The art of astrology, from ancient science to modern-day practice
From the beginning of human history, individuals across cultures and belief systems have looked to the sky for meaning. The movement of celestial bodies and their relation to our human lives has been the central tenant of astrology for thousands of years. The practice has both inspired reverence and worship, and deepened our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
While modern-day horoscopes may be the most familiar form of astrological knowledge, their lineage reaches back to ancient Mesopotamia. As author Andrea Richards recounts in Astrology, the second volume in TASCHEN’s Library of Esoterica series, astronomy and astrology were once sister sciences: the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid at Giza was built to align with constellations, Persian scholars oversaw some of the first observatories, and even Galileo cast horoscopes for the Medicis. But with the Enlightenment and the birth of exact science, the practice moved to places where mystery was still permitted, inspiring literature, art, and psychology, and influenced artists and thinkers such as Goethe, Byron, and Blake. Later movements like the Theosophists and the New Agers, would thrust the practice into the mainstream.
Edited by Jessica Hundley, this vibrant visual history of Western astrology explores the symbolic meaning behind hundreds of images, from Egyptian temples and illuminated manuscripts to contemporary art from across the globe. Works by artists from Alphonese Mucha and Hilma af Klint to Arpita Singh and Manzel Bowman are sequenced to mirror the spin of the planets and the wheel of the zodiac. Astrology celebrates the stars and their mysterious influence on our everyday lives.
May the Force Be with You
George Lucas’s vision of a galaxy far, far away
When Star Wars was released in 1977, everybody who saw and reviewed it considered the movie an exciting, innovative piece of pop culture, a fast-moving, special-effects laden fairy tale in space. The film, and the episodes that followed, created a worldwide phenomenon, a massive success for creator George Lucas’s production company Lucasfilm, his special effects company Industrial Light & Magic, and for the studio Twentieth Century Fox.
Over six movies and 28 years writer, director and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all.
The book begins with Anakin Skywalker as we watch him being trained as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi, find love with the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, and ultimately turn to the dark side of his nature and become more machine than man. Years later we follow moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like the mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia and the horrific Darth Vader, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.
To achieve his epic vision George Lucas created the space for ground-breaking visual effects and digital technologies that have forever changed the way we make and see visual entertainment.
Life in the Woods
Creative cabin architecture, from California to Sapporo
Ever since Henry David Thoreau’s described his two years, two months, and two days of refuge existence at Walden Pond, Massachusetts, in Walden, or, Life in the Woods (1854), the idea of a cabin dwelling has seduced the modern psyche. In the past decade, as our material existence and environmental footprint has grown exponentially, architects around the globe have become particularly interested in the possibilities of the minimal, low-impact, and isolated abode.
Cabins combines insightful text, rich photography, and bright, contemporary illustrations by Marie-Laure Cruschi to show how this particular architectural type presents special opportunities for creative thinking. In eschewing excess, the cabin limits actual spatial intrusion to the bare essentials of living requirements, while in responding to its typically rustic setting, it foregrounds eco-friendly solutions. The cabin comes to showcase some of the most inventive and forward-looking practices of contemporary architecture, including Renzo Piano, Terunobu Fujimori, and Tom Kundig, all embracing such distilled sanctuary spaces.
The book showcases the variety of cabins in use and geography. From an artist studio on the Suffolk coast in England to a bamboo bungalow in Sri Lanka, this collection is as exciting in its international reach as it is in its array of briefs, clients, and situations. Constant throughout, however, is architectural innovation, and an inspiring sense of contemplation and coexistence as people return to nature and to a less destructive model of being in the world.
An album cover collection exploring 70 years of surprising, shocking and frankly hilarious nude and provocative art. Sexy covers sold all musical genres, from funk to punk, and the silly German schlager. Comedy albums range from mid-century “stag party” pin-ups to the undeniably raunchy ’70s sensation, Blowfly. Steamy, seamy and adults only.
Super Mario does marvelous Rio
Inspired by the boys and girls from Copacabana
Mario Testino is one of the world’s most successful fashion and portrait photographers, whose images are noted for their freshness and intimacy. Peruvian by birth, Testino has been fascinated by Rio de Janeiro since his earliest summer vacations. "When I was 14, on holiday, and going from my house to the beach and seeing everyone walk everywhere in their tiny bathing suits—the girls and boys were so sexy and carefree and wild—I just could not believe it."
This easy sensuality, sexual freedom and lust for life left a deep impression; Testino has been going back ever since, for work and fun, passion and inspiration. Featuring candid shots of exquisite cariocas baring nubile flesh, including supermodel Gisele Bündchen, MaRIO DE JANEIRO Testino captures the essence of this incomparably seductive city and its sultry citizens. From its breathtaking sunset panoramas, to the throbbing chaos of its world-famous carnival, this is Testino’s love poem to the Brazilian metropolis that captured his teenage heart, and never let go.
