Best of
Art-And-Photography

2019

Brian Blomerth's Bicycle Day


Brian Blomerth - 2019
    With Brian Blomerth’s Bicycle Day, the artist has produced his most ambitious work to date: a historical account of the events of April 19, 1943, when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann ingested an experimental dose of a new compound known as lysergic acid diethylamide and embarked on the world’s first acid trip. Featuring an introduction from renowned ethnopharmacologist, Dennis McKenna, Brian Blomerth’s Bicycle Day combines an extraordinary true story told in journalistic detail with the artist’s gritty, timelessly Technicolor comix style that is a testament to mind expansion, and a stunningly original visual history.

Game of Thrones: The Costumes, the official book from Season 1 to Season 8


Michele Clapton - 2019
    Discover how BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Michele Clapton dressed the heroes and villains of Westeros and beyond, including Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark. One of 4 comprehensive and officially licensed Game of Thrones retrospective books from Insight Editions. • CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED - “...peruse the best of the robes, gowns, coats, and suits of armor that made up the rich fabric of Westeros in Game of Thrones: The Costumes.”—Vanity Fair • LEARN HOW COSTUMES DEFINED CHARACTERS - 440 pages of in-depth interviews and commentary on how costume design helped convey the evolution of George RR Martin’s beloved characters such as Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, and Brienne of Tarth. • SEE EXCLUSIVE IMAGES AND DESIGNS - Over 1,000 exclusive and rarely seen images including Michelle Clapton’s designs and original concept sketches. • HEAR FROM THE SHOW’S CREATORS - Features an exclusive foreword from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. • AN EYECATCHING COFFEE TABLE BOOK - Deluxe 9.75 × 13 inch format. • A PERFECT GIFT FOR GAME OF THRONES FANS - Perfectly timed for the holiday season, this gift will be cherished for a lifetime.

TO:KY:OO


Liam Wong - 2019
    Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Wong studied computer arts in college and, by the time he was twenty-five, was living in Canada and working as a director at one of the world’s leading video game companies. His job took him to Tokyo for the first time, where he discovered the ethereality of floating worlds and the lurid allure of Tokyo’s nocturnal scenes. “I got lost in the beauty of Tokyo at night,” he explains.A testament to the deep art of color composition, this publication brings together a refined body of images that are evocative, timeless, and completely transporting. This volume also features Wong’s creative and technical processes, including identifying the right scene, capturing the essence of a moment, and methods to enhance color values—insights that are invaluable to admirers and photography students alike.

The Making of Alien


J.W. Rinzler - 2019
    Rinzler (The Making of Star Wars) tells the whole fascinating story of how Alien evolved from a simple idea in the mind of writer Dan O'Bannon into one of the most memorable sci-fi horror thrillers of all time.With brand new interviews with Ridley Scott and other key members of the original production crew, and featuring many never-before-seen photographs and artworks from the archives, The Making of Alien is the definitive work on this masterpiece of popular cinema.

Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals from Farm Sanctuaries


Isa Leshko - 2019
    Pampered pets, however, are a rarity among animals who have been domesticated. Farm animals, for example, are usually slaughtered before their first birthday. We never stop to think about it, but the typical images we see of cows, chickens, pigs, and the like are of young animals. What would we see if they were allowed to grow old? Isa Leshko shows us, brilliantly, with this collection of portraits. To create these portraits, she spent hours with her subjects, gaining their trust and putting them at ease. The resulting images reveal the unique personality of each animal. It’s impossible to look away from the animals in these images as they unforgettably meet our gaze, simultaneously calm and challenging. In these photographs we see the cumulative effects of the hardships of industrialized farm life, but also the healing that time can bring, and the dignity that can emerge when farm animals are allowed to age on their own terms. Each portrait is accompanied by a brief biographical note about its subject, and the book is rounded out with essays that explore the history of animal photography, the place of beauty in activist art, and much more.  Open this book to any page. Meet Teresa, a thirteen-year-old Yorkshire Pig, or Melvin, an eleven-year-old Angora Goat, or Tom, a seven-year-old Broad Breasted White Turkey. You’ll never forget them.

The Art of Death Stranding


Titan Books - 2019
    From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes an all-new, genre-defying experience for the PlayStation(R)4 system. In the near future, mysterious explosions have rocked the planet, setting off a series of supernatural events known as the Death Stranding. With spectral creatures plaguing the landscape, and the planet on the verge of a mass extinction, it's up to Sam Bridges to journey across the ravaged continent and save mankind from impending annihilation.The Art of Death Stranding is packed with hundreds of pieces of concept art for the characters, equipment, locations and creatures featured in the game, as well as early and unused concepts, including artwork by acclaimed artist Yoji Shinkawa.

