Author: JD

The Graphic Design Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters

JD

The Graphic Design Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters

Broken into sections covering the fundamental elements of design, key works by acclaimed designers serve to illustrate technical points and encourage readers to try out new ideas. Themes covered include form, narrative, color, type and image, ornament, simplicity, and wit and humour.

The result is an instantly accessible and easy to understand guide to graphic design using professional techniques.

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The Domestic Stage – When Fashion Image Comes Home by Adam Murray, Charlotte Cotton

JD

The Domestic Stage - When Fashion Image Comes Home By Adam Murray, Charlotte Cotton

Since the 1990s, fashion imagery has evolved from the aspirational and glamorous into an experimental genre created by interdisciplinary artists, art directors, and photographers. The domestic space or where we live has acquired a key role as an intimate setting for this kind of playful exploration, in which personal stories are told, and fashion shots gain authenticity. Illustrated interviews with or editorials on twenty-two established and newer image-makers offer exceptional insights into this phenomenon. Featured photographers include Corinne Day, Tierney Gearon, Clifford Prince King, and Tina Barney, to name a few.

For three decades, the fashion image has shifted its focus from high-end shoots to the idiosyncratic, Instagram-style practice of pictures taken at home. That home may be a house, apartment, or room—often, though not always, the antithesis of glamour and gloss. The Domestic Stage captures this fascination with the home as an “uncurated” setting for presenting an individual’s private life and relationships, and for professional commissions with edge. How this space merged with the fashion image is revealed through the words and work of twenty-two such image-makers. They include the pioneering Nigel Shafran; International Magic, who created virtual fashion shows with Martine Rose during the pandemic; and Carrie Mae Weems, whose 2024 Bottega Veneta campaign truly came “home”—to show A$AP Rocky enjoying time with his children. Each contributor’s commentary is candid and revealing, their images even more so. The result is a provocative new take on fashion photography and its transformation in recent years.

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Banksy. The Prints by Roberto Campolucci-Bordi, Paul Coldwell

JD

Banksy. The Prints By Roberto Campolucci-Bordi, Paul Coldwell

The artist known as Banksy has been creating works for over three decades and is one of the best-known artists of our age. Banksy has always believed the best place for his work is on a wall, where it’s free and accessible to everyone. That said, since 2002, he’s also created around fifty-one print editions, producing an estimated 30,000 artworks. His Pictures on Walls (POW) project played a huge role in shaping his career and the street-art scene at large. This unauthorized guide to Banksy’s print editions meticulously documents 174 unique prints, presenting an unparalleled visual catalog of these hugely collectible works.

In addition to making his art accessible to a larger audience, these prints often expand on themes seen in his wider body of work, making them essential in understanding his artistic development over the last two decades. Banksy initially offered his prints, both signed and unsigned, for modest prices.

Organized by release year, with insightful commentary, essential details about each edition, and faithful and high-­quality reproductions, Banksy: The Prints is the ultimate resource for exploring Banksy’s printed works.

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The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime

JD

The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime

Toshio Ban (Author), Tezuka Productions (Author), Frederik L. Schodt (Translator)

OtakuUSA Magazine, a respected authority on anime and manga culture, highlights this biography as “Top-notch… This one’s not just a must-own. It’s a must-actually-read-from-start-to-finish.” Their endorsement reflects a deep appreciation for the book’s detailed exploration of Osamu Tezuka’s impact on manga and anime. This recommendation comes from extensive expertise in the field, signaling the book’s value in understanding the medium’s foundational history. Otakus and Geeks also praises it as “heartwarming and inspirational,” emphasizing its appeal to those passionate about Tezuka’s legacy and the art form.

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Costume and Fashion by Amy de la Haye, James Laver

JD

Costume and Fashion

From the momentous invention of the needle some 40,000 years ago to the development of blue denim, this classic guide covers the landmarks of costume history, the forms and materials used through the ages, as well as the ways in which clothes have been used to protect, to express identity, and to attract or influence others.

For the fifth edition, Amy de la Haye, former Curator of Twentieth-Century Dress at the Victoria and Albert Museum, has revised the final chapter and included a new section addressing the fashion industry in the twenty-first century. She discusses the expansion of the Asian luxury market; the rise of “fast fashion,” stylists, and celebrity endorsements; and the influence of the Internet.

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