The idea of an environmentally respectful house is appealing to more and more people. In the last decade, architects from all over the world have been especially interested in the possibilities of an innovative home in a natural environment, with ecological solutions and a low impact on the environment. There is a great variety of this style of architecture both in terms of its use and in geographic location. This book serves as inspiration and progress for the world of architecture and the new generation.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 144

Dimensions: 170 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 30-04-2022

The works presented in this book reflect an optimistic vision of the future. The buildings present themselves in a humble and respectful manor through their systemic integration of environment. Honest in their use of material and construction, each project deploys sustainable strategies such as locally sourced woods, earth brick construction, water harvesting, passive design, native landscaping and renewable energy production. Unique in narrative, context, history and location they all share one common theme, self-awareness.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 144

Dimensions: 170 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 11-04-2022

Robust and raw, concrete has been a rudimentary building material for centuries, but it is only relatively recently that architects have begun exploring its softer, tactile side in the design of houses. Concrete is durable, recyclable, and thermally efficient, and it goes up quickly compared to wood or metal framing. The appeal for architects, though, is its plasticity and potential for magic, making poetry out of the mundane. Witness concrete's endless form-making possibilities in this collection of contemporary homes by A-list architects in diverse locations across Japan, Australia, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, the US, and more. Along with exquisite colour photography and plans, the architects share their design approach to projects ranging from 10,000 square feet on spectacular sites, to compact urban gems. This close-up of 20 striking houses celebrates the texture and physics of a material that has long been taken for granted.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 229 x 279 mm

Publication Date: 26-04-2022

Art exists all around us: one just needs to know where to look. Escaping the conventional settings of the museum or gallery, a fascinating variety of art pieces exist everywhere from Ghanaian patios to the Las Vegas desert, from the forest in Scandinavia to the buzzing streets of Mexico City. Art Escapes is a thoughtful journey through these little-known gems that become a destination in themselves, and should be part of every art-lover bucket list. Away from the queues, the crowds, and the constraints of the classic art spaces, these places invite you to discover creativity in a new light.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 10-05-2022

This landmark volume offers a major reassessment of the art that emerged in Britain in the twenty years following the end of the Second World War: a period of anxiety, profound social change and explosive creativity. Published to coincide with the Barbican Centre’s 40th anniversary it draws together the work of fifty artists, exploring a period straddled precariously between the horror of the past and the promise of the future. Spanning painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and photography, Postwar Modern will explore a rich field of experiment which challenges the idea that Britain was a cultural backwater at this time. Through new texts by Jane Alison, Hilary Floe, Ben Highmore, Hammad Nassar and Greg Salter, the book looks afresh at celebrated artists such as Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Lucian Freud and Eduardo Paolozzi, shown in dialogue with lesser-known figures. These will include those, like Francis Newton Souza, Avinash Chandra and Robert Adams, who were acclaimed by contemporaries but neglected in subsequent history-making; others, like Kim Lim, Anwar Jalal Shemza and Franciszka Themerson, are only now attracting the attention they deserve. Throughout their work, vital shared preoccupations become visible: gender, class, race and nationhood; the body, the bombsite, and the home. It is a period resonating strongly with our own: as the UK emerges from more than a decade of austerity and confronts the challenges of post-pandemic reconstruction, society is asking similarly deep questions about who we want and need to be.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 352

Dimensions: 240 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 05-04-2022

Explore the vibrant work of artist Marc Chagall in this lively introduction Marc Chagall’s remarkable oeuvre spans a variety of media; from painting, ceramics, and stained glass to illustration, tapestry, and stage sets. Regardless of the format, his singular narrative style embraced the memories of his happy childhood in Vitebsk, Russia, and his roots in Jewish culture. This engaging examination of the artist and his life features stunning fullpage illustrations of Chagall’s works, along with illuminating biographical details. On every page, Chagall’s genius with color and composition spring to life. Comparisons and contrasts are made to the works of other Fauve and Cubist artists among whom he lived and worked, as well as to the poetry of the era. Although he depicted the harsh anti-Semitism that his countrymen faced, Chagall nevertheless embraced a vision of humanism and tolerance that remains refreshingly poignant decades after his death.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 170 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 03-05-2022

