Book reviews

SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change is published in conjunction with the sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB 2025) under the artistic direction of Florencia Rodriguez. In a world defined by crisis and uncertainty, where architects are researching, relearning, and reimagining, the volume marks not only a change in direction but also presents provocative inquiries about a redefinition in the substance and fundamentals of the field. It is an invitation to think with others, to project with intention, and to set new grounds for the interpretation and design of our built environments. In the same spirit, the book unfolds the many faces of SHIFT through collective, multilayered, and multidimensional conversations, visual essays, and manifestos.

CAB 2025 participants’ voices are brought to print through a transcript of a five-hour conversation marathon that tackled topics such as new realism, the magic in the ordinary, pleasures in the urban, and the need to critically shift architecture’s language, as well as a repository of manifestos exploring other possible worlds. Beyond the exhibition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change also calls upon practitioners from different fields to discuss the current state of education in architecture schools, the challenges of material culture, the future of housing, and exhibitions as devices for change.

Find out more about SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change by Florencia Rodriguez →

This definitive monograph surveys the last fifty years of fashion photographer Paolo Roversi’s distinctive output, and has been developed and designed in close collaboration with the artist.

Arriving in Paris from Ravenna in 1973, Paolo Roversi produced his first series of photographs in 1977, which were immediately picked up by the fashion press. From then on, he devoted himself to fashion photography, working for the greatest designers and for the most prestigious magazines, simultaneously occupying a position both at the heart of the fashion world and far from its ephemeral trends.

Ultimately in search of pure beauty, Roversi creates timeless and mysterious work, which is shaped by his choice of studio and use of large format and Polaroid cameras. At the heart of his photography are his close relationships with fashion designers and models, most famously with Yohji Yamamoto, as well as Romeo Gigli, Rei Kawakubo, and Dior. These fruitful collaborations have allowed Roversi to continuously challenge and renew his practice.

Find out more about Paolo Roversi by Sylvie Lécallier, Paolo Roversi →

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.

Find out more about Banksy. The Prints by Roberto Campolucci-Bordi, Paul Coldwell →

When Shakespeare has the Three Witches cast Macbeth’s lot, he uses something very weird to do it: not simply “eye of newt and toe of frog,” but the number seven. And when Hamlet claims, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” Shakespeare reaches for eleven. For Shakespeare, prime numbers were magical. And he is not alone.

As Marcus du Sautoy showcases in Blueprints, creativity is inseparable from mathematics. The designs of Le Corbusier and Leonardo; the music of Glass, Bach, and Debussy; the wild visions of Dali, the choreography of Laban, the animation of Pixar—all are shot through with mathematics, from primes and fractals to the weirder worlds of Hamiltonian cycles and hyperbolic geometry. And Du Sautoy argues that the relationship runs both ways. Just as mathematics inspires new art, the artistic mindset is a necessity for discovering new mathematics.

Find out more about Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity by Marcus du Sautoy →

From the Great Depression to World War II, the lives and work of British artists intersected with a world in crisis. A compelling group biography, Comrades in Art explores the political forces that shaped the development of modern art in Britain, tracing how artists set aside aesthetic differences to mobilize on an unprecedented scale to resist fascism and campaign for cultural freedom and democracy.

Featuring some of the best-­known names in British, European, and American art, such as Barbara Hepworth, Paul Nash, David Bomberg, Pablo Picasso, Oskar Kokoschka, Henry Moore, Stuart Davis, and Diego Rivera, Comrades in Art explores the lives of its diverse and talented protagonists. Taking the first ten years of the Artists International Association (AIA) as his point of focus, author Andy Friend brings to life the captivating drama of the organization as it rapidly grew to attract the support of a majority of Britain’s aspiring and established artists, offering new insights into art and culture during this decade of political extremes. By situating the AIA within a global context, and uncovering connections with Moscow, New York, Paris, Barcelona, and elsewhere, including the New Deal Federal Art Project, this impressive work of research and scholarship is a revealing read for anyone seeking to understand the dynamic interplay of politics and art during one of the most turbulent periods in modern history.

