“Rosalind Russell has written an extraordinarily beautiful, comprehensive and compelling story of Burma in a remarkably human way – essential reading for anyone interested in understanding Burma today.” Benedict Rogers, author of Burma: A Nation At the Crossroads.
“Burma’s Spring is like nothing else written about Burma – compelling, charming and unique. No other book I know of has got under the skin of such a wide variety of Burmese, bringing them to life on the page.” Peter Popham, author of The Lady and the Peacock: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Burma’s Spring documents the struggles of ordinary people made extraordinary by circumstance. Rosalind Russell, a British journalist who came to live in Burma with her family, witnessed a time of unprecedented change in a secretive country that had been locked under military dictatorship for half a century. Through her remarkable encounters as an undercover reporter, she unearthed the real-life stories of a rich array of characters and followed their fortunes over a tumultuous era of uprising, disaster and political reform. From the world-famous democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the broken-hearted domestic worker Mu Mu, a Buddhist monk to a punk, a palm reader to a girl band, these are stories of tragedy, resilience and hope-woven together in a vivid portrait of a land for so long hidden from view.
The sari is the most representative apparel of India that has intrigued men and tempted women all over the world. Worn in a variety of ways, the sari is a fabric-length of varying densities in its body, borders and end pieces often woven by combining a range of cottons and silks in colors and patterns that are constantly evolving. This book is an exhaustive overview of this fascinating unstitched garment and a cutting-edge documentation of design and all that supports it socially, culturally and economically. Travelling district by district, village by village, Saris of India explores an entire spectrum of traditional weaver and printer settlements in fifteen sari-producing states of India.
With 304 pages of striking floral arrangements, International Floral Art 2016/2017 is another exceptional tribute to the wonders of floral art. An absolute favorite of many, the International Floral Art series has become an essential resource that reflects the diverse and ever-evolving floral art scene. Over 200 international artists, both up-and-coming and well-established designers, sent in their best designs. This splendid mix of backgrounds accounts for the extraordinary diversity and the refreshing mix of arrangements in this volume. Packed with artful and inventive new designs and showcasing many contemporary styles and techniques, this is a must-have for anyone interested in floral art, from those with fingers itching to create, to those who just want to stand back and admire the incredible talents of others.
Xavier Lust is certainly one of the most relevant characters on the contemporary design scene. His distinct and essential approach to design, his ingenious and refined touch, and his ability to synthesise clearly imply a special talent. The great John Keats wrote: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness”. For Xavier Lust, dedication to beauty is the answer to eternity and this forever is actually built everyday through constant work, research and curiosity. Always focused on innovation and research, specifically tension and induced motion, he likes to experiment, explore and discover the natural transformations of materials. On the strength of his experience with metal, he confronts all kind of materials, challenging himself too in the process. Xavier Lust pushes the boundaries of technical possibilities while making a statement with each of his pieces and overriding preconceived ideas. Design Stories aims to give a wide sense of Lust’s work in the different fields of design from creation to production to final destination. Text in English and French. Also available: Xavier Lust ISBN 9789058562111
“The well-judged employment of classical detail in a new home has an additional significance that cannot be underestimated. It is an expression of an informed personal choice and an evocation of the delight in the human senses. This is true of all the houses featured in this book.” Jeremy Musson
“The architects and craftsmen that Phillip has featured in this wonderful book all have a love for classical detail. The art is alive and well, as can be attested to in these pages.” David Easton
In The Art of Classical Details, Phillip James Dodd takes a close-up look at some of the finest examples of contemporary classical architecture. The book consists of two chapters: The Essays and The Projects. Starting with a foreword by renowned decorator David Easton, The Essays are written by some of today’s most sought after architects, scholars and craftsmen. Accompanied by sumptuous full page photographs and renderings that illustrate a use of fine materials, intricate detailing, and superb artisanship, these insightful texts are essential reading for anyone with an interest in the theory, practice and craft of classical design. The Projects presents an illustrated look at 25 of today’s finest classically-designed homes. Employing the theories prescribed in the writings of the first chapter, this portfolio of contemporary buildings exhibits the work of some of the most recognizable and celebrated architects in Great Britain and the United States. The work featured in within this book demonstrates the timeless beauty of classicism, and delights in the role that superbly crafted details play in creating art.
