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In an age where contemporary art has changed in mediums and language, scope and intent, this book weighs in on the moodiness, methodology, efforts, mental blitzkriegs and inner workings of modern master of art Syed Haider Raza. This book unravels the workings of Raza’s oeuvre and life at the age of 94 years. It is an attempt at appraising and transmitting the prevailing winds of intent and insight in the works of Raza through conversations with him about contemporary art. Living now in Delhi, Raza is going through a revolution in which he is bringing back his past in his works he is ploughing the depths of past trends in his use of color fields, in contextualizing genres in his journey of the ‘Bindu’ and explaining intuitive strategies that reflect his journeys. Looking at Raza’s art is an intimate act of prolonged engagement. The Bindu too has transformed through decades it signifies a different tenor in a world torn by terrorism and death.

In tone and technique Raza is meticulous, historically informative, and has a sensitive yet straight-eyed approach that often takes the form of a discourse that invites cogent considerations; his reflections of spirituality and his favorite poets Rilke and Kabir build up into a flashback tinted in-your-face reflection that might involve the desire to dig deeper into his quotations.

Nevertheless, in his own specific way, Raza brings to his own works that essential recipe of criticism illustrated in essence with his own brand of expertise and taste. When he discusses his works done over the past two years, he travels through verbal and visual dynamics, and gives us a set of references and details that define his sensibility that brims to an inner core of intellectual and aesthetic insignias. In his twilight years, Syed Haider Raza is unveiled as a modern master who comes through more like a sage who swims in the fervor and ferment of thoughts shaped by 60 years in Paris as well as formative years in India.

Contents: Preface by Ashok Vajpeyi; Foreword by Reena Lath; Curatorial Note by Uma Nair; Plates; Biography of S.H Raza.

In 1947 and 1948, Van Johnson was MGM’s top male box office draw. “On screen he was the Pied Piper; Elizabeth Taylor’s lover, he was a war pilot with Spencer Tracy,” writes his friend and decorator Carleton Varney in the introduction for Van Johnson’s Hollywood: A Family Album.
Along the way, his wife, Evie Wynn Johnson, an amateur shutterbug captured behind- the-scenes images of their friends, some of Hollywood’s most famous stars, such as Gary Cooper, Judy Garland, and Humphrey Bogart on the road, on the set, around the pool, and at their Hollywood home. She put together these casual and candid images in a family album that has never been published before. Their daughter, Schuyler adds her memories to this unique document of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Rembrandt van Rijn married Saskia van Uylenburgh, the love of his life, in Friesland (the Netherlands) in 1634. The famous painter came to know her when she visited her cousin in Amsterdam, Hendrick van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt’s art dealer. This book, the catalogue for a traveling exhibition, sketches a picture of marriage in the time of Rembrandt and Saskia. Their story is the tale of a high society marriage in seventeenth century Holland, from courtships to weddings to daily married life and funerals. The show follows Rembrandt and Saskia from their meeting to her untimely early death after 10 years of marriage. Paintings, drawings, and etchings by Rembrandt, as well as letters and poetry, are featured alongside wedding portraits, objects, and jewelry from the period, offering insight into what weddings and married life meant in the Golden Age of 17th century Holland.

A sweet fluffy mouse or an appealing little dog, winter landscapes or a summer scene with shepherds. This catalog of Dutch paintings from the collection of Eijk and Rose-Marie de Mol van Otterloo presents some of the finest paintings from the Golden Age. The collection includes beautiful scenes by famous painters such as Rembrandt and Frans Hals as well as countless other artists, with examples of all main genres of seventeenth-century Dutch painting. These masterpieces are usually inaccessible to public view. This is the first time that a representative selection from this magnificant collection has been exhibited in public. This richly-illustrated book contains reproductions of the highlights from the collection of the Dutch-American couple. The catalog of paintings is preceeded by an introductory essay on the origins of the collection. In all, this publication provides a superb opportunity to become acquainted with the qualities and varied choice of subject of dozens of painters from the Golden Age.

