Phaidon’s ‘Vitamin’ series has long proved an extraordinarily accurate predictor of tomorrow’s stars. This paperback edition of the latest volume is a cutting-edge and indispensable survey of the very best of contemporary drawing, as chosen by a panel of the world’s leading art experts

Over the past 50 years, drawing has been elevated from a supporting role to a primary medium, ranking alongside painting as a central art form. Since Phaidon’s publication of the first such surveys (Vitamin D in 2005 and D2 in 2013), contemporary artists have continued to explore drawing’s possibilities – from intimate to large-scale works, in a diversity of mark-making processes and materials. Vitamin D3 showcases more than 100 such artists, as nominated by a global panel of more than 70 international art experts.

The more than 70 nominators include such iconic figures as: Iwona Blazwick, Louisa Buck, Mark Coetzee, Thelma Golden, Laura Hoptman, Geeta Kapur, Pablo León de la Barra, Christine Macel, Kate Macfarlane, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Zoe Whitley.

The more than 100 selected artists include: Miriam Cahn, Robert Crumb, Tom Friedman, Tania Kovats, Claudette Johnson, Rashid Johnson, Otobong Nkanga, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Deanna Petherbridge, Christina Quarles, Qiu Zhijie, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Wael Shawky, Emma Talbot, and Johanna Unzueta.

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Part of an exciting series of sturdy, square-box 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles from Flame Tree, featuring powerful and popular works of art. This new jigsaw will satisfy your need for a challenge, with L.S. Lowry’s Going to Work. This 1000 piece jigsaw is intended for adults and children over 13 years. Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts. Finished Jigsaw size 735 x 510mm/29 x 20 ins. Now includes an A4 poster for reference.

This painting is an example of one of L.S. Lowry’s famous crowd scenes. The colour palette is unusually light and airy for the artist, with pink and gold-tinged buildings lifting the atmosphere. Lowry said of this painting, ‘To say the truth, I was not thinking very much about the people … They were part of a private beauty that haunted me!’ In his many depictions of north-west England Lowry makes industrial scenes his own, showing how industry had affected the landscape and how the inhabitants of the urban areas lived out their daily lives. Marches, evictions, accident s, illness, relaxation at the park or the fair, going to work, coming out o f school and going to the football match were all subjects for Lowry’s brush or pencil. His works were created in his own unique style, poetic yet not sentimental, compelling, even at times disturbing, but never judgemental.

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PUBLISHED TO ACCOMPANY THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXHIBITION AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUDY ON VERMEER’S LIFE AND WORK FOR MANY YEARS.

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‘Proust was once so excited to see a Vermeer show that he collapsed … I got chest pains merely leafing through the catalogue’ Jonathan Jones, Guardian

‘Invest in the fat catalogue, stuffed with scholarly discoveries and photographic closeups, and you will learn about everything from Vermeer’s optical mastery to his moral symbolism’ Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times

‘Excellent’Artists & Illustrators

‘Getting a ticket for the once-in-a-lifetime Vermeer exhibition, above, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam this year might frankly be a bit of a challenge, but you can at least console yourself with the exhibition catalogue, published by Thames & Hudson, which is a gorgeous thing. Nothing matches seeing a painting in the flesh, but this comes mightily close.’The Herald

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Vermeer’s intensely quiet and enigmatic paintings invite the viewer into a private world, often prompting more questions than answers. Who is being portrayed? Are his subjects real or imagined? And how did he create such an unrivalled sense of intimacy?

Bringing together diverse strands of the Dutch master’s professional and private worlds, this is the first major authoritative study of Vermeer’s life and work for many years, throwing light on all thirty-seven of his paintings.

The book was designed by Irma Boom, the ‘Queen of Books’, and printed on an uncoated ‘Munken Print White’ paper, specially commissioned to ensure the veracity of colours. Irma Boom says: ‘the matte paper brings you closer to Vermeer; there is no gloss or glare in between, just like with the real works.’ With a wide selection of contextual illustrations, commentaries and up-to-date research by distinguished international Vermeer scholars, this is the definitive volume on the most admired of all seventeenth-century Dutch masters.

With contributions by
Bart Cornelis, National Gallery, London
Bente Frissen, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Sabine Pénot, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Pieter Roelofs, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Friederike Schuett, Staedel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Christian Tico Seifert, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
Ariane van Suchtelen, Mauritshuis, The Hague
Gregor J.M. Weber, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Marjorie E. Wieseman, National Gallery of Art, Washington

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In Gail Levin’s riveting biography, Lee Krasner emerges as a significant artist who richly deserves her place in the 20th century’s cultural lexicon. Drawing on new sources and numerous personal interviews – including with Krasner herself – Levin has created a dynamic and moving portrait of a brilliant woman, and in so doing recovers Krasner’s voice and allows us to understand how her life intersected with and informed her art.

