We’ve independently chosen our favourite titles to sell in our bookshops and online. And remember – we offer Free Postage in ROI on orders over €30 – just choose the Free Postage option at checkout.
-
Old Ireland in Colour brings to life the rich history of Ireland and the Irish through the colour restoration of these stunning images of all walks of Irish life throughout nineteenth and twentieth century. From the chaos of the Civil War to the simple beauty of the islands; from legendary revolutionaries to modest fisherfolk, every image has been exquisitely transformed and every page bursting with life. Using a combination of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology and his own historical research, John Breslin has meticulously colourised these pictures with breath-taking attention to detail and authenticity. With over 250 photographs from all four provinces, and accompanied by fascinating captions by historian Sarah-Anne Buckley, Old Ireland in Colour breathes new life into the scenes we thought we knew, and brings our ancestors back to life before our eyes. ISBN 9781785373701 -
A book of hope for uncertain times. Enter the world of Charlie's four unlikely friends, discover their story and their most important life lessons. The conversations of the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse have been shared thousands of times online, recreated in school art classes, hung on hospital walls and turned into tattoos. In Charlie's first book, you will find his most-loved illustrations and some new ones too. 'A wonderful work of art and a wonderful window into the human heart' Richard Curtis ISBN 9781529105100 -
A glimpse into the process of one Ireland's best writers, handiwork is Baume's non-fiction debut, written with the keen eye for nature and beauty as well as the extraordinary versatilitySara Baume's fans have come to expect. PUBLISHED 26TH MARCH 2020. ISBN 9781916434257 -
A beautifully designed guidebook to the unnoticed yet essential elements of our cities, from the creators of the wildly popular 99% Invisible podcast. Have you ever wondered what those bright, squiggly graffiti marks on the sidewalk mean? Or stopped to ponder who gets to name the streets we walk along? Or what the story is behind those dancing inflatable figures in car dealerships? 99% Invisible is a big-ideas podcast about small-seeming things, revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse. The show celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity, with intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs. Now, in The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to Hidden World of Everyday Design, host Roman Mars and co-author Kurt Kohlstedt zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs. With deeply researched entries and beautiful line drawings throughout, The 99% Invisible City will captivate devoted fans of the show and anyone curious about design, urban environments, and the unsung marvels of the world around them. ISBN 9781529355277 -
A behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary and meticulous design of graphic objects for film sets Although graphic props such as invitations, letters, tickets, and packaging are rarely seen close-up by a cinema audience, they are designed in painstaking detail. Dublin-based designer Annie Atkins invites readers into the creative process behind her intricately designed, rigorously researched, and visually stunning graphic props. These objects may be given just a fleeting moment of screen time, but their authenticity is vital and their role is crucial: to nudge both the actors on set and the audience just that much further into the fictional world of the film. ISBN 9780714879383 -
The Dublin Architecture Guide is a companion guide to the modern architecture of Dublin. With a total of 255 projects featured, this book will suit anyone interested in often under-appreciated or overlooked modern buildings. The book is written by three Dublin-based Architects: Paul Kelly, Cormac Murray and Brendan Spierin. The authors are passionate about celebrating and raising awareness about the city's architecture. The buildings range across 84 years from 1937 to 2021. Each building has an equal-length description and original photography. Some are accompanied by an architect's sketch. Several of those featured have won both domestic and international awards and have been published widely before. However, we rarely see all of them together, grouped with younger and older neighbours, with unedited photographs showing them in their day-to-day condition - long after they are first occupied. From Trinity College to the Docklands, Ballymun to Ballyfermot, Swords to Dun Laoghaire, this book celebrates all the brick, timber, concrete, stone, and glass that have helped define the new Dublin of the modern era. ISBN 9781843518259 -
In March 2020, the arrival of Coronavirus in Ireland saw our world change overnight. We watched in shock as it spread throughout the world with devastating consequences. We stopped travelling, we worked from home, we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and new arrivals via our screens. Many also had to grieve from a distance, isolated and alone. But the pandemic also became a time of coming together, of community spirit, of small kindnesses and boundless creativity. We saw frontline workers make extraordinary sacrifices, musicians perform from their front rooms, neighbourhood bingo and open-air film screenings. In Twilight Together Ruth Medjber has captured all of this and more. Visually stunning and deeply moving, she has photographed people all over Ireland at their front window at dusk, each with their own story to tell. Twilight Together is an extraordinary portrait of a pandemic by one of Ireland's most talented talented photographers and it is an important document for our times. ISBN 9781781620571 -
These 87 black & white photographs taken by Alen MacWeeney in Dublin in 1963/5 are spontaneous images of Dublin and Dubliners in all areas of the city, a street odyssey reflecting a cross section of the people, their habits and behaviour, ten years before Ireland joined the European Union and the wider world. The text on facing pages is composed of social commentary gleaned from a posting of each of the book's photographs on Dublin social media platform Down Memory Lane, eliciting a flood of 70,000 responses during 2020. These photographs of Dublin and Dubliners in 1963 have pertinent social and historical value as attested by their placement in numerous US Universities and museums. The text offers a novel way of understanding and appreciating a full gamut of Dublin personalities through their reactions to the posting of these photographs during the current pandemic. The responses ranged from wonder and incredulity to heated derision, offset by the hilarity that characterize Dubliners. The richness of the commentary will be of interest to any Irish person curious to glimpse Dublin life in the '60s and to gauge the reactions of Dubliners today. MacSweeney's work partakes of the tradition of reportage by Walker Evans, Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank and Richard Avendon, to whom he was apprenticed in Paris during the late fifties. ISBN 9781843518266 -