“This book takes in his introduction to wine – at the age of three! – through his continued travels and championing of New World wines when they were less fashionable.” – Matthew Nugent, The Irish Sun

“You can feel Oz Clarke’s expansive, chatty presence in every sentence” – Telegraph

“Reading Clarke may be the closest we’ll come to sharing a glass of sack with the Bard himself.” —David McIntyre, Washington Post
“Frankly, it’s the best and most entertaining wine read I’ve had in years.” —Tom Doorley, The Irish Mail

“You can never have too much of his captivating enthusiasm and rich knowledge and this is him at his best.” — Waitrose magazine

“A rollicking good read.” — Sommelier India

There have never been so many delicious and original wines in the world, and to discover them, all you need is a glass in your hand and Oz Clarke – the ideal wine companion. With his inimitable sense of adventure and fun, Oz explains how his fascination with flavor led him to abandon a promising acting career and follow his heart from Chablis to ‘the lost Himalayan valleys of Yunnan’ in pursuit new taste experiences and wine thrills. He found them! Oz Clarke On Wine takes us on a fast-paced, witty romp around the grape varieties key to the world’s major wine styles, then explores the vineyards and regions where a vast trove of wine treasure lies waiting for discovery. Oz’s passion for sharing, his deep wine knowledge, and his ability to conjure up the wine world’s most beautiful landscapes, make this book the most unputdownable wine read this century.

Includes:

These pages tell the story without words of a journey through Spain in which the author, the photographer Fernando Manso, visited unknown and hidden corners and captured them on the plates of his large-format camera. From the remotest parts of Galicia to those of Almería, he passed through coasts, deserts and mountains, stopping at old churches, ghostly castles or majestic cathedrals, in forests and gorges, at natural pools and salt mines, and at cemeteries, Arab baths and hermitages carved out of the rock.

Fernando has made the light of these places into the leading figure of his journey. His is a different light, as he has relinquished blue skies and brilliant sunshine, often the stuff of clichés, to make way for visions of places that appear to us with such intimate truth that even if we know them, we can barely recognize them. This is thanks to his technique, his art and the patience with which he waits for the light.

Fernando’s luxury is being able to use all the time in the world to draw us into an artistic heritage that is sometimes secret and hard to reach, and which the viewer has to know how to see. He reveals these places, often in danger of disappearing, after detailed investigation. Both architecture and landscape – for he knows that natural scenery is also a major patrimony that has to be affectionately preserved and protected from speculation – belong to all of us, and we are responsible for their care. We must be aware of this.

The result of that trip is this publication, with beautiful images in reproductions of exceptional quality that present us with a vision of Spain in a different light.

This book begins by presenting the specifity of Moroccan decoration, and in it, we will examine three main elements of traditional Moroccan decoration as used in architecture: calligraphy, floral arabesques, and geometric designs. The latter element will make up the bulk of this book. You will find information here that will help you more thoroughly understand what you see, and those who truly love this type of decoration will quickly be able to create their own arabesques. The section dealing with plane geometric decoration which is the many-faceted world of polygonal arabesques, includes part of Jean-Marc Castéra’s previous book, Géométrie douce, but with the addition of photographs. For the following section, dealing with the tridimensional aspects of geometric decoration, muqarnas, his study was greatly aided by a recent discovery in the world of geometry and physics, called non-periodic tiling and “quasicrystals”. This book contains a series of keys, but the gilded door needs to be illuminated so the desire to discover more – and see more – may be awakened. It is for this reason that there are so many drawings and photos in this book.

Contents: Preface – Introduction: Some milestones in the history of Islam; Calligraphy; Floral arabesques – A world of stars: Introduction; Presentation of the method; Stars; Other stars; Additional motifs – Muqarnas: Introduction; Muqarnas in Morocco; Applications and analyses – Creation: Craftsmen and techniques; Chemmassiats; Main Moroccan sites for decorative works – Bibliography; Credits.

Text in French.
This book begins by presenting the specifity of Moroccan decoration, and in it, we will examine three main elements of traditional Moroccan decoration as used in architecture: calligraphy, floral arabesques, and geometric designs. The latter element will make up the bulk of this book. You will find information here that will help you more thoroughly understand what you see, and those who truly love this type of decoration will quickly be able to create their own arabesques. The section dealing with plane geometric decoration which is the many-faceted world of polygonal arabesques, includes part of Jean-Marc Castéra’s previous book, Géométrie douce, but with the addition of photographs. For the following section, dealing with the tridimensional aspects of geometric decoration, muqarnas, his study was greatly aided by a recent discovery in the world of geometry and physics, called non-periodic tiling and “quasicrystals”. This book contains a series of keys, but the gilded door needs to be illuminated so the desire to discover more – and see more – may be awakened. It is for this reason that there are so many drawings and photos in this book.