The significant and rapid trend toward small office design globally is testament to increasing economic imperatives, where often commercial rentals are pushing business into innovative ways to manage and minimise their space and resources. Fast-evolving technological advances are also making it possible for people to work from home, where their home office environment needs to be not only stylish, but also conducive to productivity, and ergonomic to support and encourage good health and well-being. Also, there are those who seek to start their own business and are looking to establish a creative, professional and inspiring home office environment. Big Design for Small Workspaces combines form with function, and presents innovative interior designs for offices with compact floor plans of up to about 3230 square feet (300 square meters). This book showcases a selection of richly photographed, sleek and modern solutions, and presents insightful design concepts and appealing examples of imaginative and resourceful spaces, with informative commentaries describing aspects such as furnishings and materials, workstation layout, including the use of vertical space to its fullest advantage, and multipurpose areas. This book will provide an essential source of inspiration for architects, interior designers, small business owners, the homeoffice renovator, and anyone looking to create a smart small office environment.
“Showcasing 25 residences by today’s leading classical architects, this wonderful new book also addresses the fundamental issue of collaboration between architect, decorator, landscaper, and the enormous cast of characters who bring their formidable talents to the realization of every project. An Ideal Collaboration is an important addition to the literature of architecture and design.” – Ellie Cullman
“An Ideal Collaboration shares a place in my library next to volumes on great 20th century Classicists. It is essential as a visual reference to the continued evolution of timeless style.” Steven Gambrel
In the follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Art of Classical Details, Phillip James Dodd continues his look at some of the finest examples of contemporary classical architecture in Great Britain and the United States, while also examining how collaboration is the key to their successful design. In reality, collaborative relationships are rare, especially amongst designers, where each is often focused on their own individual objectives and unable to transcend their own egos. Often used as a catch phase, but not often realized, true collaboration requires an understanding and an appreciation – of the role that all parties play in the design and construction of a home. An Ideal Collaboration includes the work of some of the most notable names in contemporary residential design. Architects, decorators, landscape designers, consultants, builders, craftsmen, artists and vendors, all address the design process and the pivotal role that collaboration plays in creating cohesive timeless designs.
Minimalism is not all about simplicity. However, simplicity is at the heart of minimalism. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s well-known aphorism ‘Less is more’ clearly illuminated the essential theory of simplicity, of minimalism, and in the last fifty years of the minimalism movement, the definition of simplicity has shifted to a different time and space, and it now widely influences all design-related industries, including packaging. Starting with an overview of the concept of minimalism, this book goes on to showcase almost 70 interesting packaging design styles from around the world: from handmade decorative gifts to skincare products to stationery for women (yes, you read that correctly!). Each unique case study includes an in-depth analysis of its key design principles, including use of color and negative space; brand management; sustainability themes materials and strategies; what works and doesn’t work; and other fundamental concepts to bear in mind for the product and consumer or target market. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this book is at the vanguard of design trends for a sophisticated clientele.
With every passing year, the strength of takeaway food packaging design becomes stronger, particularly with the increased popularity and ease of ordering food online as well as eating on the go. As a branch of graphic design, the essence of this packaging is to grab the potential customer’s attention and identify a brand. Packaging design can make a big difference in the sales of a product, since it not only works to inform the consumer, but also provoke a feeling or reaction, communicate emotion, and even respond to any given desire. Good packaging is attractive and can impress people with its creativity and it is a way for the customer to express their identity. It offers a fabulous opportunity for companies to communicate with consumers and it is a powerful marketing tool that can make brands instantly recognizable around the world.
This comprehensive full-color guide explores current global trends in takeaway food packaging design driven by a broad range of high calibre designers, including big global players and fast-food giants, and boutique brands. This book provides useful detail on a wide assortment of materials used, recyclability and sustainability, and functionality; all essential components in regard to overall customer appeal. No other advertising medium is as close to the consumer as takeaway food packaging is – it is literally in their hands.
Valode & Pistre seem atypical in the world of contemporary architecture. Their bright, cheerful offices on the Rue du Bac in the heart of Paris reflect this nature. It seems quite natural that artists who work with light such as Yann Kersalé and the late François Morellet have been pleased to create installations specifically for these offices because, from their first iconic completed work, the renovation of the CAPC Bordeaux Contemporary Art Museum, the pair have been actively interested in the connections between art and architecture.
