It comes as a surprise to many that the elemental human impulse to tell stories, far from being the exclusive realm of children’s bedtime, long-forgotten civilizations and remote cultures, is also a burgeoning creative art form here, now, in twenty-first century, postindustrial societies. Storytelling in the Moment is a wide-ranging, multidisciplinary yet accessible exploration of contemporary verbal storytelling in Britain and Ireland. Primary research focuses attention on the working practices of today’s storytellers, the role of the listener/participant in a storytelling event, the informal groups and established organizations that sustain its development, the multifaceted roles that storytelling now plays in our society and the complex network interconnections that link its component parts. It also seeks to reveal how an emergent, grassroots, socio-cultural movement can become ubiquitous in society but pass largely unnoticed by a wider public in an age of global mass-media.
In 1542 Pope Paolo III Farnese, with the approval of Michelangelo, commissioned to Perino del Vaga (1501–1547) a tapestry basement for the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel (Vatican).
The Spalliera was never completed, but its model, painted on canvas, was later acquired by cardinal Bernardino Spada to be placed in his roman palace (now Galleria Spada), where it was used in radically different fashion as a frieze, completed with parts by other artists.
The book is the first in-depth study of this work and of its significance in Perino’s artistic career, marked by an intense dialogue with Michelangelo’s art. It also explores the importance attributed by Michelangelo to decoration, apparently antithetical to the heroic dimension for which he is celebrated
The reception of the Spalliera by different artists is studied through a group of drawings deriving from it and lasting until the baroque age, as attested by Rubens.
“I had to be an actor,” Michael Caine once said. “[…] And of course, you have to remember with me, the alternative was a factory.”
A working-class actor who broke through to stardom, Caine’s screen-time involves standout performances across multiple genres. To this day, he is synonymous with a certain kind of urbane cool. No camera has captured this quality over the decades better than that of his collaborator and long-time friend, Terry O’Neill.
The choreographer, performance and installation artist Angie Hiesl has been presenting her interdisciplinary projects since the 1980s, always and exclusively at “art-unrelated” locations in private and public urban spaces. Since 1997 she has been realising her artistic projects together with the director, choreographer and visual artist Roland Kaiser. Her works, which have received many awards, are shown worldwide.
Twenty-five years ago, she made ageing in our society the subject of an artistic intervention in public space. With x-mal Mensch Stuhl she created a project that was performed in 16 countries in Europe, North and South America. Since the premiere of the project in Cologne in 1995, Roland Kaiser has documented the guest performances worldwide and created a large body of photographs.
These questions are not only important for each individual, but are also of great social and ethical relevance – in all societies worldwide. Against the background of the international corona pandemic, the issue of old age is all the more explosive.
This catalogue is published on the occasion of the photo exhibition in Cologne, which will take place from September 17, 2020 to January 31, 2021.
Text in English and German.
Today, art and science are often defined in opposition to each other: one involves the creation of individual aesthetic objects, and the other the discovery of general laws of nature. Throughout human history, however, the boundaries have been less clearly drawn: knowledge and artifacts have often issued from the same source, the head and hands of the artisan. And artists and scientists have always been linked, on a fundamental level, by their reliance on creative thinking.
Art and Science is the only book to survey the vital relationship between these two fields of endeavour in its full scope, from prehistory to the present day. Individual chapters explore how science has shaped architecture in every culture and civilisation; how mathematical principles and materials science have underpinned the decorative arts; how the psychology of perception has spurred the development of painting; how graphic design and illustration have evolved in tandem with methods of scientific research; and how breakthroughs in the physical sciences have transformed the performing arts. Some 265 illustrations, ranging from masterworks by Dürer and Leonardo to the dazzling vistas revealed by fractal geometry, complement the wide-ranging text. This new edition of
Art and Science has been updated to cover the ongoing convergence of art and technology in the digital age, a convergence that has led to the emergence of a new type of creator, the ‘cultural explorer’ whose hybrid artworks defy all traditional categorisation. It will make thought-provoking reading for students and teachers, workers in creative and technical fields, and anyone who is curious about the history of human achievement.
Basketball shoe, tennis shoe, trainer or sneaker, regardless of the name, they have influenced the way we live, and the way we dress, since the early 20th century. Worn by millions of people the world over, sneakers have, in just a few decades, become a mass-market product that transcends gender, age, and social and cultural background. But how did a simple sports shoe make the leap from the pitch to become a genuine fashion accessory or even a piece of art? With over 600 pairs, films, archive documents, photos and personal accounts, this book presents all the facets of this iconic object, from its success with New York breakdancers to the cutting-edge technological research that goes on with that.
Text in English and French.