Dazzlingly beautiful and wonderfully inventive, discover the magical new book from the creators of bestselling, critically acclaimed literary phenomenon, The Lost Words... Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but fresh in its form, The Lost Spells is a pocket-sized treasure that introduces a beautiful new set of natural spell-poems and artwork by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. As in The Lost Words, these "spells" take their subjects from relatively commonplace, and yet underappreciated, animals, birds, trees and flowers -- from Barn Owl to Red Fox, Grey Seal to Silver Birch, Jay to Jackdaw. But they break out of the triptych format of The Lost Words, finding new shapes, new spaces and new voices with which to conjure. Written to be read aloud, painted in brushstrokes that call to the forest, field, riverbank and also to the heart, The Lost Spells summons back what is often lost from sight and care, and inspires protection and action on behalf of the natural world. Above all, it celebrates a sense of wonder, bearing witness to nature's power to amaze, console and bring joy. ISBN 9780241444641 -
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron provides a twelve-week course that guides you through the process of recovering your creative self. It aims to dispel the 'I'm not talented enough' conditioning that holds many people back and helps you to unleash your own inner artist. Its step-by-step approach enables you to transform your life, overcome any artistic blocks you may suffer from, including limiting beliefs, fear, sabotage, jealousy and guilt, and replace them with self confidence and productivity. The Artist's Way will demystify the creative process by making it a part of your daily life. From Alicia Keys to Elizabeth Gilbert, Patricia Cornwell to Pete Townshend and Russell Brand, The Artist's Way has helped thousands of people around the world to discover their inner artist. Whatever your artistic leanings, this book will give you the tools you need to enable you to fulfil your dreams. ISBN 9781788164290 -
The next in the popular 'the city through the eyes of its artists' series, The Dublin Art Book is a tribute to Ireland's beautiful capital. An impressive artistic collection taking the reader on a tour through the vibrant and diverse city. From the historic Trinity College Dublin to the iconic Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin's very own artists highlight its beauties in the most unique way. ISBN 9781912934102 -
The bestselling adult colouring book! Working with your hands is one of the best ways to soothe anxiety and eliminate stress. This stunning, pocket-sized colouring book offers a practical exercise in mindfulness that draws on your creativity and hones your focus. Beautifully illustrated by Emma Farrarons, The Mindfulness Colouring Book is filled with templates for exquisite scenes and intricate, sophisticated patterns, prompting you to meditate on your artwork as you mindfully and creatively fill these pages with colour. Take a few minutes out of your day, wherever you are, and colour your way to peace and calm. ISBN 9780752265629 -
On Thursday 1 July, 1999, Dr Nina Simone gave a rare performance as part of Nick Cave's Meltdown Festival. After the show, in a state of awe, Warren Ellis crept onto the stage, took Dr Simone's piece of chewed gum from the piano, wrapped it in her stage towel and put it in a Tower Records bag. The gum remained with him for twenty years; a sacred totem, his creative muse, growing in significance with every passing year. In 2019, Cave - his collaborator and great friend - asked Warren if there was anything he could contribute to display in his Stranger Than Kindness exhibition. Warren realised the time had come to release the gum. Together they agreed it should be housed in a glass case like a holy relic. Worrying the gum would be damaged or lost, Warren decided to first have it cast in silver and gold, sparking a chain of events that no one could have predicted, one that would take him back to his childhood and his relationship to found objects. Nina Simone's Gum is about how something so small can form beautiful connections between people. It is a story about the meaning we place on things, on experiences, and how they become imbued with spirituality. It is a celebration of artistic process, friendship, understanding and love. 'A unique study of a fan's devotion, of transcendence and of the artistic vocation - it's got depth and great warmth. It's a beautiful piece of work.'KEVIN BARRY ISBN 9780571365630 -
In Old Ireland in Colour 2, the much-anticipated sequel to their beloved bestseller, John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley have delved even deeper into Ireland’s historical archives to uncover captivating photographic gems to bring to life using their unique blend of cutting-edge technology, historical research and expert colourisation. Old Ireland in Colour 2 celebrates more of the rich history of Ireland and the Irish from all walks of life, and sees all thirty-two counties represented. With over 150 superb images, once again accompanied by insightful captions, the book is the perfect encapsulation of life in Ireland throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the chaos of the revolutionary period to the simple beauty of the islands, from the iconic to the domestic, there is something new and inspiring to be gleaned from every single page. ISBN 9781785374111 -
Martin Parr has been taking photographs in Ireland for 40 years. His work covers many of the most significant moments in Ireland's recent history, encompassing the Pope's visit in 1979, when a third of the country's population attended Mass in Knock and Phoenix Park in Dublin, as well as gay weddings and start-up companies in 2019. It is difficult to think of a country that has changed so dramatically in this relatively short space of time. Parr lived in the West of Ireland between 1980-82. He photographed traditional aspects of rural life, such as horse fairs and dances, but also looked at the first hint of Ireland's new wealth in the shape of the bungalows that were springing up everywhere, replacing more traditional dwellings. During subsequent trips to Ireland he explored the new estates around Dublin and the introduction of the first drive-through McDonald's. Parr also looked at the North and documented how, after the Good Friday agreement, the Troubles became the focus of a new tourist boom. The final chapter of this book portrays a contemporary Dublin where start-up companies are thriving, the docks area is being gentrified and where icons of wealth and modernity - such as the flat white - can be everywhere. Ireland has also now voted to allow both abortion and gay weddings, developments that would have been unthinkable 40 years ago. The book includes an introduction by the acclaimed journalist Fintan O'Toole. ISBN 9788862087292 -