The visual of vinyls
The most daring of record designs
This electrifying vinyl edition creates a new and edgy definition for “album art.” Produced in collaboration with Colors magazine, it brings together more than 500 remarkable records from the collection of Alessandro Benedetti and Peter Bastine.
This book forms a junction between photography, music, and design, celebrating vinyl for the integrity of sound recording and its artistic potential as a material form. With featured artists including Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Prince, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and beyond, it offers compelling insight into the most intricate details of a performer’s visual identity, from a vivid color to a futuristic mirror effect.
The discs are arranged thematically to span monochrome vinyl; unusual vinyl (including silver, gold, or mirror vinyl as well as extremely rare glow-in-the-dark vinyl); multicolored vinyl; etched vinyl (where music is pressed onto only one side); shaped vinyl (cut into forms that are different from the classic round disc); and picture discs (where a photograph or design is stamped onto the surface of the record).
In addition, there is a rare view into the records known today as “ribs” or “bone music.” Produced in the USSR, where western music and culture were forbidden, these were made by engraving discarded x-rays with special machines and creating bootleg disks of hit singles of artists such as David Bowie and Pink Floyd.
Page after page, this kaleidoscopic encyclopedia of innovative and ingenious vinyl is a colorful journey through era-defining records and artists.
The Divine Proportion
The mysterious formula that rules art, nature, and science
The Divine Proportion reveals a number of simple patterns: It is seen in the seed patterns of fruits, the family tree of bees, the pyramids of Egypt, Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance paintings, the human body, shells ... the list is endless.
Mathematicians use the Greek symbol Φ to represent the Divine Proportion and equate it to a number that is defined by the ratio (1 + √5) / 2 or 1.6180339.... Numbers do little, however, in describing this unique ratio that is found everywhere in nature and for 2500 years has been an aesthetic guide in art and architecture.
Beginning with calculations found on clay tablets in ancient Babylon, the story of Divine Proportion can be traced alongside the history of numbers to the fractals of the digital age. As its many forms unfold we uncover the Golden Rectangle in the Parthenon, Golden Spirals in the human inner ear, a Golden Angle in the petal patterns of a rose, and the Fibonacci numbers in lilies, daisies, pineapples, and in our own DNA.
With its natural balance and elegant beauty, the Divine Proportion is a perpetual reminder that our hope for regeneration and continuity lies in realizing the meaningful and harmonious relationship of all the parts to the whole.
This book deals with the Divine Proportion, a secret code that rules art, nature, and science. It is known by many names: Golden Mean, Sacred Cut and Phi are only a few; and it is not by chance that the Divine Proportion was given its name. It has been called divine because over thousands of years it has been deemed to be so.
When David Hockney discovered the iPhone as an artistic medium, it opened up entirely new possibilities for his art. He made his first digital paintings in spring 2009, describing the morning landscape in broad lines and dazzling colors directly on a display that offered subtle hues as unmixed expressions of pure light. Then in 2010, Hockney started working with an iPad, and the larger screen expanded his artistic repertoire and enabled an even more complex interplay of color, light, and line.
Each image in this book captures a fleeting moment seen through a window in Hockney’s Yorkshire home: from vibrant sunrise and lilac morning sky to peaceful night-time impressions or the sudden arrival of spring. Fascinating details reveal drops on window panes, distant lights in the night, reflections on vases or an abundance of varied window-sill vegetation. In 120 paintings made between 2009 and 2012, selected and arranged by the artist himself, we experience the passage of time through the eyes of David Hockney.
This artist’s book, which first appeared in an exclusive signed edition in 2020, now returns in a wallet-friendly pocket edition. So now is the perfect occasion to heed the advice of the Times critic regarding this book: “If you would like to be given a bouquet by David Hockney, here is your chance.”
The mostly true tale of Stan Lee, the one and only Godfather of Comics. From his childhood in Depression-era New York, to transforming Marvel into the number one comics publisher in the world, to his 21st-century reinvention as Chief Creative Officer of global entertainment company POW! Entertainment, Stan “the Man” Lee stands the test of time as the most legendary name in comicbook history.
Stanley Lieber began working at Timely Comics in 1940 at the age of 17 and found himself at the helm of the bullpen as its top editor just two years later. But it wasn’t until 1961 that he ignited a revolution known as the “Marvel Age of Comics.” With a legendary stable of art partners including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, and Jim Steranko, Lee unleashed a dizzying cascade of seminal comicbook creations—the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers to name a few. After moving to Hollywood in 1980, he did it again, developing TV and film projects that laid the groundwork for the “Marvel movie.” Stan’s constant cameo presence in these billion-dollar worldwide events was a testament to his influence. As the man behind POW! Entertainment, he became a master of all media—working with rock stars and professional sports leagues, movie mavens and reality TV shows—reinforcing his creative stature the world over.
