NEW from ACC Art Books – Limited Edition: Sukita: EternityClick here to order

In today’s economic climate, where trust between business and IT in most companies has never been more fragile, we have to find the possibilities to completely rethink IT, and transform it into a strategic asset for our companies. But this won’t be an incremental change; this will be a fundamental paradigm shift – and this book can be your guidebook. This book provides an answer to the following questions: · What is business/IT Fusion and what is the difference with business/IT Alignment? · How will the new Fusion of business and IT function, particularly in its relationship with the business customers and with its suppliers? · What will the new IT organization look like from a Fusion perspective? · What are the tools and mechanisms to make Fusion work? How can we implement ‘intelligent governance’ and move from budget thinking to portfolio thinking? · How can I use the concept of architecture and turn this into a business instrument? · How will we staff these new IT organizations? What type of skills do we need, and how will we attract them? · How can I rebuild the image of IT, and market technology innovation to the business? · What will the new breed of CIO look like, who can transform IT into a Fusion concept? · How to build a ‘new deal’ between Business and IT, and how to maintain it? This is a book for IT professionals (IT and Business people), to assist them in dreaming up the next wave of information technology and information technology departments. This is a book to help them think about what’s next for their organisation, for their department, and for themselves. This is a book that deals with the capabilities; mindsets and strategies that will help shape the next generation of information technology.

Here, for the first time, American architect Roger Vogler examines this great Hindu temple carved downward from the top of a hillside in Maharashtra from the perspective of his fellow architect: the unknown sthapati who actually designed it thirteen centuries ago.

The Kailas’s magnificent sculptures and carved architectural details have all been extensively documented by many eminent scholars. The great volume of space that envelops them (which as every architect knows is designed with fully as much care and purpose as its solid stone) is, however, almost totally absent from their writings, as are the moral and religious messages that lie beneath these stones, hidden in metaphor. Not the least of these are the towering raw cliffs enclosing the temple’s precincts: themselves metaphors for the presence of God.

These absences have led to dozens of misunderstandings and erroneous conclusions regarding the monument itself and the intentions of its designer. Focusing not merely on its stones but on the meanings that lie beneath them as well, this book corrects these misunderstandings and rebuts these errors in the course of an entertaining and revelatory walking tour of the entire temple.

Published in association with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Conceived by a misguided government seeking to quiet the fears of an anxious public, the concept of the “Family Fallout Shelter” was Cold War paranoia at its finest, a massive bit of “propaganda by architecture” that has no more truth behind it than the absurd notion of “duck and cover.” Inundated with government-sponsored films, posters, booklets, traveling caravans and exhibitions, the American family bought into the idea, investing millions of dollars in home shelters of every conceivable material and design. Bomboozled: How the U.S. Government Misled Itself and Its People Into Believing They Could Survive a Nuclear Attack lays bare the buried truths of America’s family fallout shelter obsession. Author Susan Roy charts the panic-fueled evolution of the shelter from a well-stocked basement pantry to a full-fledged (and often completely decorated) home addition, revealing through extensive archival photography, nuclear-era memorabilia, and previously unpublished media, a government and people in the grip of self-delusion. Fastidiously researched and sharply written, “Bomboozled” captures the absurdity and uncertainty of a culture that knew no better than to trust its government’s message.

Delhi: Red Fort to Raisina traces the journey of Shahjahan’s new capital of the Mughal Empire, Shahjahanabad built on the banks of river Yamuna in 1638 to New Delhi the new capital of British-ruled India in 1911. From Red Fort to Jama Masjid and from Jahanara Bagh to Hayat Bakhsh Bagh, every palace, mosque, bazaar, and bagh in the Mughal city was planned to perfection. The new city too, designed in the early twentieth century, was a blend of Mughal architecture and modern aesthetics. This book celebrates the centenary with four essays on different aspects of Delhi’s history by JP Losty, Salman Khurshid, Ratish Nanda, and Malvika Singh. A lively portrait of the city and its culture and people, the book documents the transition of the old-world charm of Shahjahanabad to a modern city with a new seat of power built on the Raisina Hill. Contents: Introduction – JP Losty; Delineating Delhi: Images of the Mughal Capital – JP Losty; Life in Shahjahanabad – Salman Khurshid; Architecture of Shahjahanabad – Ratish Nanda; Map of Shahjahanabad, 1846-47; Making of New Delhi – Malvika Singh; Bibliography; Notes; Index. Pramod Kapoor is a collector of historical records and photographs, and a publisher by profession. The photographs for this book were lovingly collected by him over a long period of time from all over the world. Often, the best photographs were found in old trunks lying forgotten in dusty attics or damp basements of the palaces. A keen photographer, he has also compiled and researched photographs for pioneering books like India: Then and Now, Witness to Life and Freedom: Margaret-Bourke White in India, New Delhi: Making of a Capital, and the most recent Delhi: Red Fort to Raisina.