Please note that the publication has been moved again - to June 2023. Believe me, it's as annoying for us as it is for you. The starting point for this book is Evelyn Hofer’s Dublin: A Portrait, which features an in-depth essay by V. S. Pritchett and photos by Hofer, and enjoyed great popularity upon its original publication in 1967. Dublin: A Portrait is an example of Hofer’s perhaps most important body of work, her city portraits: books that present comprehensive prose texts by renowned authors alongside her self-contained visual essays with their own narratives. Dublin: A Portrait was the last book published in this renowned series. The newly conceived Dublin focuses on the photos Hofer took on behalf of the publisher Harper & Row in 1965 and 1966. In Dublin Hofer repeatedly turned her camera to sights of the city, but mainly to the people who constituted its essence. She made numerous portraits—be they of writers and public figures or unknown people in the streets. Her portraits give evidence of an intense, respectful engagement with her subjects, who participate as equal partners in the process of photographing. Published 29th June 2023. Order Now. ISBN 9783958296329 -
For the first time in seven years, Allie Brosh, the creator of the immensely popular blog 'Hyperbole and a Half' and #1 New York Times bestselling author, returns with her new collection. Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh's childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life. This full-colour, beautifully illustrated edition features all-new material with more than 1,600 pieces of art. Solutions and Other Problems marks the return of a beloved American humourist who has "the observational skills of a scientist, the creativity of an artist, and the wit of a comedian" (Bill Gates). Praise for Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half: 'A hilarious collection' Mashable 'Will certainly help you, should you perhaps decide to indulge in a spot of "self-gifting" in this instance, survive Christmas with your more crazed relatives' Rachel Cooke, Observer 'It's impossible not to warm to cartoonist and blogger Allie. If she doesn't get to you with her funny childhood anecdotes (eating an entire birthday cake) then her honest reflections on depression will' Grazia ISBN 9780224101288 -
Beneath the surface we are all connected . . . Award-winning poet, rapper and storyteller Kae Tempest's first work of non-fiction: a meditation on the power of creative connection. Drawing on twenty years' experience as a writer and performer, Kae Tempest explores how and why creativity - however we choose to practise it - can cultivate greater self-awareness and help us establish a deeper relationship to ourselves and the world. Personal, hopeful and written with piercing clarity, On Connection is a call to arms that speaks to a universal yet intimate truth. 'Powerful and merciful.' Ali Smith 'Tempest doesn't just leap off the page, but leaps into your throat and demands to be shouted all the way out.' Marlon James '[Kae's] language hits like lightning. It illuminates and it burns.' Guardian ISBN 9780571370436 -
Ireland – An Aerial Journey is a new book of aerial photography by Cork-based photographer Dennis Horgan. Text is by Tim McCarthy, a keen amateur photographer and hillwalker with an extensive knowledge of the Irish landscape. Showcasing Ireland’s historic structures, its modern vibrant buildings and its infrastructure, the book ranges from Cape Clear in the south to Rathlin Island in the north. Aerial photography creates the opportunity to see a subject from a different perspective and show it in relation to its wider surroundings, which is difficult to do from ground level. The effect that the inhabitants of our island have on the land they live in will be featured in creative and imaginative photography. The island of Ireland is one of the most beautiful in the world and has an amazing variety of sights. The author captures a diverse collection of images from the majesty of Skellig Michael to cities with their strikingly modern architecture. Ireland – An Aerial Journey is a tribute to the skills of this highly creative aerial photographer who is a master at producing captivating images from high above the land. ISBN 9781786051431 -
An illustrated history of the development of Dublin, and the possibilities for its evolution into the future. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) have commissioned acknowledged experts to explore Dublin's evolution across a range of topics, with a particular focus on its role as the capital city since independence 100 years ago, as well as on architectural planning and administration. Authors featured include Mary Clark, Grainne Shaffrey, Freddie Dwyer, Tony Reddy, Frank McDonald, Shane O'Toole, Ciarán Cuffe, Paul de Freine, Lorcan Sirr. Éanna Ní Lamhna & Seán O'Laoire. Heavily illustrated with plans, drawings and photographs. ISBN 9781788491679 -
Several years ago Sally Muir began a Facebook project, posting dog art daily, which became the best-selling book A Dog A Day. Through the project she was introduced to endless people and their dogs, and the distinct personalities and complex emotions that owners attribute to them. More recently, Sally's project changed focus and she asked the public to send in photographs of their old dogs. Featuring grey muzzles, milky eyes and wobbly legs, as well as tender anecdotes picked up from a whole lifetime of companionship, Sally Muir's paintings of our more senior canines are collected here for the first time. Sally Muir is well known for her portrayal of dogs, with Elderly Dog featuring in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2018 and Hound following up in the Summer Exhibition in 2019. The popularity of Elderly Dog has fuelled Sally's desire to continue to paint older dogs, and celebrate the ageing process of our favourite pets in grace and style. From loose sketches and lithographs to potato prints and oil paintings, Old Dogs includes a range of mediums that Sally has become known for, and embraces dogs of all shapes and sizes: big, small, pedigree and cross breed. ISBN 9781911663195 -
