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This massive book of Soviet propaganda posters, many rare and never before published, is at once a revealing historical document and a sublime example of graphic art at its best.

Dating from 1917 to the beginning of the Cold War, the posters in this book feature the work of such major Russian ground-breaking avant-garde designers as El Lissitzky and Alexander Rodchenko as well as extraordinary works by anonymous artists. Presented in full color, the 250 posters gathered here range in themes from warnings about the dangers of alcohol abuse and the creeping Nazi menace to illustrations of utopian harmony and the Soviet industrial machine. A brief illustrated introduction offers a chronological overview of the period that produced such eloquent art, which has long been a major source of inspiration to artists and designers.

Robert Mapplethorpe's black-and-white Polaroid photographs of the 1970s--a medium in which he established the style that would bring him international acclaim--are brought together in this exquisite volume for the first time.

Critically praised for his classically composed photographs, Mapplethorpe remains intensely controversial and enormously popular. Revealing the themes that would inspire him throughout his career, this book brings together almost three hundred images, many never published, from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation's archive and private collections, to provide a critical view of Mapplethorpe's formative years as an artist. Included is a selection of his color Polaroids and objects incorporating his early "instant" photographs. Some images convey a disarming tenderness and vulnerability, while others have a toughness and immediacy that would give way in later years to more classical form.

Sylvia Wolf traces the development of Mapplethorpe's use of instant photography during a period of five years, from 1970 to 1975, when the artist worked mainly in this medium. The images include self-portraits, figure studies, ...

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Although original editions of this book are extremely rare, it is now available for the first time in paperback, beautifully reproducing his drawings and watercolors. While the variety and detail of Haeckel’s drawings display an impressive understanding of biological structure, the skill with which Haeckel drew these tiny aquatic protozoa renders them genuine works of art. This volume features commentary and descriptions of each of the radiolarians from Haeckel’s work.

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A classic body of photographs, most never before seen in print, documenting New York graffiti's emergence.

The now global phenomenon of graffiti was first captured in New York by a professional photographer in early 1973. The result was Jon Naar's The Faith of Graffiti, the first and most celebrated book about this controversial new art form. Now the forty or so photographs in that book and more than one hundred additional never-before-published pictures from that landmark body of work are brought together in a book destined to become a classic in its own right. Presented full-frame, at high resolution, and with meticulous attention to the original color, this book brings to life the gritty, exciting New York of the early 1970s and the raw visual power of early graffiti.

While today graffiti is an accepted reality of city life--by turns condemned and embraced--these early photographs recall a time when subway cars and tenement walls seemed to explode overnight into bursts of color and energy. In most cases these ephemeral works survive only in Naar's masterful photographs. Sacha Jenkins, an authority on graffiti's history, ...

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Now available in a flexi edition, this beautiful volume presents nearly 250 of the finest African masks from the incomparable Barbier-Mueller collection, which is unique in its vast number of masterpieces and wide geographic scope.

The book includes one hundred color plates accompanied by in-depth descriptions, as well as numerous black-and-white photographs of the masks as they are used in religious and secular ceremonies. An introductory text by renowned scholars describes how the masks are constructed, examines their significance in African culture, and offers insight into the universal practice of masquerading. A unique contribution to the literature on African art, this book is also a wonderful introduction to countless fascinating, age-old spiritual traditions still practiced today.

Attractive, useful and entertaining, this collection of great buildings is a course in architectural history for readers of all ages.

The fifty buildings presented here in chronological order represent the most compelling, intriguing, and awe-inspiring structures from all over the world. Along with the Pyramids of Cheops, the Parthenon, and the Colosseum, readers will learn about other masterpieces such as the Hagia Sophia in Turkey; Cambodia's Temple Complex at Angkor Wat; the Potala Palace in Lhasa; and the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Each entry features full color photographs of the structure along with informative text presented in a dynamic format. Readers can find basic information about each building's artistic relevance, style, and contextual history while timelines and sidebars offer additional notes about architectural periods and techniques. From ancient Jordan and Guatemala to modern-day Manhattan and Munich, this world tour of great edifices offers a mini-course in architecture that will satisfy even the most passionate student's lust for learning about the world's greatest buildings.

From Coco Chanel to Christian Dior, Kenzo to Versace, grunge to haute couture, every period and major name in twentieth-century fashion is included in this comprehensive collection of photographs, drawings, and fascinating historical text. Organized intosections according to style, it features double-page spreads highlighting every aspect of fashion: designers, models, critics and fashion photographers. Gorgeous images by Peter Lindbergh, Nick Knight, Mario Testino, and others capture the attitudes and artistry of fashion as it evolved over the decades. As glamorous as its subject, this colorful survey will provide inspiration for anyone fascinated with the world of fashion.

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