After being out of print for many years, Decorating is Fun is being republished with its original illustrations and a new introduction by Draper’s protégé, designer Carleton Varney. Amazingly, the book is still practical, amusing and inspirational.
Draper’s earnest enthusiasm feels fresh and contemporary. She believed that though there were troubles in the world, one’s home should be a refuge, a cheerful place for entertaining one’s friends and a colorful and comfortable shelter from the storm.

“This is a book on making living fun. On having your friends to the house and on how to give them a good time. And incidentally, on how to give yourself a good time as well” writes Dorothy Draper in her best selling book, Entertaining is Fun!: How To Be A Popular Hostess.
With her wit and can-do flair, Draper guides aspiring hosts and hostesses on how to excel at dinner parties, holiday meals, weekend guests, weddings, and more. And indeed, Draper’s secret is simple: If a hostess has fun, her guests will too! Also available: Decorating is Fun!: How to be Your Own Decorator ISBN 9780985225629

This is a richly illustrated monograph revealing William T. Baker’s masterful detailing and superior craftsmanship of magnificent family residences. Showcasing 14 classically inspired homes of grace and beauty, each property reflects an astute comprehension of life as it is lived in the 21st century, with deliberate nods to historical aesthetics that coexist harmoniously with the architectural language of natural light, passive design themes, voluminous space, and fabulous comfort. Inspired by the bounty of classical architecture found in the grand homes of the southern United States, particularly the state of Georgia, the hallmarks of William T. Baker’s architecture are extraordinary attention to details of craftsmanship and construction, and a keen eye for scale and proportion. His work clearly reflects the aspirations of the American Dream. This beautifully photographed monograph of William T. Baker’s work is the third volume in IMAGES’ successful New Classicist series, and showcases the exquisitely designed homes of the modern family, who entrusted Baker with their dreams and visions, and whose trust has been rewarded with classically inspired homes of grace and beauty. His work contributes greatly to some of the most aesthetically pleasing residences being built in the United States today.

Relationships between architects and clients – built upon expressed values, as well as their import into the final work of architecture – are typically not discussed in architectural education, rarely considered in architectural criticism or theory, and usually missing in most writing about architecture. This monograph seeks to highlight and address this deficiency. The book focuses on the process that the firm uses to help their clients to define values, and to intone them through architectural design. Exquisitely presented throughout, this volume presents a range of built and in-process works at a variety of scales, complexity, and locations, with various clients. Most of these projects have not been previously published. The projects will be documented and discussed within the context of the value proposition and design process that distinguish Pickard Chilton’s approach to architecture.

After the worldwide success of The World Book of Happiness and The World Book of Love, author Leo Bormans has spent two years studying the scientific research on hope and meeting the most prominent experts in the field. Hope is not a luxury of the privileged few. It represents a universal psychological resource that can be found in all corners of the world. Hope is all of this: a tool for envisioning definable goals, a coping resource, an expression of trust and openness as well as a spiritual gift earned by faith or ritual. In the course of a lifetime every individual is apt to experience these different shades of hope. The World Book of Hope is an inspiring quest to the breadth and depth of hope. It offers a universal framework for understanding and using the most powerful tool of mankind: hope. Without hope there is no life. In this book, 100 professional researchers from all over the world share what we know about hope. Not spiritual philosophy but evidence based knowledge of recent experiments and life-long research, set in a language everybody understands. This book unveils the secret power of hope in love and relationships, study and work, health and illness, education and care, freedom and prison, management and leadership, therapy and economy, youth and old age. It even shows how we can make pessimism work and how we can benefit from post-traumatic growth: one door closes, another one opens. Also available: The World Book of Love ISBN 9789401422741

