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This book immediately becomes the reference on how to create exhibitions in modern museums and how to work through the complexities of the exhibition development process, and it does so with humour, flair, and great understanding of the hard work involved.” – Russell Briggs, Director Engagement, Exhibitions & Cultural Connection, Australian Museum

This method is an indispensable tool for all museum professionals: from director and curator to project manager and marketeer.” – Wim van der Weiden Founder of EMA

Developing Exhibitions describes an extensive in-depth methodology and practical framework on the development and production of exhibitions. It is a manual, with schemes and systems and a focus on the processes, and on the practice of developing content and storylines. As there is no other such clear-cut manual at present, it is already clear it will be used by several courses and programmes. 

This volume seeks a solution to the problem of methods of preservation for the rapidly developing and complex field of contemporary and modern visual art. Despite adopting the new concept of heritage, the aims and methods of conservation have remained the same, evolving very slowly by following some changes in the history of ideas, human experience and techniques of conservation. The authors of Innovative Approaches to the Complex Care of Modern and Contemporary Art relate complex conservation practices to an awareness of the need for a multidimensional approach to the care of modern and contemporary art. Maintaining a dialogue with history, they boldly confront the typical patterns and accepted evolution of the theory of conservation by looking at the wider perspective including the most recent history of any work of art – documentation, interviews with artists, records of image, the sound of performance, consent to e-installation, emulation etc. – and bearing in mind as the first principle primum non nocere and various legal issues.
This volume seeks a solution to the problem of methods of preservation for the rapidly developing and complex field of contemporary and modern visual art. Despite adopting the new concept of heritage, the aims and methods of conservation have remained the same, evolving very slowly by following some changes in the history of ideas, human experience and techniques of conservation.

The authors of Innovative Approaches to the Complex Care of Modern and Contemporary Art relate complex conservation practices to an awareness of the need for a multidimensional approach to the care of modern and contemporary art. Maintaining a dialogue with history, they boldly confront the typical patterns and accepted evolution of the theory of conservation by looking at the wider perspective including the most recent history of any work of art – documentation, interviews with artists, records of image, the sound of performance, consent to e-installation, emulation etc. – and bearing in mind as the first principle primum non nocere and various legal issues.

The 4th International Architectural Paint Research Conference in 2010 illustrated the developing maturity of a discipline confident in its position within the heritage sector. Specialists in the field discussed ‘Moving the Profession Forward’, ‘The Public Face of APR’ and ‘Decision Making: Communication with Clients and Heritage Bodies’. The papers in this conference volume explore the organizational and financial context in which architectural paint research is practiced, the application of research findings to interpretation and the paint researcher’s role in the decision-making process.
The 4th International Architectural Paint Research Conference in 2010 illustrated the developing maturity of a discipline confident in its position within the heritage sector. Specialists in the field discussed ‘Moving the Profession Forward’, ‘The Public Face of APR’ and ‘Decision Making: Communication with Clients and Heritage Bodies’. The papers in this conference volume explore the organisational and financial context in which architectural paint research is practiced, the application of research findings to interpretation and the paint researcher’s role in the decision-making process.

This title, published in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum and with the assistance of The Getty Foundation, contains papers from a two-day conference on the ‘Mazarin Chest Project’ a UK-Japanese collaborative effort at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Text in English & Japanese Contents:
Material Culture: The effects of consolidation on the appearance of powdery pigmented Japanese lacquer surfaces; The autofluorescence of Asian lacquer; Japanese lacquered armour in context: cross-sectional analysis as an aid for appraisal; An investigation into the cleaning of red urushi lacquer; The French connection: developing a conservation treatment plan for eighteenth-century Chinese lacquer panels adapted for an American Beaux Arts-style house; A cornucopia of carving techniques: an analysis and treatment of a Qing dynasty lacquered screen; Light-induced deterioration of urushi, maki-e and nashiji decoration; Conservation of the photodegraded surface of the Mazarin Chest; Maritime trade in Asia and the circulation of lacquerware; How many ‘Mazarin Chests’ were there?; Two boxes and two balustrades: private orders for fine Japanese export lacquer; Japanese lacquer in eighteenth-century Europe: status and value – market price of craftsmanship and the canon of the grand arts; Mid-Edo period lacquer production seen through historical European collections. Science and Conservation: Developing a methodology for the artificial ageing of urushi and a preliminary examination of urushi-based conservation options; Solvent effects on East Asian lacquer (Toxicodendron vernicifluum); Stress measurement in East Asian lacquer thin films due to changes in relative humidity using phase shifting interferometry; A methodology for modelling the mechanical response of urushi lacquer under varying environmental conditions; New evidence for the use of Southeast Asian raw materials in seventeenth-century Japanese export lacquer; Delamination and flaking of East Asian export lacquer coatings on wood substrates; Construction methods of Japanese writing boxes (suzuribako).

