Austin is most definitely weird If by “weird”, you mean quirky, offbeat, intriguing, and utterly lovable. The city shares that uniquely Texan pride of place, and yet it has an independent spirit and character all its own. Locals and visitors alike should look no further than these pages to explore some of the weirdest corners of Austin. Try out the latest innovations in a technology petting zoo. Get your car washed among giant dinosaurs. If you dare, spend some time in a garden inspired by Alice Cooper. Soak up the sun on the only official nude beach in Texas. And, of course, in the city of music and food, catch a live show at the spot where Janis Joplin got her start, or enjoy soul food and soul music in someone’s big backyard. Savor some of the best tacos and tamales in a city known for amazing Mexican food.
In this guidebook, you’ll find out where all the secrets are hidden and learn the unknown stories behind them too. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, you’re just passing through, or something in between, you’ll become even more enamored with the capital of Texas in all its inventive, unabashed – and weird – glory.
Art for Tribal Rituals is the outcome of extensive fieldwork carried out by Eberhard Fischer and Haku Shah in South Gujarat in 1969. After an initial survey tour to locate village shrines and sacred pilgrimage sites, as well as specialists in rituals and crafts, the two art-anthropologists stayed in the field to observe as silent participants oracle and spirit-healing sessions, a death ceremony and the worship of local deities by the village communities. Fischer and Shah documented their experiences in unprecedentedly detailed photographic sequences, and as well, took precise notation of what they observed. In addition, they spoke to the specialists and carefully noted their comments, which are reproduced in this book as individual “ indigenous voices ”.
This book of 528 pages and 823 photographs thus presents painted stones, large wooden stone-slabs and figures – representations of bodies for otherwise unsettled souls of the dead – but also monumental wooden crocodiles, revered with piles of terracotta votive offerings. They also documented the production, installation and worship of these icons and ritual objects. An astonishing variety of expressive forms are displayed by these spectacular field photographs, taken half a century ago.
This publication is a tribute to the artistic and ritualistic accomplishments of Adivasi ritual leaders, healers, and craftspeople of the past in a once remote area of Western India.
150 Gardens You Need to Visit before You Die profiles a selection of the most beautiful gardens in the world, renowned for their exceptional flora, imaginative designs, and inspiring locations. From Kew Gardens in London to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, and from Monet’s garden at Giverny to the Zen garden of the Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto, this handsomely bound book captures in words and images the most notable features of these 150 glorious, not-to-be-missed gardens. An essential bucket list book for garden lovers!
This interdisciplinary scholarly catalog examines Motherland, an important series of photo-performances by the acclaimed artist Pushpamala N. on the Indian nation personified as woman, mother, and goddess. The series shows Pushpamala taking on Mother India’s myriad personifications: nubile beauty and saintly renunciant; militant goddess wearing a garland of skulls or receiving the ultimate sacrifice of a warrior’s head; the mother-surgeon activating the birth of model citizens; and destitute widow, bent from years of abject labor. As she does so, she reveals that nations are invented, as are national embodiments. The artist’s burden is to reveal the ingredients of such inventions.
The Formula 1 World Championship celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2025. The sport’s rich history is full of great drivers, spectacular cars and exciting races. But there is also a myriad of weird and wonderful behind-the-scenes stories never or rarely told. This book is a look at the alternative Formula 1 history. Read about: The driver who knocked down his team principal; A suicide attempt during practice; The jazz band which produced two F1 drivers; A team sponsored by pop superstars Abba; How the World Champion was kidnapped… and how a F1 car killed a cyclist and a motorcycle rider on a public road. These and many more crazy and fascinating stories are covered in The Alternative History of F1.
Author Peter Nygaard has attended more than 700 F1 races since 1974 and written many books about motor racing.