In 1972 H.H. Maharaja Gaj Singhji, of Jodhpur-Marwar transformed the Rathore’s magnificent Mehrangarh Fort into a highly successful Rajput museum and cultural center. As part of this work, the Mehrangarh Museum Trust commissioned this book.
The author discusses the worldwide medieval diffusion of firearms technology and Arab, Ottoman, European and Chinese influences on the development of Indian firearms. Jodhpur was one of the most important military states in Rajasthan, playing a major role in the history of the subcontinent, never more so than during the reign of Maharaja Ajit Singhji (1678–1724) who purchased large numbers of guns when his daughter married the Mughal emperor. Jodhpur owns the best Indian matchlocks in the subcontinent, much admired at the Delhi Durbar in 1911.
Successive maharajas have added to the collection, which includes modern British and American sporting guns, shotguns, revolvers and automatic pistols by many of the great makers of the twentieth century, collected by the Maharaja’s grandfather, a noted hunter, and his father, a gun designer.
The Maharaja of Jodhpur’s Guns is the first book to be written specifically on historic Indian firearms. With more than 350 unique images of guns and Rajput paintings from private collections showing their use, this book offers scholars and collectors the opportunity to see the superb Jodhpur collection and to learn about Rajput traditions relating to hunting and war.

Diamonds tell stories that are captivating and timeless. On the one hand, they are just stones, pieces of pure carbon with optical properties that make them glitter and sparkle like stars.  On the other, they are mystical entities hypnotically drawing the viewer into a time machine as it were, wherein a cinematic montage of their journey unfolds. Diamonds Across Time presents a sweeping overview of diamonds across time and space, featuring ten essays by world-renowned scholars in love the stone. Here, these authors present new discoveries; explore extraordinary collections; investigate histories, science, and trade; the nature of diamonds; legendary gems, jewelry collections, and great designers. Above all, they tell the human stories that underpin the adoration of diamonds.

Diamonds Across Time is a richly illustrated publication with high-quality images of gems and jewels, archival documents, rare drawings, and fabulous photographs. The volume places diamonds in the context of the time in which they were discovered, and on the political, social, and cultural stage on which their histories were etched. In a rapidly changing world, diamonds are eternal. They were created by nature and grew in the womb of the earth. They tell stories, and they record history. With this book, diamonds will finally have their own storytellers.

The book was compiled and edited by the World Diamond Museum’s chief curator and world-renowned jewelry expert Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan. She and nine other distinguished authors wrote ten monographs written in the order in appearance: Introduction;  The Nizam Diamond: Bala Koh-i-Noor, in the Sacred Trust of the Nizam of Hyderabad – Usha R. Balakrishnan;  Diamonds of the French Crown Jewels: Between East and West – François Farges;  A Concise History of Diamonds from Borneo – Derek J. Content;  Indian Diamonds and the Portuguese Duriing the Rise of the Mughal Empire – Hugo Miguel Crespo;  Two Large Diamonds from India – Jack Ogden;  The Romanov Diamonds: History of Splendour – Stefano Papi;  The Londonderry Jewels, 1819-1959 – Diana Scarisbrick;  Dress to Impress in Southeast Asia – René Brus;  Powerful Women, Important Diamonds – Ruth Peltason;  One in Ten Thousand: The Unique World of Coloured Diamonds – John M. King.

A new edition of the bestselling Every Picture Tells a Story from one of the greatest photographers from the early 1960s onwards, Terry O’Neill. This updated edition includes 32 additional pages of new stories behind some of the O’Neill’s most iconic images.

From the morning he spent with Faye Dunaway at the pool in Beverly Hills, to walking around Vegas with Sean Connery dressed as James Bond, a chance encounter with Bruce Springsteen on the Sunset Strip, to taking Jean Shrimpton to a doll hospital – these are the stories behind the images as only Terry O’Neill can reveal.

