Exclusive cocktails at a bar, excessive partying at a club, or relaxed chilling at a lounge people need to occasionally escape from their everyday life into another world. This is made possible by the individual character and the very own atmosphere of each special location, which are strongly defined by architectural and design visions. Apart from the drinks, the music and the people, lighting and space, form and furnishing are decisive success factors for all good concepts. Nowhere else can a designed space have such a strong effect and impact. While the range of styles has grown enormously recently, this field has become one of the most exciting tasks for interior designers. This volume takes the reader on a tour of very unique bars, clubs and lounges from around the world.

This unashamed visual feast celebrates the best designed and illustrated picturebooks from around the world over the past one hundred years. Each book is a creation of genius and inventiveness, and their design and illustration represent such diverse trends as the Russian Constructivists, Italian Futurists, and Postwar Neo-romantics. They are also mirrors of their times reflecting social concerns from a child's and family's perspectives throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. Fearlessly confronting the frontiers between a child's picturebook and art, this is a collection of books that anyone with an interest in design, illustration, or simply children's literature should know about.

What is a true 1950s look, as opposed to a 1930s or 1940s look? This book aims to address that question by thoroughly surveying the development of graphic design over the course of the 20th century. Timelines for each decade highlight key moments, styles and movements, while profiles of thirty influential graphic designers three per decade are interspersed throughout the book.

Japanese interior design is marked by contradictions. Simple color schemes belie complex and playful concepts, hyper-modern spaces are created using only traditional materials, and the relationship between nature and human architecture is sometimes tense, sometimes harmonious. Some aspects do remain constant: stylish minimalism rules, the color palette tend to be warm and light, and the designers always seem to invent extraordinary solutions to ordinary challenges. This volume, now as softcover edition, presents Japan's most exciting contemporary interior design projects, with a range of areas that includes hotels, offices, shops, bars, restaurants, and private homes. From world-renowned designers to up-and-coming young talents, the land of the Rising Sun proves to be a land of endless inspiration and creativity.

The debate surrounding hand drawing versus computer-generated imagery has become a hot topic. Having grown up with computers, todays interior design and architecture students are extremely adept at creating computer imagery, but often lack confidence in their freehand sketching skills, or do not know how to sketch at all. Sketching, and the careful observation that it entails, is essential for the successful development of the next generation of designers. Forty-five step-by-step exercises take the student from the simple three dimensional forms of furniture, to interiors, to complex building exteriors and cityscapes. Technical topics covered include tools, line weights, perspective, proportion, composition, shading, serial views and context. Exercises are illustrated with beautiful sketches specially created by the author. Sketching for Architecture and Interior Design is an indispensable and practical guide for students wishing to master the art of looking and sketching.

Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, the Hermitage Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. In early 2000, it was decided that the eastern wings General Staff Building (182030) should be converted into a museum of 19th and 20th century art, and an international architectural competition was held. St Petersburg-based Studio 44 won the commission for the elegant manner with which it addressed the projects complexity, by preserving the integrity of the original design, adapting a ministry building into an exhibition space, incorporating 21st-century museum technologies and connecting to the main buildings and public areas of the city beyond. The centrepiece of the design is a breathtaking enfilade that will enthral visitors to the new space. The scale and dramatic outcome of the building provides a treasure trove of information and inspiration for architects, museum visitors, curators and anyone interested in Russia's rich cultural heritage, of which this building marks a new chapter.

The Evolution of Type takes the reader on a journey through the development of type design and typographic style from the mid-15th century to the present day, by way of 100 typefaces. Chosen to represent the key elements of style and form used by the punch cutters, calligraphers and designers of their day, and presented in chronological order according to release date, each typeface is discussed in terms of its origins and its impact on the design and print industry, and latterly the additional considerations for screen use. Versions released in metal-foundry type for hand-setting, as hot-metal type for the monotype and linotype machines, as phototype, and as digital revivals or originals, are covered in detail alongside information about the people responsible for the design and development of each adaptation of the typeface. Key glyphs from each face are annotated to indicate the specific features that mark out how typeface design has evolved over the last 500 or so years, and visual comparisons illustrate how typefaces created years ago have influenced the design of many contemporary releases. For the general reader, this book offers a thorough history of the typefaces we have been reading for decades; for typographers and designers, it is a valuable resource that will help to inform their choice of the most appropriate typeface for a project.

