Born in 1935 in France, Jean-Louis Avril studied architecture at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Technique is central to his building process. He is passionate about jazz and is interested in American minimal art, particularly the work of Donald Judd. This monograph traces his career and focuses on his furniture, which represents the taste and aspirations of a generation of baby boomers. The choice of Celloderm, a derivative of cardboard, allows for a simple and accurate design language. The solutions display strong ideas: a beautiful shape, a practical function, an accessible price. His creations are very successful. With the creation of the company Marty-Lac (Carton Applications) in 1967 associated with his father-in-law, he achieved commercial success by developing numerous models of furniture, seats, tables, bed, shelves and lighting. They offer a strategy, a catalogue, sales outlet and export to England with Hull traders. Faithful to his commitment as an architect, he also imagines interior spaces with great spatial efficiency.
Text in French.
Worldwide heart-throbs BTS exploded onto the internet in 2010 with their infectious tunes and youthful looks. As cheeky as the Beatles and as stylish as Rihanna, these electric, rapping, K-pop crooners have brought a fresh dose of Korean culture to the Western World, along with a series of awesome outfits.
From the close harmonies of their stage-show uniforms to the fabulous discordance of their solo styles, BTS have dressed for success from day one. And it’s no wonder – every announcement, every new song and every social media post is met with a web-breaking rapture. Having changed the face of the music biz forever, their ascent to the highest reaches of pop stardom continues to defy borders, language barriers and cultural differences everywhere.
The perfect gift for fans and fashionistas alike, BTS and the Clothes They Wear celebrates the Bangtan Boys’ biggest fashion mic drops.
In 1994 painter John Hoyland made an unruly group of ceramic sculptures. Loaded with colour, humour and creatureliness, he dubbed them ‘these mad little hybrids’. They now appear remarkably contemporary, in sync with a broad range of recent and current sculpture. These Mad Hybrids: John Hoyland and Contemporary Sculpture presents the ceramics in dialogue with sculpture by Caroline Achaintre, Eric Bainbridge, Phyllida Barlow, Olivia Bax, Hew Locke, Anna Reading, Jessi Reaves, Andrew Sabin, John Summers and Chiffon Thomas.
Essays by co-curators Olivia Bax and Sam Cornish situate the ceramics within contemporary sculptural discourse and in relation to Hoyland’s deep personal engagement with sculpture. How and why could a sculpture be funny? How did sculpture help an abstract painter rethink his relationship with the High Modernist tradition and find a new relationship with the wider world? James Fisher considers hybridity in the guise of an imaginary dialogue with King Kong, while Hannah Hughes’s visual essay explores the Polaroid photographs that Hoyland employed to help move his dramatic and powerful imagery between two and three dimensions.
Published in association with Slimvolume.
Marilyn Monroe’s world was the stuff of fairy-tale – the orphan who conquered Hollywood and hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world before her untimely death in 1962.
Marilyn Monroe Style celebrates Marilyn’s impact on fashion by revealing the influence of her many iconic looks. Her wardrobe encompassed sensual femininity as well as low-key minimalism. Outfits span from shimmering showpieces such as the Jean Louis gown worn to serenade JFK on his birthday, to Pucci slacks and cats-eye spectacles.
Born Norma Jeane Mortensen, whenever she ‘became’ Marilyn, she mesmerised onlookers with showstopping outfits that helped make her a legend, yet throughout her life the clothes she wore represented many ways of being a woman.
Written by Terry Newman – the bestselling author of Taylor Swift and the Clothes She Wears – this book tells the story of Marilyn’s life through clothes and is essential reading for Marilyn Monroe fans everywhere.
Published in collaboration with the Estate of Marilyn Monroe.
Charles Flower is passionate about restoring the countryside. He has spent many years working on and writing about the restoration of wild flowers to grasslands and has now turned his attention to ancient woodlands, many of which, though derelict, are treasure houses of diversity, an asset unrecognised by almost everyone including those in Government. Yet with a little effort glades and rides, which may represent less than ten per cent of the wood, can be opened up with remarkable results. Once light penetrates some wild flowers will reappear and attract back the insects, birds and animals that once flourished there. What is more, over the last twenty years some 85,000 hectares of new broad-leaved woodland have been planted in England most of it devoid of wildlife, a giant missed opportunity since this land, which greatly exceeds the area of the nature reserves of all the English Wildlife Trusts, is protected from agricultural agrochemicals and would provide the perfect breeding ground for wild flower diversity and the insect, bird and animal life associated with it. Just as introducing the right methods was the key to creating successful wild flower headlands on agricultural land, introducing appropriate methods will establish wild flowers in new woods.