Contents: Preface – Introduction: Some milestones in the history of Islam; Calligraphy; Floral arabesques – A world of stars: Introduction; Presentation of the method; Stars; Other stars; Additional motifs – Muqarnas: Introduction; Muqarnas in Morocco; Applications and analyses – Creation: Craftsmen and techniques; Chemmassiats; Main Moroccan sites for decorative works – Bibliography; Credits.

Text in French.

The study of art technology has gained importance in recent decades as a relevant source of information, not only for determining the material history of an art object, but also for contributing to cultural aspects concerning its creation and use: aesthetic, economic, social, religious, etc. Often the results of such investigations are carried out within a narrow discipline and are only made available within it. The success or failure of multidisciplinary approaches depends on the capacity to share information. Specialised researchers on sources relevant to the history, technology and production of art objects as a whole can overcome this obstacle – but under what disciplinary aegis? This volume contains papers in either English or Spanish which address these issues through case studies, paying special attention to methodology. Different types of art technological sources and the theory of source research are examined. While there is an emphasis on textual sources, an extensive range of subjects is covered.

Text in Spanish and English.

Fascinating, accessible and carefully structured, this is the first comprehensive and critical analysis of information on nineteenth-century artists’ materials; an invaluable resource.

In Pigments of English Medieval Wall Painting, the author demonstrates that the techniques of wall painting in medieval England were far more complex than had previously been supposed. This is the first systematic analysis of the pigments employed in medieval wall paintings in northern Europe, covering an extensive selection of schemes from a variety of sites including parish churches, cathedrals and abbeys (Canterbury, Westminster, Norwich, Winchester, St Albans, Sherborne and Durham). The nature and extent of the palette used is revealed as well as the sophistication with which pigments were applied to achieve differing effects. Thirty pigments are detected including four previously unknown in the context of English medieval wall paintings – vivianite, salt green, kermes lake and madder lake. Also discovered are three alterations of pigments: the lightening of red lead; alteration of vivianite to a yellow form and the transformation of verdigris to a blue chloride-based alteration product. The use of different binding media employed for particular pigments in a single paint layer demonstrates the complex manner in which paintings were executed. The findings, discussed in the context of wall painting, sculptural polychromy and panel painting techniques in medieval northern Europe, show the broad chronological development in the choice, fabrication and application of materials linked to changes in artistic intent, technology and workshop practice. Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 color plates, Pigments of English Medieval Wall Painting has significant implications for the conservation methods of such paintings and is an important source of information for all those interested in pigments and paintings.

This book sets out to present the basic information for the professional safekeeping of textile collections. Aimed at curators and owners of textile collections, collection management staff, conservators and students, the general thrust of the book has global relevance but much of the experience has been drawn from Northern Europe.

Ruudt Peters (b. 1950) is a pioneering conceptual jewelry artist who challenges traditional definitions of adornment by pushing the boundaries of context, wearability, material and presentation. On the occasion of his retrospective exhibition he gives a first complete overview of his forty-four-year oeuvre. All series of his work are comprehensively presented in texts and photographs of objects and portraits. Many previously unpublished views of installations and exhibitions as well as numerous drawings and sketches enhance the review, all complemented by video clips that can be accessed via QR codes, which provide the reader with short movies featuring background information about Peters’s work, and those who wear his pieces and the art of jewelry. The last chapter of the catalogue will be dedicated to Peter’s latest, hitherto unpublished series.

This book accompanies an exhibition, to be held at the CODA Museum, Apeldoorn (NL), 12.11.2017 – 28.1.2018; followed by venues in Huangzhou (CN), Tallinn (EE) and Vincenza (IT) (dates not yet confirmed)

www.ruudtpeters.nl
active on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruudt.peters?fref=ts

The representation of mysterious and fantastical figures, magical inscriptions and mythical beings that are half man and half beast are characteristic of the jewelry works and art objects created by Ulo Florack. With artistic mastery and an exuberant imagination, he tells stories using gold, silver, platinum and enamel. Ulo Florack is a multi-talented artist. It is almost impossible to categorize him. The question of whether he is more a painter or a jewelry artist cannot be answered definitively: both aspects cross-pollinate each other. His jewelry objects incorporate sculptural elements, whilst the choice and application of colors reveal the artist. His style is very distinctive and his objects use surprising ideological and intelligent imagery, which consciously hovers in the grey area between fantasy and reality. Text in English & German. Contents: Beatriz Chadour-Sampson: Between Fantasy and Reality; Just Work (catalogue of works); Just information (objects information); Biography, Solo exhibitions, Group exhibitions; Collections; Acknowledgements.