Hefte zur Baukunst, a publication series issued by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, puts the spotlight on architectural structures that are of historic importance, documenting their background, development, and professional restoration.
The second volume in the series is devoted to the Iron Bridge, which crosses the River Servern, in Shropshire, 60km to the northwest of Birmingham. Owing to its vast resources of iron ore and coal, the region is known as the birthplace of Great Britain’s Industrial Revolution. In order to establish a reliable link between the mines and factories situated on both sides of the River Severn, an initiative was set up in the 18th century to replace the unstable wooden bridge with a modern iron construction.
The architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (1723–1777) and his technical advisor John Wilkinson (1728–1808) designed a structure that had no precedent. They could not draw on any previous data since nobody at the time had any experience with, or had ever calculated, the load-bearing capacity of an iron structure. In the end, the bridge reputedly required a total of 385 tons of cast iron and more than 1,700 individual pieces. Instead of bolts and rivets, merely dovetails and tenon and mortise joints were used.
The Iron Bridge was opened to traffic in 1781, and, in 1986, the structure was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An expert survey conducted in 2000 and in-depth research on materials, surfaces, and construction techniques resulted in a detailed conservation plan, which was successfully carried out in the following years.
Text in English and German.
During his 60-odd years as a painter Francis Bacon fearlessly tackled the unruly imagery of life, remaining defiantly committed to giving this purposeless existence a meaning. His insistence on depicting the mysteries of human experience had been rare in an age dominated by abstraction. Now, with the international resurgence of figurative imagery, the pivotal importance of his work has become more obvious than ever before. The power and magnitude of his life’s work are vividly conveyed by this thorough evaluation written by Hugh Davies and Sally Yard.
Born in Dublin, as a teenager Bacon moved to London, where he worked as an interior designer and taught himself to paint. Responding to influences as diverse as Michelangelo and the photographer Muybridge, he has created a motion-filled style uniquely his own. Fascinated by the challenge of capturing what he calls the mysteries of appearance, Bacon confronts us with emotional images that demand an emotional response.
About Abbeville’s Modern Masters series:
With informative, enjoyable texts and over 100 illustrations-approximately 48 in full colour-this innovative series offers a fresh look at the most creative and influential artists of the postwar era. The authors are highly respected art historians and critics chosen for their ability to think clearly and write well. Each handsomely designed volume presents a thorough survey of the artists life and work, as well as statements by the artist, an illustrated chapter on technique, a chronology, lists of exhibitions and public collections, an annotated bibliography, and an index. Every art lover, from the casual museum goer to the serious student, teacher, critic, or curator, will be eager to collect these Modern Masters. And with such a low price, they can afford to collect them all.
Women have had a special relationship with the camera since the advent of photographic technology in the mid-nineteenth century. Photographers celebrated women as their subjects, from intimate family portraits and fashion spreads to artistic photography and nude studies, including Man Ray’s Violon d’Ingres.
Featuring more than 300 illustrations, A History of Women Photographers is the only comprehensive survey of women photographers from the age of the daguerreotype to the present day. In this edition, author Naomi Rosenblum expands the book’s coverage to include additional photographers and fourteen new images. The text and the appendix of photographer biographies have been revised throughout, and Rosenblum also provides a new afterword, in which she evaluates the influence of rapidly changing digital technology on the field of photography and the standing of women photographers in the twenty-first century.
Founded in 1804, the New-York Historical Society is New York City’s oldest museum, with a rich history of scholarship, research, and illuminating exhibitions. The museum collection of the New-York Historical Society comprises more than 1.6 million works of art, featuring an impressive collection of Tiffany lamps, paintings by celebrated American portraitists, all the known preparatory watercolours for John James Audubon’s Birds of America, and exquisite works by artists of the Hudson River School – including Thomas Cole’s monumental series The Course of Empire.
The Library is internationally known as a major research venue for the study of American and New York history. Its rich collections include more than five million manuscript items, 350,000 books, and several million photographs, prints, architectural renderings, and related holdings. The Library’s vast holdings of printed ephemera documenting daily life, culture, commerce, and politics from the 18th through the earlier 20th centuries are unrivaled. The collections provide a continuous record of New York and American history from the founding of New Amsterdam through the tragic events of 9/11. The Library’s deepest areas of original source material include the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, the Early Republic, the Civil War, and the Gilded Age, with emphases on slavery and Abolition, temperance, social welfare, urban life, and architecture. Now celebrating a groundbreaking renovation and the dedication of its Center for the Study of Women’s History, the Museum and Library present highlights from their remarkable holdings, from the folk art collection of sculptor Elie Nadelman to iconic ephemera from all eras of American history, for the first time as a Tiny Folio. An ideal souvenir for the New-York Historical Society’s visitors, this charming volume also features a special section of works depicting the city itself, alongside full-colour photography and short introductory texts.
