The ancient Greeks perceived the human body as an object of sensory delight and its depiction as the expression of an intelligent mind. This sumptuous photographic book explores ancient Greek sculptures of the body from every angle. With an introduction outlining the use of the body in Greek art from the prehistoric simplicity of Cycladic figurines to the realism of the Hellenistic age, seven thematic sections then feature stunning photographs of close ups taken from the British Museum's outstanding collection of marble, bronze and terracotta sculpture. The gods and heroes of Greek religion and mythology are conceived in the image of mankind, as supermen and superwomen, while other supernatural beings such as centaurs and satyrs combine human with animal parts as symbols of their otherworldliness. Human shape is also given to the inanimate phenomena of nature, such as wind and moon, as well as intangible human experiences such as sleep and death. A salient feature of Greek art is human nudity, which was celebrated rather than considered shameful. The great majority of female nudes that have come down to us are representations of Aphrodite, goddess of erotic love. In the Hellenistic age, Alexander's conquest and Hellenisation of the people formerly included in the Persian empire created a new and cosmopolitan world. Greek artists were made more aware than ever before of the ethnic diversity of humanity and delighted in representing and classifying humankind in all its variety young and old, fat and thin, beautiful and ugly, freeborn and slave, pauper and wealthy, able and disabled, moral and immoral. The Hellenistic period, more than any previous, was also truly an age of portraiture, reflected love in compelling and unusual images.

Provence Sketchbook takes the reader through this historically rich region that also boasts some of France's most breathtaking landscapes. As the first Roman province outside of Italy, Provence has a wealth of architectural styles stretching back through the millennia, and as such, is a fascinating study for visitors. Evocative watercolours and illuminating commentary combine in this book, bringing to life a variety of Provencal scenes that will prove equally delightful to those familiar with or new to the region.

Photofile brings together the best work of the world's great photographers in an attractive pocket-size format and at an easily affordable price. Handsome and collectable, each volume in the series contains some sixty full-page reproductions printed in superb duotone, together with a critical introduction, a chronology and a bibliography.

This is the most comprehensive and inspirational volume ever published on the extraordinary world of shells. Shells have been put to an amazing array of uses – as decoration, tools, medicines and musical instruments. For nearly four millennia, millions of them were used acros the world as currency. Shells have been worn as amulets to bring fertility, good fortune or protection from the evil eye. Above all, the beauty of shells has fired the imaginations of artists and craftsmen, and their work forms the lavish heart of this book, from the simplest beads to designs in gold and precious stones, silverware, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture and fashion. Shells encrusted the garden grottos and pavilions of the 17th and 18th centuries, and in the 20th century influenced the forms of landmark modernist and post-modernist buildings. Some shells were so coveted that specimens could raise staggering sums at auction. Ingrid Thomas explores this history of shell collecting, and explains how shells can be collected responsibly today without harming our marine environments. Includes a worldwide directory of shell collections and grottos and a photographic glossary of shells,

Fulco di Verdura was one of the outstanding jewelers of the 20th century. Patricia Corbett expertly analyses and evaluates Verdura's jewelry designs in this lavish monograph, which is newly available in paperback. Wonderful colour photography of the jewelry, as well as atmospheric historical photographs of the celebrities who were his ardent fans, vividly trace his development over more than 25 years of feverish activity and show the great range and irresistible glittering beauty of his highly original pieces.

The Japanese photographer and artist Nobuyoshi Araki is known for his provocative pictures. Influenced by Shunga, the erotic art of the Edo period (1603–1867), as well as the glossy imagery of contemporary culture, much of Araki’s work confronts taboo subjects such as sex, nudity and death head on. Subjects range from poetic scenes of old Tokyo to modern Japanese sub-culture, from sensual close-ups of exotic flowers to erotic photographs of kimono-clad women bound in rope. This compact book surveys and reflects Araki’s extraordinary breadth of work, from the shocking to the sublime. PHOTOFILE brings together the best work of the world’s greatest photographers, in an attractive format and at an easily affordable price. Handsome and collectable, the books are produced to the highest standards. Each volume contains some sixty full-page reproductions printed in superb duotone, together with a critical introduction and a full bibliography. The series has been awarded the first annual prize for distinguished photographic books by the International Center of Photography, New York.

