The Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Artists: Painters, Printmakers, Sculptors by Kate McGahey

$15.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: very good

The aim of this book is to offer reliable and accessible information about New Zealand painters, printmakers and sculptors from the 19th Century to the present. It gives a brief overview of each artist, their background and areas of work as well as (where possible) locations where their work can be seen . ...Show more

Rape of Europa by Nicholas Lynn

$14.00 NZD

Category: History & Theory | Reading Level: good

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award   The real story behind the major motion picture The Monuments Men. The cast of characters includes Hitler and Goering, Gertrude Stein and Marc Chagall--not to mention works by artists from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso. And the story told in this superbly researched and suspenseful book is that of the Third Reich's war on European culture and the Allies' desperate effort to preserve it.   From the Nazi purges of "Degenerate Art" and Goering's shopping sprees in occupied Paris to the perilous journey of the Mona Lisa from Paris and the painstaking reclamation of the priceless treasures of liberated Italy, The Rape of Europa is a sweeping narrative of greed, philistinism, and heroism that combines superlative scholarship with a compelling drama. ...Show more

1000 Tattoos - The Most Creative New Designs from the World's Leading and up-And-Coming Tattoo Artists by Frédéric Claquin; Chris Coppola

$15.00 NZD

Category: Art | Reading Level: very good

The world's best, most innovative, creative tattoo art.   New works from over forty of the most ground breaking and up-and-coming tattoo designers are featured in this highly curated collection. Aimed at profiling the next generation of skin art, the selected artists are at the forefront of where tattoo art is going and display a wide degree of diversity in terms of geographic origin, culture, race, and gender.Among the artists and designers included are are Scott Campbell, Sasha Unisex, Tea Leigh, Johnny Gloom, Tati Compton (a.k.a. Tati Fox), Georgia Grey, Lauren Winzer, Peter Aurisch, Jon Boy, Susanne K nig, Dr. Woo, Super Timor, and many others. Most of the tattoo artists included count of tens of millions of followers on social media straddling the spectrum of tattoo fans.Tattoos are a mark of personal creativity and individuality, and Claquin strikes a careful balance between artistic vision, creative process, and the practical demands of needle and ink. Given the wide range and sheer number of illustrations, this is a must have for anyone wanting to stay on top of the latest trends in tattoo design. ...Show more

Point and Line to Plane by Wassily Kandinsky; Hilla Rebay (Preface by)

$10.00 NZD

Category: History & Theory | Series: Dover Fine Art, History of Art Ser. | Reading Level: very good

"I had the impression that here painting itself comes to the foreground; I wondered if it would not be possible to go further in this direction." Thus did the young Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) react to his first viewing of Monet's Haystack, included in an 1895 Moscow exhibit of French Impressionists. It was his first perception of the dematerialization of an object and presaged the later development of his influential theories of non-objective art. During study and travel in Europe, the young artist breathed the heady atmosphere of artistic experimentation. Fauvism, Cubism, Symbolism, and other movements played an important role in the development of his own revolutionary approach to painting. Decrying literal representation, Kandinsky emphasized instead the importance of form, color, rhythm, and the artist's inner need in expressing reality. In Point and Line to Plane, one of the most influential books in 20th-century art, Kandinsky presents a detailed exposition of the inner dynamics of non-objective painting. Relying on his own unique terminology, he develops the idea of point as the "proto-element" of painting, the role of point in nature, music, and other art, and the combination of point and line that results in a unique visual language. He then turns to an absorbing discussion of line -- the influence of force on line, lyric and dramatic qualities, and the translation of various phenomena into forms of linear expression. With profound artistic insight, Kandinsky points out the organic relationship of the elements of painting, touching on the role of texture, the element of time, and the relationship of all these elements to the basic material plane called upon to receive the content of a work of art. Originally published in 1926, this essay represents the mature flowering of ideas first expressed in Kandinsky's earlier seminal book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. As an influential member of the Bauhaus school and a leading theoretician of abstract expressionism, Kandinsky helped formulate the modern artistic temperament. This book amply demonstrates the importance of his contribution and its profound effect on 20th-century art. ...Show more