Cabin Porn: Inside


Zach Klein - 2019
    Startups, homes, and even housing developments have all been inspired by the original book.In this hotly anticipated extension of the Cabin Porn series, the creators give their fans what they ask for most: a look inside the most beloved cabins they have featured over the past ten years.Cabin Porn: Inside is the definitive guide for the cabin builder, as well as anyone seeking perspective on how to create spaces that just work--the ones that spellbind us in their warmth and ingenious simplicity.

David Lynch: Someone Is in My House


David Lynch - 2019
    

The Heart of a Boy: Celebrating the Strength and Spirit of Boyhood


Kate T. Parker - 2019
    It’s time to celebrate boys.    Against the backdrop of a growing national conversation about how to raise sons to become good people, Kate T. Parker is leading the way by turning her lens on boys. Author of the bestselling book about girls,  Strong Is the New Pretty, she now shows the true heart of a boy in 200 compelling photographs.   Boys can be wild. But they can also be gentle. Bursting with confidence, but not afraid to be vulnerable. Ready to run fearlessly downfield—or reach out to a friend in need. In this empowering, deeply felt celebration of boys being—and believing in—themselves, see the unguarded joy of a little brother hugging his big brother. The inquisitive look of a young scientist examining a bug. The fearless self-expression in a ballet dancer’s poise. There are guitarists, fencers, wrestlers, stargazers, a pilot. Boys who aspire to be president, and boys whose lives are full of overwhelming challenges, yet who bravely face each day as it comes. With inspiring and joyful quotes from the boys themselves, this book spreads a heartfelt, uplifting message of openness, self-confidence, and warmth.   “Kate T. Parker’s incredible Strong Is the New Pretty helped us reimagine girlhood as silly, messy, spirited, and fun. Now she turns her perceptive lens on the other sex to expand our definition of what it means to be a boy . . . and presents something desperately needed in our well-meaning cultural conversation about boys—she shows us their enormous, wonderful hearts.”—Michael Ian Black, actor and writer   “Silly, serious, nerdy, athletic, creative, bold—the adjectives describing boys could go on for pages. But if boys are to grow up to be admirable men, the one thing they must be is kind. Kate T. Parker’s book helps clear the way for a time when everyone understands that.” — R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder   “Every parent who picks up this book will be grateful for the impact it will have on their family.” —Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crushing It!

Ansel Adams' Yosemite: The Special Edition Prints


Ansel Adams - 2019
    He hoped that these images might inspire tourists to become activists by transmitting to them the same awe and respect for nature that Yosemite had instilled in him. Over the following decades, Adams added to this collection to create a stunning view of Yosemite in all its majesty.These photographs, the Yosemite Special Edition Prints, form the core of this essential volume. Adams' luminous images of Yosemite's unique rock formations, waterfalls, meadows, trees, and nature details are among the most distinctive of his career. Today, with America's public lands increasingly under threat, his creative vision remains as relevant and convincing as ever.Introduced by bestselling photographer Pete Souza, with an essay by Adams' darkroom assistant Alan Ross, Ansel Adams' Yosemite is a powerful continuation of Adams' artistic and environmental legacies, and a compelling statement during a precarious time for the American earth.

Behind the Lens: My Life


David Suchet - 2019
    Look at me: I'm short, stocky, slightly overweight, deep of voice, passionate, dark haired, olive skinned, hardly your typical Englishman. What chance did I have, going into the world of British theatre? David Suchet has been a stalwart of British stage and screen for fifty years. From Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, Freud to Poirot, Edward Teller to Doctor Who, Harold Pinter to Terence Rattigan, Questions of Faith to Decline and Fall, right up to 2019's The Price, David has done it all. Throughout this spectacular career, David has never been without a camera, enabling him to vividly document his life in photographs. Seamlessly combining photo and memoir, Behind the Lens is the story of David's remarkable life, showcasing his wonderfully evocative photographs and accompanied by his insightful and engaging commentary.In Behind the Lens, David discusses his London upbringing and love of the city, his Jewish roots and how they have influenced his career, the importance of his faith, how he really feels about fame, his love of photography and music, and his processes as an actor. He looks back on his fifty-year career, including reflections on how the industry has changed, his personal highs and lows, and how he wants to be remembered. And, of course, life after Poirot and why he's still grieving for the eccentric Belgian detective. An autobiography with a difference, this is David Suchet as you've never seen him before - from behind the lens. 'The book offers more insight into the mind and philosophy of this remarkable man than a more conventional biographical approach could have achieved' Country Life