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Deluxe and comprehensive, this revelatory volume examines the brilliance of Mark Rothko (1903–1970), a pioneer of the New York School and major figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Illustrated with more than 275 images that explore his paintings, prints, and works on paper, this book highlights the best-known and also lesser-known works by Rothko―from his early figurative and Surrealist works to his mesmerizing color-field paintings of immense scale to the more restricted palette of his luminous later works and his final series of black-and-gray paintings. Among Rothko’s artistic philosophies, he held that painting was a deeply psychological and spiritual experience through which basic human emotions could be communicated. This is the first book to include foldouts that highlight works from the Rothko Chapel in Houston and the Rothko Room at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
 
Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko draw on intimate knowledge of the artworks and the artist’s life to give a fuller picture of their father and place him within the context of art history; they endeavor to give an impartial portrait―the man and his work―while introducing personal details where they can enlighten. Alexander Nemerov and Hiroshi Sugimoto provide reflections about the artist’s work.

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As seen in Forbes, Colossal, and The Art Newspaper

Over 100 global artists working with collage, as chosen by a team of art experts – an indispensable who’s who of the most exciting and innovative names working in the medium

Collage is an artistic language comprising found images, fragmentary forms, and unexpected juxtapositions. While it first gained status as high art in the early twentieth century, the past decade has seen a fresh explosion of artists using this dynamic and experimental approach to image making.

Organised in an A-Z sequence by artist, the book features both well-known collagists including Njideka Akunyili Crosby; Ellen Gallagher; Peter Kennard; Linder, Christian Marclay; Wangechi Mutu; Deborah Roberts; Martha Rosler; and Mickalene Thomas, and a plethora of lesser-known names deserving of greater attention. Taking a broad definition – from analog cut-and-paste compositions and photomontages to digital composed imagery and animations – Vitamin C+ showcases 108 living artists who employ collage as a central part of their visual-art practice, as selected by 69 leading experts, including museum directors, curators, critics, and collectors. The survey also features an engaging and informative introduction by Yuval Etgar, an internationally renowned expert in the area.

The 69 expert nominators include: Cecilia Alemani; Iwona Blazwick; David Campany; Raphael Chikukwa; Patrick Elliott; Max Hollein; Hettie Judah; Christine Macel; Roxana Marcoci; Duro Olowu; Scott Rothkopf; Russell Tovey; Zoe Whitley; and Heidi Zuckerman.

Artists include: Njideka Akunyili Crosby; Kader Attia; Adam Broomberg; Sara Cwynar; Moyna Flannigan; Ellen Gallagher; Lauren Halsey; Lyle Ashton Harris; Thomas Hirschhorn; Peter Kennard; Justine Kurland; Linder; Christian Marclay; Wangechi Mutu; Frida Orupabo; Heather Philipson; Tabita Rezaire; Deborah Roberts; Martha Rosler; Dee Shapiro; Eva Stenram; John Stezaker; Mickalene Thomas; Kara Walker; and Billie Zangewa.

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Ready to discover the fascinating world of art history? Let’s (Van) Gogh!

Fine art might seem intimidating at first. But with the right guide, anyone can learn to appreciate and understand the stimulating and beautiful work of history’s greatest painters, sculptors, and architects. In Art History For Dummies, we’ll take you on a journey through fine art from all eras, from Cave Art to the Colosseum, and from Michelangelo to Picasso and the modern masters. Along the way, you’ll learn about how history has influenced art, and vice versa.

This updated edition includes:

• Brand new material on a wider array of renowned female artists
• Explorations of the Harlem Renaissance, American Impressionism, and the Precisionists
• Discussions of art in the 20th and 21st centuries, including Dadaism, Constructivism, Surrealism, and today’s eclectic art scene

Is there an exhibition in your town you want to see? Prep before going with Art History For Dummies and show your friends what an Art Smartie you are.

An unbeatable reference for anyone looking to build a foundational understanding of art in a historical context, Art History For Dummies is your personal companion that makes fine art even finer!

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This edited volume programmatically reconsiders the creative contribution of the littoral and insular regions of Maritime Asia to shaping new paradigms in the Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture of the mediaeval Asian world. Far from being a mere southern conduit for the maritime circulation of Indic religions, in the period from ca. the 7th to the 14th century those regions transformed across mainland and island polities the rituals, icons, and architecture that embodied these religious insights with a dynamism that often eclipsed the established cultural centres in Northern India, Central Asia, and mainland China. This collective body of work brings together new research aiming to recalibrate the importance of these innovations in art and architecture, thereby highlighting the cultural creativity of the monsoon-influenced Southern rim of the Asian landmass.

