Bombay Art Deco Architecture presents a treasury of Art Deco buildings comprising residential, commercial and civic architecture. These monuments were created during the mid ’30s and ’40s, a glamorous and optimistic era that predated the official end of the British Raj. The architects, a small list of first-generation Indian architects and builders, were mostly educated in English schools and trained in western architectural traditionst. Impatient with the British reluctance to shed the Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architectural styles that had dominated Imperial Bombay’s urban landscape, these visionaries were determined to imbue the city with a new modern style. That style shares its provenance with the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach, termed ‘Tropical Deco’ by author Laura Cerwinske in her seminal 1981 book. Built in the same era, the Art Deco architecture of the two cities exhibits similar scale, geometry, tropical vocabulary, and love of romance.

This grand opus assembles the people and the pieces at the heart of the Art Deco movement at each stage of its enduring appeal. The Art Deco Style is richly illustrated with the work of legendary designers and decorators Eileen Gray, Paul Iribe, Antoine Bourdelle, Armand-Albert Rateau and Jean Dunand, among others.   

Ever since its early 20th-century origins, Art Deco has fascinated and amused socialites, collectors and designers. Referred to at the time as moderne, the style largely took shape around a clientele of French fashion industry luminaries and wealthy international collectors. Art historians christened it during a second wave in the ’60s, while a third generation of afficionados entered the auction houses of the ’80s and ’90s, ready to invest in the most exquisite examples. Curated by art consultant and author Alastair Duncan, this detailed historical account is the gold-standard visual guide to the decorative arts.   

Terrifying beasts, imaginary landscapes, portraits and ornaments – All Manner of Murals celebrates the many ways we have decorated our day-to-day lives with wall paintings. Murals by their very nature must remain in the buildings for which they were designed, inextricably at one with their surroundings, and so offer glimpses of vanished ways of living. Whether painted in a humble cottage or a grand palace, they illustrate the march not only of history, but of our view of ourselves. At once strange and strangely familiar, the ancient wall painting emerging from under layers of whitewash has much to tell us about how our predecessors saw the world around them. The tradition of wall painting, arguably the oldest of art forms, continues to this day, and our descendants may find our own values and views reflected in the murals, private and public, that we leave behind. The twenty papers collected in this book explore over 500 years of secular wall paintings, right up to contemporary work, looking at why and how they were painted, and the best ways of caring for them to ensure that future generations can also find in “all manner of murals” a source of wonder and of kinship to their past. One hundred color illustrations demonstrate the very best examples. The editors Robert Gowing and Dr Robyn Pender are both Senior Architectural Conservators in the Conservation Department of English Heritage.

Brussels is well known for its wide variety of buildings in the Art Deco style, which were built in the aftermath of the Great War in the 1920s and 1930s. In this book, the authors have created seven walking (or biking) itineraries that explore Art Deco and modernist architecture in neighborhoods throughout the city. Several key architects are profiled, and the historical context of the period is discussed, offering readers new insights into the living heritage that lines the streets of Brussels.

Also available: Brussels Art Nouveau ISBN 9782390250456.

With the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, Art Deco seduced the world. From New York to Paris, the press celebrated this event which permanently imposes this universal style.

Crossing the Atlantic aboard sumptuous liners such as Île-de-France and Normandy, main French decorators such as Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand and Pierre Chareau exhibited in department stores, from New York to Philadelphia.

From Mexico to Canada, this enthusiasm is driven by North American architects trained at the School National Museum of Fine Arts in Paris from the beginning of the 20th century, then at the Art Training Center in Meudon and at the Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts, two art schools founded after the First World War world which strengthened the links between the two continents. 

This book reveals a reciprocal emulation which is illustrated in the architecture and ornamentation of skyscrapers as well as in cinema, fashion, press, sport… 

Thirty-seven texts and 350 illustrations make it possible to discover the unique links that unite France and America, from the Statue of Liberty by Bartholdi to the Streamline which succeeds Art Deco. 

Text in French.

The Tyagarajasvami Temple in Tiruvarur, a major historic site in the heart of the Tamil country, has preserved among its many treasures a set of ceiling paintings from the 17th century. These magnificent paintings tell the story of Mucukunda, the monkey-faced Chola king who established Lord Tyagaraja in the Tiruvarur temple. They also offer tantalizing glimpses of daily life, material culture, flora and fauna, temple architecture and ritual performance from this period. Contents:
Introducing Tyagaraja Vitivitankan Mucukunda, the Monkey-Faced Chola How Tyagaraja came to Tiruvarur Ajapa and unmanl The Paintings Listening to the Silent Echo of the Murals at Tiruvarur

Published on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of the Rosetta stone, this book responds to the ever-growing enthusiasm and curiosity for Egyptomania.