This original and innovative book makes clear that more attention needs to be paid – at all levels of the educational system – to developing the imagination of our young people. Intercultural exchange – particularly with Islam – will not succeed unless the importance of the imaginative element is fully appreciated. This book addresses itself to all educators and challenges them not to lose sight of the myth and the muse in their daily teaching practice. Our rapidly evolving society can only benefit by allowing greater room for intuition and inventiveness in the dialogue between different ethnic groups.

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

Welcome to the vibrant world of Maria Gabriela Brito, the New York-based interior designer, tastemaker, and authority on mixing contemporary art with home decoration. Venezuelan-born and Harvard-educated, Brito has demystified the art of art collecting, with the objective of creating stunning, unique, and personal spaces, through her company Lifestyling® by Maria Gabriela Brito. A fascinating look into Brito’s personal experiences, and an insider’s guide to designing interiors and developing an art collection, Out There: Design, Art, Travel, Shopping presents with insight, humor, and flair the inspirations behind Brito’s work and interests. Featuring highlights of her favorite contemporary artists, photographs of eight New York City apartments that she designed, and an extensive Address Book of Brito’s favorite galleries, shops, and hotels worldwide, Out There is a fresh and exclusive look behind the scenes of a passionate and exciting new design authority. Contents: Discovering Design, Art, and Other Passions; Collecting Contemporary Art and the Extraordinary World of Artists; My Designs and the Art of Living; Wanderings Near and Far; Address Book.
A fascinating look into Brito’s personal experiences, and an insider’s guide to designing interiors and developing an art collection, Out There: Design, Art, Travel, Shopping presents with insight, humor, and flair the inspirations behind Brito’s work and interests. Featuring highlights of her favorite contemporary artists, photographs of eight New York City apartments that she designed, and an extensive Address Book of Brito’s favorite galleries, shops, and hotels worldwide, Out There is a fresh and exclusive look behind the scenes of a passionate and exciting new design authority

Modern architecture in China has until recently been dominated by Western influences. This is backed up by many major projects being awarded to international architects and that most Chinese practitioners have studied or worked abroad. Architects in China, a+u 16:03 depicts a new era where personal experiences and local context are incorporated into recent works. Private architectural practice is still a relatively new concept in China. Architects are still in the process of developing a design language that responds to the speed and size of the country’s growth while respecting the local site. This issue features 20 projects that combine global and local into a new design form particular to China. Text in English and Japanese.
• Features 20 projects that combine global and local into a new design form unique to China

Modern architecture in China has until recently been dominated by Western influences. This is backed up by many major projects being awarded to international architects and that most Chinese practitioners have studied or worked abroad. Architects in China, a+u 16:03 depicts a new era where personal experiences and local context are incorporated into recent works.

Private architectural practice is still a relatively new concept in China. Architects are still in the process of developing a design language that responds to the speed and size of the country’s growth while respecting the local site. This issue features 20 projects that combine global and local into a new design form particular to China.

Text in English and Japanese.

In the publication TSATSAS. past, present, future, Esther and Dimitrios Tsatsas present an exciting and informative glimpse into their artistic oeuvre to mark the 10th anniversary of their business. The designer couple have been developing high-end handcrafted leather bags and accessories since 2012, eschewing established parameters of design and interweaving and developing the traditional Offenbach am Main (Germany) bag-makers’ craft with their own cutting-edge design vernacular. The publication illustrates the varied work processes that go into creating their accessories, from the concept and the transformation of this traditional craft to their sources of inspiration in art, design, and architecture.

Text in English and German.

