The father of fiber optics, Narinder Singh Kapany was far more than your typical multi-hyphenate. Inventor, art collector, sculptor, farmer, entrepreneur, teacher, and a successful businessman, Dr Kapany was what Fortune magazine in its 1999 issue called, ‘one of the seven unsung heroes of the 20th century’. An insightful and inspirational life story, this memoir chronicles his 90 remarkable years. Charming, idiosyncratic, and highly engaging, The Man who Bent Light serves up enough variety and verve to celebrate the lives of a half-dozen individuals. But there is only one Narinder Singh Kapany, and his life, illuminated in his singular memoir, is a life like no other.

Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution follows the “Next Generation”of leadership at Oehme van Sweden, a landscape architecture firm that’s been creating extraordinary outdoor spaces for nearly 50 years. With 320 pages of vibrant photographs, detailed project plans, and first-hand commentary from principals Sheila Brady, Lisa Delplace, and Eric Groft, the book is a one-of-a-kind record of OvS’ history and evolution. Building upon OvS’ reputation for sustainable, client-tailored residential design, the current leaders have developed an ouvre that’s as legacy-driven as it is exploratory. From private gardens and pools to the expansive Tippet Rise Art Center in rural Montana to urban oases like the Chicago and New York Botanical Gardens, the projects featured in this book are masterpeices of both horticulture and hardscape. Arranged into thematic chapters – “The House and its Garden,” “Gathering Places,” “At the Water’s Edge,” “Urban Retreats” and “Farms and Fields” – Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution is an image-rich study of some of the most geographically and stylistically diverse landscape projects by the top players in the industry.

Celestial is a love poem of 100 rhyming couplets wherein the poet restlessly seeks his beloved, who is playing a game of hide-and-seek in the remote corners of the universe. This breathtaking poem takes you on a poetic journey to all the eighty-eight star constellations visible from Earth and reveals the hidden mysteries of the universe. Accompanied by exquisite illustrations of the tenth-century Persian astronomer ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Ṣūfī, Celestial makes a delightful read. May this poem inspire you to relish the beauty of the night sky and set you on your own cosmic journey. Bon voyage!

Welcome to a private tour of the home of American collector Susan Beech. Since 1991, Beech has been transforming her house in Tiburon, California, into an extraordinary environment, in which the themes of her extensive jewelry collection interact with craft and fine art, all against a backdrop of Art Deco glamour. Beauty is entwined with darker forces of death and decay, and glimpses of pleasure are complicated by a nod to the surreal and uncanny. The result is a wholly original and fascinating stage for a major collection of contemporary jewelry thoughtfully assembled over four decades.
Lavishly illustrated and featuring four essays exploring Beech’s activities as a collector and wearer as well as the key themes of her pieces, the publication Feast: Contemporary Jewelry from the Susan Beech Collection marks the donation of the collection to the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, in Washington, DC, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.  

Eternal Jewels celebrates the World Jewellery Museum’s 20th anniversary, inviting readers into the poetic vision of founder Lee Kangwon, whose museum is known as the ‘Jewel of Seoul’. Published here for the first time, the book presents extraordinary pieces alongside Lee’s untold stories from her diplomatic travels across four continents.

For Lee Kangwon, a collector and poet, each acquisition represents a spiritual journey transcending borders. The museum’s aesthetic presentation reflects her poetic sensibilities, rooted in Korean traditions of meditation on beauty as a path to spiritual purity. From Colombian emerald mines and Tibetan temples to her family’s royal heirloom jewels, the collection spans centuries and civilizations. Each piece – whether a ceremonial headpiece or intimate talisman – carries profound cultural significance and human connection. Through this carefully curated anthology, Lee fulfills her museum’s mission to spread light full of beauty and wonder through jewelry, creating bridges between cultures, past and present, material and spiritual realms.