A Great Party: Designing the Perfect Celebration


Bryan Rafanelli - 2019
    In his first book, Rafanelli shares his philosophy for creating artful celebrations that convey beauty and elegance while telling a story unique to its hosts. From a seaside destination wedding to a stylish masquerade fete, Rafanelli's work is marked by stunning statements and clever everyday details.The book opens with key Rafanelli principles to hosting great celebrations, from considering a room's surfaces--the floor, walls, and ceiling--to how adding guests will change what you see. He shares his thoughts on the importance of enhancing what's already part of a space rather than obscuring it, as when he enclosed the gilded mirrors of the East Room in the White House in twelve-foot frames of fresh flowers for a state dinner under President Obama. Part two of the book explores dozens of events in greater detail. Rafanelli takes readers behind the scenes in sections such as Weddings, showcasing both the main event and the welcome and after parties; Charity Events, highlighting what makes one unique and successful; and the White House, featuring state dinners and holiday decor.

A Field Guide to Color: Watercolor Explorations in Hues, Tints, Shades, and Everything in Between


Lisa Solomon - 2019
    In this lively workbook for artists, graphic designers, hobbyists, and creators of all types, you will journal your way through fresh and enriching ways to develop a more personal connection to color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, dive into color theory and explore your personal style while playing with a balanced blend of experiments and color meditations. Discover a personal color wheel while exploring tints and shades. Experiment with color mixing while you make as many of one color as you can - and then name them all (honeydew green, avocado green, mint ice cream...). Through playful prompts and inspiring examples, and with lots of room for painting, this book will guide you to a new or expanded relationship with color and deepen your understanding of what color can do for you.

Ballerina Project


Dane Shitagi - 2019
    A brilliant collection of photographs that encapsulate the delicate majesty of ballerinas around the world: With over one million followers on Instagram, Ballerina Project has the largest network of fans in the world for ballet and has become an online phenomenon.• Featuring over 170 inspiring black and white and full-color photographs that beautifully capture the artistry, strength, and dedication of more than 50 accomplished ballerinas• Iconic locations across the globe including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, London, Rome, and Paris create a timeless backdrop for these remarkable portraits• Introductions by renowned principal ballerinas Isabella Boylston and Francesca Hayward are also included to provide a more exclusive reading experienceFans of San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five, Lois Greenfield: Moving Still, and Balancing Acts will also love the captivating imagery found within Ballerina Project.Dane Shitagi is a New York City-based photographer who created the Instagram phenomenon @ballerinaproject_This unique book is bound in pink satin cloth with gold foil stamping and a pink satin ribbon marker.Ballerina Project is an ideal gift for any aspiring ballerina or ballet photographer.

Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.


Robert Jan Van Pelt - 2019
    Drawn from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and other collections around the world, they range from the intimate (such as victims’ family snapshots and personal belongings) to the immense (an actual surviving barrack from the Auschwitz III–Monowitz satellite camp); all are eloquent in their testimony. An authoritative yet accessible text weaves the stories behind these artifacts into an encompassing history of Auschwitz—from a Polish town at the crossroads of Europe, to the dark center of the Holocaust, to a powerful site of remembrance. Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. is an essential volume for everyone who is interested in history and its lessons.

My Tiny Atlas: Our World Through Your Eyes


Emily Nathan - 2019
    From Tiny Atlas Quarterly--one of the most trusted sources for authentic, unusual, and inspiring travel photography--this book takes you to every continent and all corners of the world, from Paris, San Francisco, London, and Buenos Aires to the Arctic Circle, Tanzania, Tahiti, and Mongolia. My Tiny Atlas visually explores new destinations with an intimate, insider's view--not of the usual monuments and tourist attractions, but of the real people, mouth-watering food, verdant flora, bustling streets, wild animals, epic views, lazy rivers, architectural gems, and other details that make you feel what it's like to truly be in another place, whether or not you ever leave home.

Mastering Modern Calligraphy: Beyond the Basics: 2,700+ Pointed Pen Exemplars and Exercises for Developing Your Style


Molly Suber Thorpe - 2019
    Following up and building on Molly’s popular beginner's guide, Modern Calligraphy, Mastering Modern Calligraphy is the perfect companion for pointed pen and digital calligraphers alike. It is aimed at those with some calligraphy experience, presenting more than 2,700 letterforms and ligatures, targeted exercises, stroke drills, flourishes, and phrases, which emphasize experimentation and fun, rather than rigid uniformity. This beautiful, in-depth guide to modern calligraphy emphasizes experimentation and fun, rather than rigid uniformity. With targeted exercises and lessons aimed at pushing you out of your calligraphy comfort zone, Mastering Modern Calligraphy will not only help you master tricks of the trade, but develop your very own modern calligraphy style, too.