An illuminating exploration of the intersection between life, art and the sea from the award-winning author of Leviathan, or The Whale. Albrecht Durer changed the way we saw nature through art. From his prints in 1498 of the plague ridden Apocalypse - the first works mass produced by any artist - to his hyper-real images of animals and plants, his art was a revelation: it showed us who we are but it also foresaw our future. It is a vision that remains startlingly powerful and seductive, even now. In Albert & the Whale, Philip Hoare sets out to discover why Durer's art endures. He encounters medieval alchemists and modernist poets, eccentric emperors and queer soul rebels, ambassadorial whales and enigmatic pop artists. He witnesses the miraculous birth of Durer's fantastical rhinoceros and his hermaphroditic hare, and he traces the fate of the star-crossed leviathan that the artist pursued. And as the author swims from Europe to America and beyond, these prophetic artists and downed angels provoke awkward questions. What is natural or unnatural? Is art a fatal contract? Or does it in fact have the power to save us? With its wild and watery adventures, its witty accounts of amazing cultural lives and its delight in the fragile beauty of the natural world, Albert & the Whale offers glorious, inspiring insights into a great artist, and his unerring, sometimes disturbing gaze. ISBN 9780008323325 -
Because adults need picture books too! In Amber Fossey's (AKA @Zeppelinmoon) beautiful first book, we are each reminded to listen, to look, to feel, and to remember what it is that makes us human. This beautiful illustrated guide to life tells the reader how to become wild and free again, through a mash-up of poetry, fables, comic fiction and whimsical watercolour illustrations. Using the characters of sloth, bear, manatee, blob fish, and many more, we are shown that we no longer need to surrender to negative thoughts nor those who drag us down, and are prompted to ponder the beauty all around, reminding us how to simply love one another, and ourselves, again. Do you ever hear the beasts scratching at the door? They want to be let out, to be wild & free! They were sleeping too long, and now they're getting feisty. Don't be afraid, they're pretty lovely inside, and never did i see a more lovely beast than you... So come inside. You might be surprised, to remember how to feel alive! With a heart to feel, a mind to learn & hands to build extraordinary things. Go forth, fiercely, bravely. A former NHS doctor and forensic psychiatrist, Amber's work with severely mentally ill patients in hospitals, prisons and the community inspired her to write messages of finding hope amidst adversity in Be Wild Be Free. She encourages us to have compassion for those that society rejects, mistreats and ignores and for those suffering mental anguish. We are prompted to ponder the beauty all around, reminding us how to simply love one another, and ourselves, again. ISBN 9780008422981 -
"The Art of War" meets "The Artist's Way" in this no-nonsense, profoundly inspiring guide to overcoming creative blocks of every kind. *USA IMPORT* ISBN 9781936891023 -
Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing? What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall? Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration, he also shows that, regardless of the task you've set yourself, you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea, refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it. 'Humorous and practical... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine. ISBN 9781786332257 -
Michael Scott’s Áras Mhic Dhiarmada and Busáras is one of the most important modernist buildings in Ireland. Built between 1947 and 1953, it was intended to be a bus station like no other, providing ordinary working people with a range of amenities including a roof-top restaurant, incredible panoramic views of Dublin, a crèche, a 24-hour newsreel cinema, and a host of shops and services. It was to be a microcosm of the city, providing dignity, comfort, and convenience to bus users. From its inception the project was gripped in controversy, over the location, design, function, and cost. Battles were waged on the floor of the Dáil, in Dublin Corporation Committee meetings and the letters of various newspapers. Construction ground to a halt for three years as Government and opposition argued over the merits and uses of the building. In the end it became home to the Department of Social Protection and Bus Éireann’s provincial bus services. Despite receiving widespread acclaim for its architectural and design innovations, today it is a much maligned and misunderstood building. In this exciting collaboration, writer Eoin Ó Broin and photographer Mal McCann explore the vision behind Áras Mhic Dhiarmada and Busáras, and celebrate the energy, creativity, and neglect of this incredible example of Irish modernist architecture and design. ISBN 9781785374180 -
THE COLOUR OF IRELAND: County by County 1850-1950 spans more than a hundred years throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and brings history to life using contemporary photographs as the basis for full-colour digital renditions. RobCross breathes new life, immediacy and human connection back into these breathtaking black and white photographs, bringing out the minute detail in each image and using careful historical research to determine the colours of every object in every photo. These images show incredible detail and a richness and depth that has not been seen before, bringing the people and places of an Ireland long gone back to life. With its beautifully restored images, THE COLOUR OF IRELAND presents over 120 magnificent photographs of Irish life covering all 32 counties, the beauties of the Green Isle and capturing Ireland's people and its most picturesque villages, townlands, and the fast-emerging cities of Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford City. The book also captures photos of Ireland's most turbulent times from the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War featuring some of the titans of Irish political life such as Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, and James Connolly. This magnificent collection of images of Ireland is both a fascinating social history and an astonishing technical achievement. And it's an essential book for anyone who loves Ireland and Irish history. Published 30th March 2023 - Order Now. ISBN 9781785304606 -
How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway? Discover the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century USA and the artist who really invented the Readymade. Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of post-War artists in Latin America and the women artists defining art in the 2020s. Have your sense of art history overturned, and your eyes opened to many art forms often overlooked or dismissed. From the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan, this is the story of art for our times - one with women at its heart, brought together for the first time by the creator of @thegreatwomenartists. ISBN 9781529151145 -