Artemisia Gentileschi has been the subject of much attention in recent decades. Research dedicated to her has, however, often returned a stereotyped and reductive image of the artistic universe and personality of the painter. The professional figure of Gentileschi, who was able to move with great success in what we now call the art system, finally finds new dignity. Unpublished attributions from private collections are flanked by the painter’s masterpieces, reconstructing the framework of the international commissions that consecrated her as a protagonist of the European Baroque, in the most complete and up-to-date volume dedicated to the artist. The innovative charge of language and the exceptional nature of Artemisia’s iconographic choices reveal the documented interests and literary, scientific and musical frequentations that the painter skillfully cultivated in every city that recorded her passage.

Text in English and Italian.

Jeffrey Banks has blazed a remarkable path through the fashion industry. Born in Washington, DC, Banks discovered his passion for clothes at a young age. When he was just 17 years old, he landed an internship at Ralph Lauren, where his precocious talent and eye for classical American design began to blossom. Storyteller: Tales from a Fashion Insider chronicles the designer and historian’s meteoric rise, graduating from New York’s Parsons School of Design to quickly launching his eponymous menswear line in 1977. He recounts the creative and business challenges of establishing his brand, known for blending traditional American sportswear with luxurious sophistication. Banks has authored several best-selling books and biographies about fashion. This is his first memoir. He is currently prominently featured in Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, a groundbreaking show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York.

Banks shares intimate stories about designing for celebrities and his close friendship with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, who became his mentors. His designs were photographed by Bruce Weber and Richard Avedon, and others. His friendships with Audrey Hepburn, Bobby Short, and Barbra Streisand are also highlighted in the book. But Storyteller: Tales from a Fashion Insider is far more than a catalog of names, Banks relates hilarious and touching tales with unmatched verve. The book also explores Banks’ advocacy for diversity in fashion and his tireless support for young designers. Through personal anecdotes and industry insights, the two-time Coty Award and CFDA award winner reflects on fashion’s evolution from the 1970s through today. The lavishly illustrated book is a must-have for any fashion lover.

For millennia, horses have captivated humans with their beauty, strength and majesty. From Türkiye to Japan, civilizations have elaborately costumed these prized animals. A magnificent selection of saddle blankets, horse covers and other equestrian textiles from the past 1,300 years communicates the significance and status of horses and their riders. 

John Russell Pope is one of America’s most famous architects, responsible for many major works, including the Jefferson Memorial, the House of the Temple and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. This book, The Architecture of John Russell Pope, Selected Works: Houses is the first volume of a two-part monograph, to be followed by a volume on public buildings.

Made in association with the ICAA (the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art), this is a lavishly illustrated study of Pope’s extraordinary house designs, often inspired by classical European architecture, standing proudly among his achievements as the crown jewels in many of the USA’s most vaunted ZIP codes. Originally published during the 1920s, Pope’s exquisite floorplans and sketches accompany period photographs and the original commentary by art historian and traditionalist Royal Cortissoz to create a comprehensive and visually stunning account of a true titan of American design.

Houses include: the residence of Ogden Mills, Woodbury, Long Island; Moses and Edith Taylor’s Glen Manor House, Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Charlcote House, built for James Swan Frick in the suburbs of Baltimore; the now lost Oak Hill mansion, Jericho, Long Island; and Brodhead-Bell-Morton Mansion (aka Morton House) in the exclusive Logan Circle area of Washington DC.

John Russell Pope is one of America’s most famous architects, responsible for many major works, including the Jefferson Memorial, the House of the Temple and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. Made in association with the ICAA (the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art), The Architecture of John Russell Pope, Selected Works: Public Buildings is the second volume of a two-part monograph. Following the first volume, which featured Pope’s highly much-admired houses, this second volume covers his public buildings, which include some of the most important civic structures in America, such as the memorial enclosing Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin in Kentucky, Constitution Hall in Washington DC, and the Payne Whitney Gymnasium at Yale University. Originally published during the 1920s, Pope’s exquisite floorplans and sketches accompany period photographs and the original commentary by art historian and traditionalist Royal Cortissoz to create a comprehensive and visually stunning account of a true titan of American design. 