Get a glimpse into the life and work of painter, sculptor, and printmaker Edgar Degas, who is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism. Best known for his depictions of young dancers on the stage and in the studio, Degas was an accomplished draughtsman and portraitist of superb emotional depth. This book explores the full range of Degas’ work, from his celebrated paintings of dancers and depictions of cafe life to his pencil sketches and wax and bronze sculptures. Stunning reproductions help readers understand many aspects of Degas’ oeuvre, such as his gift for capturing movement, the ways he drew inspiration from Japanese prints and Old Masters, and his experiments with color and form. A biographical text traces Degas’ life from his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts and his early history paintings to his friendships with Cassatt and Manet, his reliance on painting dancers to keep him financially afloat, and his lonely, final days in Paris. Accessible and engaging, this exploration of Degas’ life and art looks beyond his well-known works to reveal a talented and complicated genius.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 170 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 03-05-2022

This introduction to the work of the 16th-century master portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger reveals the impressive and surprising scope of his career. 16th-century Europe was a time of unprecedented economic expansion, cross-cultural trade, religious upheaval, warring empires, and scientific advancement. With unfettered access to the court of Henry VIII, Hans Holbein had a front-row seat to the royal drama and intrigue, and his detailed, highly narrative portraits tell us much about aristocracy. This volume features dozens of full-page reproductions of Holbein’s key works accompanied by extensive commentary that explores his masterful portraits of prominent European figures such as Thomas More, Erasmus, and Thomas Cromwell. It also reveals the artist’s talent in other media, such as woodcuts, frescoes, jewelry, and metalwork. Reproductions of these items, as well as Holbein’s exquisite, palm-sized miniatures and his highly detailed studies in pencil, chalk, and ink illuminate an artist of unparalleled versatility and impressive commercial acumen.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 170 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 03-05-2022

This brilliant introduction to Henri Matisse, one of the 20th century’s most renowned artists, will help you discover the man, his art and his artistic legacy. From his earliest pointillist-influenced paintings to his mature and playful paper cut-outs; from enormous, ebullient murals to reverent stained glass—Henri Matisse was renowned for his dramatic use of color and fluid draftsmanship. Thirty of Matisse’s most beloved works are given close attention in this introduction that explores the varying tensions of the artist’s oeuvre—his embrace of pure color, patterns, and texture; the languorous pleasures of the Cote d’Azur; displays of sensual pleasure; tranquil scenes of domestic life and monuments to religious life. An engaging biography takes readers through every phase of Matisse’s career and reveals how his aversion to troubling or depressing subject matter was in direct opposition to the radical spirit of his work.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 170 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 03-05-2022

Brimming with illustrations, this stunningly original book presents the role of light in art throughout history. This richly illustrated book takes readers on a tour through the history of art to learn how artists have used light (and its lack of it as shadow) to make a statement about their subject matter or create a specific mood, with examples by masters such as Giotto, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Courbet, Turner, Klimt, and many more, as well as theoretical approaches starting with Plato and Aristotle, moving on to Descartes, Newton, Goethe and Chevreul. Throughout history, artists have played with light, approaching it as both a subject and tool to create the desired atmosphere, convey ideas, and inspire emotions in the viewer. In medieval frescoes, rays of light stood for the presence of the divine, while 17th-century Dutch painters used light to indicate depth and construct an impactful setting. The Impressionists wanted to depict light itself and the way it plays upon the surfaces of objects in the form of color. Photography and film have used light, both natural and artificial, to make things visible in the first place. This volume delves into these and many more topics and constitutes a perfect reference book for artists, students, scholars, and art lovers. AUTHOR: Massimo Mariani holds a degree in painting from the Accademia di Brera (Milan, Italy) and has exhibited in numerous galleries in Italy. He has published books on diverse topics, such as cinema, art, the representation of femininity, poetry, and Freud and the subconscious, and has written articles about the art world for Grafica & Disegno. His most recent publication is What Images Really Tell Us, a volume about visual rhetoric in advertising and graphic design. SELLING POINTS: . Brimming with illustrations, this stunningly original book presents the role of light in art throughout history . The informational journey within this volume starts from the theory of light to the various manifestations of light in artistic practice . It features renowned works of art by great artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Courbet, Turner, and Klimt . The author of What Images Really Tell Us is back with a captivating essay filled with references to art, film, philosophy, colour theory, and science 300 colour illustrations

Bind: paperback

Pages: 200

Dimensions: 172 x 246 mm

Publication Date: 30-04-2022