History of Art

A cinematic, entertaining and fast-paced debut novel that is part-Ocean's Eleven, part-The Social Network and part-Crazy Rich Asians, it's an addictive mix of heist and unlikely friendships by way of the politics of colonization.

Bill Hammond was an artist with a singular vision. One of the greats of Aotearoa's art history, his paintings of bird-people occupying mythologised landscapes empty of human inhabitants have mesmerised audiences for three decades. This book shows the artist at his finest. Feature...s: - An exclusive interview between the legendary Bill Hammond and fellow artist Tony de Lautour. - Engaging, readable texts by Rachael King, Nic Low, Paul Scofield, Ariana Tikao and Peter Vangioni. - Huge images and details of some of Hammond's finest paintings. - Responses to Hammond's practice by artists including Fiona Pardington, Marlon Williams and Shane Cotton among others. Produced by the same team who made Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning, which won Best Illustrated Book at the New Zealand Book Awards, and Best Book at the Publishers Association Book Awards.
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Meet the unexpected, overlooked and forgotten models of art history. Who was Picasso's 'Weeping Woman'? Why was Grace Jones covered in graffiti? How did Francis Bacon meet the burglar who became his muse? The perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless model, at the me...rcy of an influential and older artist. But is this trope a romanticised myth? Far from posing silently, muses have brought emotional support, intellectual energy, career-changing creativity and practical help to artists. Muse tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to the covers of Vogue, art historian, critic and writer Ruth Millington uncovers the remarkable role of muses in some of art history's most well-known and significant works. Delving into the real-life relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, it will expose the influential and active part they have played and deconstruct reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.
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In 2005, childhood friends Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill set out to convince people of the power of good design and its ability to influence our wellbeing. They founded The Modern House - in equal parts an estate agency, a publisher and a lifestyle brand - and went on to inspire a... generation to live more thoughtfully and beautifully at home. As The Modern House grew, Matt and Albert came to realise that the most successful homes they encountered - from cleverly conceived studio flats to listed architectural masterpieces - had been designed with attention to the same timeless principles- Space, Light, Materials, Nature and Decoration. In this lavishly illustrated book, Matt tells the stories of these remarkable living spaces and their equally remarkable owners, and demonstrates how the five principles can be applied to your own space in ways both large and small. Revolutionary in its simplicity, and full of elegance, humour and joy, this book will inspire you to find happiness in the place you call home.
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Extraordinary women have held positions of power throughout history. But, aside from the select few, why do we not hear about them? The middle ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, Saints and Kings- a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women. But by diggin...g a little deeper into the truth, drawing on evidence from all disciplines, we can see that the 'dark' ages were anything but. BBC historian Janina Ramirez has uncovered countless influential women's names struck out of historical records, with the word FEMINA annotated beside them. Male gatekeepers of the past ordered books to be burnt, artworks to be destroyed, and new versions of myths, legends and historical documents to be produced, which has manipulated our view of history. By weaving a vivid and evocative picture of the lives of the women who influenced their society, we discover not just why these remarkable individuals were removed from our collective memories, but also how many other misconceptions underpin our historical narratives, altering the course of history, upholding the oppressive masculine structures of their present, and affecting our contemporary view of the past.
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