Artisans of Israel is a very special book on crafts. Author Lynn Holstein is in search of a national identity in the artisanry of the still young country – and she finds it in the unifying pursuit for innovation. Forty artists, including Jews, Muslims and Christians, tell their stories and show in five different trades how emancipation can be promoted through creativity. Working with one’s hands stands unfailingly at the centre of this reflection. From the hybrid of cultural and religious backgrounds emerges a unique compilation that brings together the fields of metalwork and jewellery, ceramics, textiles, paper and wood. This compilation portrays a sensitive and inspiring portrait of Israel and its inhabitants. This book accompanies an exhibition at The Open Museum, Tefen (IL), in January 2018.

Text in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Kashmir is a distinct region that has yet to be fully explored. The authors ‘tell’ human stories visually, against an awe inspiring natural backdrop. Their compelling and magical pictorial journey ushers the reader through the Valley, celebrating the ethereal beauty and the cultural diversity of this exotic land, as well as marking the shades of change and transition. It is a book painted with the lesser known colors, embracing the layers and textures which lie beyond the known dimensions of Kashmir. Breathtaking photographs in varying shades and angles, supported by well-researched relevant text, are the tools to communicate to the reader the sense of a classical Kashmir. This is a land with an inherent rich culture, and Alluring Kashmir sets its exotic landscapes against unfamiliar facts and fables, and the intimate aspects of daily life. The reader becomes part of a thriving society, which is waiting to match steps with the rest of the world despite huge challenges.

We move from crisis to crisis, our climate is changing, and growing civil unrest could lead to violence or even civil war(s). We need a longer-term vision to bring hope and embed sustainable, real solutions in the way we live and do business. This book is a roadmap to help companies achieve a more positive impact, creating an ‘impact economy’ that considers the impact of our actions, and balances the needs of people and companies with the health of the planet. It presents practical guidance and insights on how to transform a business according to ESG principles, for long-term sustainability.

This is the first book to explore the work of the forgotten ceramics concern – Chetham & Woolley. The original partnership of James Chetham and Richard Woolley established a factory in Longton, Staffordshire in 1795. The partnership was responsible for developing a new ceramic body – semi-transparent stoneware, properly termed Feldspathic Stoneware. In its day the Chetham & Woolley factory occupied a very important position in the Staffordshire ceramics industry. Until recent research carried out by Colin Wyman practically all memory of Chetham & Woolley had been lost. This book re-establishes the factory’s well-deserved reputation.

David Mellor: Design is an introduction to the designer, his works and his importance within the British design landscape, post 1950. The wider world knows him for his cutlery, which although exquisite and important, is the tip of the iceberg. To see Mellor as ‘just’ a cutlery designer is to miss his depth: his love of public projects, street furniture or Church commissions. But then to see Mellor as ‘just’ a designer is to miss his influence as a patron of architecture, or his passion for retailing and promoting British crafts. He may be the ‘King of cutlery’ but that is just the beginning.
David Mellor (1930-2009) began his career at the RCA, developing sophisticated yet simple aesthetics which he displayed through his silver smithing. His cutlery continued in the Sheffield tradition whilst using some technologically advanced manufacturing methods and radically modern designs. He also designed public street furniture in the 50s and 60s which pulled Britain’s streets into the modern era. During the late 1960s he opened a shop in Sloane Square, London. His work as a retailer helped introduce the highest professional design standards into our equipment for cooking with and eating with. It followed the trail led by Elizabeth David, introducing continental cuisine to the country, a development that today seems so natural. Beautifully and comprehensively illustrated, this book opens up the wonderful work of David Mellor to a wider audience.
Also avaliable:
Claud Lovat Fraser ISBN: 9781851496631 GPO ISBN: 9781851495962 Peter Blake ISBN: 9781851496181 FHK Henrion ISBN: 9781851496327 David Gentleman ISBN: 9781851495955 E.McKnight Kauffer ISBN: 9781851495207 Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious ISBN: 9781851495009 El Lissitzky ISBN: 9781851496198 Festival of Britain 1951 ISBN: 9781851495337 Harold Curwen & Oliver Simon: Curwen Press ISBN: 9781851495719 Jan Le Witt and George Him ISBN: 9781851495665 Paul Nash and John Nash ISBN: 9781851495191 Rodchenko ISBN: 9781851495917 Abram Games ISBN: 9781851496778

