Assembly of the Exalted presents some 50 pieces from the remarkable collection of Alice S. Kandell. The works, dating from the late 13th century to the early 20th, include great masterpieces and emblematic examples of Tibetan Buddhist art. They are all presented here as the constituents of a Tibetan Buddhist shrine. Shrines, both modest and grand, are the primary sites of Tibetan Buddhist practice, whether it be reciting scriptures, performing rituals, saying prayers, or engaging in meditation. The introductory essays thus focus on the Tibetan Buddhist shrine, describing its evolution over the history of Buddhism, its special role in Tibet, and how the pieces in the Kandell Collection came to be assembled and displayed in shrines at institutions across America. Illustrated with vivid photography, forty short essays, each centered on a single work or set of objects, describe the pieces in terms of their importance for the practice of Buddhism, highlighting the many essential functions of Tibetan Buddhist art within the space of a shrine.

Edited by Carl Brandon Strehlke and Machtelt Brüggen Israëls, The Bernard and Mary Berenson Collection of European Paintings at I Tatti surveys the 149 works assembled by the Berensons for their home in Florence from the late 1890s through the first decades of the twentieth century at the time that they were making their mark on the world as connoisseurs. The catalogue presents a privileged window on the Berensons’ intellectual interests through the objects they owned. The entries, written by an international team of art historians, take full advantage of the extensive correspondence from the Berensons’ friends, family, and colleagues at I Tatti as well as the couple’s diaries and notations on the backs of their vast gathering of photographs. All the entries are lavishly illustrated with full scholarly and technical accountings of the objects. There are also 17 illustrated reconstructions of the original contexts of panel paintings. The catalogue includes essays on the progress of the Berensons’ collecting, their love for Siena, the Sienese forger Icilio Federico Joni, the critic Roger Fry, and René Piot’s murals at I Tatti, as well as a listing of 94 pictures that were once at I Tatti including donations made to museums in Europe and America.

Contents:
Preface Lino Pertile; Acknowledgments – Carl Brandon Strehlke and Machtelt Israëls; Note to the Use of the Catalogue; Abbreviations; Glossary of People in the Berenson Circle Mentioned in the Text; Section I: Introductory Essays and Entries 0 to 111; Essay I: “Bernard and Mary Collect: Pictures Come to I Tatti” – Carl Brandon Strehlke; Essay II: “The Berensons and Siena” (working title) – Machtelt Israëls; Essay III: “Passions Intertwined: Art and Photography at I Tatti” – Giovanni Pagliarulo; Entries: Paintings from the 14th to 18th century – Plates 0 to 111; Section II: Fakes; Essay IV: The Berensons and the Sienese Forger Federico Ioni – Gianni Mazzoni; Entries: Fakes – Plates 112 to 116; Section III: Roger Fry; Essay V: “Roger Fry and Bernard Berenson” – Caroline Elam; Entry: Fry – Plate 117; Section IV: René Piot; Essay VI: “A Failure: René Piot and the Berensons” – Claudio Pizzorusso; Entries: Piot – Plates 118 to 131; Section V: The Berensons, Family and Friends; Entries: Portraits – Plates 132 to 138; Entries: Miscellanea – Plates 139 to 148; Appendix: Paintings Formerly Owned by the Berensons – Carl Brandon Strehlke and Machtelt Israëls; Bibliography; Photo Credits; Index.

Derivatives II represents a continuation of the works shown in my first volume of large format black and white photographs. As explained in the first book of this two-volume series, my visual language derives from early twentieth century photographers and thinkers whose works I studied. The images presented in both volumes were made in the years from 1985 to 1990. Whereas the first volume included 30 verses composed during and after these six years, the second volume includes a selective summary of events which occurred during these years. However, these historical events had no direct influence on the photographs presented in this volume: they simply provide a sense of context.