First published as a signed Collector’s Edition and sold out within a week, the book was written and edited with Lee himself. His tale is told by his successor at Marvel, renowned comics writer, editor, and historian Roy Thomas, who brings “you are there” insights and wide-eyed clarity to key moments of Lee’s journey to pop culture immortality. Featuring hundreds of treasures of comicbook art, intimate photographs sourced straight from his family archives, a foreword written by Lee himself, a novel-length essay and new epilogue by Thomas, and an appendix with complete reprints of Stan’s comics from throughout the decades, this is a titanic tribute worthy of the Man.
Mustaches and muscles
Back to the days when men were men and sex was carefree
In 1965, Tom of Finland began flirting with the idea of an ongoing character for his panel stories, the ultimate Tom’s Man. He tried out a blond named Vicky—a common male name in Finland—followed by a Tarzan-inspired Jack. Then in 1968 Tom settled on Kake, a dark-haired, mustached leatherman who often wore a tight white T-shirt bearing the motto “Fucker.” Kake lived up to this moniker, a sort of post-Stonewall, hyper-masculine Johnny Appleseed traveling the world on his motorcycle to spread the seeds of liberated, mutually satisfying, ecstatically explicit gay sex. Tom lived out many of his most personal fantasies through Kake, and Kake’s international fans made him the template for what came to be known as the gay clone look of the 1970s. Between 1968 and 1986, Tom published 26 episodes of Kake adventures, most as 20-page booklets.
Tom of Finland – The Complete Kake Comics collects all of these stories in one volume. Return with Kake to the days when men were men, sex was carefree, and everyone wore a big thick mustache.
One of the key figures in the New York art world of the 1980s, Keith Haring (1958–1990) created a signature style that blended street art, graffiti, a Pop sensibility, and cartoon elements to unique, memorable effect. With thick black outlines, bright colors, and kinetic figures, his public (and occasionally illegal) interventions, sculptures, and works on canvas and paper have become instantly recognizable icons of 20th-century visual culture.From his first chalk drawings in the New York City subway stations, to his renowned “Radiant Baby” symbol, and his commissions for Swatch Watch and Absolut Vodka, Haring’s work was both emblematic of the manic work ethic of 1980s New York, yet distinctive for its social awareness. Belying their bright, playful aesthetics, his pieces often tackled intensely controversial socio-political issues, including racism, capitalism, religious fundamentalism, and the increasing impact of AIDS on New York’s gay community, the latter foreshadowing his own death from the disease in 1990.In this vivid introduction to Haring’s work, we explore the dynamic life and innovative spirit of this singular artist, who spent little more than a decade in the spotlight, but through the accessibility of his visual vocabulary and the strength of his political commitment became one of the most significant artists to emerge from New York’s vibrant, downtown community.
Since it was established in 1824, the National Gallery has become a beacon for London's visitors and residents alike. From its inception in John Julius Angerstein's home in Mayfair to its current home in Trafalgar Square, it has expanded both its collection and its footprint to become one of the world's leading galleries. This book features photographic portraits by David Dawson and Mary McCartney in addition to photography of the Gallery by Massimo Listri. It brings together over 200 of the Gallery's paintings, which were made between the 13th and 20th centuries, including memorable masterpieces from both the famous and the forgotten.
These pages tell the history of painting in the Western European tradition through the National Gallery's collection. You’ll go on a visual journey through the centuries, with works by Duccio, Van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Vigée Le Brun, Gainsborough, Morisot, and Matisse, to name just a few. Punctuating this story are contributions by and photographic portraits of 25 cultural figures, such as Frank Auerbach, Alvaro Barrington, Edward Enninful, David Hockney, Kim Jones, Damian Lewis, Sahara Longe, Chris Ofili, Ai Weiwei, Rachel Whiteread, Annabelle Selldorf, and Flora Yukhnovich, among others.
The first-ever exhibition curated by Peter Lindbergh himself, shortly before his untimely death, Untold Stories at the D sseldorf Kunstpalast served as a blank canvas for the photographer's unrestrained vision and creativity. Given total artistic freedom, Lindbergh curated an uncompromising collection that sheds an unexpected light on his colossal oeuvre. This book offers an extensive, firsthand look at the highly personal collection.
Renowned the world over, Lindbergh's images have left an indelible mark on contemporary culture and photo history. Here, the photographer experiments with his own oeuvre and narrates new stories while staying true to his lexicon. In both emblematic and never-before-seen images, he challenges his own icons and presents intimate moments shared with personalities who had been close to him for years, including Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman, Robin Wright, Jessica Chastain, Naomi Campbell, Charlotte Rampling and many more.