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of de Kooning: An American Master, a revelatory and intimate new biography of Francis Bacon. A decade in the making, based upon hundreds of interviews and extensive new material, Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan have written a startlingly original portrait - rich, complex, and subtle - of a commanding modern figure. Bacon concealed many important aspects of his life. He described himself as an asthmatic child in Ireland with foxhunting parents and a tyrannical father, but he was also rescued by a series of formidable women - women who in this biography emerge in their own right. He was never just a dissolute young man but was also a passionate reader, largely self-taught. Early on, influenced by Eileen Gray, he became a hard-working and ambitious designer, a brief career explored here in detail for the first time. He dreamed of remaking the modern room. Bacon worked no less hard or ambitiously as a painter, at first with little success. Throughout the 1930s and early '40s he suffered ongoing failures, growing isolated and often ill. His health issues throughout his life were far more significant than he revealed. Then came his astonishing breakthrough in 1944, with Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion. In the following decades, he emerged as one of the great iconoclasts and bon vivants of his time, a Wildean figure whom one friend called 'a terrific grandee.' Bacon was typically celebrated as a sexual adventurer who liked rough trade, but he never stopped longing for a serious committed relationship, however painful. He continued to make disturbing images of the strangeness within, but developed into a more varied artist than has been recognised, creating in particular an extraordinary series of self-portraits. He was an artist who believed in chance and paradox: the iconoclast eventually became an icon. This is a story, deeply researched and masterfully told, of a sickly boy who became one of the great figures of his time. The twentieth century does not know itself without Bacon. ISBN 9780007298419 -
'Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak. But there is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we explain that world with words, but word can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.' John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the Sunday Times critic commented: 'This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings... he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures.' ISBN 9780141035796 -
Susan Sontag's On Photography is a seminal and groundbreaking work on the subject. Susan Sontag's groundbreaking critique of photography asks forceful questions about the moral and aesthetic issues surrounding this art form. Photographs are everywhere, and the 'insatiability of the photographing eye' has profoundly altered our relationship with the world. Photographs have the power to shock, idealize or seduce, they create a sense of nostalgia and act as a memorial, and they can be used as evidence against us or to identify us. In these six incisive essays, Sontag examines the ways in which we use these omnipresent images to manufacture a sense of reality and authority in our lives. 'Sontag offers enough food for thought to satisfy the most intellectual of appetites'- The Times. 'A brilliant analysis of the profound changes photographic images have made in our way of looking at the world, and at ourselves' - Washington Post. ISBN 9780141035789 -
Through the sweeping, extraordinary story of his own and his father's lives, Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years. Ai Weiwei's sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the globe, and his architectural achievements include helping to design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. But his political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Here, for the first time, Ai Weiwei explores the origins of his exceptional creativity and passionate political beliefs through his own life story and that of his father, whose own creativity was stifled. Once an intimate of Mao Zedong, Ai Weiwei's father was branded a rightist during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were banished to a desolate place known as 'Little Siberia', where Ai Qing was sentenced to hard labour cleaning public toilets. Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in exile, and his difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America. With candour and wit, he details his return to China and his rise from artistic unknown to art world superstar and international human rights activist - and how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. At once ambitious and intimate, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression. ISBN 9781784701499 -
The Secret Lives of Colour tells the unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history. In this book Kassia St Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colours and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across fashion and politics, art and war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell the vivid story of our culture. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every colour has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking. Very hard painting the hallway magnolia after this inspiring primer.' Simon Garfield ISBN 9781473630833 -
Until the 20th century, art history was, in the main, written by white, western men who tended to write about other white, western men. The idea that women in the West have always made art was rarely cited as a possibility. Yet, they have - and, of course, continue to do so - often against tremendous odds, from laws to religion and the pressures of family and public disapproval. Feminism has shaken up the story of art and, for the first time, cast light on the often-brilliant work by women artists who were often ignored, patronised or marginalised. These artists embody the fact that there is more than one way to understand our planet, more than one way to live in it and more than one way to make art about it. In THE MIRROR AND THE PALETTE, Jennifer Higgie introduces us to a cross-section of extraordinary women artists from the 16th to the 20th centuries, using their self-portraits as a springboard to examine how and why they became artists and what their self-representation reveals about the times in which they lived. ISBN 9781474613781 -
How do women paint or photograph each other? How do they represent each other in performance or sculpture? As mothers or heroines? With tenderness, aggression or respect? Madam & Eve explores the female gaze as it focuses on other women. The authors - an artist and a curator - investigate the work of over 200 artists, ranging from the well-established to the lesser known. A historical introduction sets up the artistic and cultural context for the rest of the book, which focuses on art since the 1970s and covers the universal themes of the body, life, death, stories, and icons. The result is an amazing parade of artworks: eye-catching, poignant, powerful, political, idiosyncratic, playful, awkward, passionate, sexy, and positive. It is also an eloquent examination of the impact that the feminist movement has had on contemporary art. ISBN 9781786271563 -