Not only is Private Spaces a luxury coffee table book, but it’s also an essential reference guide, a treasure trove of information and inspiration for anyone looking to decorate or build a home. It features projects that include all aspects of living and design: the most beautiful entrances, hallways and staircases, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, home offices and libraries, bedrooms, bathrooms and spaces for relaxation. Renowned architects and interior designers show their most remarkable new projects from all over the world.

“One of the world’s most complete, resonant art mediums (which) submits to spectacular skill and structural concepts” – Roberta Smith, New York Times These are exciting times for Japanese bamboo art. May 2017 saw the opening of Japan House São Paulo, whose inaugural exhibition ‘Bamboo: The Material That Built Japan’ drew over 300,000 visitors. From June 2017 to February 2018 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York mounted another bamboo show that was seen by about 400,000. From 27 November, the Musée du quai Branly in Paris will present the largest-ever exhibition on the subject. This authoritative catalog of 323 works from the Naej Collection thus appears at a moment when a new global audience has emerged. The Naej Collection is especially strong in works by leading artists from 1850 to 1950, when great craft dynasties were established and first Osaka and then Tokyo emerged as major centers of artistic basketry. The catalog breaks new ground by combining dramatic photography with precious documentary information drawn from signatures and inscriptions, making it not merely the visual record of a great collection but the essential reference work for a developing field of connoisseurship.

Text in English, Japanese and simplified Chinese.

Collecting objects gives enormous pleasure to approximately one third of the population, providing such benefits as intellectual stimulation, the thrill of the chase, and leaving a legacy. On the other hand, the same pursuit can engender pain; for example, paying too much for an object, unknowingly buying a fake, or dealing with the frustrations of collection dispersal. Until recently, there was no objective way to enhance the positive (pleasure) aspects of collecting and minimize the negative (pain). Now, for the first time, scientific research in neuro- and behavioral economics gives us a way to turn this around.

Neuroeconomics is the study of the biological foundation of economic thought, while behavioral economics incorporates insights from psychology and other social sciences into the examination of monetary behavior. By using examples from these disciplines, Shirley M. Mueller, MD, relates her own experiences as a serious collector and as a neuroscientist to examine different behavioral traits which characterize collectors.

The contents of this book are cutting edge, unique and sure to get attention. Mueller breaks new ground in an area not previously explored. Her information is relevant not only for collectors, but also for colleges, and universities which teach collection management, plus museum staff who interact with collectors and dealers of objects desired by collectors. Heavily illustrated with ceramics from Mueller’s collection and packed with useful information, this book will become a required vital resource.

The over 45,000 plant and 77,000 animal species that have been recorded in India make up 7 per cent of the total plant and 6.4 per cent of the animal species found in the world. The enormous variation in landscapes based on climate and topography has created different ecosystems that support and nurture this biodiversity, which is among the country’s most distinctive features. From the majestic Himalayas in the North to the lush tropics of the South, the precious natural resources of the subcontinent are found in forest, grassland, desert and semi-arid, island, coastal belt and marine ecosystems.
Industrialisation and modern ways of life are pillaging these resources and posing a monumental threat to the natural world. It is estimated that as many as 50 per cent of the earth’s species are likely to become extinct during the next two decades. With 1300 photographs, 400 illustrations, five animations, 21 videoclips and 26 bird calls captured in 62 of India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which are among 566 protected areas that cover only 4.6 per cent of the country, this educational CD-ROM provides an interactive experience on biodiversity answering important questions like-How is biodiversity degraded? Why do we need to conserve it? An informative booklet provides detailed information on biodiversity and conservation in India. Includes CD-ROM.

The Walking Tour City Guide series provides an engaging bridge between conventional tourist books, which contain less information on architecture, and academic books, which are often too specialized for a leisurely audience. A Walking Tour: Ahmedabad – the first to focus on an Indian city – provides hand-drawn illustrations that escort the reader from building to building, providing information on history, architectural styles, uses and purpose, and the architects themselves. Focusing on the blend of medieval and modern architecture in Ahmedabad, the authors explore the magnificent old city and the historic ‘Pol’ houses. They also shed light on the buildings built by modern masters, such as Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. From havelis and temples to mosques, markets, and buildings that were only made possible because of the work of Mahatma Gandhi, the authors provide a lively illustrated tour through this city which has seen Mughal, Maratha and British influences in its culture, food and architecture.