In 2003, Salvador Muñoz Viñas published Teoría contemporánea de la Restauración. Two years later, he wrote Contemporary Theory of Conservation, a different, revised version of the first work. In these books, the philosophy of conservation was analyzed, and, building from different authors and sources, an alternative approach was outlined. Since 2005, the author has continued working on this topic, revising the ideas presented in these books, and developing new ones. Many of these ideas were presented in papers or in lectures. On Theoretical and Ethical Principles of Conservation gathers together fifteen of these contributions. While the papers and lectures included in this volume were not conceived as part of a whole, a coherent line of thinking can be easily detected: in all of them, the core notions of conservation ethics are discussed and analyzed. In different ways, they all aim at showing that, simply put, the so-called ‘principles of conservation’ are not what they may seem at first sight. Heritage conservation is a well-established activity in many societies – an activity that does work, and that serves its purposes in an overly successful way; however, the reflections presented in this volume suggest that conservation might benefit from a different, less traditional interpretation of some of its ethical and theoretical tenets. Contents: A Brief History of Conservation Philosophy; The Metamorphosis of a Profession; The Battle of Clio and Euterpe; Authenticity – Beyond Authenticity – The Problems of Authenticity; On Minimal Intervention – Minimal Intervention Revisited; On Artist’s Intent – Authorship – Reasons to Ignore Artist’s Intent; On Objectivity – You are not being objective. The Changing Criteria Argument – Sense and Sensibility and Patina – Pride and Prejuduce and Patina; Technical Authority – Whose decision; On Conservation – The Frankenstein Syndrome – Imperfect Conservation; On Conservation Ethics – These are my Principles.

This volume of post prints of a conference held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, is a record of current perceptions and considerations of plastics within museum collections. Artist’s concepts of plastic as a medium and their views of ageing and decay challenge museum ethics. The dichotomy between an artist’s intent and engagement with their contemporary culture and longevity has resulted in many different resolutions. The balance between using and preserving ‘plastic’ artwork is a fine and delicate line of compromise, and the complex enigma of how to identify which of the many synthetic polymers, mass-produced ‘plastics’ within collections are formed from remains, as yet, unsolved. Now, through experience, observation and research, museums are developing collecting policies, recording techniques and preservation strategies which take pragmatic and utilitarian approaches, differentiating between stable and unstable plastics on the grounds of many aspects including age, color and design.

This book follows the author’s popular title ‘Fungal Facts’ and is designed to help collections managers, conservators, curators and students (of materials and material culture) to understand the properties of fibrous proteins. The author presents relevant information to assist in developing new approaches to care, conservation and research of objects and understanding conservation treatment interactions. Subject areas include: the link between heritage objects and natural history specimens; the different collagenous tissues used in heritage artefacts including the skin structure of several different specimens; amino acids; the numerous agents of protein deterioration; the effects of water in fibrous protein materials; collagen structure and the deterioration of collagen; tanning processes; striated muscle and elastin in fluid-preserved natural history specimens.

Ever since the 1960s Sven Ivar Dysthe (b. 1931) has been one of the leading proponents of Scandinavian design. The 1960s feature prominently in his creative work, a time when he founded Pop design in Norway and produced most of his emergent iconic designs.
Dysthe’s career got off to a glamorous start: in 1953 this student of the Royal College of Art in London was commissioned with the creation of the school’s coronation gift, a wooden casket, for Queen Elizabeth II. Since then one cannot think of the international design scene without thinking of him. His chair and furniture designs 1001, Popcorn, Prisma, Planet and Laminette are huge successes in the export market. The latter is one of Norway’s most popular chairs, on which virtually every Norwegian has sat at least once due to its use in countless public buildings, likewise travelers all over Oslo’s Gardermoen airport with his chair Gardist. In the 1970s Sven Ivar Dysthe also significantly contributed to the development of ski equipment – and to the then success of the Norwegian athletes – by developing a revolutionary ski binding out of plastic.
Award-winning designer Sven Ivar Dysthe’s furniture designs are as popular today as the time they were designed and have secured him an exceptional place in Scandinavian design history.
Text in English & Norwegian.

“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.