Dublin is a unique, multi-layered city, where ancient and youthful meet to form a community rich in culture, creativity and song. With picturesque seaside villages and romantic medieval castles, you are guaranteed a warm Irish welcome. This beautiful collection of images will take you past Dublin's famous landmarks - the bridge, the Liffey, the pubs - and into the hidden gems waiting around every corner. From secluded mews to artisan outlets, vintage markets and tree-lined streets, prettycitydublin champions the quiet, gentle moments that allow you to escape in a bustling capital city like Dublin. Full of the unexplored and less-appreciated areas of Dublin, this stunning guide also includes tips on how to plan and capture your own prettycitydublin experience, whether on foot or dreaming from afar. ISBN 9780750990714 -
Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950 portrays the history of romantic love between men in hundreds of moving and tender vernacular photographs taken between the years 1850 and 1950. This visual narrative of astonishing sensitivity brings to light an until-now-unpublished collection of hundreds of snapshots, portraits, and group photos taken in the most varied of contexts, both private and public. Taken when male partnerships were often illegal, the photos here were found at flea markets, in shoe boxes, family archives, old suitcases, and later online and at auctions. The collection now includes photos from all over the world: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Latvia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Serbia. The subjects were identified as couples by that unmistakable look in the eyes of two people in love - impossible to manufacture or hide. They were also recognised by body language - evidence as subtle as one hand barely grazing another - and by inscriptions, often coded. Included here are ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tin types, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, and snapshots - over 100 years of social history and the development of photography. Loving will be produced to the highest standards in illustrated book publishing, The photographs - many fragile from age or handling - have been digitised using a technology derived from that used on surveillance satellites and available in only five places around the world. Paper and other materials are among the best available. And Loving will be manufactured at one of the world's elite printers. Loving, the book, will be up to the measure of its message in every way. In these delight-filled pages, couples in love tell their own story for the first time at a time when joy and hope - indeed human connectivity - are crucial lifelines to our better selves. Universal in reach and overwhelming in impact, Loving speaks to our spirit and resilience, our capacity for bliss, and our longing for the shared truths of love. ISBN 9788874399284 -
Brandon Stanton's Humans is a book that connects readers as global citizens at a time when erecting more borders is the order of the day. It shows us the entire world, one story at a time... Brandon Stanton's Humans - his most moving and compelling book to date - shows us the world. After five years of traveling the globe, the creator of Humans of New York brings people from all parts of the world into a conversation with readers. He ignores borders, chronicles lives and shows us the faces of the world as he saw them. His travels took him from London, Paris and Rome to Iraq, Dubai, Ukraine, Pakistan, Jordan, Uganda, Vietnam, Israel and every other place in between. His interviews go deeper than before. His chronicling of peoples' lives shows the experience of a writer who has traveled widely and thought deeply about the state of our world. Including hundreds of photos and stories of the people he met and talked with in over forty countries, Humans is classic Brandon Stanton - a fully color illustrated book that includes many photos and stories never seen before. For the first time for a HONY title, Humans will contain several of the essays Brandon's posted online which have been read, loved and enthusiastically shared by his followers. ISBN 9781509851744 -
An intimate reflection on Japanese art and architecture from one of the country's greatest novelists. This is an enchanting essay on aesthetics by one of the greatest Japanese novelists. Tanizaki's eye ranges over architecture, jade, food, toilets, and combines an acute sense of the use of space in buildings, as well as perfect descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure. The result is a classic description of the collision between the shadows of traditional Japanese interiors and the dazzling light of the modern age. ISBN 9780099283577 -
Remarkable Football Grounds is a collection of some of the most memorable places to watch and play football around the world. They range from the stellar stadiums of the Premier League to windswept islands in the Scottish Hebrides or the far-flung Pacific, including stadia that resemble flying saucers, a crocodile and an armadillo! Remarkable Football Grounds features a range of the oldest, biggest, highest, quirkiest and furthest flung stadia and the stories behind their existence. Italian Serie B team Venezia can be reached by canal, with moorings nearby; Bamburgh Castle football ground lies in the shadow of a Game of Thrones-scale fortress, while Estadio Silvestre is a full-size pitch on the roof of a building in Tenerife. Some of the oldest, storied stadiums are here, including Anfield for Liverpool, Fulham, which has a tunnel under the pitch and the two Dundee football clubs, that have sizeable grounds, Tannadice and Dens Park, just 183 metres (200 yards) apart. At the quirkier end of the scale, the Aveiro stadium in Portugal looks like a giant children's playset, while in Gangwon, South Korea, the football pitch doubles as a ski jump landing area. Many of the stadiums come with spectacular views. The Faroe Islands have produced some strong football teams in the past and many of their grounds are set in picture perfect landscapes. The same can be said of Norway's Lofoten Islands where flat land is at a premium and the pitch sides are used for drying fish. In Slovakia, the Janosovka football pitch has a narrow gauge railway that runs between the pitch and the grandstand. Others are located in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. Nobody loves the 'away' fixture at Coroico which entails tackling the 'Death Road'. Grounds include: the impressive new Qatari World Cup venues, Wembley Stadium, Camp Nou, Monaco, Old Trafford, Allianz Arena, Petrovsky (Zenit St.Petersburg), Trogir in Croatia, Longgang in China and the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. ISBN 9781911682202 -