From 1985 to 1990 the world population grew almost 9 per cent, from 4.8 to 5.3 billion, influenced strongly by growth in Asia and Africa; North America grew 5.2 per cent and Europe only 2.2 per cent. A shift of economic power eastwards became inevitable as the middle classes of China, India and Indonesia started to expand at even faster rates. These were critical years because of the number of geopolitical milestones: the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of China. It was also a period of declining leadership in the West after the passing of the Cold War leaders, and a period of increasing sovereign indebtedness (e.g. in the US the Federal Debt level almost doubled in these few years). In addition, the advent of the internet and rapid advances in technology began to shrink the world to today’s claustrophobic dimensions.1985 to 1990 were also critical years for large-format film photography. They were years of fundamental change for photographers because they are associated with the end of analog photography: the bankruptcy of the largest producer of sheet film, Kodak, made the type of film photography presented in this book and the preceding volume rare. These were the years when derivative chemicals and film were replaced by digital technology.

The earliest known portable digital cameras were sold in the US in November 1990. The development of digital technology progressed rapidly with the marketing refrain: “Don t think, just shoot!” As a result, the reduction in the meditative components of picture taking, development and printing changed the nature of art photography and led to an explosion in the number of potential ‘picture takers’ and exposures. – K.C. Korfmann

A premium lifestyle food superstore for people who understand and enjoy the finer nuances and aspects of food, Foodhall presents its first cookbook. Curated by one of the finest food and ingredients stores in India, this book presents 75 recipes from around the world shared by star chefs – from modern European to Asian, contemporary Indian to Mediterranean, and not-to-be-missed dream desserts – as well as the food philosophy of each region. It is a celebration of the never-ending love for food that defines Foodhall’s mission. Contents: Modern European; Asian; Contemporary India; Mediterranean; Desserts; About the Chefs.

David Hockney’s interpretation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are like no other version you will have read before. Although inspired by earlier illustrators of the tales, from Arthur Rackham to Edmund Dulac, Hockney’s extraordinary etchings re-imagine these strange and supernatural stories for a modern audience, capturing their distinctive atmosphere in a style that is recognizably the artist’s own. Reprinted for the first time since its original publication in 1969, Hockney’s book brings together some well-known tales – Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin – with others that are less familiar. Informed by great art of the past, attuned to idiosyncrasies of character and incident, and fresh in execution and content, his illustrations invite us to read each one as if for the first time.

In recent years David Hockney has returned to England to paint the landscape of his childhood. East Yorkshire’s stern hillscapes, craggy drystone walls and endless windswept moors make for a stimulating muse, and Hockney’s work captures the character of this scenery with expert precision.

Although his passionate interest in new technologies has led Hockney to develop a virtuoso drawing technique on an iPad, he is still regularly accompanied by a trusty sketchbook. This invaluable tool allows him to work quickly, capturing the changing light and the fleeting effects of the weather. Executed in watercolour and ink, these panoramic scenes have the spatial complexity of finished paintings: the broad sweep of sky or road, the patchwork tapestry of land. Yet unlike a painting completed in the studio, far-removed from the landscape that inspired it, these sketches convey the immediacy of Hockney’s impressions. And as indicated by views down village streets and across kitchen tables, his rooted local knowledge and fondness for the area around the East Yorkshire Wolds always shines through.

If you know the region, the location of these sketches is unmistakable. If you don’t, its features will come to life in these pages, animated by Hockney’s incomparable skill.

Carleton Varney turns his decorating vision towards the water in his most recent tome, Decorating on the Waterfront.
Here, he gathers stunning images of new design projects in this collection of inspirational stories that use motifs and colors from years by the shore. Growing up on the Massachusetts coast influenced his penchant for bright cheerful color schemes and warm polished interiors that exude luxury living today. Varney continues to live near the ocean and decorates for clients on the waterfront from Palm Beach, Florida to the shores of Lake Huron, Michigan. This book brings into focus Varney’s career long journey to bring elements and inspirations from the world around us to life at home.

Accented with detailed maps of renowned interior designer Tom Stringer’s extensive travels, this beautifully compiled monograph takes the reader on an immersive journey around the world and back again through the interiors of his eponymous firm’s finest residential projects. Stringer’s design approach is externally inspired and internally driven, largely informed by his great life passion: travel. His love of adventure resonates throughout this book; on each page, one sees how this remarkable designer’s imagination is simultaneously both rooted in the classics and expanded into innovative layers of colors, textures, cultures, and function.