Vessel | Sculpture refers to the direction studio pottery has taken since the mid-20th century, developing from primarily functional vessels to artistically designed vessels, ceramic sculpture, installation and conceptual art. The aim is to trace the history of how ceramics has evolved and developed into an autonomous art medium, which is continually self-renewing. Focused on the GRASSI Museum’s collection of contemporary ceramic work since 1946 when Germany was divided into East and West after the World War II, this book provides a fascinating and instructive overview of developments and trends in the two Germanys. Moreover, a broad-ranging selection of works by ceramicists now active in both the new and the old Federal German states is supplemented by contemporary pieces from all over the world. The publication is devoted to one-off pieces and limited editions from the past six decades. Reproductions in large formats of approximately four hundred selected objects are accompanied by biographies of as many artists and their signatures. Text in English & German. Artists include: Gordon Baldwin, Richard Bampi, Hedwig Bollhagen, Jan Bontjes van Beek, Hans Cooper, Dieter Crumbiegel, Anne Currier, Ruth Duckworth, Karl Fulle, Walter Gebauer, Ewen Henderson, Gerd Knäpper, Maria Teresa Kuczynska, Beate Kuhn, Bernard Leach, Heidi Manthey, Sonngard Marcks, Gertraud Möhwald, Colin Pearson, Walter Popp, Gilbert Portanier, Renée Reichenbach, Lucie Rie, Antje Scharfe, Karl Scheid, Ursula Scheid, Tatsuzo Shimaoka, Alev Siesbye, Bärbel Thoelke, Jindra Viková, and many more.

In 2008 and 2013 the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig presented two representative inventory publications under the title Vessel / Sculpture. German and International Ceramics since 1946, which attracted great interest from across the globe and were regarded as standard reference works. This third volume continues the series, against a backdrop of a renewed and extensive increase of modern studio ceramics in the museum’s collection. As in the previous publications, the objects in the book enter into aesthetic dialogues, thus facilitating interesting perspectives in the development of artistic ceramics up to the present day. In doing so it becomes clear how ceramic objects are developing from a servient-functional gesture into ever consistent autonomous artworks yet without necessarily losing the vessel theme. Its multitude of current artists’ biographies and illustrations of makers’ marks make this a highly recommendable reference work.

Contents: Contributions from selected artists: Felicity Aylieff, Thomas Bohle, Werner Bünck, Carmen Dionyse, Allesandro Gallo, Louise Hindsgavl, Beate Kuhn, Sonngard Marcks, Ken Mihara, Sarah Pschorn, Elke Sada, Carolein Smit, Julian Stair, Robert Sturm and Henk Wolvers.

Published to accompany an exhibition at GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts Leipzig (DE), 10 November 2018 – 13 October 2019.

Text in English and German

This book is the culmination of nearly 30 years’ work in caring for, studying, and developing the collections in this Museum by Timothy Wilson, long-time Keeper of Western Art. Wilson is well-known as a specialist in the study of European Renaissance ceramics. The Ashmolean collections have their origins in the collection of C.D.E. Fortnum (1820-1899), but have been developed further in the last quarter-century, so that they can claim to be one of the top such collections of Renaissance ceramics worldwide.
This book, containing 289 catalog entries, will completely encompass the Museum’s collection of post-classical Italian pottery, including pieces from excavations. In addition it will include catalog entries for some 70 selected pieces of pottery from France, the Low Countries, England, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Mexico, in order to present a wide-ranging picture of the development of tin-glaze pottery from Islamic Spain through to recent times. It also includes an essay by Kelly Domoney of Cranfield University, and Elisabeth Gardner of the Ashmolean’s Conservation Department, on the technical analysis and conservation history of some pieces in the collection.

Although China is the colossus of our times economically, its equally prodigious output of contemporary poetry is relatively unknown. In this anthology, work of the so-called Fourth Generation of poets is selected and introduced by a scholar and former dissident, and translated by a distinguished international team of poets and writers. It offers for the first time in bilingual format the outstanding poetry emerging from a vibrant and rapidly developing cultural scene, and also introduces some of China’s hottest visual artists and their work. An introduction provides an historical and critical framework, while textual commentary and notes, biographical sketches, bibliography, and notes make this a necessary addition to any library of Chinese literature.

Following on from the success of An Opinionated Guide to East London, Hoxton Mini Press are developing a series of ‘opinionated guides’ to aspects of London, each offering concise, highly-curated, insider selections alongside stunning, original photography. Two expert writers, Sujata Burman and Rosa Bertoli of Wallpaper Magazine, have joined forces with architectural photographer Taran Wilkhu to create an unashamedly confident guide to the must-see buildings in London, spanning all the architectural styles: from Art Deco to postmodern, brutalist to futuristic. Over 50 buildings are included alongside four maps with guided city walks. Why buy a guidebook when all information is online? Because people want opinion to cut through the clutter. Contents: Foreword; Introduction; Maps / Walks; Features.