This volume presents more than 100 photographs-many of them unpublished or short-lived, often having been commissioned by monthly fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Interview, Rolling Stone, W Magazine, or The Wall Street Journal. An extensive conversation between Lindbergh and Kunstpalast director Felix Kr mer, as well as an homage by close friend Wim Wenders, offer fresh insights into the making of the collection. The result is an intimate personal statement by Lindbergh about his work.
Frank Frazetta has reigned as the undisputed king of fantasy art for 50 years, his fame only growing in the years since his death. With his paintings now breaking auction records (Egyptian Queen sold for $ 5.4 million in 2019) he’s long overdue for this ultimate monograph.Born to a Sicilian immigrant family in Brooklyn, 1928, Frazetta was a minor league athlete, petty criminal and serial seducer with movie star looks and phenomenal talent. He claimed to only make art when there was nothing better to do – he preferred playing baseball - yet began his professional career in comics at age 16. Strip work led him to the infamous EC Comics, then to oils for Tarzan and Conan pulp covers. Both characters were interpreted by many before him, but as he explained in the 1970s, “I’m very physical minded. In Brooklyn, I knew Conan, I knew guys just like him,” and he used this first-hand knowledge of muscle and macho to redefine fantasy heroes as more massive, more menacing, more testosterone-fueled than anything seen before. As counterbalance he created a new breed of women, nude as censorship allowed, with pixie faces and multiparous bodies: thick thighed, heavy buttocked, breasts cantilevered out to there, yet still, with their soft bellies and hints of cellulite, believably real. Add in the action, the creatures, the twilit worlds of haunting shadow and Frazetta’s art is addictive as potato chips.
Selfies with Rembrandt
The complete self-portraiture
Few devotees of the form can approach Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn’s radical contributions to self-portraiture. Challenging the conventions enshrined by his predecessors, Rembrandt transformed the art into a fully realized medium capable of communicating emotional depth rather than favorably immortalizing one’s likeness in the finest trappings of luxury. With more than 80 works spanning paintings, etchings, and drawings, the Dutchman’s lifelong practice of self-portraiture functions as a means of concretizing that which is fleeting. Across four decades, one constant is particularly striking across media and styles—Rembrandt’s dedication to presenting himself from multiple perspectives, celebrating the multiplicity of the individual and championing the unfiltered portrayal of emotional expression.
Apart from the thematic concerns present within Rembrandt’s suite of self-portraits, the works themselves are rich with technical innovation and experimentation. There is an unmistakable humanity present across the entirety of this oeuvre, each expressive brushstroke and obfuscated feature amounting to an unflinchingly honest characterization of himself, in all his foibles, contrasting states of feeling, and stages of life.
This monograph renders all of Rembrandt’s self-portraits – from his first experimentations at age twenty-two to his final self-portrait painted a year before his death – and stands testament to a life committed to revolutionizing painterly practice both in content and form.
From its North Sea islands to the Alps, Germany contains a wide range of landscapes and cultures. Angelika Taschen has selected the country’s most inspiring places to stay, including grand hotels, family guesthouses, palaces, an abbey, and glamping tents. Each characterful choice is beautifully photographed and accompanied by insightful texts.
An illustrated edition of James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, with photographs by Steve Schapiro
First published in 1963, James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time stabbed at the heart of America’s so-called “Negro problem.” As remarkable for its masterful prose as for its frank and personal account of the black experience in the United States, it is considered one of the most passionate and influential explorations of 1960s race relations, weaving thematic threads of love, faith, and family into a candid assault on the hypocrisy of the “land of the free.”
Now, James Baldwin’s rich, raw, and ever relevant prose is reprinted with more than 100 photographs from Steve Schapiro, who traveled the American South with Baldwin for Life magazine. The encounter thrust Schapiro into the thick of the movement, allowing for vital, often iconic, images both of civil rights leaders—including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Fred Shuttlesworth, and Jerome Smith—and such landmark events as the March on Washington and the Selma march.
Rounding out the edition are Schapiro’s stories from the field, an original introduction by civil rights legend and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, captions by journalist Marcia Davis, and an essay by Gloria Baldwin Karefa-Smart, who was with her brother James in Sierra Leone when he started to work on the story. The result is a remarkable visual and textual record of one of the most important and enduring struggles of the American experience.
First published as a TASCHEN Collector’s Edition, now available in a pocket-sized Centennial
Ten produkt jest zapowiedzią. Realizacja Twojego zamówienia ulegnie przez to wydłużeniu do czasu premiery tej pozycji. Czy chcesz dodać ten produkt do koszyka?