The Book of Tea (1906) by Okakura Kakuzō has long become a classic. Its title notwithstanding, the book is not a manual on tea. Rather it is an essay, better a hymn, to culture, aesthetics and the spirit of tea as a symbol, a paradigm, of the Asian soul. It was created by a passionate Japanese scholar whose life was devoted to renew and spread the values of the East in the same moment in which his own country seemed to deny them in order to embrace Western culture. This new edition has an important apparatus of over 200 notes to explain the contents of the book and supply all the information needed to understand it fully (concepts of Eastern philosophy, history, geography, biographical information), something that so far has never been done. It also contains an important essay by Giancarlo Calza on Okakura and his role to foster intercultural understanding and the development of spirituality through the aesthetics and practice of the tea ceremony as a style of life. Contents: The Cup of Humanity; The Schools of Tea; Taoism and Zennism; The Tea-room; Art Appreciation; Flowers; Tea-masters; Okakura: A Life in Style by Giancarlo Calza

Academics, designers and managers in the nonprofit sector, provide valuable information to students of historic preservation and landscape history, and to a more general public that, as editor Charles Birnbaum says, must be educated about the value of modern landscape design.

For many people, their home encapsulates their life. No matter how big or small, a home is a direct representation of the homeowner’s attitude, their opinions, and their individual aesthetics. Using the home as a starting point, this compilation is filled with the first-hand accounts of local and international residents who live in Shanghai. People from all professions – office workers, chefs, designers, and even diplomats – describe their daily lives and how they have come to find themselves in this metropolis, whether they reside in small apartments, studio spaces, three-storey lane houses, or modern skyscraper apartments overlooking Pudong’s immense skyline. Each resident tells their personal story, offering a unique insight into why so many people from around the world have made their home in Shanghai.

The term “smart” in reference to homes and communities describes places whose function is related to or affected by information technology. In the wake of the ongoing digital revolutions of the 21st century, designers and planners are paying significant attention to the design of dwellings and neighborhoods and are considering new economic realities, by integrating innovative digital appliances, which are also helping to foster economic sustainability for future generations. In this important book, Avi Friedman, Professor of Architecture at McGill University in Montreal, examines these concepts and their applications through several revealing essays, which are illustrated with lavish full-colour photography, detailed diagrams, and technological insight through a selection of case studies from around the globe. The text comprehensively investigates several key topics, namely the correlations between the built and the natural environments and their ecological attributes; issues of mobility and transportation; the mixing of amenities and residences; district heating and other energy efficiencies; planning for green open space while considering the residents’ lifestyle; edible landscapes and novel urban agriculture practices and their implementation; reducing a community footprint with regards to the evolution of high-density living; the principles of heritage conservation within communities, where social, economic, and environmental issues are all present, where old is mixed with new; how sustainability is achieved when dwellings are designed for and equipped with advanced “green” technologies, for adaptable homes, multi-generational dwellings, add-in and add-on units, and plug and play, among others.

Modern public space requires wayfinding information that can help users familiarize or adapt themselves in new building environments. Wayfinding systems designed to fulfill the essential functions of direction, notice or explanation often absorb creative designing elements. This book is an informative and systematic compilation of many updated design works for wayfinding by international designing studios, ranging across shopping malls, gardens, hospitals, schools, office buildings, museums, libraries, among others. And the wayfinding design works represented in this book originate from their application in various public spaces. This book is a great reference for graphic designers, architects, scholars, or students majored in the design disciplines.

Wines of France provides a comprehensive account of the vineyards and wines of France today. Offering unparalleled range, France has been the world’s most important wine-producing country for more than a hundred years, and is the source of the major grape varieties now grown all over the world. Extensively illustrated with photographs and maps of each area, Wines of France reviews wine production in all regions of France, from the top appellation wines to discoveries in Vins de France. Selected wines are suggested as an introduction to each area. From the classics of Burgundy and Bordeaux, to the sparkling wines of Champagne, and the challenging climates of Alsace and the Loire, from the Rhône to the Languedoc and Provence, all of France’s wine regions are included. Each chapter ends with detailed vintage information. France’s wines are better than ever, but have never been so challenged by competition. Considering the tension between tradition and modernism, Wines of France asks whether France is still the essential reference point for grape varieties and wine styles, explains how production is changing in established regions, and identifies new emerging regions. Leading vineyards and winemakers are profiled in detail, with suggestions for wines to try and vineyards to visit. With comprehensive coverage of the wine-producing regions, and reviews of 500 wine producers, this is the indispensable guide to the wines of France.