Los Angeles has so much to offer, and this guide helps you to choose where to start when discovering this beautiful city. Where are the best farmers’ markets? Which street foods are not to be missed? What are the liveliest places to go dancing? What are some unlikely places to spot celebrities? Which art galleries are worth a visit? In The 500 Hidden Secrets of Los Angeles, Andrea Richards shares 500 must-know addresses in one of the coolest cities in the United States. It is an affectionate guide to the City of Angels that avoids the touristy places and points out the urban details you are likely to miss. From the best outdoor concert venues to the most beautiful country escapes, this guide is the perfect companion visitors who want to make the most of their stay and residents who want to get to know their city even better. 

Also available: The 500 Hidden Secrets of Miami, The 500 Hidden Secrets of New York, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Toronto, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Vancouver and many more. Discover the series: the500hiddensecrets.com

Learn how to craft a powerful growth strategy, from defining your vision to outmaneuvering competitors, and from leveraging technology to optimizing your marketing and sales funnel. Delve into critical chapters that cover everything from foundational growth principles to advanced tactics in marketing, financial management, and organizational development. Benefit from expert advice on navigating acquisitions, entering new markets, and fostering a company culture that champions growth as a mindset. Equip yourself with the knowledge to manage financial risks, drive customer engagement, and maximize your resources through data-driven decision-making. Designed for ambitious entrepreneurs and seasoned executives alike, this guide is your roadmap to sustainable success and industry leadership. Whether you’re looking to refine your approach or transform your business model, Growth Strategy offers the guidance, insights, perspective, and inspiration to thrive in a competitive marketplace. Don’t miss out on this essential resource for anyone looking to take their business to new heights.

“Opening it and turning the pages is an invitation to dream, to wonder, and to appreciate the very large emotional size of the natural landscapes in the United States.” — Frames
“The 230 beautifully rendered black & white images in the book provide a compelling tour of America’s wild places and national parks, from Yosemite and Yellowstone to Death Valley and Utah’s Canyonlands to the Hudson Valley in New York and beyond.” — Black & White Photography

“From towering redwoods in California to the remote canyons of Utah, his work shows us not just what these places look like, but what they feel like to those who dare to go.” — About Photography

“Ortner’s use of black-and-white film and large-format cameras for Visions of Paradise unveils the true essence of the natural world. By peeling away color, he forces us to immerse ourselves more deeply and see anew America’s breathtaking sites through the purified language of light and shadow, form and texture, shape and pattern…” — VIE Magazine

“… a photographic masterpiece celebrating the extraordinary majesty and rich legacy of America’s wild places, as seen through the eyes of one of the country’s foremost wilderness photographers, Jon Ortner, and conveyed through the transcendent medium of black-and-white film.” — Dodho Magazine

Visions of Paradise: American Wilderness is a singular, timeless publication—a photographic tour de force celebrating the extraordinary majesty and rich legacy of America’s wild places, as seen through the eyes of one of the country’s foremost wilderness photographers, Jon Ortner, and conveyed through the transcendent medium of black-and-white film. Ortner has always been fascinated with the natural world, particularly as an avid hiker in the American wilderness. This luxurious book collects in a large format his inspiring landscape images, forming a passionate tribute to the American wilderness. In this sensational portfolio of 200 black-and-white images, Ortner has rediscovered and reinterpreted the compelling beauty of many of his most cherished wilderness locations with remarkable portrayals of their sublime, dramatic, tranquil, and transcendent aspects. Join Ortner as he guides us through his visions of paradise.