“Quickly being recognised as the most comprehensive guide to Irish whiskey.” – Gary Quinn, The Irish Times
“A must read book for any fan of Irish whiskey. At a time when the category is making the mightiest of comebacks Fionnán O’Connor has written a gem of a book, digging deep in to the heart of his country’s whiskey history and telling its story with style and authority. Excellent.” – Dominic Roskrow, Founding Director, The Craft Distillers Alliance
Irish single pot still whiskey has a romantic mystique for many whiskey critics because of its tragic history as the lost sister of single malt scotch. Ireland’s history and politics resulted in the near-annihilation of the national drink and there’s an almost eerie beauty to the silent distilleries that still dot the Irish countryside. These distilleries inform the aesthetic of the title and, indeed, there is visual poetry in the barrels, pot stills and photogenic amber spirits that convey the Irish whiskey world. Although Irish whiskey is currently the fastest-growing global spirits category and Irish pure pot still has long been a favorite drink among whiskey critics and connoisseurs, the existing literature is still surprisingly sparse. This book illustrates the production, history, and appreciation of Irish pot still whiskey and will introduce casual drinkers to the richness of these whiskeys as well as being a collector’s item for established whiskey connoisseurs.
This monograph is the first title in a new series titled Opera Maestra, specifically focused on the work and itinerary of the artists who made history, from an unprecedented perspective. The series begins with Leonardo da Vinci, captured by the expert Marco Versiero.
At the core the analysis is the specific soul, among the thousands of Leonardo’s, that Marco Versiero wants to underline: his mirror-soul; namely, Leonardo’s eye between Human and Nature. In other words, the eye that allowed the artist to mediate between his favourite dimensions (the human and the natural one), and allowed them to communicate with each other without cancelling themselves, but rather managing to reflect one in the other’s light, like in front of a mirror.
An essential biographical note introduces the reader to Marco Versiero’s pages, enriched with 61 detailed pictures. The pictures, proposing not only a selection of Leonardo’s paintings but also of his drawings, enhanced with comprehensive captions, tell the itinerary of the genius from the years of his apprenticeship in Verrocchio’s workshop till the days of his maturity.
“A history of cool.” — Airmail
“Without a doubt she is the great reference of photography in the Hip Hop Culture, with photos that are already the history of contemporary culture of the 20th century.” — Staf Magazine
“In over 240 pages, the book encapsulates the spirit of history-making generations and their influence on fashion and wider visual culture.” — The Luupe
Covering four decades of photography, this book serves as a stunning snapshot of Beckman’s significance in the world of art, photojournalism, music, fashion, and popular culture – but most prevalently, it’s a testament to her unique ability to extract beauty from the outliers of society. With written contributions from Beckman’s peers including academia’s Jason King, Chair of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music & Vivien Goldman Author & Professor at NYU; journalists Vikki Tobak, and co-founder of PAPER, Kim Hastreiter; visual artist Cey Adams; music legends Sting, Run DMC, Paul Weller, Salt-n-Pepa, Belinda Carlisle, and Slick Rick; and fashion’s Dapper Dan, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, Levi’s Chad Hinson – Rebels: From Punk to Dior showcases Janette Beckman’s influence in her realm.
In addition to publishing five books, Janette Beckman’s work has been exhibited in galleries worldwide and is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of the City of New York, and the British National Portrait Gallery. She is represented by the Fahey Klein Gallery.
This monograph showcases the trajectory of an empire built by the sheer dint of its driving success. Archgroup has gained international recognition as a comprehensive service provider in the architectural segment, with special focus being on its prolific and vital role dominating the skyline of the UAE’s world-class destination, Dubai. The firm’s work has now become synonymous with epithets such as ‘tallest’, ‘highest’ and ‘longest’ across the Gulf region.
Inside, the richly illustrated pages chronicle close to 100 projects by Archgroup, both built and in progress. Each work provides insight into the values, design-thinking and process-orientated approach that is the firm’s signature, making this volume a valuable resource that goes beyond the study of the built form to talk about the firm’s inimitable ethos that guides its design candor.
Pure Luxury: World’s Best Houses is a celebration of residential living at its finest, and best. Satisfying our natural and abiding curiosity about how other people live, and our endless quest to add a special something to our own homes, this latest volume in IMAGES’ 100 Houses series showcases contemporary architectural trends. The beauty of residential architecture lies in its infinite scope for innovation and the comfort of its inhabitants, be they at rest, at play, or hosting guests. Among the awe-inspiring projects in this book are an opulent villa set in the Hollywood Hills with an infinity pool projecting over LA, an idyllic rural retreat set in luxurious valleys and stunning beach houses around the coast. The diversity of the locations extend from Mexico and Brazil to Thailand and Italy. Featured architects include: Damien Murtagh, Lockyer Architects, ISJ Architects, Saucier + Perrotte, SAOTA, Okada Architects, Original Vision, Koutsoftides Architects, Drozdov Partners and Carlos Bratke Architect.