“I was walking up the Miami Beach boardwalk to the Fontainebleau Hotel where Sinatra was staying… I just reached out with the letter in my hand and he took it. He opened it, read it… turned to his security men and said, “this kid’s with me.” I never found out what Ava said to him in that letter. From that moment on, I was part of his inner circle.” – Terry O’Neill

From The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, Terry O’Neill fast became the photographer of the 1960s. Having an eye – and ear – for music and musicians, he instinctively knew what bands to focus on. And they in turn trusted him. “I remember sitting in a pub with the Beatles and the Stones. We were just hanging-out and talking about what we’d do next, after all of this was over. By this, we meant the fame, being the ‘new kids of the moment’. Usually, this sort of celebrity doesn’t last. Little did we know that 60 years later, we’d still be at it.” Music led O’Neill to Hollywood and working with stars resulted not only in to memorable moments but long-lasting friendships. He traveled with Frank Sinatra. Took Raquel Welch to the beach. Went in the ring with Ali. Put The Who in a cage.

O’Neill captured many of the most unforgettable faces from the frontline of fame, and his photographs exude his own brand of serene simplicity, intimate behind-the-scene moments and the rare quality of trust between photographer and subject. The list of people Terry O’Neill has worked with since the early 1960s is a Who’s Who in celebrity; from film to music, sports to politics. Terry O’Neill: Every Picture Tells a Story is like going through a walking tour of memory by a man who has seen, met and photographed them all.

World-renowned architectural writer and critic Philip Jodidio delves into his selection of the Top Twenty-six of the most contemporary and current house designs from around the world, showcasing the most innovative and influential designs from Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South and Central America, India, and Asia. He provides an incisive analysis of the site-specific elements, key environmental factors of the landscape design, the use of spatial visualizations, light, sustainability, and materials, and other critical design features of each home. He expertly articulates and examines the relationships between the architecture and the intentions of the design for the people who live there, taking into account how the architecture affects human behavior, what enhances the success of the design of each home in this collection, with an overview of current industry trends, and where to next for residential design innovation. This beautifully presented book, filled with stunning photographs and detailed plans and diagrams, celebrates residential luxury, inspirational style and design innovation from around the globe.

“A new photobook recalls the crucial but often overlooked role played by women in the Black Panther party”  — The Guardian

“… I guarantee this book will give you a new respect for a generation of women militants.” — Socialist Worker
“Comrade Sisters pairs Stephen’s intimate, incisive, and inspiring portraits and documentary photographs with testimonies from many surviving members and their kin.”
 — i-D France

“Historically illuminating photos of women Black Panthers.” — The Washington Post

Many of us have heard these three words: Black Panther Party. Some know the Party’s history as a movement for the social, political, economic and spiritual upliftment of Black and indigenous people of colour – but to this day, few know the story of the backbone of the Party: the women.
It’s estimated that six out of ten Panther Party members were women. While these remarkable women of all ages and diverse backgrounds were regularly making headlines agitating, protesting, and organizing, off-stage these same women were building communities and enacting social justice, providing food, housing, education, healthcare, and more. Comrade Sisters is their story.
The book combines photos by Stephen Shames, who at the time was a 20-year-old college student at Berkeley. With the complete trust of the Black Panther Party, Shames took intimate, behind-the-scenes photographs that fully portrayed Party members’ lives. This marks his third photo book about the Black Panthers and includes many never before published images.
Ericka Huggins, an early Party member and leader along with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, has written a moving text, sharing what drew so many women to the Party and focusing on their monumental work on behalf of the most vulnerable citizens. Most importantly, the book includes contributions from over 50 former women members – some well-known, others not – who vividly recall their personal experiences from that time. Other texts include a foreword by Angela Davis and an afterword by Alicia Garza.
All Power to the People.

We are very excited to share with you a preview of what’s to come!

Experience the iconic Glass House – Philip Johnson’s modernist home in New Canaan, Connecticut – in a fun new way in The Glass House Coloring Book. Three dozen black-and-white illustrations capture the architectural highlights of Johnson’s visionary mid-century glass-and-steel pavilion, which ushered the International Style into residential American architecture. Each illustration is accompanied by the photograph that inspired it, along with caption information detailing its historical and aesthetic significance. Landscape and design elements include furniture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the chain link Ghost House, and the skylit Sculpture Gallery. Fascinating to read and relaxing to color, the book makes a wonderful keepsake and gift idea for architecture enthusiasts and colorists of all ages.