In the public perception as well as the privacy of the home the bath has transformed itself to a freely designed adventurous space. Peace and repose are a priority; inspirations for contemporary concepts and designs are drawn from all different kinds of bath cultures worldwide. The spa as a social trend offers balsam for the soul and for the body a sensuous break from everyday reality. The present volume, rich in information, illustrations and plan material, provides an insight into the fantastic creativity of modern bath and spa architecture by featuring more than 60 projects from around the world. The Hotel Puerta America is one of the highlights: Each floor has been designed by a different architect, including Zaha Hadid, Ron Arad and the team Javier Mariscal & Fernando Salas. In this way, baths with very individual styles have emerged — each, a masterpiece in its own right. Another gem: The new spa in the town of Bath by Grimshaw is a fascinating interplay between tradition and modernity. From private baths that encourage relaxation, to the luxury wellness temples: In this book, you can visually experience the coming together of solid and fluid elements in architecture and interior design.

«What do Burt Reynolds, Shaquille O'Neal, Goldie Hawn and John Travolta have in common? At some point in time, they, and so many others, all decided to record horrible music albums. In «Celebrity Vinyl», Tom Hamling humorously examines what happens when famous people decide to (unsuccessfully) give singing a try. The number of celebrities that have indulged such hubris boggles the mind: Eddie Murphy, Ed McMahon, Alyssa Milano, Chevy Chase, The Dallas Cowboys.Hamling owns and thoroughly enjoys the world's biggest and best celebrity vinyl collection (more than 115 albums). Join him on this personal tour of his kooky passion as he critiques the celebrities in question, as well as the photography, typography, art direction and album copy that make each and every one of these album sleeves so curiously compelling.»Celebrity Vinyl» serves as a pop-culture microscope that reveals the nuances and blemishes of vinyl and celebrity cultures from a bygone era that will make you laugh more now then you did back then.»

«Costume Worldwide» combines the studies of two classic 19th-century illustrators, Auguste Racinet and Friedrich Hottenroth, alongside an illuminating modern text. Their works are presented first by chronology and then by subject, so that illustrators, historians and students alike can choose to follow the path of fashion through the centuries, or study in detail the contrasting styles of individual clothing and accessories. With an authoritative narrative from a leading expert in the history of costume, extraordinary contemporary quotes that reveal the impact in its day, detailed annotation and an extensive glossary, the book provides a magnificent study of the rich vocabulary of clothes through the ages.»

Customizing is hot. Everything can be customized: from pimped cars to retro furniture. This major trend is especially popular in footwear. Customizing your own shoes is a way of stepping out of the crowd, of showing your personality. And, just about every sneaker brand has found a way to put street art into their products; rain boots have never been more hip; and there are even Customize festivals and exhibitions.By inviting 150 artists and illustrators to show/create customized shoes the book will appeal not only to sneaker freaks, fashion fetishists and trend watchers, but also to the graphic design and art audience. The main focus is on the artwork but the text examines the trend and asks: how did it start? What materials do the artists use? There are also tips and tricks on how to create your very own unique shoes.

Featuring innovative and stylish interior products that all design-savvy parents will want for their children, Designed for Kids is the first such guide for children from the nursery up. Sourced from around the world, the book presents more than 450 cutting-edge products that are all aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced. Informative texts review the strengths, materials and specifications of each item, while interviews with six internationally acclaimed design visionaries offer a professional perspective on the delights and challenges of designing for kids. • A massive visual resource, with over 750 colour illustrations that show each design in context and detail • Includes interviews with six leading lights of design: Scott Wilson, Yves Béhar, Paola Antonelli, Tom Dixon, Greg Lynn and John Maeda • Attractive format designed for reference and inspiration, and organized into categories related to the needs of children and their parents

«Detail in Contemporary Kitchen Design» features over 30 kitchen designs from around the world, each created by a notable architect for a specific residence. Arranged into chapters according to the dominant material used in its construction a stone, timber and steel, each design is accompanied by an image of the whole house, placing it in context and providing a flavour of the general design style, clear photographs of the kitchen itself and a floor plan showing its relation to the other spaces within the house. Detailed photographs and architectural drawings show the arrangement and construction of the kitchens, and sections and elevations reveal the construction details of fitted units and joinery.These drawings have been specially created to a consistent style and to a set number of scales for easy comparison. Dimensions are included as well as model details of all the units and appliances, with suppliers' information so that these can easily be sourced. A selection of insightful case studies include interviews with clients, designers and manufacturers and provide an overview of the whole process of commissioning and creating a contemporary bespoke kitchen. An invaluable reference for architects, interior designers and students, this book is also an inspirational guide for anyone who is considering commissioning a high-quality kitchen for their own home.»