This catalog presents masterpieces of calligraphy, painting, sculpture, ceramics, lacquers, and textiles from two of America’s greatest Japanese art collections, which are featured in a landmark exhibition at the Asia Society in New York. Impermanence is a pervasive subject in Japanese philosophy and art, and recognizing the role of ephemerality is key to appreciating much of Japan’s artistic production. The dazzling range of art and objects in this beautifully photographed exhibition catalog show the broad, yet nuanced, ways that the notion of the ephemeral manifests itself in the arts of Japan throughout history. Insightful contributions from noted scholars explore the aesthetics of impermanence in religion, literature, artifacts, the tea ceremony, and popular culture in objects dating from the late Jomon period (ca. 1000-300 B.C.E.) to the 20th century.
Contents:
The Art of the Ephemeral;
Works in the Exhibition:
I. Retrieving Lost Worlds; II. Buddhism: Perpetual Impermanence; III. Tea: Choreographed Ephemerality; IV. Transforming Impermanence into Art.
Published to accompany an exhibition at the Asia Society Museum, New York, between 11 February and 26 April 2020.
The Academy celebrates the architect John Simpson’s newly finished building for the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana: the Walsh Family Hall. The language of John Simpson’s architecture, which derives from the fifth century BC, has been daringly applied to new uses and an instant landmark of exceptional interest has been created. Through a judicious combination of Classical richness and warehouse-like workspace the Walsh Family Hall provides a humane and joyous series of spaces, which elevates the spirits of those entering and passing through it. This book describes not only the architecture of the Walsh Family Hall but the process whereby it came into existence, with written contributions from the generous donors, Matt and Joyce Walsh; Dean Michael Lykoudis, who commissioned the building; and some of the students who work in these uplifting surroundings. Further educational works by John Simpson such as his new ‘yard’ for Eton College and major new additions and improvements to the Royal College of Music in London are described, with an essay by Simpson explaining his approach. All these works are presented and explored with full color commissioned photography, drawn plans and original sketches throughout. John Simpson Architects believes that Classicism can enhance life in the 21st century by creating inspirational spaces that relate to the proportions of the human body – a view of architecture that is triumphantly demonstrated in the Academy that is the Walsh Family Hall.
The Academy of Independent Creators in Watchmaking (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, AHCI) is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2020: that’s over one-third of a century of total independence, creativity, exhibitions, and sharing watchmaking craftsmanship. Here, AHCI, the oldest organisation in the world devoted to protecting independent, artisanal watchmaking, presents an inside portrait of its members and candidates. They share their most iconic creations and their knowhow, give guided tours of their workshops, and offer a glimpse into their own private world. This dive into the beating heart of independent watchmaking is for all lovers of creativity and authenticity, be they connoisseurs of fine craftsmanship or experienced collectors willing to take the road less traveled.
The Green Energy Laboratory (GEL) is a research center for low environmental impact building technologies on the the Minhang Campus of Jiao Tong University in Shanghai. Created in collaboration between the university and the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection, it was designed and built by the Florentine architectural firm Archea Associati in 2012.
This book features critical essays, technical drawings, photos of the construction site and the completed project, and illustrates the harmony of this structure through its perfect blend of tradition, architectural ingenuity, and sustainability. The GEL building is based around a central courtyard with a retractable roof. The top, or third floor, is recessed in relation to the main block, with a steeply sloped roof to house solar panels. The outer shell of the building’s double skin is composed of terracotta elements designed to form pictograms common in the Chinese language. This landmark project represents a symbol of intercultural cooperation between Italy and China.
Text in English and Italian.
From long lost paintings to ephemeral sculptures; from whimsical performances to iconic public murals; and from independent films to landmark design objects, the surprising and provocative contents of Moving Focus, India have been provided by a varied group of experts. A first of its kind, this book invited 54 artists, curators, historians and writers to each create a list of five works of art, made at any time since 1900, by artists living in India or identifying as part of its diaspora.
