LIBRARY RESOURCES | ||
| New Zealand art: -Magazines | Reference books | Books on artists | Contemporary Maori artists | ||
| Features : - | ||
 new art books |
 Two new books on Rita Angus, plus! the Te Papa exhibition |  new graphics bks |
| Database of NZ artists | Art websites | Shelf help: general, &, graphics | Contact us | ||
NEW BOOKS, ETC. AUGUST 2008
Also! : new graphics art books
Note: Links from book covers will take you to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk,
or Realgroovy.co.nz, etc ; links from book titles will take you to the catalogue
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The Duchamp book / Gavin Parkinson. 2008 Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) was, without doubt, one of the most influential and controversial artists of the twentieth century. No other artist has attracted such a wealth of contradictory interpretation and commentary. Associated with Cubism, Dada and Surrealism, he avoided being too closely allied with any one art movement. Credited with the invention of the 'readymade' and a champion of what he termed non-retinal art, he was nevertheless responsible for some of the most iconic works of his era, including "Nude Descending a Staircase" (1912), "The Large Glass" (1915-23), "Fountain" (1917) and "Etant donnees" (1946-66). In "The Duchamp Book", Parkinson tackles both Duchamp's work and its interpretations, in view of the fact that as his work principally focuses on ideas rather than objects, the two are inseparable. The book begins with an accessible introduction to Duchamp's career, putting the reader on a secure footing for the arguments that follow. In the following chapters, Duchamp's work is explored through key themes: the question of authorship and identity; the artist's preoccupation with eroticism; the twin poles of alchemy and science that have played such a part in interpretations of Duchamp; the uses of language of secrecy in his work; and the fundamental role of humour and play in his practice that has often confounded high-minded critics. Through its close examination of Duchamp's actual works and the demystifying of much of the frequently obscure discourse that surrounds them, "The Duchamp Book" makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of one of the most enigmatic but essential artists of recent times. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fra Angelico / Diane Cole Ahl. 2008 Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (c. 1390/95-1455), known as Fra Angelico, was possibly the most celebrated religious painter of the Italian Early Renaisance. Adhering to the austere life of a Dominican monastery despite his huge success, Fra Angelico's contemporary biographer Giorgio Vasari said of him 'it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety.' Originally trained as an illuminator, Fra Angelico went on to paint altarpieces that even early on in his career showed great skill in the rendering of the figures, composition and use of colour. Perhaps his most famous works however are the astonishing frescos that decorate the cells, corridors and Chapter House of San Marco Monastery in Florence, to where Fra Angelico moved in 1436 along with many of the monks from the Fiesole monastery in which they had been living.A magnificent altarpiece was also among the commissions for the newly built monastery, which showed an unprecedented realism in the intimate arrangement of the holy figures. Diane Cole Ahl's engaging text is combined with almost 200 images to create a book that is both informative and visually stunning. The works are discussed in detail, in the context of the time and places in which they were created, and Fra Angelico's influence, both directly on his pupils such as Benozzo Gozzoli, and more wide-ranging on the artists that followed in the later Renaissance, is also examined. The original viewpoints of the author and the hitherto unpublished artwork of a newly restored predella ensure that Fra Angelico will appeal to the specialised reader as well as students and those with an interest in art history. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Graffiti Paris / photographs by Fabienne Grevy. 2008 As much as London, New York and Los Angeles, Paris has been hijacked by street artists who have transformed public spaces into giant showrooms with their posters, stickers, silk-screens, paintings, mosaics, murals, stencils and photocopies. Photographer and art historian Fabienne Grevy leads a tour of Paris' popular art, exhibited on pavements, stairways, metro stations, abandoned buildings and anywhere else an artist found a patch of open space. The inspirations for these images is as diverse as the artists producing them, and recognizable sources range from the cave paintings at Lascaux to nineteenth-century Japanese blockprints to graphic design to cartoons and comics and even some rather reflexive street art about street art itself. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rajput painting : romantic, divine and courtly art from India / Roda