This book is not only a beautiful record of the ancient woodlands that, thanks to good management, have continued to thrive, it also constitutes a practical manual and provides inspiration for those working to preserve our existing ancient woodlands and those managing recently planted woods and planting the trees that will constitute our future woodland heritage.
Dive into the world of fishing with the first coffee table book on the subject in the successful Ultimate Book series. This photo book not only presents the history and basic knowledge of fishing but also showcases the diverse equipment from rods to reels, hooks to baits. Learn about various techniques such as spin fishing, fly fishing, and float and bottom fishing, all illustrated with stunning photographs. Embark on a journey to the most popular target fish such as Atlantic Salmon, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, European Perch, Black Bass, Northern Pike, Musky, Carp (Mirror and Common), while being enchanted by dream destinations for anglers. Explore the pristine lakes and rivers that make every angler’s heart beat faster. Of course, the obligatory fisherman’s tales must not be missing, bringing to life stories of the biggest catches and unforgettable experiences by the water. Overall, this photo book is not just a book but a way of life that captures the passion and magic of fishing in every line. An absolute must-have and the ideal gift for all who are captivated by the fascinating world of fishing.
A magnificently illustrated oversize book that uses art to illuminate the lives of medieval women, from peasants to queens.
Medieval women ruled over kingdoms, abbeys, and households; produced stunning works of art and craft; and did the hard work that kept ordinary families fed and clothed. In medieval written accounts, however, women’s contributions were often diminished or completely ignored. Yet art tells a different story: women appear everywhere, from manuscript miniatures to statues in cathedrals. In this book, historian Gemma Hollman uncovers the captivating story of medieval European women through the art of their time.
Hollman traces the lives of women across society, with chapters dedicated to nuns like Hildegarde of Bingen, abbess, mystic, and polymath; courtiers like Christine de Pizan, author of pioneering works on women’s role in society; warriors like Joan of Arc; and the everyday women whose names are lost to history. She illustrates her text with some 150 varied works of medieval art, revealing what they tell us about the real lives of medieval women, and about medieval attitudes toward women — which were exemplified at once by Eve, the symbol of moral fallibility, and by the Virgin Mary, the paragon of virtue.
With its eye-opening new perspective on the lives of medieval women and how they were portrayed, this book will be a treasure for anyone interested in the Middle Ages or women’s history.
The Lake District delights its visitors with a series of superlatives: England’s largest national park, highest mountain, deepest lakes and now a new World Heritage status. One of Britain’s best-loved and most visited locations unveils its secrets. This unusual guidebook explores 111 of the area’s most interesting places, it leaves the well-trodden paths to find the unknown: marvel at a stained glass window which inspired the American flag, let others flock to Hill Top while you explore Beatrix Potter’s holiday home, walk through ancient forest to talk to fairies and swim with immortal fish. Pause to wonder at a stunning lake where a President proposed, view a constellation of stars like nowhere else, find out why exotic spices are used in local cuisine.
This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Helen McNicoll. An Impressionist Journey at Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, Quebec City, Canada 20 June 2024 to 05 January 2025. Edited by Anne-Marie Bouchard, curator of Modern Art, the volume focuses on the idea of mobility in the life of the Canadian artist Helen McNicoll (1879-1915).
In the early 1900s, when women from well-to-do backgrounds were often confined to family and domestic life, Canadian Impressionist Helen McNicoll stood out for her love of travel and the discovery of new spaces. The artist emphasised painting outdoors and researching the effects of light and atmosphere that her numerous trips sustained. Her favourite subjects were scenes of everyday life, although she succeeded in offering an interpretation distinct from the Impressionists in that she focused more extensively on women’s labour.
The Helen McNicoll. An Impressionist Journey exhibition presents more than 60 works by the artist, 25 of them from the Pierre Lassonde collection. Through the prism of travel, the book thus examines the themes of female independence, risk-taking, friendship, and freedom for women in the stimulating context of the struggle by English suffragettes to win the right to vote.
Text in English and French.