With over 250 individual nominations, including artists whose works have been exhibited at venues as various as Houghton Hall (Anish Kapoor, 2020), the Asia Society Museum, New York (MF Husain, 2019) and the Piramal Museum of Art, Mumbai (SH Raza, 2018), the exercise produced thrilling and unexpected choices across many mediums. Drawing from a wide range of private and public collections, the selections reveal the diversity and inclusiveness of today’s art scene: an art scene that has embraced the progressive changes evident in society at large. In addition to these lists, the book includes reflections on collecting, curating and canon-formation from a range of important voices, by way of a roundtable discussion and a series of essays.
Spread over two volumes and marked by an innovative and fresh design sensibility, whether you are familiar with modern and contemporary art from the subcontinent or looking for an introduction, Moving Focus, India contains a wealth of information. Lavishly illustrated with over 1,000 archival and freshly commissioned photographs, this book is an important and timely addition to the global art discourse and a key source of reference.
Nominated artists include Ramkinkar Baij, Chittaprosad, VS Gaitonde, Amrita Sher Gil, Rummana Hussain, Bhupen Khakhar, Nasreen Mohamedi, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Gieve Patel, Sudhir Patwardhan, Nilima Sheikh, Jangarh Singh Shyam, KG Subramanyan, Vivan Sundaram, Zarina and many more.
With a focus on the women designers of early avant-garde jewelry, this publication paints a fascinating picture of Austrian jewelry production from the 1970s to the present day. The show brings together some 80 jewelry objects, many of which exemplify sculptural and conceptual approaches to jewelry design. Selected works from more recent generations not only highlights references to works of the pioneers but also attests to the developments of a contemporary, vibrant jewelry scene, whose diversity is yet to be discovered. The book’s title refers to the landmark exhibition Kunst mit Eigen-Sinn: Aktuelle Kunst von Frauen (Willful Art: Contemporary Art by Women), which took place at the Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts in Vienna in 1985 and is regarded as a milestone in the artistic and social history of women.
Text in English and German.
To document and preserve an ancient craft tradition in danger of disappearing, Douglas Brooks apprenticed with five master boatbuilders in Japan between 1996 and 2010, building a different traditional wooden boat with each. His research and experiences were presented in his landmark 2015 publication, Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding. This book documents his most recent apprenticeship, building a cormorant fishing boat with 85-year-old master craftsman Seichi Nasu, in Gifu, Japan.
Using trained cormorants to fish has a 1,300 year history in Gifu, and is done at night from special river craft called ubune, literally “cormorant boat.” The boat features an extended bow with pivoting boom from which is hung an iron fire basket to light up the water and attract fish, which are then retrieved by the enthusiastic birds.
Together with Mr. Nasu, then 85, Brooks worked with several volunteers over a two-month period to build the 42 foot craft, a design largely unchanged for centuries. As in his previous publications, readers are introduced to important aspects of traditional Japanese boatbuilding, including design and measurements, workshop and tools, wood and materials, joinery and fastenings, and above all, secrets of the craft.
Say Cheeeeese is the highly anticipated first book by British painter Rachel Jones featuring her explosive new works and an original, collectible insert. The book was published to accompany Jones’ new commission at Chisenhale Gallery, London, in Spring 2022. For this first solo exhibition, she used her signature material, oil pastels, to produce a new body of paintings on canvas and paper. The publication includes a photo essay and commissioned text by poet and artist Anaïs Duplan; Chisenhale Gallery senior curator Ellen Greig; curator and researcher Aïcha Mehrez; poet, essayist, playwright and MacArthur Fellow Claudia Rankine; and curator Yates Norton. The foreword is written by Zoé Whitley, Chisenhale Gallery Director.
“The audience should feel as they come out of this show that they have over-eaten an enormous cream meringue”. Jonathan Miller’s ambition was completely successful, and his Mikado has been revived umpteen times in London and played in LA, Houston, New York and Venice. It brought together some of the finest stage talents of its time, and revolutionized Gilbert and Sullivan. Richard Suart, iconic incarnation of KoKo, Lord High Executioner, celebrates this landmark production in all its variations over the years, with his unmistakeable wit and humor, and deep understanding of the stagecraft of opera and the history of G&S. Over 200 photographs take the reader on a unique journey into the heart of a theatrical masterpiece.