Find out more about Comrades in Art. Artists Against Fascism 1933-1943 by Andy Friend, Frances Spalding →

In this new book, stunningly packaged with a glorious peacock-printed case and gilded edges, Jenkins takes readers inside ten glamorous projects. Whether it is an Upper East Side apartment overlooking the NYC skyline, a Hamptons beach house, or a sprawling estate in the American countryside, this new volume highlights the design tenets Jenkins has become celebrated for: his unapologetic embracing of classic architectural bones, rich color combinations, classic elements with a modern twist, and dynamic pattern play. Room-specific sidebars explore topics such as powerful dining rooms, statement powder rooms, luxurious living rooms, speakeasies and other secret spaces, and guest rooms. Featuring the warm and practical voice for which he is beloved, Design Reimagined will please Jenkins’s current fans and win over a whole new audience.

Find out more about Design Reimagined: A Fresh and Colorful Take on Timeless Rooms by Corey Damen Jenkins, Amy Astley →

lustration: A Concise History is a dynamic visual journey through the landscape of illustration that maps the evolution of the discipline from the industrial revolution to the postdigital age and showcases over 180 of its most iconic practitioners, including Laura Knight, Antonio Lopez, Käthe Kollwitz, and Hayao Miyazaki. By contextualizing the subject within a framework of key political events, cultural innovations, and technological advances, Andrew Hall redefines how we might think about illustration and the place that it has in our ever-evolving global network.

The second half of this introductory volume follows on from the ten chapters charting the chronology of illustration to provide a more in-depth look at its specific commercial genres across eleven feature sections, each including minihistories, practical career advice, and biographies of inspirational practitioners who operated within the field.

Find out more about Illustration: A Concise History by Andrew Hall →

Clive Aslet (Author)

King Charles III’s affection for architecture is well-known, but the extent of his engagement has never been fully presented to the public. This is the first book to draw together the many threads, from the ‘carbuncle’ speech, made at Hampton Court in 1984, until his accession to the throne. He has created model settlements such as Poundbury through the Duchy of Cornwall, Dumfries House in East Ayrshire has been made a beacon of social regeneration, and his educational initiatives have changed lives.

The four decades of the King”s commitment to architecture have coincided with Clive Aslet”s career as a journalist, during which he has followed the story and often written about it, not least during the 13 years for which he was editor of Country Life. King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture is based on new research including many interviews with the architects, critics, advisors and academics who worked with the (then) Prince of Wales on his far-reaching endeavors.

Find out more about King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture →

Nantucket Looms (Author), Linda Jane Holden Matt Kisiday (Photographer), Mitchell Owens (Foreword)

Nantucket Looms has a rich history and its distinctive interior design, characterized by handwoven textiles, artisanal furnishings, and local artwork, is renowned worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Andy Oates and Bill Euler, the company focused on needlepoint, crewelwork, and handwoven fabrics. Their modest, homespun style caught the attention of celebrities like Jackie Kennedy Onassis and interior designer Billy Baldwin.

In 1998, Nantucket Looms launched its interior design studio, gaining widespread acclaim. Their homes feature wooden planked floors, natural fiber rugs, muted colors, timeless furniture, and local art inspired by the island’s maritime heritage. This fresh, sophisticated approach to design has been embraced by leading interior designers.

Find out more about Nantucket Looms: A Legacy of Style →

Author: Stefano Casciani

The first comprehensive monograph on Alessandro Mendini, a pioneering Italian designer, architect, and critic. Born in Milan in 1931, Mendini was a leader in Italy’s Radical design movement of the 1960s and 1970s and later Postmodernism, advocating an intellectual approach to design. He edited Domus magazine in the early 1980s and collaborated with Alessi, Swarovski, and Hermès. Alongside contemporaries like Ettore Sottsass and Gaetano Pesce, he redefined Italian design and architecture.

This monograph includes previously unpublished documents, images, and sketches. Written by critic Stefano Casciani, it offers a personal perspective. The book’s design reflects Mendini’s aesthetic, with a vibrant pink cloth cover featuring one of his iconic magazine covers and a sketch of the Proost chair.

Find out more about Alessandro Mendini: Imagination Takes Command by Stefano Casciani →