many African street art scenes, with a deeper focus on the most prominent players in Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Topics and projects covered include the monumental project Murais da Leba in Angola, which saw 6,000 square metres of wall covered by local graffiti and visual artists in the Serra da Leba mountain range; the cultural influences and idiosyncrasies of individual street art scenes, and how they mesh with local communities; and eL Seed's project 'Perception', a huge multi-part mural stretching across more than fifty buildings in Cairo's Zaraeeb neighbourhood, revealing a message of hope to its marginalized community in the artist's distinctive 'calligraffiti' style. Text commentaries elaborating on styles and processes, and social and cultural context, are peppered throughout the book, giving the reader further insight into a wealth of striking contemporary visual cultures - and helping make this a must-have for street art fans and practitioners.

Monocle has always been a champion of taking it slow. It has encouraged readers to dive into a lake and go for a run. To sleep well. To eat food whose makers are proud of its provenance. In a shouty, jabbing-finger moment in history, it has done its bit to argue for a new modern etiquette to be generous with our time, hospitality and forgiveness. Now its editors and correspondents have brought all of this together in The Monocle Manifesto for a Gentler Life, a book that urges us all to slow down, reconnect, make good things and see nice places. And it also knows when to wear a cheeky smile. Chapters include: * An illustrated guide to being nice, respecting your neighbour and controlling your social media rants. * Profiles of the happiest nations - and the least lonely too. * How to build a house that's good for you and your family. * Essays from leading thinkers and great writers on what we can gain if we shift gear. * The businesses charting a better course - from management to pride in production. * Food - a celebration of the locally made, the chefs that bring people together and a recipe or two. * The objects to own that will give pleasure for years. * The people who changed direction, slowed down and made it work. * The compact cities where you can run a company, be inspired, have a good social life - and be hiking in a forest at 5pm.

At the heart of this history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty are the lives of six men - Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius Caligula, Claudius and Nero - men who mastered Rome and changed it from a democracy to a personal possession. It was no easy task: Caesar and Caligula were assassinated, Nero committed suicide and Claudius was poisoned. Only Augustus and Tiberius died natural deaths - and even that is uncertain. The Julio-Claudian saga has a host of other characters, from Cicero, the last great statesman of the Republic, to Livia, matriarch of the Empire; the passionate Mark Antony and the scheming Sejanus; and Agrippina, mother of Nero and sister of Caligula, who probably murdered her husband and in turn was killed by her son. Set against a background of foreign wars and domestic intrigue, the story of Rome's greatest dynasty is also the story of the birth of an imperial system that shaped the Europe of today.

Artists, martyrs, kings, revolutionaries: France's sense of national identity is inextricably linked to its dramatic history, which fascinates the world and attracts millions each year to visit its chateaux and cathedrals, boulevards and vineyards. Ancient roots allied to a social, political and military history that has witnessed revolution, conflict and occupation mean that France holds a unique position in the modern world. In this short, easy-to-digest history of a vast subject, Jeremy Black succinctly narrates how France's past has created its distinct character. Country and destination, nation and idea, France has an incomparable cultural legacy, and exerts a powerful artistic, intellectual and political influence across the globe. Black's vivid take on history emphasizes the unexpected nature of events and unpredictable outcomes on a fragmented country, from the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux to the origins of Gothic architecture, from Monet and Degas to the Lumiere brothers, and from the cataclysm of the 1789 Revolution through the countercultural student protests of 1968 to today's gilets jaunes. Black's concise, insightful tour of the key historical moments and vibrant personalities that shaped France provides an indispensable guide to understanding the country today.

Protege of design legend Massimo Vignelli and partner in the New York office of the international design firm Pentagram, Michael Bierut has had one of the most varied careers of any living graphic designer. The projects he presents in this book illustrate the breadth of activity that graphic design encompasses today, his goal being to demonstrate not a single ideology, but the enthusiastically eclectic approach that has been a hallmark of his career. Each project is told in Bierut's own entertaining voice and shown through historic images, preliminary drawings (including full-size reproductions of the notebooks he has maintained for over thirty-five years), working models and rejected alternatives, as well as the finished work. Along the way, he provides insights into the creative process, his working life, his relationship with clients, and the struggles that any design professional faces in bringing innovative ideas to the world today. This revised and expanded edition of Bierut's bestselling monograph features new projects for major clients, such as Mastercard and The Poetry Foundation. Inspiring, informative and authoritative, How to... is a bible of graphic design ideas.

I See a City: Todd Webb's New York focuses on the work of photographer Todd Webb produced in New York City in the 1940s and 1950s. Webb photographed the city day and night, in all seasons and in all weather. Buildings, signage, vehicles, the passing throngs, isolated figures, curious eccentrics, odd corners, windows, doorways, alleyways, squares, avenues, storefronts, uptown and downtown, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Harlem. He created a richly textured portrait of the everyday life and architecture of New York. Webb's work is clear, direct, focused, layered with light and shadow, and captures the soul of these places shaped by the friction and frisson of humanity. A native of Detroit, Webb studied photography in the 1930s under the guidance of Ansel Adams at the Detroit Camera Club, served as a navy photographer during World War II, and then went on to become a successful postwar photographer. His work is in many museum collections, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