Based on the industrial manufacturing history of Shanghai over the past 100 years, this book introduces the development of Chinese design throughout the different eras of the People’s Republic of China, from the planned economy stage to the later economic reforms and the opening up of the country to trade. We detail industrial-product design, packaging design, poster design, and other related subjects. The characteristics of each era are discussed in the following five sections: daily life, national image, transmission and reception, export trade, and communication and transportation. We approach each design from numerous perspectives, exploring its development as well as how it altered tastes and trends. These products were not just a symptom of change; they also answered social needs and spurred development, keeping China apace with production methods in Europe and giving ordinary citizens access to mass-produced luxuries like TVs, radios and cosmetics. The work of Shanghai designers was fundamental in turning China into the thriving economy we see today.

Of all the customs and traditions concerning the lives of oriental women, the harem is probably the most familiar and least understood in the West. Travellng artists, writers and poets let their imagination run unbridled upon this theme. To such an extent that in all the paintings from the early eigtheenth century to the 1940s, reality and imagination are closely intermingled. Beyond the theme of odalisques and almahs, this volume reflects upon the small pleasures of daily life, family and women’s work. Over 150 Orientalist painters, both prestigious and less known, are brought together in this book as individual monographs.

Animal liver, deer legs, sepia and cosmic dust are not usually amongst the preferred materials used by goldsmiths in the creation of pieces of jewellery. This is not the case for the Estonian group of artists õhuLoss, which means ‘Castle in the Air’. Its seven members make use of many organic materials in the design of objects which are on the border between applied and visual arts. They create confusing pieces of jewellery which appear to hover in time and space and play with these concepts. The lyrical creations of the seven artists evoke a past era, but their choice of materials is shocking enough to bring the viewer back to the present. The undisputed strength of the work lies in its suggestive power, which puts the viewer under its spell. The new Estonian jewellery of the õhuLoss group probes itself, the world and life. It is a medium for communication without words, expressing the ambivalence of the modern attitude towards life. The young Estonian jewellery artists show that especially intelligent jewellery, close to nature, is very powerful. This jewellery reveals the human feelings of the wearer. The purpose of this jewellery, according to Kadri Mälk, lies in the quiet support of its wearers and in the discrete revelation of their identity. Artists featured include Villu Plink, Eve Margus-Villems, Kristiina Laurits, Piret Hirv, Katrin Sipelgas, Tanel Veenre and Kadri Mälk. Contents:
Introduction by Kadri Mälk; sight/vaade; Castle in the Air | Rüdiger Joppien; The Touch of an Invisible Space | Saale Kareda; The Ultimate Castle in the Air | Karl Bollmann; Mart Raukas; The School and the Academy. Castle in the Air | Tamara Luuk; Homage to the Most Beloved | Lars Pahlman; jewellery/ethed; Kadri Mälk | Kristiina Laurits|Villu Plink | Eve Margus-Villems | Piret Hirv | Tanel Veenre | Karin Sipelgas; beyond/pilvevaatlus; lighthouse/tuletorn; post scriptum: chronology, bibliography, biographies. Text in English and Estonian.

In five complementary contributions, recognized authors draw a fascinating and complex picture of contemporary jewelry in the twenty-first century. Through a rich palette of themes, works, reports and concepts from current art practices, they illuminate the conditions and interconnections of education, making, presentation, marketing and networking in design and art using the example of the New Zealand Handshake project. This book will enrich and bring pleasure to all who are interested in the visual arts in their broadest sense! Handshake is a unique mentoring programme in the art world, in which established artists spread their knowledge to less experienced protégés. The knowledge accumulated in this exchange, of a relationship based on feedback, is realized in exhibitions and joint projects. Exhibition at The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt (NZ), 5th August to 3rd December 2017. www.http://handshakeproject.com/ https://handshake3.com/”

In this book, Cristina Filipe offers a critical examination, from a social and art historical perspective, of some of the artists and contexts that contributed to the transformations in Portuguese jewelry from the vanguard of the 1960s to the early twenty-first century – a decisive period in which the term ‘jewelry’ itself was redefined. In addition, Contemporary Jewellery in Portugal contextualizes the international scene, reflecting on how Portuguese artists responded to these external influences. What jewelry was made? Who made it? What were the underlying trends and creative references? These are some of the questions that this book seeks to answer through the analysis of artist interviews and exhaustive factual research, accompanied by a visual narrative mirroring the changes in contemporary jewelry in Portugal.