Greek sculpture is full of breathing vitality and yet, at the same time, it reaches beyond mere imitation of nature to give form to thought in works of timeless beauty. For over 2000 years the Greeks experimented with representing the human body in works that range from prehistoric abstract simplicity to the full-blown realism of the age of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greeks invented the modern idea of the human body in art as an object of sensory delight and as a bearer of meaning. Their vision has had a profound influence on the way the western world sees itself. Drawing on the British Museums outstanding collection of Greek sculpture including extraordinary pieces from the Parthenon and the celebrated representation of a discus thrower and through a number of themed sections, this richly illustrated book explores the Greek portrayal of human character in sculpture, along with sexual and social identity. In athletics, the male body was displayed as if it was a living sculpture, and victors were commemorated by actual statues. In art, not only were mortal men and women represented in human form but also the gods and other beings of myth and the supernatural world. In a series of lively introductory chapters, written by a selection of academics, historians and artists, it is revealed how the Greeks themselves viewed the sculpture (which was vividly enhanced with colour), and how it was regarded and treated in later pagan antiquity. The revival of the Greek body in the modern era is also discussed, including the shock of the new effect of the arrival of the Parthenon sculptures in London at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

What drives artists to represent people as they do? This question, at the heart of figurative art, and how we represent ourselves as a society, is especially relevant today. Author Charlotte Mullins picks up the conversation at a time when the art world is influenced by the proliferation of images of all kinds, across all mediums, as well as a growing interest in figurative art. Profiles of nearly sixty artists from Kara Walker and Grayson Perry to Cindy Sherman and Kehinde Wiley showcase significant works and are accompanied by the artists commentary, illustrating the range of motivations, mediums, and techniques driving one of the most potent genres of art today. The book is organized into five thematic sections that reflect artists motivations, which range from investigating the history of art itself to exploring interpersonal relationships. Mullins s keen curatorial eye picks out informed, sometimes unexpected juxtapositions of artists that reveal new affinities and distinctions between them, making Picturing People an important contribution to the study of figurative art.

Drawing was central to Cezannes indefatigable search for solutions to the problems posed by the depiction of reality. Many of his watercolours are equal to his paintings, and he himself made no real distinction between painting and drawing. This books six chapters are arranged thematically covering the whole range of Cezannes uvre: works after the Old Masters such as Michelangelo and Rubens; his period as one of the Impressionists; his exploration of both portraiture and the human figure, including the magnificent bathers; his interaction with landscape, particularly in his native Provence and the dominating form of Mont Sainte-Victoire; and finally the magisterial still lifes. In the Introduction, as well as throughout the book, Lloyd sets the drawings and watercolours in the context of Cezannes life and overall artistic development. The result is a greater understanding of the process that led to some of the most absorbing art ever produced.

John Singer Sargent: Painting Friends features a fascinating selection of over forty of the artists portraits of his circle of associates artists, writers, actors and musicians, many of whom he knew well. In contrast to his well-known society portraits, these works were rarely the result of commissions, and so are often more informal and radical in style. Beautifully reproduced here, the selection includes portraits from major international public and private collections, along with extended captions that provide additional insight into Sargent's life and work. Featuring an introductory essay by Barbara Dayer Gallati, Curator Emerita of American Art at the Brooklyn Musuem, and an illustrated chronology that places Sargent's work and sitters in the context of the artistic and cultural events of the time, this book is the perfect introduction to Sargent's portraiture.

The essence of Italian style through fashion and costume in the 20th century in a handsome volume that captures the evolution of Italian fashion's biggest brands. The fashion archive of Enrico Quinto and Paolo Tinarelli has been painstakingly assembled over the last twenty years and traces the international evolution of costume from the mid-19th century to the present day. This quintessential volume on Italian style narrates the development of fashion through around three hundred dresses, chronologically ordered and selected from an international collection of over six thousand pieces, enriched by commentary by historians, journalists, and fashion designers, but also by photography, film, and personal testimony: a concrete resource for historians of costume, students, and those passionate about style. The idea of departing from a purely chronological sequence springs from a desire to demonstrate the vitality and ongoing relevance of historical pieces through their juxtaposition with contemporary examples. Most of the displayed dresses were documented by photographers when they first appeared on famous actresses, models, and jet-set personalities of the time: from the Duchess of Windsor to Queen Paola of Belgium, from Princess Grace of Monaco to Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Veruschka, Marisa Berenson, and Grace Jones, among many others.

How Posters Work is more than a standard exhibition catalogue. Conceived as a useful and illuminating primer in visual thinking, it explores principles of design through a range of historical and contemporary works, uncovering ideas relevant not just to the design of posters but to 2D design more generally. How Posters Work has a unique focus on visual language. Rather than provide a history of the genre or a compilation of collectibles, the book is organized around active design principles. Concepts such as Simplify, Focus the eye, Exploit the diagonal, Reverse expectations, and Say two things at once are illustrated with a diverse range of posters, from avant-garde classics and rarely seen international works to contemporary pieces by todays leading graphic designers. Illustrated with over 150 works from the collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, How Posters Work provides a stunning education in seeing and making, demonstrating how some of the worlds most creative designers have mobilized principles of layout, composition, psychology, and rhetoric to produce powerful acts of visual communication.