Explore Dun Laoghaire and its coastal surroundings with local painter, historian and writer Peter Pearson as he reveals the story behind its transformation from rocky granite shoreline to grand Victorian 'watering place'. Peter Pearson is a Dun Laoghaire man, familiar with every brick and stone of the harbour and town. Here he traces the social, historical and architectural development of Dun Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey, from a stretch of granite coastline with a small fishing village up to the present day. Pearson tells the story of a harbour designed to be a refuge from storms. Begun in 1816, and built in Dalkey granite, it is one of the most attractive artificial harbours in the world. It witnessed one of the world's first lifeboat services, the fastest mail and passenger boats of the day, and the arrival of the first railway line in Ireland. Pearson also examines the social dimension, from the early settlement and development of houses and villas, with evocative names like Sorrento and Vico, to the slum alleys of Kingstown and the first council housing. With over 250 illustrations, including early maps and many previously unseen photographs and images, this is a fascinating journey through the history and heritage of Dun Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey. ISBN 9781788493543 -
This book examines Irish art over the last hundred and twenty years or so, from 1900 to now, considering key examples and developments and how visual expression can be read for what it reflects and reveals of art and society during this time. Art in Ireland was peculiarly shaped on one hand by the country's geographic isolation, political upheaval, religious repression and its post-colonial history, and on the other by the interconnections with the world as a consequence of factors, including diaspora, location (between Europe and America), and cultural aspirations. Alongside all the changes that a maturing state, relative prosperity, and a regular flow of intercommunications with the outside world brought, there were two key developments that responded to the growing interest in and confidence in the visual arts, and that led ultimately to the idea for this book: the foundation of IMMA in 1991; and the establishment of an educational environment dedicated to, rather than simply including, Irish art, formalised with the establishment of a more focused teaching and research on Irish art at all levels. ISBN 9781911479826 -
Most of us live our lives in our clothes without realizing their power. But in the hands of artists, garments reveal themselves. They are pure tools of expression, storytelling, resistance and creativity: canvases on which to show who we really are. In What Artists Wear, style luminary Charlie Porter takes us on an invigorating, eye-opening journey through the iconic outfits worn by artists, in the studio, on stage, at work, at home and at play. From Yves Klein's spotless tailoring to the kaleidoscopic costumes of Yayoi Kusama and Cindy Sherman; from Andy Warhol's signature denim to Charlotte Prodger's casualwear, Porter's roving eye picks out the magical, revealing details in the clothes he encounters, weaving together a new way of understanding artists, and of dressing ourselves. Part love letter, part guide to chic, and featuring generous photographic spreads, What Artists Wear is both a manual and a manifesto, a radical, gleeful, inspiration to see the world anew-and find greater pleasure and possibility in the clothes we all wear. ISBN 9780141991252 -
Through 140 drawings, thought experiments, recipes, activist instructions, gardening ideas, insurgences and personal revolutions, artists who spend their lives thinking outside the box guide you to a new worldview; where you and the planet are one. We invite you to rip out pages; to hang them up at home, to draw and scribble, to cook, to meditate, to take the book to your nearest green space. In the tradition of Hans Ulrich Obrist's wildly successful Do It project, this is a guidebook for shaping our ecological future. Liberate yourself from the ways of thinking that have separated us from our environment, and find your way back to our planet. Featuring Olafur Eliasson, Etel Adnan, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Judy Chicago, Jane Fonda & Swoon, the Black Quantum Futurism Collective, Vivienne Westwood, Cauleen Smith, Marina Abramovic, the Karrabing Film Collective, and many more. ISBN 9780141995311 -
A creative call to arms from the mind of Neil Gaiman, combining his extraordinary words with deft and striking illustrations by Chris Riddell. Art Matters will inspire its readers to seize the day in the name of art. Choose art. It matters. Neil Gaiman once said that 'the world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before'. This little book is the embodiment of that vision. Drawn together from speeches, poems and creative manifestos, Art Matters explores how reading, imagining and creating can change the world, and will be inspirational to young and old. 'Like a bedtime story for the rest of your life, this is a book to live by. At its core, it's about freeing ideas, shedding fear of failure, and learning that "things can be different". ' - Institute of Imagination Be bold. Be rebellious. ISBN 9781472260109 -
Out of stock
Dark Beauty focuses on the minute detail in Harry Clarke's stained-glass windows, particularly in the borders and lower panels of his work. Clarke's brilliance as a graphic artist is clearly visible in his book illustrations, which are imbued with precise attention to intricate designs, and he applied the same lavish focus to every facet of his stained glass. The title 'Dark Beauty' refers to the duality of Clarke's work that sees delicate angels juxtaposed with macabre, grotesque figures, and represents the partially hidden details that dwell in the background of his windows - motifs, accessories, flora, fauna and diminutive characters - which may be missed in light of the dominance of the central subjects. The authors spent many years photographing Clarke's windows in Ireland, England, America and Australia, and the resulting 60,000 photos have been carefully whittled down to 500 glorious images. Dark Beauty will provide lovers of Clarke's stained glass with the opportunity to view previously obscured or unnoticed details in all their unique beauty and inspire their own travels to view Clarke's work. ISBN 9781785370755 -
Out of stock
Discover more than 500 of the most innovative, influential, and enduring products from the last five centuries in this revised and expanded, compact editionTake an extraordinary journey through the objects that have improved our functionality, shaping our society and culture today. The Design Book presents iconic pieces by Le Corbusier, Philippe Starck, the Eames, and Apple, alongside classic objects such as the paper clip, the hurricane lantern, and the martini glass. Each entry pairs an image with a descriptive caption, providing accessible information about the product, designer, manufacturer, and history. This new, mini edition features 30 new products, expertly selected and curated from the last 15 years. "Phaidon seems to have pulled off the rare trick of creating something accessible and wide-ranging, but genuinely interesting and informative too." -Design Week ISBN 9781838661434 -