Peter Blake (b. 1932) has remained constant and groundbreaking in his exploration of the medium of collage throughout his career spanning seven decades. Most recognised for his iconic 1967 cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, Blake already understood the potential of collage as an art form as a student at the Royal College of Art in the 1950s, where his reputation as a founder and key proponent of the Pop Art movement was established. An avid collector, Blake's collages combine junkyard treasures and found objects with images from popular culture. He revisits themes drawn from his childhood - the entertainments of the circus, the glamour of the cinema and the showmanship of the wrestling ring - weaving detailed, often humorous narratives. From his early paintings depicting assembled fragments of popular imagery, to his found-object constructions and his most recent inkjet print collages, Blake has broadened the scope of what collage can be and communicate. Peter Blake Collage provides the first comprehensive survey of Peter Blake's work in the medium. It features a foreword by David Hockney, an essay by Patrick Elliott, Chief Curator of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, a recent interview with Peter Blake by Natalie Rudd, Senior Curator of the Arts Council Collection, over 250 colour reproductions and a newly compiled illustrated chronology. Published in partnership with Waddington Custot.

Lee Miller, 1927 - New York: A classically beautiful young woman, she is discovered by Conde Nast, hits the cover of Vogue and is immortalized by Steichen, Hoyningen-Huene, Horst and other famous photographers. Lee Miller, 1929 - Paris: Protege and lover of Man Ray, she invents with him the solarization technique of photography, develops into a brilliant Surrealist photographer, and plays the statue in Cocteau's film Blood of a Poet. Lee Miller, 1939-45 - Europe: Living at times with her future husband, the painter Roland Penrose, she becomes a US war correspondent and covers the siege of St Malo and the liberation of Paris. Her photographs of Dachau concentration camp shock the world. These are but three of the many lives of Lee Miller, intimately recorded here by her son, Antony Penrose. Featuring a selection of her finest work, including portraits of her friends Picasso, Ernst and Miro, Penrose's tribute to his mother brings to life a uniquely talented woman and the turbulent times in which she lived. With 116 illustrations

Exploration has never been more popular and any idea that there is nowhere left to explore is instantly disproved by the contemporary explorers who are showcased here. Most of the accounts are written by the explorers themselves, and they all vividly describe challenging and extraordinary expeditions to some of the remotest parts of the world, in extremes of temperature and aridity, often alone and on the edge of danger. Some of these explorers are very experienced and are already celebrated worldwide, others are young and less well known and just starting to make their mark; all are driven by ambition, aspiration and passion. With 25 illustrations

If anyone can teach us how to pursue the life and work of an artist, it is the artists in Truth Bomb. This compilation of pioneering and established women artists from around the world will motivate and empower you, challenge you to find solace in the shared human experiences of birth, death, love, anger, joy, sadness. Their sassiness will fire your spirit. Truth Bomb offers the very best commentary and insight into the incredible formation of diverse women artists while uncovering the power of taking a chance, pushing the envelope and ultimately not being shy when it comes to making a mark. It is a magical visual mash-up of images, memoirs, moments, interviews and inspirational beginnings as told by twenty-two leading women artists, including Beci Orpin, Mickalene Thomas, Kaylene Whiskey and Judy Chicago. Truth Bomb is an ode to art and artists and an attempt to decipher the mystery of creativity.

A piece must be practical enough to be used every day. It must be crafted at its place of origin, using traditional techniques and materials. And it must be handmade. Japanese craft has long been revered for its quality and beauty, and skilled craftwork remains an important part of Japanese life. 'Utsuwa', meaning 'for everyday use', embodies the ethos of handmaking in Japan, where handcrafted wares must be as practical as they are beautiful. This book takes us behind the scenes into the private studios of some of Japan's most exciting artisans to reveal stories of material, method, place and culture. It guides us through quiet galleries and colourful marketplaces, where the provenance of a piece is central to its story. Utsuwa is a love letter to the makers and sellers, and to all those who share the Japanese reverence for tradition and beauty.

Women have been pioneering photographers since the earliest days of the art form. This expertly curated set of three volumes in the renowned Photofile series brings together 190 women photographers from all over the world, working in all styles and genres. From the imaginative experiments of the 19th century to the thriving art movements of the 20th century and on to the digital world of the 21st century, this rich and diverse overview will inspire readers to explore the work of some of the greatest photographers of all time.

The mass of available data about World War II has never been as large as it is now, yet it has become increasingly complicated to interpret it in a meaningful way. Packed with cleverly designed graphics, charts and diagrams, World War II: Infographics offers a new approach by telling the story of the conflict visually. Encompassing the conflict from its roots to its aftermath, more than 50 themes are treated in great detail, ranging from the rise of the Far Right in pre-war Europe and mass mobilization, to evolving military tactics and technology and the financial and human cost of the conflict. Throughout, the shifting balance of power between the Axis and the Allies and the global nature of the war and its devastation are made strikingly clear.

Whether it's horror at plastic littering the world's beaches, or despair at the melting of the polar ice caps, the world is gradually waking up to the impending climate disaster. In The Green Imperative, Papanek argues for design that addresses these issues head on. This means using materials that can be recycled and re-used, no more pointless packaging, thinking about how products make us feel and engage all our senses, putting nature at the heart of design, working at a smaller scale, rejecting aesthetics for their own sake, and thinking before we buy. First published at the close of the 20th century, the book offered a plethora of honest advice, clear examples and withering critique, laying out the flaws and opportunities of the design world at that time. A quarter of a century on, Papanek's lucid prose has lost none of its verve, and the problems he highlights have only become more urgent, giving today's reader both a fascinating historical perspective on the issues at hand and a blueprint for how they might be solved. With 141 illustrations, 26 in colour