“The subtle forms and modelled curves and planes in a skeleton were to George Stubbs what a symphony is to a musician.” — Oxford Companion to Art
“The most unique thing of its kind ever compiled. This heroic effort, an epic of the eighteenth century, is as great and unselfish a work as anything could be.” — Sir Alfred Munnings
George Stubbs was one of the most original artists Britain has produced, and it is easy to forget how much his success was based on rigorous scientific observation. In 1756 he rented a farmhouse where he erected scaffolding to hold the cadavers of horses as he dissected and drew. After 18 months, Stubbs produced the drawings for The Anatomy of the Horse, which he later etched. The result was sensational. Scientists from all over Europe sent their congratulations, amazed at the perfection of the work. The Anatomy remained a textbook for artists and scientists for over a century, and its strange, spare beauty continues to fascinate.
This edition is taken from the 1853 printing, the last to use Stubbs’ original plates. The full Stubbs’ commentary is included for the veterinarially minded. Extensive texts by Constance Anne Parker and Oliver Kase place Stubbs’ work in the context of his life and times, and of 18th-century medical science.
“The subtle forms and modelled curves and planes in a skeleton were to George Stubbs what a symphony is to a musician.” — Oxford Companion to Art
“The most unique thing of its kind ever compiled. This heroic effort, an epic of the eighteenth century, is as great and unselfish a work as anything could be.” — Sir Alfred Munnings
George Stubbs was one of the most original artists Britain has produced, and it is easy to forget how much his success was based on rigorous scientific observation. In 1756 he rented a farmhouse where he erected scaffolding to hold the cadavers of horses as he dissected and drew. After 18 months, Stubbs produced the drawings for The Anatomy of the Horse, which he later etched. The result was sensational. Scientists from all over Europe sent their congratulations, amazed at the perfection of the work. The Anatomy remained a textbook for artists and scientists for over a century, and its strange, spare beauty continues to fascinate.
This edition is taken from the 1853 printing, the last to use Stubbs’ original plates. The full Stubbs’ commentary is included for the veterinarially minded. Extensive texts by Constance Anne Parker and Oliver Kase place Stubbs’ work in the context of his life and times, and of 18th-century medical science.
a+u’s January issue features Caruso St John Architects, led by Adam Caruso and Peter St John. Practicing for more than 30 years, the firm is completing a series of major buildings, such as ZSC Lions Ice Hockey Arena, a competition-winning project 10 years in the making, and Royale Belge, an ambitious renovation of a landmark corporate building. Founded in London in 1990, Caruso St John carefully analyzes the existing situation – be it the sociocultural context or an old building – to create a unique architecture that informs both materiality and detail. The scale of the projects vary but the architecture is always their own, as their design approach, while consistent, responds sensitively to the variations. Caruso St John Architects have approached the 19 works in this issue with the same passion and sensitivity as in Tate Britain’s Millbank Project and Brick House, projects introduced in a+u’s March 2015 issue. Whether the subject is an existing building or a new construction, Caruso St John always questions norms and standards, and by extracting ideas and materials from the existing built environment, the firm embraces “the challenge to reframe the way we see the world around us and change how we define architecture.” (a+u)
Text in English and Japanese.
“When the pre-eminent portrait photographer of the day met the Cockney kid dominating the London film scene, magic was made.” — Australian Women’s Weekly Icons
“Caine, the timeless gentleman.” — Diego Armes, GQ Portugal
“The engaging images are either black and white or in color and therefore perfectly show all facets of the actor. A wonderful book about a very special and remarkable actor! 5 Stars!” — Lovely Books
“I had to be an actor,” Michael Caine once said. “[…] And of course, you have to remember with me, the alternative was a factory.”
A working-class actor who broke through to stardom, Caine’s screen-time involves standout performances across multiple genres. To this day, he is synonymous with a certain kind of urbane cool. No camera has captured this quality over the decades better than that of his collaborator and long-time friend, Terry O’Neill.
Michael Caine: Photographed by Terry O’Neill offers an immersive visual journey through Michael Caine’s career, immortalizing Caine’s charm both in and out of character. Caine occupies a landmark position in cinema and O’Neill was there from the early days of his stellar career. From the comedy of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to the European drama of Seven Times A Woman; from the miasma of The Magus to the British cult classic Get Carter, this book combines black and white and color images and includes never-before-seen contact sheets.
Featuring the following films: Mona Lisa, Midnight in Saint Petersburg / Bullet to Beijing, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Blue Ice, Without a Clue, Get Carter, Deadfall, Magus, Woman Times Seven, Funeral in Berlin.