Ahluwalia. 2008 To enter the world of Rajput painting is to enter a dream world of fantasy and colour, of heroes and heroines gorgeously attired in brilliant hues, of epic poems and love songs, of courtly majesty and India's romantic past. These beautifully illustrated works convey the spirit of the great Hindu classical tradition that existed in painting, literature and all the arts from the 16th to the 19th centuries. "Rajput Paintings" explores the historical and art-historical background, focusing on the influence of Mughal painting and the important cult of Krishna. It illustrates and explores themes taken from folk tales and epic literature, erotic and religious poems, myths, legends and music, and provides a unique guide to local styles in the principalities of Rajasthan, central India and the Punjab. The illustrations, taken mainly from the superb collections of the British Museum and the British Library, includes many previously unpublished images. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Russian Avant-Garde / Evgueny Kovtun. 2007
The Russian Avant-Garde was born at the turn of the 20th century in pre-revolutionary Russia. Intellectual and cultural turmoil had then reached a peak and provided fertile soil for the formation of the movement. For many artists influenced by European art, the movement represented a way of liberating themselves from the social and aesthetic constraints of the past. It was these Avant-Garde artists who, through their immense creativity, gave birth to abstract art, thereby elevating Russian culture to a modern level. Such painters as Kandinsky, Malevitch, Gontcharova, Larionov, and Tatline, to name but a few, had a definitive impact on 20th-century art. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Previous new art books
NEW GRAPHICS BOOKS AUGUST 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Illustrators 49. 2008 This latest volume of the Society of Illustrators annual continues the new approach of last year's volume to showcase the year's best illustration. Designed by D.J. Stout of the prestigious Pentagram Design firm, this massive volume presents not only the year's finest illustration work, but also delves into the ideas behind the art as stated by the artists themselves. Each artist discusses the "how to" and "why" of their art making this annual not only a showcase of impressive art, but also an intensely readable look into the creative process of today's top working illustrators.(Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lemon poppy seed : multitasking creativity. 2008 Exciting work is currently being produced that is not necessarily created by graphic designers, but by independent spirits who work in interdisciplinary ways with a variety of skills. This new generation of talent is developing a visual vocabulary that is refreshingly off-key and inventing their own original design language. Lemon Poppy Seed is a compilation of work by these young, international artists. Their styles defy current trends and classifications and are all the more brilliant for doing so. The 272-page book takes readers on a whirlwind creative journey that proves that these newcomers are a creative force to be reckoned with. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Works : Jaime Hayon / Jamie Hayon. 2008
The Spanish designer and artist Jaime Hayon is a rising star in the international creative scene. It s safe to say that he will be one of the most influential designers in the years to come. The book features projects such as his extensive ceramic installation for Bisazza in Milan and the interior design for La Terraza del Casino, an exclusive restaurant in central Madrid, as well as designer toys and furniture, including his awardwinning bathroom collection, AQHayon. Ranging from clear and harmonious to playfully extravagant, all of the examples attest to his inimitable grasp of form, style and colour.(Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fashionize 2: illustration will rule the world. 2008 How fashion-design has entered our lives; a wide-ranging survey showing how fashion designers and illustrators are applying their skills in variety of fields - from sneakers to t-shirts, from wallpapers to clothes, from furniture to household products...The artists selected are cheeky and sophisticated, ironical and unusual. With their charm and character they lead us to imaginary worlds, where photography is pushed to the limit: fashion illustrations make a booming comeback. This book includes works by Catalina Estrada, Sophie Toulouse, Teis Albers, Sophie Griotto and many Japanese designers. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Design matters : brochures 01 : an essential primer for today's competitive market / Michelle Taute. 2008 The design bar is at an all-time high for those brave enough to participate in the industry. Today's designers must be clear on all the steps necessary to create work that stands out in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Unfortunately, most design books only focus on type, color, and layout issues. The Design Matters series takes a more in-depth approach, allowing designers to learn not only how to create work that is aesthetically appealing, but also strategy-driven and smart. (Amazon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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About our graphic arts collection:- The library is endeavouring to build up a collection of current, up to the minute books on graphics, to meet the demand from designers and students in this area. These are the new titles we have recently added to the collection. It's not always easy keeping up with what's absolutely current though, so if you have any suggestions please let us know through our web site suggestion form.