Denis Valode says, “We are convinced that the role of the architect is to do more with less and not the contrary. The economy of means—the correct choice of means—is essential. Our goal is to create the best possible result with a certain frugality of means.” Once again, this interest in obtaining the maximum result with a minimum of means leads the architects to note that their approach is particularly well suited to current ecological concerns. Denis Valode and Jean Pistre’s sense of efficiency has proven to be far more durable and better adapted to the demands of contemporary architecture than the many flamboyant styles that have come and gone since they started working together. Their words are in perfect harmony with their ideas—they avoid excessive rhetoric but when they talk about buildings they do so with passion and with clear ideas and methods, often involving their aesthetic sense developed through the world of art.
Denis Valode and Jean Pistre oversee one of the most successful architectural offices in France, working on prestigious towers, hospitals, and research facilities, but also on shopping centers and sports venues. Nor are their projects limited to France—they have worked in China, Russia, and numerous other countries. The pair first worked together in 1978 and created Valode & Pistre in 1980. Today the office employs 200 people and provides interior, architectural, and urban design as well as engineering services. These projects highlight the success of the office in breaking through the barriers that usually separate architects who work on privately funded projects and public ones in France.
Modern public space requires wayfinding information that can help users familiarize or adapt themselves in new building environments. Wayfinding systems designed to fulfill the essential functions of direction, notice or explanation often absorb creative designing elements. This book is an informative and systematic compilation of many updated design works for wayfinding by international designing studios, ranging across shopping malls, gardens, hospitals, schools, office buildings, museums, libraries, among others. And the wayfinding design works represented in this book originate from their application in various public spaces. This book is a great reference for graphic designers, architects, scholars, or students majored in the design disciplines.
Moshe Safdie explains that probably more than half of his lifetime design work is unbuilt, and he considers his unbuilt work to be some of his most significant work. In this richly illustrated book, replete with detailed diagrams, sketches, models and studies, Moshe Safdie explains that for those who design in order to build, not succeeding in building is never a failure (there are many reasons why a project might not be built) because these designs are part of the evolution of an architect’s work. This volume is a fascinating journey through Safdie’s thoughts and career, and also a historical reference of the social and political forces at play at the time. Not only a treatise on Safdie’s unrealized concepts, this book is also a wonderful affirmation that there is valuable heritage in the unbuilt.
Includes a number of significant projects from around the globe, including the following:
Habitat Original Proposal, Montreal, Québec, Canada 1964; Habitat New York II, New York, New York, United States 1967; San Francisco State, College Student Union, San Francisco, California, United States 1967; Pompidou Centre, Paris, France 1971; Western Wall Precinct, Jerusalem, Israel 1972; Supreme Court of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel 1985; Columbus Center, New York, New York, United States 1985; Ballet Opera House, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1987; Museum of Contemporary Art, Stuttgart, Germany 1990; Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory, Waxahachie, Texas, United States 1993; Incheon Airport, Incheon, Korea 2011; Jumeirah Gateway Mosque, Dubai, UAE 2007; National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China 2012.
Bike London
is the definitive guide to cycling in the UK’s capital. The cycling culture in London is constantly evolving and this book offers an indispensable resource for the city’s bike users – whether they’re weather-hardened commuters who ride in all conditions or summer daytrippers looking to explore. This book covers all things two-wheeled, from local cycle shops and essential cafe stops, to ideas for routes and events that will appeal to all breeds of bike lover.
More than a mere directory, Bike London
speaks to important players in the city’s cycling community, while also looking back and offering interesting facts and snippets of information from London’s 100-year-plus love affair with the bicycle.
As London embraces a greener future, this book is a timely resource that will help you put words into action.
Each chapter is categorized by theme: Local Bike Shops, Cycling Clubs, Cycling Events, Cycling Locations, Cycling Routes, Cycling Equipment, Cycling Apparel, Cycling Cafes, Cycle Hire and Iconic London Cyclists. Throughout, Bike London will also feature profiles of some of the great and the good of London cycling, from Bradley Wiggins and Paul Smith to Tahnée Seagrave, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Maurice Burton and Jeremy Vine.