“Every kid’s dream is captured in the pages of this ACC Art Book depicting more than 60 years of space exploration, from the foundation of NASA in 1958 to the launch of the James Webb telescope in 2021.” — Calibre Magazine

“On almost 300 pages we can marvel at what are probably the greatest milestones in NASA history. This book really shows and honors this work! A great book about space exploration!” — Lovely Books
“The history of space exploration is best presented in this book of NASA photographs, whose images are universally inspirational.”
– Commander James Lovell, Apollo 13

NASA has worked at the forefront of space exploration and research since 1958. Their devotion to furthering our understanding of what lies beyond our atmosphere has seen 12 humans walk on the surface of the moon, helped form the International Space Station, and placed numerous rovers on Mars. Voyager 1, launched by NASA on 5 September 1977, is the furthest manmade object from earth, having left our solar system entirely – and the agency’s plans for the future are equally inspiring.

This book celebrates NASA throughout the years, from its inception to its 60th anniversary in 2018, and beyond. A visual tour-de-force, the book collects high resolution NASA photos of historic significance; from rarely seen photos and the words of President John F. Kennedy commanding the space race, to the many triumphs and tragedies of the Apollo Missions, moon landings, the International Space Station, space shuttles, journeys to Mars and explorations of our galaxy’s outer reaches. These breathtaking images are complemented by heartfelt words of hope and imagination for the future, encouraging readers to admire their world from a different perspective. Out of This World: Historic Milestones in NASA’s Human Space Flight is a stunning 300 page book.

“The star-studded images are one thing, but their candid context is what makes them special.”Joy Ling, Esquire Singapore

“…many famous names have stepped in front of his camera, captured quickly in his distinctive, clean style, with the images featuring in magazines and newspapers, galleries and exhibitions, and even earning him an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services of his photography.” – Chris Anderson, Air Magazine

“Andy’s contact-sheets give us what feels like a VIP pass to spend time with his subjects. We see their beauty, their flaws, charisma, humanity and even a glimpse into their thoughts and process. We see the person in these people and are touched by their being.” Kylie Minogue

“Above all Andy Gotts allows his subjects to shine through, untouched. His artistry does not come afterwards, in Photoshop and all the supposedly flattering trickery technology has taught us to expect. His skill is there in each frame, each moment, in the relationship he has built with his sitter, no matter how short a time they have shared, and the trust he has engendered in them because he is, quite simply, a good man. Anyone who encounters him can sense immediately his openness and kindness and I think this book is most of all a testament to those qualities.” Alan Cumming

” With this amazing book, you will see why Andy is as much a star as his subjects.” Gene Simmons

A 90-second shoot with Stephen Fry in 1989 launched the career of Andy Gotts, photographer to the stars. Through grift and graft and raw, honed talent, Gotts has become one of the most in-demand celebrity photographers working the circuits of Hollywood, British media, and the music industry. Gotts’s dramatic black-and-while style turns faces into artworks of shadow and light, while his color portraits capture his subjects’ ineffable humanity.

For the first time Andy Gotts reveals the incredible depth of his archive, showing his most famous portraits and many rare images alongside. The book focuses on Andy’s contact sheets, which reveal the process behind capturing the perfect image. Accompanying texts from Andy shed light on his craft and delve into the stories behind these captivating photographs. This really is the definitive, career spanning book, produced to the highest standards. 

The book also contains personal testaments from a cross-section of the celebrities who Gotts has worked with: Alan Cumming, Gene Simmons, Ian McKellen, Jeff Bridges, Kylie Minogue, Michael Caine, Peter Capaldi and Simon Pegg.