Jane Austen's Sewing Box by Jennifer Forest

$15.00 NZD

Category: Craft | Reading Level: very good

Based on the novels of Jane Austen, this beautifully presented book is for craft enthusiasts and lovers of history and literature alike. A celebration of the Regency period, each of the 18 sewing, needlecraft, knitting, paper and decorative projects is accompanied by an extract from the relevant notes. ...Show more

Made by Hand by Nick Warner, Ph.D.

$20.00 NZD

Category: Craft | Reading Level: very good

Profiling these makers with large images of themselves, their workshops, products and techniques, Made By Hand takes the reader through tailors, shoemakers, bee keepers, micro breweries, jewellers and more. By focusing on the choice these artisans have made to produce hand-made goods in an age where mas s-produced, imported wares are cheaper and easier to produce, the book is a timely celebration of the return to organic, hand-made and home-grown that is proliferating worldwide. Each maker features with interviews probing their techniques, the surrounding tradition and their motivation for working by hand. This is accompanied by trivia, such as the celebrities they have produced for and the most expensive pieces they have ever made. Prefaced by an introductory text about the ethos of hand making, and with the juxtaposition of traditional craft alongside contemporary hand making throughout, Made By Hand is framed as an address to hand craft as an environmentally friendly and economically healthy resurgence that is not only nostalgic but also progressive and productive. ...Show more

Lady Painters: The Flower Painters of Early New Zealand by Bee Dawson

$25.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: very good

This extraordinary book is a blend of accounts of the lives of resident women painters of the 19th century and wonderful examples of their exquisite art. The design is modern and accessible. Art interwoven with botany and social history, a readable insight into the lives of some very extraordinary women . Botanical art is having a tremendous revival and old flower paintings are being reproduced in prints and fabrics. Includes: Sarah Featon; Martha King; Georgina Heatley; Fanny Osborne; Emily Harris; Isobel Hodgkins; Margaret Stoddard; Marianne North; Ellis Rowan. First published 1999. ...Show more

A World History of Art by Hugh Honour

$40.00 NZD

Category: History & Theory | Reading Level: very good

Over two decades this art historical tour de force has consistently proved the classic introduction to humanity's artistic heritage. From our paleolithic past to our digitised present, every continent and culture is covered in an articulate and well-balanced discussion. In this Seventh Edition, the text has been revised to embrace developments in archaeology and art historical research, while the renowned contemporary art historian Michael Archer has greatly expanded the discussion of the past twenty years, providing a new perspective on the latest developments. The insight, elegance and fluency that the authors bring to their text are complemented by 1458 superb illustrations, half of which are now in colour. These images, together with the numerous maps and architectural plans, have been chosen to represent the most significant chronological, regional and individual styles of artistic expression. ...Show more

The Beautiful Boy by Germaine Greer

$25.00 NZD

Category: History & Theory | Reading Level: very good

Stephen Bambury by Wystan Curnow

$85.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: very good

The abstract painter Stephen Bambury is one of the finest artists working in New Zealand today. This book is the first major monograph to chart the development of his twenty-five year career. With 130 sumptuous colour plates documenting his work, the book also has a major review of Bambury's caree r from writer and curator Wystan Curnow, as well as a more personal response to his paintings from writer William McAlloon. Published in association with the Jensen Gallery. ++ Finalist for the Montana Medal for non-fiction (Illustrative) 2002 ++ First published September 2000. ...Show more

Elegance of Woodwork: Art of Takeuchi Hekigai by Masanori Moroyama

$10.00 NZD

Category: Craft | Reading Level: very good

Silk: Sarsenets, Satins, Steels and Stripes. 150 Years of Macclesfield designs by Louanne Collins and Moira Stevenson

$10.00 NZD

Category: Antiques | Reading Level: very good