The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano


Chloe Giordano - 2019
    Packed with Chloe's guidance on every aspect of the process, including hooping and framing, this book will inspire you to create stunning thread paintings of your own. The second part of the book contains collections of Chloe's work, along with the back stories and inspirations behind each piece. Be inspired by Chloe's most popular themes: foxes, fawns, rabbits, hares, mice and plants.

Anja Niemi: In Character


Anja Niemi - 2019
    Niemi’s work has emerged as a distinctive force within the venerable tradition of conceptual self- portraiture.A photo artist who works alone—photographing, staging, and acting out the characters in all of her images—Niemi is a constant presence (in character) in her work, developing complex, nuanced narratives through evocative costume and styling. In her bewitching Darlene Me series she reconfigures the concept of the Hitchcock blond within a pristine Lynchian landscape for her own visual pleasure—and ours—while in She Could Have Been a Cowboy she turns the lens to a life lived under the constraints of conformity.With over one hundred and seventy photographs organized into the six series that have defined Niemi’s career to date, supported by an essay and interview by Max Houghton, Anja Niemi: In Character is the perfect introduction for those encountering Niemi’s work for the first time, and a comprehensive retrospective for her longtime followers.

The Natural Light Portrait Book: The step-by-step techniques you need to capture amazing photographs like the pros


Scott Kelby - 2019
    Scott shares all his secrets and time-tested techniques, as he discusses everything from his essential go-to portrait gear to camera settings to the portrait photography techniques you need to create absolutely stunning images. From window light to taming harsh outdoor light, from the tools and accessories you need to capture beautiful portraits in any lighting condition, Scott has got you covered.Among many other topics, you’ll learn: • The secrets to getting super-sharp portraits every time without breaking a sweat. • Exactly which camera settings work best for natural light portraits (and which ones you should avoid). • How to create separation with a silky smooth, out-of-focus background no matter which lens you have. • How to tame even the harshest light and turn it to your advantage to create soft, beautiful, wrapping light. • Which lenses will get you the best results and why. • What gear you need, which accessories work best, and a ton of killer tips that will help you create better images and make the entire experience that much more fun. It’s all here, including an entire chapter on post-processing and retouching, and another with detailed portrait recipes, and best of all, it’s just one topic per page, so you’ll get straight to the info you need fast. There’s never been a natural light portrait photography book like it!TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter 1: Portrait LensesChapter 2: Camera SettingsChapter 3: Window Light PortraitsChapter 4: Shooting OutsideChapter 5: Shooting in Direct LightChapter 6: CompositionChapter 7: PosingChapter 8: Post-ProcessingChapter 9: Portrait Recipes

Unnatural Selections: The Artwork of Tiffany Bozic


Tiffany Bozic - 2019
    Her long anticipated follow up to Drawn by Instinct, Unnatural Selections chronicles the period from the birth of her daughter in 2012 to the present, exploring new themes such as reproduction, growth and parenthood alongside her ongoing search for universal commonalities between human beings and other living organisms.Along the way, entirely new species emerge from the tip of her brush to inhabit a world with others no less strange for their evolutionary path to existence. Prepare to be amazed anew at the work of this extremely gifted artist as she explores the animals inside all of us. Unnatural Selections also comes with a print to be framed.

I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating


Alec Soth - 2019
    While these large-format color photographs are made all over the world, they aren’t about any particular place or population. Whether made in Odessa or his hometown of Minneapolis, Soth’s new book is fundamentally about intimate encounters in private rooms.“After the publication of my last book about social life in America, Songbook, and a retrospective of my four, large-scale American projects, Gathered Leaves, I went through a long period of rethinking my creative process. For over a year I stopped travelling and photographing people. I barely took any pictures at all.When I returned to photography, I wanted to strip the medium down to its primary elements. Rather than trying to make some sort of epic narrative about America, I wanted to simply spend time looking at other people and, hopefully, briefly glimpse their interior life.In order to try and access these lives, I made all of the photographs in interior spaces. While these rooms often exist in far-flung places, it’s only to emphasize that these pictures aren’t about any place in particular. Whether a picture is made in Odessa or Minneapolis, my goal was the same: to simply spend time in the presence of another beating heart.” - Alec Soth