Revealed through his personal history and influences, Stringer shares how he uses magical discoveries made on his global travels to create the most special living environments that are true to his clients own personalities and passions. He describes the design process as a voyage of discovering the distinctive narrative of each client and home, connecting them with a sense of wonder and the communal spirit of their space. Stringer’s unique approach to visual storytelling is encapsulated in the unique interiors of the residential projects highlighted here.

Centerbrook was conceived in 1975 as a community of architects working together to advance American place-making and the craft of building. Recipients of the AIA Firm Award, they are entering their fifth decade of designing buildings across the country. This stunning new monograph, edited by John Dixon, FAIA, illustrates in full-color the wide range of projects completed throughout the last decade. In typical fashion of their sophisticated style and exercise in clarity, the in-depth texts and richly illustrated images communicate an indomitable focus on the architectural context of their ideas that are accessible to all. There is visual poetry in the work to be sure, but the book provides critical, concise and insightful descriptions of where the design ideas germinate. The reader will be engaged and informed by the way the shapes, materials, and details of these buildings are configured, and have a clear understanding of the works. The book’s title, Centerbrook 4, represents their fourth book on architecture, four decades of practice, and the four current partners – Jeff Riley, Chad Floyd, Mark Simon, Jim Childress – who are each recognized as AIA Fellows, in design. This wonderful new volume also showcases a range of projects currently in development by the firm’s next generation of designers.

House for All Regions: CRAN Residential Collection is the first in a series on international residential architecture produced by IMAGES Publishing in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The projects are divided into four climate zones: Arid & Semi-arid, Temperate, Arctic and Sub-tropical & Tropical, and each illustrates how architects adapt their designs to accommodate the challenges posed by the local topography and variations in climate. Containing cutting-edge residential designs by leading architects from across the world, including North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe, and featuring rarely seen images, this collection underlines the sensitivity of today’s architects to the natural environment, as well as the care and attention paid to interior design and everyday living.

Jewel Changi Airport documents the creation of a remarkable addition to one of the world’s premier airports. The sinuous, faceted glass Jewel serves as Singapore’s new gateway to the world, and redefines what an airport can be. Brimming with terraced plantings, lush valleys, floating bridges, art installations, shops, restaurants, and a central waterfall, Jewel is a new type of destination: part public garden and part shopping and entertainment complex. Through photos, drawings, ephemera, essays, and interviews, the book provides detailed insights on how the project came to be – from its bold vision and concept to the innovative engineering, environmental, and construction strategies employed to make it a reality.

This new monograph celebrates the creative accomplishments of one of the world’s most influential architects, Cesar Pelli. The book surveys this extraordinary body of work in terms of the AIA’s Gold Medalist’s design, architecture, and planning, tracing Pelli’s motivation as a leading designer and teacher, and the evolution of his work over the span of half a century. More than 50 projects from around the globe – museums, theaters, offices, laboratories, airports, cultural centers, civic works, master plans – are presented in rich full color with insights from Pelli that delve into the design and construction of these landmarks from a practice that has thrived for nearly 40 years.

The work of Alejandra Cisneros marks a significant departure from the tropical ‘Bali-style’ villa design popularised in the past two decades and is a refreshing antidote to the anodyne villas invading Bali’s centuries-old rice terraces. In Seen | Unseen, Alej shares her insights on reimagining traditional homes for 21st-century lifestyles in today’s fragile environments. She reveals the thinking behind her designs, and her heart-centred process of co-creation a “conspiracy of client, joglo, land, Balinese craftsmanship, and culture.” She also acknowledges the influence of Tri Hita Karana, the Balinese concept of cosmological balance that governs their relationship with people, the environment and the Creator. This beautifully illustrated book focuses on her whimsical, exciting homes – fanciful yet practical, designed for potters and poets, artists and entrepreneurs alike hailing from North and South America, Europe and Asia. Crafted almost entirely from antique teakwood, traditional materials, and showcasing joyful design ideas, each home merges seamlessly with the landscape. Alej curates unique, mould-breaking homes that create a new way of living that is at one with nature in the tropics. Her canvas is the Bali landscape; her paints are Java’s traditional teakwood joglos and Indonesia’s myriad natural materials; her brushes are the Balinese craftspeople that bring her vision to reality.