With this publication a comprehensive study of Impressionism in Canada is available for the first time: from its beginnings in France, via the dissemination of the new style through artists, gallerists, dealers and collectors in North America, and its incorporation into and propagation within a hitherto conservative milieu, to the reception of Canadian Impressionism both nationally and internationally.

The study culminates in the concise portrayal of the lives and works of fourteen of the most significant Canadian artists – including William Blair Bruce, Maurice Cullen, J. W. Morrice, Laura Muntz Lyall, Marc-Aurele de Foy Suzor-Cote, Helen McNicoll and Clarence Gagnon – along with several other artists who for some time also employed Impressionist techniques. In this overview not only are the sources of inspiration in French Impressionism presented but also how masterfully and with aplomb these artists found their own artistic form of expression, which has decisively shaped Canadian Impressionist painting today.

With a foreword by Guy Wildenstein and an introduction by William H. Gerdts.

“For Iris Fishof, a piece of jewelry is not merely an ornament but it can be a reflection of societal history. Her extensive, beautifully illustrated history, “Jewellery in Israel Multicultural Diversity 1948 to the Present” is the first book of its kind. Fishof, an Israeli art historian and curator, begins with folk artists who worked in pre-state Israel and covers the establishment of the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in 1906 and the role of immigrants, like the Germans who brought the modernist Bauhaus tradition with them in the 1930s and Yemenites who brought their own intricate silversmith traditions in the 1950s. She describes contemporary internationally recognized artists working in various materials and styles, still with a ‘distinctly local flavor’.” – The Jewish Week

In Israel East meets West. Their jewelry traditions blend, resulting in creative innovations. In the 1930s, European immigrants introduced the spirit of the Bauhaus, while oriental craftsmanship was invigorated in the 1950s and 1960s by immigration from Islamic countries. State jewelry companies preserved traditional crafts, while at the same time developing a new and elegant style, designed to express the national identity of the still young state of Israel. There are important links between native jewelry makers and European and American jewelry artists, who were guest lecturers at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in the 1970s and had a lasting influence on Israeli artists. The transition to art jewelry was finally completed in the 1980s, paving the way for artists who are now internationally renowned. A further chapter is dedicated to contemporary works by some outstanding young artists. Although their works are part of the global jewelry scene, they are also dedicated to their homeland, for example through unequivocal references to local political tensions.

Artists (a selection): Bianca Eshel Gershuni, Esther Knobel, Deganit Stern Schocken, Vered Kaminski, Attai Chen.

As the 1930s began, Alfred H. Barr Jr., founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Philip Johnson, distinguished architect, brought the principles of the Bauhaus to America – even before exiles from Nazi Germany fully established the idea of architecture and furnishings as a functional whole in the United States. Barr’s organization of the museum reflected the departmental structure of the Bauhaus, elevating architecture, graphic design, utilitarian furniture design, industrial design, photography and film to be on an equal footing with painting and sculpture, and endorsing all to be recognized as art. Barr and Johnson curated exceptional exhibitions such as Modern Architecture, International Exhibition (1932) and Machine Art (1934) at MoMA and created modern interiors in private living quarters. In this book, comprehensive essays and series of photos trace how modernism found its way into the American cultural landscape.

Text in German.

The collection of British silver at the Ashmolean Museum has all, with one notable exception (a tankard of 1574 given in 1790), been acquired since shortly after World War II. In relation to other major museum collections, therefore, it is young. Yet amounting to over 550 objects, many of which are of spectacular quality and rarity, it is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world, equaled only for the ‘golden age’ of English silver by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The collection has never been fully catalogued and this will be the first time a complete catalogue has been published.