“Although Maritime Asia in mediaeval times was not as densely populated as the agrarian hinterland, Asia’s coasts were highly urbanized. The region from southern India to south China was a heterogeneous blend of cultures, leavened with a strong interest in trade. This cosmopolitan society afforded plentiful opportunities for artists to find patrons and develop individual styles and aesthetic sensibilities. In the bustling ports of Asia’s south coast, rulers sought to embellish their prestige and attract foreign merchants by sponsoring the development of monumental complexes and centres of learning and debate. These educational institutions attracted teachers from all over Asia, and in their cloisters they developed new intellectual frameworks which were reflected in works of art and architecture. Scholars moved frequently by sea, influencing and being influenced by other foreigners such as Japanese and central Asians who were also attracted to these places.

This very variety has hindered scholarly research in the past. This volume contributes to the endeavour to show how Maritime Asia was not an incoherent jumble of misunderstood influences from better-known civilizations; there was a pattern to this creativity, which the authors in this collection clarify for us. The maritime world of Asia may have lain on the margins of the land, but it provided a physical and intellectual medium through which artistic ideas from east and west flowed freely. Maritime Asia also made significant original contributions which hold their own with those of the hinterland of the Asian continent. Unconstrained by the burden of static hierarchical courts, the peoples of Maritime Asia built on the inspiration provided by a hybrid society to demonstrate a high degree of artistic originality while testing but not breaking the link with conventional iconography.”– Professor John Miksic, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS)

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‘More than a simple reflection of the British Museum’s artist-book holdings, this is an important index of artists’ responses to the issues and circumstances that have shaped the Arab world in recent times.’ – ArtReview

In the hands of artists and poets, books have been taking a radically different form since the advent of the artist’s book in Paris in the early 20th century. Appearing in a variety of shapes and sizes, as one-offs or small print editions, books offer artists and poets a novel form of expression. In the words of Indian artist Nalini Malani (b. 1946), the book is ‘a carrier of experience’, in which whole worlds are encapsulated.

In this beautifully produced book, works made by artists from Beirut to Tunis and beyond highlight the relationship between artists and writers and the influences that inform their work, from family to politics and everything in between. Lebanese artist Abed Al Kadiri (b. 1984) conceived his book during the first month of the pandemic to explore his family history, while through the eyes of Iraqi artist Kareem Risan (b. 1960) we see the shocking aftermath of a deadly explosion on the streets of Baghdad in 2005.

These artists also find inspiration in classical poetry and literature. Some of their works respond to and are informed by the medieval Persian poetry of Rumi and Hafez, as well as the tales of The Thousand and One Nights.

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• The wonderful 3D world of Leon Keer
• This Dutch street artist conquers the world
• Keer explains his working method and allows you a glimpse into his creative mind
• With a unique 3D cover

Leon Keer is the master of optical illusion. The ‘Dutch JR’ plays with perspectives and creates a whole new world. One in which Snow White is stuck under a door. Or a world in which you unexpectedly enter a seventies living room. This is his first monograph. He allows the reader an exclusive look into his world and imagination. How does he work? And how does a wild idea develop into a gigantic 3D artwork?

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Topics and projects covered include the monumental project Murais da Leba in Angola, which saw 6,000 square metres of wall covered by local graffiti and visual artists in the Serra da Leba mountain range; the cultural influences and idiosyncrasies of individual street art scenes, and how they mesh with local communities; and eL Seed’s project ‘Perception’, a huge multi-part mural stretching across more than fifty buildings in Cairo’s Zaraeeb neighbourhood, revealing a message of hope to its marginalized community in the artist’s distinctive ‘calligraffiti’ style.

Text commentaries elaborating on styles and processes, and social and cultural context, are peppered throughout the book, giving the reader further insight into a wealth of striking contemporary visual cultures – and helping make this a must-have for street art fans and practitioners.

Table of Contents

Introduction • Eastern Africa • Central Africa • North Africa • West Africa • Southern Africa

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An inside look at the organizers and artists on the front lines of political mobilization and social change

“Ken [Grossinger] is one of the smartest strategists I know.” —John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, 1995–2009

An artist’s mural of George Floyd becomes an emblem of a renewed movement for racial equality. A documentary film injects fuel into a popular mobilization to oust a Central American dictator. Freedom songs course through the American civil rights movement.

When artists and organizers combine forces, new forms of political mobilization follow—which shape lasting social change. And yet few people appreciate how much deliberate strategy often propels this vital social change work. Behind the scenes, artists, organizers, political activists, and philanthropists have worked together to hone powerful strategies for achieving the world we want and the world we need.

In Art Works, noted movement leader Ken Grossinger chronicles these efforts for the first time, distilling lessons and insights from grassroots leaders and luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Courtland Cox, Jackson Browne, Shepard Fairey, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Alexander, Bill McKibben, JR, Jose Antonio Vargas, and more. Drawing from historical and present-day examples—including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, the Hip Hop Caucus, the Legacy Museum, and the Art for Justice Fund—Grossinger offers a rich tapestry of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists and of these political times.

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