This concept refers to a collective imagination which was nurtured throughout the 19th and 20th centuries by archeological digs and exploratory trips. These key discoveries were crucial for creation and particularly for the Art Deco artists who found their inspiration in Egyptian lines and patterns.

Art Déco & Egyptomanie explores the origins and functioning of this cultural and artistic movement shaped by many fields: architecture, cinema, sculpture, popular art, theater and fashion.

Art Déco & Egyptomanie comes with an explicit and previously unseen iconography.

Text in French.

Mural Art – Studies in Paintings in Asia is a collection of 10 articles by the best scholars on murals in Afghanistan, China, Tibet, Burma, Thailand and Mongolia – from the 5th to the 18th century. Covering diverse issues including preservation and digital reconstruction of lost murals, this important new book provides information with challenging perspectives based on the latest findings and research. It also reveals murals never before published, recently rediscovered and endangered. This unique publication on murals in Asia counts as a precious testimony of a fragile and inspiring heritage.

Composed over two thousand years ago, the Ramayana was transmitted to Southeast Asia in the first centuries CE. Over the years, it was adapted to suit local customs and traditions. The story of Rama’s exile with his wife Sita, her abduction by the evil ogre king Ravanna, her rescue and Rama’s triumphant return to Ayodhaya, was one which captured the imagination of the kings of Siam, Cambodia and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. A story of the triumph of good over evil was then visualized in stone carvings, drama, shadow puppets and mural paintings. Among the latter, Thailand and Cambodia have the finest examples. In In the Shadow of Rama, long-standing expert in the Ramayana, Dr. Vittorio Roveda, examines the most beautiful examples still remaining to us. In Siam, we tour the famous murals of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the intricacies of the shadow puppets, Nang Yai. In Cambodia, Roveda presents a special study of the delicate and expressive murals of Wat Bo, as well as commenting on the murals of the Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh. He also explains how in Siam the Ramayana became the Ramakien and in Cambodia the Reamker. This magnificent volume is the culmination of Vittorio Roveda’s 20 years of research and a visual feast for all those fascinated by the art of Southeast Asia.

D*Face, born Dean Stockton, is a British artist known for his distinctive blend of pop art and punk culture in street art. Drawing inspiration from American comics, he creates street art and exhibits globally, contributing to the rise of contemporary street art alongside artists like OBEY and BANKSY.

The purpose of this book is to give a wider insight into the practice of working within the streets and the public domain. What people most often see of street art is actually the middle point of an artwork’s lifespan, the clean image of a recently finished mural or a freshly peeled sticker but that’s not the whole picture. Not only is there a whole process leading up to the creation of a mural but there also exists a journey of change after work has been left to the streets. Paint fades, tags appear, stickers peel and crack – all these are part and parcel of what it means to work within the street. This book aims to tell that story.

The eight volumes in this boxset reveal the manifold creative talents of René Lalique, an exceptional artist, Art Nouveau jeweler, and later Art Deco glassmaker, as well as those of his successors and the many people who perpetuate these skills in the present day. Illustrating previously unpublished works, Lalique retraces the history of Lalique and its founding family. For Lalique is a famous name: René, ‘the inventor of the modern jewel’, as Emile Gallé described him at the close of the nineteenth century. After working from home as a designer for large firms, Lalique opened his own workshop, where he created objects in the round using previously neglected materials, such as horn, semi-precious stones, enamel, and glass. These already featured the themes that would recur throughout his career: Female, Flora and Fauna, with the addition of a fourth ‘F’, Form, with the advent of Art Deco. From a very young age René Lalique enjoyed drawing, observing nature closely and making sketches. Although his most detailed works were undoubtedly his jewelry designs, drawing was to remain an indispensable prerequisite to his creations. Lalique found an outlet for his creative genius in all sorts of everyday objects, including lamps, paperweights and tableware, magnifying their importance and rendering them wholly exceptional today. René Lalique also turned his hand to decoration and the creation of monumental works. Whether designing the stained glass for a chapel, an imposing fountain for the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925, or objects for railway trains or ocean liners, he was always keen to create with glass and to play with light.

As one of the key players of modern jewelry in the ’20s, Paul Brandt worked with the most famous jewelers of his time, like Fouquet or Sandoz.