Also in the series:
Vinyl London ISBN 9781788840156
London Peculiars ISBN 9781851499182
Art London ISBN 9781788840385
Rock ‘n’ Roll London ISBN 9781788840163
Documents on Contemporary Crafts
is a book series published by Norwegian Crafts in collaboration with Arnoldsche Art Publishers. The series provides a critical reflection of contemporary crafts in a wider context and in doing so asks questions about the ties between contemporary craft, fine art and design, thus helping to redefine the concept of crafts as such. The five volumes discuss such topics as skills, materiality, curating, collecting, perception and New Materialism. The more than thirty contributors range from leading craft theorists, such as Jorunn Veiteberg, Glenn Adamson and Liesbeth den Besten, via academics outside the craft tradition, such as Roger L. Kneebone, professor of surgical education, Trevor Marchand, professor of social anthropology, and Margaret Wasz, consultant psychological therapist, to emerging voices like Sarah R. Gilbert, Marianne Zamecznik and Stephen Knott.
No. 1: Museum for Skills. Skills are essential to the crafts discourse. Yet in an art world that for the last 50 years has become increasingly focused on conceptual strategies, we have seen the tendencies of deskilling and outsourcing. In Museum for Skills, the contributors analyze the current situation for skills by drawing on experience from the fields of brain research, surgery and anthropology.
No. 2: Materiality Matters. If materiality is a quality-related concept in both contemporary crafts and contemporary art, are we talking about the same notion? Or is there a fundamental difference between, on one hand, a maker’s confidence in his or her materials, and on the other, a contemporary artist’s use and adaption of a given material?
No. 3: Crafting Exhibitions. Curatorial discourse has been an increasingly important aspect of contemporary art. The curator took on a new role as the ‘author’ of the exhibition. Crafting Exhibitions introduces some of the processes that go into making an exhibition, from developing concepts to the physical realization. The contributors offer different approaches to exhibitions.
No. 4: On Collecting. Collections make up an important part of the contemporary arts and crafts infrastructure. Collectors and museums help improve the financial situation of artists. Additionally, to be included in the ‘right’ collection or museum can give an artist a high level of recognition and preserves the art works for the future. On Collecting offers insights into collecting from different perspectives and sheds light on some of the structures that determine the ‘collectability’ of works of art.
No. 5: Material Perceptions. Contemporary craft objects can be perceived for instance, as works of art in ceramics, glass, textile, metal and wood, or as functional, handmade and everyday objects. Material Perceptions investigates contemporary crafts as representations of reality that do not rely on the concept of autonomy, unravelling the dualism between aesthetic objects and everyday things.
Norwegian Crafts is a non-profit organisation founded by the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts in 2012. Norwegian Crafts initiates and produces exhibitions in collaboration with Norwegian and international institutions, curators and artists. The aim is to strengthen the position of contemporary craft from Norway internationally, contribute to the development of the artists’ careers and stimulate further exchange across national borders in the field of crafts.
Raphael arrived in Rome in 1508 and remained there until his death in 1520, working as painter and architect for popes Julius II and Leo X and for the most prestigious patrons. Here the artist changed his painting style several times, looking at the works of Michelangelo, Sebastiano del Piombo and the vast repertoire of ancient painting and sculpture. In the Eternal City Raphael practised architecture for the first time, designing buildings that reflected the models of Antiquity such as the Pantheon, the descriptions deriving from written sources such as Vitruvius’ treaty on architecture, and the examples of modern architects like Donato Bramante.
This guide supplies essential and up to date information on all the civil or religious buildings designed or built by Raphael in Rome, and the frescoes and paintings, housed in churches or museums, whether executed in the city or arrived there at a later stage.
This major work, first published in 1950, is still considered the classic book on the subject. It provides a comprehensive, critical and well-illustrated survey of the portrayal of plants across over three thousand years, at a more compact size.
Of the first edition, the poet and gardening writer, Vita Sackville-West said: “Let no one think this is a book only for the specialist. It is essential for the specialist, certainly, but it is also for all the flower-lovers and all those who enjoy the by-ways of biography and the added attraction of good writing”.
This edition contains 123 color plates (more than twice as many as the first edition), alongside 148 black-and-white illustrations. It invites the reader to appreciate the works of the greatest botanical illustrators both past and present.
shows the many interpretations and meanings of the term ‘Home’ that artists give to it in their work. They are personal views that deal with domestic circumstances that can be easily felt by everyone. The artists participating in this book are socially committed and/or provide insight into their work as a world citizen. The sum of the visions on the ‘Home’ theme are testimonies of the universality that everyone clings to love and security.