Customers today demand a highly personalised and unique purchasing experience: they require expert guidance in a purchasing process that is relevant and efficient from start to finish. Less Contact, More Impact explores the dynamics of corporate sales today and in the future as a function of trust and cooperation. The RIO model developed by Belgium-based Blinc Sales Institute marks the evolution of a new era in which genuine contact between client and salesperson is crucial to meeting the challenges of customer expectations. The goal of this book is to guide sales in the digital age in order to achieve maximum personal impact, better results, and consistent customer satisfaction in a minimum amount of time.
In How Artists See Jr.: Babies children will encounter pictures of laughing babies, sleeping babies, playing babies, and more, created by Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Cassatt, Keith Haring, and others.
The How Artists See Jr. board books are a child’s first introduction to the magic and beauty of art. Like a miniature museum exhibit that parent and child can explore together, this book features twelve diverse works of art from around the world, centered on a theme that little ones love: Babies, Dogs, Horses or Trains.
The ‘apples to apples’ comparisons will engage young children, helping them see the familiar in unexpected ways, while the books’ comfortable size and colorful presentation will make them lasting family favorites. Designed specifically to encourage parent-child interaction, thoughtful conversations and vocabulary enrichment, the books feature a ‘Parents’ Guide’ on their back covers suggesting questions for Mom or Dad to ask while browsing.
Adapted from the acclaimed How Artists See series by Colleen Carroll, the concise, appealing How Artists See Jr. format gives young learners a taste of the many exciting ways in which artists see their world. Once they have finished looking at the books, kids may want to create some art of their own!
Age Range: 2 to 6-year-olds
In How Artists See Jr.: Horses children will encounter pictures of racehorses, pet horses, “horses of a different color,” and more, created by Edgar Degas, Utagawa Hiroshige, ancient Greek sculptors, and others.
The How Artists See Jr. board books are a child’s first introduction to the magic and beauty of art. Like a miniature museum exhibit that parent and child can explore together, this book features twelve diverse works of art from around the world, centered on a theme that little ones love: Babies, Dogs, Horses or Trains.
The ‘apples to apples’ comparisons will engage young children, helping them see the familiar in unexpected ways, while the books’ comfortable size and colorful presentation will make them lasting family favourites. Designed specifically to encourage parent-child interaction, thoughtful conversations and vocabulary enrichment, the books feature a ‘Parents’ Guide’ on their back covers suggesting questions for Mom or Dad to ask while browsing.
Adapted from the acclaimed How Artists See series by Colleen Carroll, the concise, appealing How Artists See Jr. format gives young learners a taste of the many exciting ways in which artists see their world. Once they have finished looking at the books, kids may want to create some art of their own!
Age Range: 2 to 6-year-olds
Women have had a special relationship with the camera since the advent of photographic technology in the mid-19th century. Photographers celebrated women as their subjects, from intimate family portraits and fashion spreads to artistic photography and nude studies, including Man Ray’s Violon d’Ingres. Lesser known – and lesser studied – is the history of women photographers, who continue to make invaluable contributions to this flourishing art form.
Featuring more than 300 illustrations, A History of Women Photographers is the only comprehensive survey of women photographers from the age of the daguerreotype to the present day. In this edition, author Naomi Rosenblum expands the book’s coverage to include additional photographers and 14 new images. The text and the appendix of photographer biographies have been revised throughout, and Rosenblum also provides a new afterword, in which she evaluates the influence of rapidly changing digital technology on the field of photography and the standing of women photographers in the 21st century.
This book celebrates, by way of a dual narrative, the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, designed and furnished by Gio Ponti to a commission from Carlo Maurilio Lerici. The essays aim to examine the events linked to the commission of the project itself, and to the planning and realisation of the building together with its interior design. The volume contains a selection of images taken from the Institute’s historical archive, as well as a new photographic reportage on the architectural and design elements featured in this building.
It is well-known that Ponti took a great interest in Sweden (suffice it to think of all the space that was devoted to Swedish design in the pages of the magazine Domus from the early 1950s), yet it is fascinating to learn more and find answers regarding the dynamics that lay behind the making of this structure. Indeed, Gio Ponti managed to surpass the Swedish architect Ture Wennerholm’s original idea, to breathe life into a project where the spaces, albeit organised according to function, succeed one another in a harmonious play of broken lines and different hues. Assisting him in the task were Pier Luigi Nervi and Ferruccio Rossetti.
Gio Ponti gave life to a “classical modern” project in which art and architecture merge, proof that he had overcome the limits that were set by the trends characterising that day and age. In so doing, he laid the groundwork for a new course in the cultural relations between Italy and Sweden.
Text in English and Italian.