Today’s tea aficionado is looking to imbibe tea within a meaningful space, be it at home or in a tea shop. Customers of tea shops enjoy the idea of “tea” as being “an experience”, inclusive of art, cultural themes, and strong design aesthetics. Better still if these motifs are found within a tea-shop that aligns with the shop’s branding and is able to mix modern tea products with new interior design styles, further increasing the customer’s sense of enjoyment of the entire shopping experience. Coupled with tea consumption needs across the world gradually increasing and the tea market expanding at higher rates than previously, the tea industry’s retail environment faces fierce competition. There’s a strong trend toward marrying a better awareness of the importance of effective interior design of a tea shop while striving to express a complete brand image and providing efficient service. In this magnificently illustrated book, a lead designer and tea brand consultant analyses the new design trends and brand management styles of a carefully selected group of tea shops from around the world.

This book explores close to fifty fashionable tea shops that are successful in the experimentation of mixing brand-new products with unique space experiences and providing excellent customer-focused interior designs. An excellent volume for those looking to enrich the retail environment of this diverse and fast-evolving industry.

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.

Elia Nurvista (born 1983 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) focuses on the intersection between art and research-based community projects in her artistic practice. Many of her works center on food as an issue of political, cultural, social, and gender-specific relevance.

In Berlin, the artist visited a range of initiatives and projects for refugees to learn more about how they see our society, which is foreign from their perspective. The works resulting from this experience address our frequently ambiguous attitude to what is foreign to us: whereas ‘exotic’ luxury items and food such as tropical fruit are regarded as positive and precious, people who come to us as refugees from the same countries are often rejected as being ‘foreign,’ and their ‘exotic’ nature is sometimes even perceived as a threat. Elia Nurvista portrays this ambiguity with subtle irony, for instance by affixing contemporary official quality seals and brand labels to Old Masters still life paintings or historical pictures of the ‘noble savage,’ thus adding a humorous and critical layer of meaning and turning them into new, independent pieces of work.

Xu Zhimo (1897-1931) was China’s first great modern poet and a major figure of the intellectual revolution that shaped modern China. Educated in China (Peking University), America (Columbia and Clark), and England (Cambridge, where there is a monument in his honor), he was in contact with every major Chinese literary figure of his day, and met and was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Hardy, Katherine Mansfield, and Bertrand Russell, among others. Xu incorporated elements of the English poetic tradition and that of East India with native Chinese traditions to create a body of work that spoke to his contemporaries at a critical time in their history, and still speaks today. This book presents the largest selection of Xu’s poems available in English, as well as some of his prose works. Essays by translator Dorothy Bonett put the poet into context for English-speaking readers and reveals links between his works and other modern poetry, both Chinese and non-Chinese.

Saint Benedict the Moor, or Binidittu as the Sicilians fondly rechristened him, was an Afro-Sicilian hermit friar, the son of African slaves born in Sicily in the 16th century. Canonized in 1807, he was the Catholic Church’s first Black saint and was made Patron Saint of Palermo. These photographs address the lives of African migrants in the Mediterranean today through the historical figure of Binidittu. This project retraces his improbable life, explores the historical sites of his hagiography, the worship of relics, and the religious and secular practices devoted to him in Sicily and elsewhere in the Mediterranean. This book is part of Lo Calzo’s long-term photographic project, Cham, about the living memories of colonial slavery and anti-slavery struggles.

“Binidittu emerges in this work as an allegory of our time: an encounter between the Mare Nostrum and the world, between oblivion and memory, between racism made commonplace and our shared humanity, between the Sicilian people’s aspirations and African migrants’ hopes of freedom and dignity as they drift towards Europe’s shores.” Nicola lo Calzo

Text in English and Italian.

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.