“Absolutely essential for all the connoisseurs and Rolex lovers.” — Laura Astrologo Porché, Celebre Magazine World
Why do we collect? For some, it is a pursuit of pure passion – those who appreciate the wristwatch as an artform: the intricacy of its mechanics, the finesse of its form. Yet for others, collecting is an investment, and a watch’s value is of as much importance as its appearance. All collectors ought to have a guide to models and market value. Rolex: Investing in Wristwatches offers detailed insights into the world of authenticating and pricing high-value wristwatches, which will be of use to collectors from amateur to connoisseur.
This publication includes the vast majority of key Rolex models, along with their relevant auction results. The timepieces featured have been carefully selected by Senior Horological Expert, Osvaldo Patrizzi. These wristwatches excel for a diverse range of reasons, including technical excellence, auction records, design and anecdotal history. A description of each watch is accompanied by its picture, reference and sales values (rights included).
A comparative analysis of auction results, compiled through close collaboration with the Sotheby’s auction house, shows, by brand and timepiece, the evolution of prices over time, leading from the Eighties up to the present day. A system to calculate the currency exchange rate at the time of auction sales is also included in this vital work of reference.
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 volume brings together leading scholars of Sikhism and of Sikh art to assess and interpret the remarkable art resource known as the Kapany Collection, using it to introduce to a broad public the culture, history, and ethos of the Sikhs. Fifteen renowned scholars contributed essays describing the passion and vision of Narinder and Satinder Kapany in assembling this unparalleled assemblage of great Sikh art, some of which has been displayed in exhibitions around the globe. The Kapanys’ legacy of philanthropic work includes establishing the Sikh Foundation (now celebrating its 50th year) and university endowments for Sikh studies. Through this profusely illustrated book’s chapters, scholars examine the full range of Sikh artistic expression and of Sikh history and cultural life, using artworks from the Kapany Collection.
The work of the Japanese sculptor Toshimasa Kikuchi (born in 1979) is somehow bewilderingly obvious. Trained in the restoration of Buddhist statues, mastering to perfection the techniques of classical Japanese statuary, he carves pure forms in wood – geometric, hydrodynamic or figurative. His scientific repertory is timeless (mathematics, engineering, natural history), but his preferred materials and techniques are firmly grounded in tradition (Japanese hinoki cypress, urushi lacquer, kinpaku gold leaf). The installation he presents for his Carte Blanche at the Guimet Museum, Paris, brings together a series of slender sculptures in lacquered wood of mathematical objects, in the tradition of the celebrated photographs that Man Ray took of them. These abstract forms, hanging from the ceiling like mobiles or laid on the floor like devotional objects, take shape through a virtuosity and craftsmanship seldom found in contemporary art. The book is lavishly illustrated by the Japanese photographer Tadayuki Minamoto, who has been able to capture the magnificence of the mathematical abstraction of the works of Kikuchi; by photographs and paintings by Man Ray; and with fascinating mathematical objects from the Institut Henri Poincaré, Paris, photographed by the French photographer Bertrand Michau.
It is essential reading for lovers of surrealism and of the early years of 20th-century abstraction as well as for all who are intrigued by the close relationship between art and mathematics.
Text in English and French.
Trend reports have consistently highlighted the increasing popularity of web videos. More and more people access videos on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and participate in livestream events on Facebook and Twitch. When the world suddenly changed in March 2020, video went from nice-to-have to an essential tool for every company. Video Marketing like a PRO is a hands-on guide for anyone who wants to reach the growing online audience with their content — even if you have no experience in audiovisual production and a limited budget. This accessibly written handbook shows how to self-produce videos that build connection with customers and reach new ones.
“Strong brands build a personal connection with consumers. Video offers yet another great opportunity to connect emotionally. With technological progress, good quality video can now be consumed on more devices — and it is exploding. Many advertisers are discovering how to use video effectively across devices and platforms. With this handbook, they can now finally brief their agencies efficiently — or maybe even produce video in-house.” – Luc Suykens | CEO and Vice-Chairman at United Brands Association (UBA) Belgium.
“Consumer reports have been predicting the online video boom for years, but now it’s undeniable: everybody loves watching videos online. Smartphone cameras are getting better, editing software is getting more user-friendly, and social media platforms are hungry for native video. This handbook has arrived just in time for anyone who wants to make professional looking web videos on a shoestring budget. Looking forward to the rest of Clo’s like a PRO series!” – Steven Van Belleghem | International keynote speaker, entrepreneur and author of The Offer You Can’t Refuse.