He followed eclectic studies in Paris (jewelry, painting, sculpture, medals and stones engraving, chiselling, etc) and finally decided to specialize in jewelry design. With his first creations he joined the art nouveau movement before focusing on an art deco style. He took part in the International Exhibition of Decorative Art of 1925 both as an artist and a jury member. Paul Brandt considered his jewelry as works of art in their own right and displayed them during exhibitions where the scenography kept getting more innovative. From the ’30s, he extended his activity to interior design.

This monograph displays the talent of this major artist who left his mark in France and abroad. Recounting his whole career, it highlights the extent of Paul Brandt’s skills, not only in jewelry but also in medal making, decoration and interior design.

Text in French.

Punjab, and especially Sikh art, has taken multiple forms ranging from scriptural manuscripts, floral adornments to illustrations and illuminations. This family collection showcases varied forms of jewelry, textiles, arms, coinage, along with construction of religious places and monuments. Murals and frescoes, paintings from Mughal, Punjabi and Pahari styles as well as calligraphy; all enhance the culture and add to its beauty. In addition, foreign artists such as Emily Eden, Shoefft, Soltikoff and other Europeans have left their imprint. The Khanuja Family believes encouragement of art is an essential element in enriching cultural heritage, upliftment of the human spirit, which eventually results in understanding, tolerance and interconnecting us all. This collection is a labor of love which started with an interest in listening to the history of Punjab from elders and subsequently reading about it. Over time with the help of Dr P Khanuja’s daughter, Jasleen it evolved into this expensive passion of collecting artifacts and paintings over the last 14 years.

The New York jewelry firm of Marcus & Co. (1892–1942) created exceptional examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry for an art-loving, wealthy elite. Innovative in their collaboration with contemporary artists, and in their captivating window displays and advertisements, the firm captured the imagination of Gilded Age families such as the Rockefellers. This volume chronicles their story, from the founder’s apprenticeship in Dresden to the firm’s grand premises on Fifth Avenue neighboring Tiffany and Cartier. The triumphs and tragedies of three generations of Marcus jewelers, both artistic and entrepreneurial, are presented here together with exquisite jewelry and archival design drawings spanning 50 years.

In New York, Jason Nazmiyal has a rug collection like no other. For the past three decades, interior designers and collectors have flocked to his Manhattan gallery to source art for the floor, be it a treasured antique classical carpet, an elegant Art Deco rug, or a Scandinavian minimalist piece. This book delves into the history of the handmade carpet across the world, before looking at the many ways rugs can be used to bring together interiors in a variety of styles. From a Mid-Century Modern residence to a contemporary urban sanctuary and a classic Upper East Side apartment, there is a rug for every space. With stunning interior photography and full of practical advice for the professional decorator as well as the amateur enthusiast, this publication is a useful and beautiful addition to the library of anyone with an interest in interior decoration.  

Ex Animo represents the most complete and exhaustive collection of artist Faith XLVII’s works, both from the streets and her studio. The book contains critical texts by Kristin Farr (Deputy Editor at Juxtapoz Magazine), Carlo Mc Cormick (famous critic and curator from New York) and Jaqueline Flint. Ex Animo is a monograph exploring the artist’s greatest projects from The Psychic Power of Animals, in which Faith represents in full scale the strength and power of alpha animals, to The Long Wait, a series of murals representing Johannesburg men waiting. “I want to hear the voice that is silenced; the quieter but profound comments on living”, says the artist in an interview. “Turning a blind eye to injustice is not an option in a country like South Africa, whose cruel history still permeates the present.”

WK has proved himself to be one of the truly original and innovative street artists in his ability to marry the movement of the street to the dynamism imbued in his work. WK Act 4 explores 25 years of WK’s work on the street, producing everything from small scale stencil work and throw ups to huge wall paintings and murals – featuring graffiti graphics, illustration, art objects and supplies – all beautifully complementing the perpetual motion of urban life. The book features an extensive collection of some of the artist’s most famous works including his 17-painting installation at the Colette Gallery in Paris, the iconic decorations of building facades in downtown Manhattan and Project Brave, a moving 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center. Complete with an in-depth introduction and biography with contributions from several contemporaries, the book presents a fascinating journey into the world of WK. “WK Interact’s iconic black and white street art – human figures engaged in some type of extreme motion or emotion, running, jumping, screaming, struggling to escape – has forever pierced our memory of the Lower East Side and SOHO streets.” Isabel Kirsch continues to write in the introduction, “the impermanent, multi-dimensional surfaces of the ever-hustling and bustling inner city are the ideal backdrop to bring his images to life.”