Graphics magazines : Art Websites New Zealand | Other Colin McCahon website This database and image library was compiled by the Colin McCahon Research and Publication Trust. It is published by The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The research project has been supported by the McCahon family, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Rutherford Trust, Creative New Zealand: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, Jenny Gibbs, Alan Gibbs. See also the McCahon French Bay house site Discover Discover is a database of resources selected for use by New Zealand schools., but is also very useful for everyone interested in NZ arts images, since over 2,500 multimedia items are available. Almost all are from National Library of New Zealand collections. Access to Discover is free. Currently Discover supports the Visual Arts and Music disciplines of the Arts/Nga Toi curriculum by providing a rich selection of works by some of New Zealand’s musicians, artists, photographers, designers and architects both historic and contemporary, Maori and Pakeha. NZ arts resources website A collection of links to arts resources in New Zealand. The visual arts section includes galleries as well as individual artists' sites. New Zealand art and culture links New Zealand art monthly A contributor-driven forum for the arts in New Zealand. A NZ crafts website nzlive - New Zealand culture online What's on in New Zealand - an online calendar of events including the arts Taranaki artists website A site which aims to showcase the work of Taranaki artists, set up by assemblage artist Dale Copeland. A variety of work in different mediums is displayed here, the images are good and can be enlarged for better viewing. Tom Kreisler website A website devoted to the work of Argentinian-born NZ artist Tom Kreisler (1938-2002) - a searchable database for students, academics and the general public. www.artfind.co.nz A search facility designed to introduce the user to a range of NZ artists and galleries. You can search by artist or gallery, or browse on type of art. The site is not in competition with galleries but works for them.
Other websites A GUIDE TO SOME USEFUL ART SHELF NUMBERS
SOME USEFUL REFERENCE TOOLS
INNZ (Index New Zealand)
NEW ZEALAND ARTISTS DATABASE
Magazines on NZ & Australian art
Magazine news:
ART NEW ZEALAND
ART ASIAPACIFIC
ART NEWS NEW ZEALAND
ART ZONE
STATE OF THE ARTS - AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Other art magazines held in the library
Apollo (UK) Some basic NZ art history reference books
A concise history of New Zealand painting / Michael Dunn. 1991.
Into the light : a history of New Zealand photography / David Eggleton. 2006
Maori : art and culture / edited by D.C. Starzecka. 1996.
Painted histories : early Maori figurative painting / Roger Neich. 1993.
Useful Books on NZ Artists
100 New Zealand craft artists / Helen Schamroth. 1998.
CONTACT US
This page is written and maintained by Pauline Hayter. My aim is to keep you informed about the visual & graphic arts section of the library and to highlight parts of the collection which may interest you. You can find updated lists of new materials on other arts subjects, such as handicrafts & general design, on the MyLibrary pages. I would be pleased to hear from you about this page:
Last updated 21 August 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This index is a guide to material held in Wellington City Libraries on New Zealand artists. At present that means mainly painters, photographers, sculptors, and mixed media and installation artists, but as the database is expanded craft artists, jewellers, potters and architects will gradually be included. The aim of the database is to be a useful resource for the general interested reader and students at secondary and tertiary levels. This means, we have not indexed every passing reference to an artist, but have aimed to include articles that are of reasonable length and have good images. (Serious researchers can find extra material, including theses, on INNZ - Index New Zealand).