“The star-studded images are one thing, but their candid context is what makes them special.”Joy Ling, Esquire Singapore

“…many famous names have stepped in front of his camera, captured quickly in his distinctive, clean style, with the images featuring in magazines and newspapers, galleries and exhibitions, and even earning him an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services of his photography.” – Chris Anderson, Air Magazine

“Andy’s contact-sheets give us what feels like a VIP pass to spend time with his subjects. We see their beauty, their flaws, charisma, humanity and even a glimpse into their thoughts and process. We see the person in these people and are touched by their being.” Kylie Minogue

“Above all Andy Gotts allows his subjects to shine through, untouched. His artistry does not come afterwards, in Photoshop and all the supposedly flattering trickery technology has taught us to expect. His skill is there in each frame, each moment, in the relationship he has built with his sitter, no matter how short a time they have shared, and the trust he has engendered in them because he is, quite simply, a good man. Anyone who encounters him can sense immediately his openness and kindness and I think this book is most of all a testament to those qualities.” Alan Cumming

” With this amazing book, you will see why Andy is as much a star as his subjects.” Gene Simmons

A 90-second shoot with Stephen Fry in 1989 launched the career of Andy Gotts, photographer to the stars. Through grift and graft and raw, honed talent, Gotts has become one of the most in-demand celebrity photographers working the circuits of Hollywood, British media, and the music industry. Gotts’s dramatic black-and-while style turns faces into artworks of shadow and light, while his color portraits capture his subjects’ ineffable humanity.

For the first time Andy Gotts reveals the incredible depth of his archive, showing his most famous portraits and many rare images alongside. The book focuses on Andy’s contact sheets, which reveal the process behind capturing the perfect image. Accompanying texts from Andy shed light on his craft and delve into the stories behind these captivating photographs. This really is the definitive, career spanning book, produced to the highest standards. 

The book also contains personal testaments from a cross-section of the celebrities who Gotts has worked with: Alan Cumming, Gene Simmons, Ian McKellen, Jeff Bridges, Kylie Minogue, Michael Caine, Peter Capaldi and Simon Pegg.

“Skins by Gavin Watson has been argued as being ‘the single most important record’ of 1970s skinhead culture in Britain, who have possibly been one of the most reviled yet misunderstood of the nation’s youth subcultures.” — Daily Mail
“Gavin Watson documented his friends as they came of age at the heart of a misunderstood community.” i-D
“Gavin Watson’s cult documentary photo book Skins chronicles the radical and inclusive spirit which originally animated the emerging skinhead culture of 70s Britain.” — Dazed

Skins by Gavin Watson is arguably the single most important record of ’70s skinhead culture in Britain. Rightly celebrated as a true classic of photobook publishing, the book is now reissued in a high-quality new edition under close supervision from the photographer.

The scores of black and white shots offer a fascinating glimpse into a skinhead community that was multi-cultural, tightly knit and, above all else, fiercely proud of its look. These are classic photographs of historical value.

“What makes Gavin’s photos so special is that when you look at them, there’s clearly trust from the subject towards the photographer, so it feels like you’re in the photo rather than just observing.” – Shane Meadows (Director of award-winning film This Is England).

The book, described by The Times as “a modern classic”, forms an important visual record of its time and has attained cult status in the genre, alongside works by other eminent photographers such as Derek Ridgers and Nick Knight.

“Arguably one of the best and most important books about youth fashion and culture ever published.” – Vice Magazine

Skins by Gavin Watson is arguably the single most important record of ’70s skinhead culture in Britain. Rightly celebrated as a true classic of photobook publishing, the book is now reissued in a high-quality new edition under close supervision from the photographer.

The scores of black and white shots offer a fascinating glimpse into a skinhead community that was multi-cultural, tightly knit and, above all else, fiercely proud of its look. These are classic photographs of historical value.

“What makes Gavin’s photos so special is that when you look at them, there’s clearly trust from the subject towards the photographer, so it feels like you’re in the photo rather than just observing.” – Shane Meadows (Director of award-winning film This Is England).

The book, described by The Times as “a modern classic”, forms an important visual record of its time and has attained cult status in the genre, alongside works by other eminent photographers such as Derek Ridgers and Nick Knight.