Edward Steichen was already a famous painter and photographer when, in 1923, he was offered one of the most prestigious and most lucrative positions in photography – that of chief photographer for Condé Nast’s Vogue and Vanity Fair. Over the next fifteen years, Steichen produced an oeuvre of unequalled brilliance, dramatizing and glamorizing contemporary culture and its achievers – in politics, literature, journalism, dance, theatre, opera and, above all, the world of high fashion. The 1920s and 1930s represent the high point in Edward Steichen’s photographic career, and the work he did for Condé Nast will stand forever among the most striking creations of 20th-century photography. The list of Steichen’s portraits is astounding in its range. Steichen created a new style of fashion photography: his crisp, detailed, high-key style is a strong wind felt in the field to this day – George Hoyningen-Huene, Horst P. Horst, Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber are only his most illustrious descendants. The Steichen archive at Condé Nast contains more than two thousand original vintage prints. A few of the images are well-known and indeed feature as iconic images in various histories of photography. Until now, however, no more than a handful of these prints has been exhibited or published.

Drawing upon an impressive array of original sources, English Style and Decoration offers a cornucopia of design riches. Lavishly illustrated with page after page of original sketches and printed patterns for furniture, textiles, flooring, wallpaper, glass, ceramics and household utensils, from doorknobs to tableware and light fittings. Like its companion volume, French Style and Decoration, this superb reference provides a wealth of ideas and inspiration for designers, restorers, interior decorators and homeowners. • An unrivalled sourcebook of English design and decoration during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. • Includes the works of such designers as Kent, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Adam, Sheraton, Pugin, Morris, Voysey, Liberty and Gimson, as well as many unnamed artist-designers. • Ilustrations drawn from rarely reproduced sources: design books, pattern books, shape books, swatch books, company archives, manufacturers’ and retail catalogues.

This book traces the extraordinary life of an artist whose unforgettable imagery combined cruelty and wit, honesty and insolence, pain and empowerment. Admired by the Surrealists and photographed by the greatest, Frida was most renowned for her self-portraits and unusual still lifes. She learned about suffering at an early age. She contracted polio when she was six and was seriously maimed in a bus accident at the age of eighteen, which led to injuries that affected her for the rest of her life. She had a legendarily turbulent marriage to the great mural painter Diego Rivera, with whom she formed a strong attachment to indigenous Mexican folk art and a deep commitment to Communism.

This volume provides a complete overview of the major exhibition of masterpieces by Giorgio Morandi at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museo d'Arte Moderna in Bologna (MAMbo). Over one hundred paintings, watercolors, drawings, and etchings illustrate the artist's entire creative and poetic course from the landscapes and still lifes of 1913-1914 to his final works of 1963-1964. Particular attention is focused on the masterpieces of the 1920s and 1930s, in which Morandi perfected his extraordinary approach to image making through in-depth investigation of the world and of human existence as filtered through the metaphor of the still life.

Japan has always been a breeding ground for innovative approaches to Western traditions, such as cinema and baseball. Another example includes graffiti, which covers the buildings and walls of Japan's largest cities, as well as the more rural areas. While graffiti in Japan shares many of the same characteristics with examples from other parts of the world, distinct cultural aspects of Japan, from Kanji to popular anime characters, set Japanese graffiti apart.Tokyo-based photographer Remo Camerota has captured these culturally unique aspects of Japanese graffiti, and in doing so has befriended some of the country's major graffiti artists. Colorful spreads and intimate interviews provide a detailed examination of Japanese graffiti, a subject that has yet to dominate the graffiti book market.

When it comes to interior design there are as many ideas as there are design suggestions to realize them. The homes featured in this book showcase the stunning variety of materials and designs to be found in contemporary homes. Impressive photos and illustrations make the volume Home! A comprehensive reference resource on contemporary interiors from all over the world. Over approx. 400 page's the reader is taken on a tour of spectacular and extravagant, hut also stylish and elemental living spaces. Be inspired by a range of domestic interiors that combine vivid and multifunctional concepts.