Exhibition Design 2 describes the skills needed to become an exhibition designer, including: developing a brief and working with clients; design principles for graphics, circulation, lighting and accessibility; presenting ideas to clients; and the practicalities of production. A wealth of visual material includes photographs of completed exhibitions by world-renowned designers, concept drawings, computer renderings, charts and tables of information all for a wide range of exhibitions around the world, permanent and temporary, including museums and galleries, visitor centres, brand experiences, festivals and trade fairs. This second edition includes new examples, updated information on the latest digital technology and expanded coverage of interactives and sound and film.

Concrete is an all-around talent, already in use in ancient Rome and since the second half of the 20th century one of the most important building materials. After a period of excess and architectural faux pas a renaissance of exposed concrete began in the 1990s. Whether the design would expressive-opulent or minimalistic-clear, the constant advance of technological developments, especially sophisticated new types of concrete, made possible phenomenal, previously unattainable constructions in high design quality. This volume provides an overview of contemporary realized projects. Their selection presents the many faces of concrete and the breadth of design possibilities of this building material. Furthermore, excursuses are dedicated to the role of concrete in product design.

Abstract Expressionism is arguably the most important art movement since the Second World War. Because the images created by such leading figures as Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko were so extraordinary, it is often thought to have been a revolution in painting only, but its radical spirit also encompassed David Smith s sculpture and Aaron Siskind s photography. With other key artists such as Barnett Newman and Franz Kline, this group was a nucleus united not just against the tensions of American society from the 1930s onward but also in its aim to forge a new visual language. In this concise account, David Anfam examines the movement in terms of its political implications and cultural context, taking into account a wealth of recent scholarship on the subject and offering fresh insight into the works themselves.

You've already learnt How To Become The Best Bubble Writer In The World Ever — now do it in 3D! In this great new addition to the Bubble Writer series, learn how to draw loads of great new bubble alphabets — and then learn how to take them off the page! Make your letters pop off the page with perspective, create real 3D letters of all shapes and sizes, try out stand-up letters, hanging letters, letters you can wear and many, many more! The book also comes with 8 brilliant sheets of press-out coloured card to help you achieve your bubble-writing creations.

Michelangelo regarded portraiture as a trivial genre, and Peter Paul Rubens did not instantly develop a preference for it either. Yet Rubens succeeded, as none other, in endowing his portraits with an almost palpable sense of immediacy, and was to become one of the greatest portraitists of all time. His most beautiful and surprising portraits are those of his immediate family. These intimate pictures were not intended for public display and are therefore considerably freer and more experimental than the likenesses he painted of influential patrons. Nothing about these private images seems idealized. They are uncommonly honest and veracious and at the same time expressive of great tenderness. While the hundreds of letters he wrote reveal very little about his emotional life, Ruben's portraits of family members testify in a special way to the affection he felt for his first and second wives, his brother and his children.

Many of the sitters in this collection were John Singer Sargents close friends. They are posed informally, sometimes in the act of painting or singing, and it is evident from the bold way they confront us that they are personalities of a creative stamp. Brilliant as these pictures are as works of art and penetrating studies of character, they are also records of relationships, allegiances, influences and aspirations. This volume, and the exhibition it accompanies, aims to explore these friendships in depth and draw out their significance in the story of Sargents life and the development of his art. The book is structured chronologically, with sections arranged according to the places Sargent worked and formed relationships during his cosmopolitan career: Paris, London, New York, Italy and the Alps. The cast of characters includes famous names, among them Gabriel Faure and Auguste Rodin, Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James. But the authors also make their point with images of Sargents familiars, such as the artists Jane and Wilfrid de Glehn who accompanied him on his sketching expeditions to the Continent, and the Italian painter Ambrogio Raffele, a recurrent model in his Alpine studies. In such paintings Sargent explored the making of art (his own included) and the relationship of the artist to the natural world. These are examples of an absorbing range of images and personalities, all distinguished in one way or another for their artistry, and all linked by friendship and a shared aesthetic to the central figure of Sargent himself.

Aperture is pleased to present the elegantly updated and refreshed Henri Cartier-Bresson edition of the Aperture Masters of Photography Series. With an introduction by notable curator Clement Cheroux, this edition includes new, image-by-image commentary and a chronology of this influential and iconic artists life. Initially presented as the History of Photography Series in 1976, the first volume of the Masters of Photography Series featured Cartier-Bresson and was edited by legendary French publisher Robert Delpire, who cofounded the series with Apertures own Michael Hoffman. In this redesigned and expanded version of the classic Aperture book, we have kept the majority of the selection of images from the original series which Cartier-Bresson himself created with Delpire, encapsulating the spontaneity and intuition for which this legendary photographer is so celebrated.