This book is practical and immediate, without being condescending or overly technical. It is like having a graphic design mentor who will help you come up with ideas, develop your concepts, and implement them in a way that is engaging and humorous. It gives readers the experience and ability that normally comes from years of on-the-job training. All of the essential techniques of graphic design and its digital implementation are covered. Read this book and gain 25 years of experience in how to think like a creative, act like a businessman and design like a god. This book is designed like a notebook, with all the authors' tips and knowledge already inside. However, it also includes blank pages that allow the user to personalize this reference book with specific notes that are relevant to his or her studio, suppliers or clients. ISBN 9789063692582 -
An unprecedented, essential field guide to more than a century of fascinating product and industrial designFrom legendary classics to anonymous objects that are indispensable in homes and offices, this one-of-a-kind collection of original patent documents celebrates the creative genius of designers, inventors, creators, innovators, and dreamers the world over. The range is phenomenal: patents by Eero Saarinen, Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Ettore Sottsass, Raymond Loewy, and George Nelson sit alongside everyday designs for tape dispensers, pencil sharpeners, food processors, desk fans, and drink bottles to create an valuable reference that's also an irresistible browse. ISBN 9781838662561 -
From rural Japan to international icon - Yayoi Kusama has spent her remarkable life immersed in her art. Follow her incredible journey in this vivid graphic biography which details her bold departure from Japan as a young artist, her embrace of the buzzing New York art scene in the 1960s, and her eventual return home and rise to twenty-first-century super-fame. ISBN 9781786277169 -
The official behind-the-scenes art book for Cartoon Saloon's stunning new animated fantasy adventure, Wolfwalkers Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind the Academy Award-nominated films The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and The Breadwinner (2017), returns in 2020 with its latest feature, Wolfwalkers, coproduced with Melusine Productions and directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. This mythic tale tells the story of a young hunter named Robyn, who, while tracking down a pack of dangerous and wild wolves, is transformed into the very thing she and her father have been seeking to destroy. Filled with exclusive hand-drawn sketches, paintings, interviews, and digital renderings that showcase Cartoon Saloon's unique artistic style, The Art of Wolfwalkers takes fans behind the scenes of one of animation's most celebrated studios. Through exclusive commentary and interviews with cast and crew, including directors Moore and Stewart, renowned animation critic and historian Charles Solomon showcases the craft and skill behind some of the most lovingly detailed and imaginative 2-D animation currently being produced. ISBN 9781419748059 -
The Toronto Ink Company was founded in 2014 by designer and artist Jason Logan as a citizen science experiment to make eco-friendly, urban ink from street-harvested pigments. In Make Ink, Logan delves into the history of inkmaking and the science of distilling pigment from the natural world. Readers will learn how to forage for materials such as soot, rust, cigarette butts, peach pits, and black walnut, then how to mix, test, and transform these ingredients into rich, vibrant inks that are sensitive to both place and environment. Organized by color, and featuring lovely minimalist photography throughout, Make Ink combines science, art, and craft to instill the basics of ink making and demonstrate the beauty and necessity of engaging with one of mankind's oldest tools of communication. ISBN 9781419732430 -
The best way to learn is by doing. The Photographer's Playbook features photography assignments, as well as ideas, stories, and anecdotes from many of the world's most talented photographers and photography professionals. Whether you're looking for exercises to improve your craft-alone or in a group-or you're interested in learning more about the medium, this playful collection will inspire fresh ways of engaging with photographic process. Inside you will find advice for better shooting and editing, creative ways to start new projects, games and activities, and insight into the practices of those responsible for our most iconic photographs-John Baldessari, Tina Barney, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Jim Goldberg, Miranda July, Susan Meiselas, Stephen Shore, Alec Soth, Tim Walker, and many more. The book also features a Polaroid alphabet by Mike Slack, which divides each chapter, and a handy subject guide. Edited by acclaimed photographers Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern, the assignments and project ideas in this book are indispensable for teachers and students, and great fun for everyone fascinated by taking pictures. ISBN 9781597112475 -
David Bailey burst onto the scene in 1960 with his revolutionary photographs for Vogue. Discarding the rigid rules of a previous generation of portrait and fashion photographers, he channelled the energy of Londons newly informal street culture into his work. Funny, brutally honest and ferociously talented, he became as famous as his subjects. Now in his eighties, he looks back on an outrageously eventful life. Born into an East End family, his dyslexia saw him written off as stupid at school. He hit a low point working as a debt collector until he discovered a passion for photography that would change everything. The working-class boy became an influential artist. Along the way he became friends with Mick Jagger, hung out with the Krays, got into bed with Andy Warhol and made the Queen laugh. His love-life was never dull. He propelled girlfriend Jean Shrimpton to stardom, while her angry father threatened to shoot him. He married Catherine Deneuve a month after meeting her. Penelope Trees mother was unimpressed when he turned up on her doorstep. It could be worse, I could be a Rolling Stone, Bailey told her. He went on to marry Marie Helvin and then Catherine Dyer, with whom he has three children.
He is also a film and documentary director, has shot numerous commercials and has never stopped working. A born storyteller, his autobiography is a memorable romp through an extraordinary career ISBN 9781509896868