Search results

Researched and written by Francesca Balzan, this study has made extensive use of primary sources to build up a history of jewellery in Malta, which focuses on the art of jewellery, its social history and trade practices. It is the first study of its kind to be published in Malta. The book is in two parts, the first of which contains essays on historical aspects of the jewellery while the second part is devoted to analytical case studies of a number of je...

Twentieth-century architect Frederick Kiesler's innovative multidisciplinary practice responded to the ever-changing needs of the body in motion, anticipating the research-oriented practices of contemporary art and architecture. In 1960, the renowned architect Philip Johnson championed Frederick Kiesler, calling him "the greatest non-building architect of our time." Kiesler's ideas were difficult to construct, but as Johnson believed, "enormous" and "profound." Kiesler (1890-1965) went against...

In American popular imagination, the mobile home evokes images of cramped interiors, cheap materials, and occupants too poor or unsavory to live anywhere else. Since the 1940s and '50s, however, mobile home manufacturers have improved standards of construction and now present them as an affordable alternative to conventional site-built homes. Today one of every fourteen Americans lives in a mobile home. In The Unknown World of the Mobile Home authors John Fraser Hart, Michelle J. Rhodes, and J...

A history of the Civil Rights Movement from Emancipation through the 1980s, told through 200 objects (buttons, badges, posters, leaflets, and more) created by activists as tools to advance the fight for justice and freedom. From Reconstruction through Jim Crow, through the protest era of the 1960s and ’70s to current-day resistance and activism, the material culture of the Civil Rights Movement has been integral to its goals and tactics. During decades of sit-ins, marches, legal campaigns, boyc...

More than any other element of interior design, color sets the mood of a room. Once the palette is limited to a single color, the effect can be dramatic and powerful or sublime. Monochrome features projects by more than twenty internationally known interior designers who have created rooms based around one color. Included are a blue bedroom by Vicente Wolf, a silver dining room for Baccarat by Philippe Starck, an ivory loft apartment by Lee Mindel of Shelton Mindel, and a purple bedroom by Benja...

The nineteenth century - the Era of the Interior - witnessed the steady displacement of art from the ceilings, walls, and floors of aristocratic and religious interiors to the everyday spaces of bourgeois households, subject to their own enhanced ornamentation. Following the 1863 Salon des refuses, the French State began to channel mediocre painters into the decorative arts. England, too, launched an extensive reform of the decorative arts, resulting in more and more artists engaged in the produ...

This book is a visual survey of posters printed by the United States, the Allies, and the Axis, and offers an overview of the various categories of propaganda posters created in support of the war effort: recruiting, conservation, careless talk/anti-espionage, bond/fundraising, morale, and more. With posters from all combatants, here is a look at propaganda used as a tool used by all parties in the conflict and how similar themes crossed national borders.

The numerous items of everyday material culture that we employ in housework, cleaning, office work and entertainment are more than mere disposable objects. In a sense, they represent one of the ways for us to understand the idiosyncratic lifestyles and traditions of various places and peoples. A great number of these household items and daily necessities come from the handiwork of anonymous craftsmen, who have learned their skills through family inheritance or apprenticeship. This book presents...

Little Book of Louis Vuitton is the pocket-sized and fully illustrated story of one of the world's most luxurious fashion houses. Louis Vuitton's monogrammed bags have been seen on the arms of celebrities and royals alike for over 150 years. From the young Louis seeking his fortune in Paris through to two world wars, the Great Depression, the Jazz Age and the Swinging Sixties, there is no era in which this most opulent of brands hasn't thrived. Detailing the global expansion of Louis Vuitton i...

The first monograph on the iconic independent New York street fashion label Supreme. In April 1994, Supreme opened its doors on Lafayette Street in downtown Manhattan and became the home of New York City skate culture. Challenging the dominance of the established Wes Coast skater scene and the new conservatism of 1990s New York, Supreme defined the aesthetic of an era of rebellious cool that reached from skaters to fashionistas and hip hop heads. Over the last sixteen years, the brand has sta...

Identity, diversity, inclusivity: the essential values of Maison Valentino and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. This book is founded on, as the choral work of three artists: Pierpaolo Piccioli, Liz Johnson Artur and Bernardine Evaristo.Three different visions in a unique moment: the Valentino Collezione Milano fashion show, which took place in Milan at the Fonderia Macchi on September 27, 2020. A time of great changes, a time when COVID dictated its rules, but that did not persuade art. We...

Crafting identities explores artisanal identity and culture in early modern London. It demonstrates that the social, intellectual and political status of London's crafts and craftsmen were embedded in particular material and spatial contexts. Through examination of a wide range of manuscript, visual and material culture sources, the book investigates for the first time how London's artisans physically shaped the built environment of the city and how the experience of negotiating urban spaces imp...

This collection of essays both defines and reassesses the concept of utility. In considering the place of ethics in the recent history of art and design, the text offers a way into the issues which concern design decision-makers today.The text presents topics such as the investigation in to hitherto undiscovered designs for a utility vehicle, it gives a perspective on the philosophy behind the concept of utility as a design theory and offers a critique of the dangers of "good design". The text a...

As entertaining as it is incisive, Stoned is a raucous journey through the history of human desire for what is rare, and therefore precious. What makes a stone a jewel? What makes a jewel priceless? And why do we covet beautiful things? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire. What moves the world is what m...

The History of World Costume and Fashion presents a comprehensive survey of dress from around the world including Asia, Africa, the Islamic Empire, and the Ancient Americas. This extensive study features descriptions and analysis of men's, women's and children's clothing, accessories, and cultural styles from prehistory into the twenty-first century. Lavishly illustrated, it features more than 1600 images-including over 100 in full color- and is a valuable resource for fashion designers, theater...