“Arguably one of the best and most important books about youth fashion and culture ever published.” – Vice Magazine

Following on from the success of her large book, Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus, award winning food, wine and travel writer and photographer Carla Capalbo is launching a new series of pocketbooks on Georgian food, wine and culture. The first in the collection, Khachapuri and Filled Breads, focuses on this popular mainstay of Georgian cuisine, giving the recipes for 10 of the country’s most delicious regional breads. In addition to the many versions of cheese-filled khachapuri, the fully illustrated book will include breads filled with greens, meats and potatoes.

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Victorian Britain’s greatest thinkers, the art critic and social reformer John Ruskin, the distinguished Ruskinian Robert Hewison introduces Ruskin’s ideas and values through revelatory studies of the people and issues that shaped his thought, and the ideas and values that in turn were shaped by his writings and personality. Beginning with an exploration of the rich tradition of European art that stimulated his imagination, and to which he responded in his own skilful drawings, Ruskin and his Contemporaries follows the uniquely visual dimension of his thinking from the aesthetic, religious and political foundations laid by his parents to his difficult personal and critical relationship with Turner, and his encounters with the art and architecture of Venice. Victor Hugo makes a surprising appearance as Ruskin develops his ideas on the relationship between art and society. Ruskin’s role as a contemporary art critic is explored in two chapters on Holman Hunt, one focussing on the Pre-Raphaelite’s The Awakening Conscience, one examining his later Triumph of the Innocents. The development of Ruskin’s role as a social critic is traced through his teaching at the London Workingmen’s College and his foundation of the Guild of St George, a reforming society that continues to this day. Oscar Wilde came under his personal influence, as did Octavia Hill, a founder of the National Trust. The evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin are shown to have been deeply unsettling to Ruskin’s worldview. The book concludes with a demonstration of the profound influence of the Paradise Myth on all of Ruskin’s writings, followed by an exploration of the concept of cultural value that shows why Ruskin’s ruling principle: ‘There is no wealth but Life’ is as relevant to the 21st century as it was to the 19th.

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Victorian Britain’s greatest thinkers, the art critic and social reformer John Ruskin, the distinguished Ruskinian Robert Hewison introduces Ruskin’s ideas and values through revelatory studies of the people and issues that shaped his thought, and the ideas and values that in turn were shaped by his writings and personality. Beginning with an exploration of the rich tradition of European art that stimulated his imagination, and to which he responded in his own skilful drawings, Ruskin and his Contemporaries follows the uniquely visual dimension of his thinking from the aesthetic, religious and political foundations laid by his parents to his difficult personal and critical relationship with Turner, and his encounters with the art and architecture of Venice. Victor Hugo makes a surprising appearance as Ruskin develops his ideas on the relationship between art and society. Ruskin’s role as a contemporary art critic is explored in two chapters on Holman Hunt, one focussing on the Pre-Raphaelite’s The Awakening Conscience, one examining his later Triumph of the Innocents. The development of Ruskin’s role as a social critic is traced through his teaching at the London Workingmen’s College and his foundation of the Guild of St George, a reforming society that continues to this day. Oscar Wilde came under his personal influence, as did Octavia Hill, a founder of the National Trust. The evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin are shown to have been deeply unsettling to Ruskin’s worldview. The book concludes with a demonstration of the profound influence of the Paradise Myth on all of Ruskin’s writings, followed by an exploration of the concept of cultural value that shows why Ruskin’s ruling principle: `There is no wealth but Life’ is as relevant to the 21st century as it was to the 19th.

California Locos brings together over 40 years of LA culture, presented through the eyes and hands of the artists who shaped it. Featuring three generations of legendary LA artists, this book chronicles the life and work of the five original locos, Chaz Bojórquez, Dave Tourjé, John Van Hamersveld, Norton Wisdom and Gary Wong, and expands this core membership to include works by Mister Cartoon, Shepard Fairey, Estevan Oriol, Retna, OG Slick and many others. Surf and skate culture, street art, tattoo, street photography, graphic design and music come together on over 432 pages to celebrate Los Angeles in all its exuberant diversity and raw grittiness. Being a LOCO means being crazy about life, being creative, rebellious and open-minded to the ethnic and cultural diversities of our city and the world. LOCOS is a movement and embodies the innovation, multiculturalism and rebellious.