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Art & Design

Art and Design Subject Guide

New Books

The Library receives new Print and Electronic books all the time. Check the "new books" link in the lower section on the Library catalogue to see the latest additions: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to check our blog Art & Design Resource News as well as we'll advertise new acquisitions there as they arrive. 

New Art & Design Books

Wall and Piece

Graffiti artist Banksy decorates streets, walls, bridges and zoos of towns and cities throughout the world. His identity remains unknown but his work is witty, subversive and prolific. And now, he's put together the best of his work in a fully illustrated color volume.

A Feast for the Eyes: edible art from apples to zucchini

Savor a taste of the edible alphabet, from A to Z. Throughout history, visual and performance artists of all stripes and degrees of renown have rendered their visions within the whimsical medium of food. But however ubiquitous the practice may be, in Carolyn Tillie's deeply satisfying and gloriously illustrated A Feast for the Eyes, we embark on a delicious adventure that redefines the world of art. Explore the surprising artistry of apple-head dolls, butter sculptures, coffee paintings, and a grand cathedral carved entirely from salt. Learn about the ancient role of food creations in ritual and global folk art. Experience the modern magnificence of electrified vegetable sculptures and ethereal molecular gastronomy. Discover why Salvador Dalí had an obsession with lobsters, and why there is a giant palace in the American Midwest made entirely of corn. For food lovers and art aficionados alike, A Feast for the Eyes serves up an aesthetic banquet that will delight the senses--and nourish mind, body, and soul.

Amateur Craft: history and theory

Amateur Craft provides an illuminating and historically-grounded account of amateur craft in the modern era, from 19th century Sunday painters and amateur carpenters to present day railway modellers and yarnbombers. Stephen Knott's fascinating study explores the curious and unexpected attributes of things made outside standardised models of mass production, arguing that amateur craft practice is 'differential' - a temporary moment of control over work that both departs from and informs our productive engagement with the world. Knott's discussion of the theoretical aspects of amateur craft practice is substantiated by historical case studies that cluster around the period 1850-1950. Looking back to the emergence of the modern amateur, he makes reference to contemporary art and design practice that harnesses or exploits amateur conditions of making. From Andy Warhol to Simon Starling, such artistic interest elucidates the mercurial qualities of amateur craft. Invaluable for students and researchers in art and design, contemporary craft, material culture and social history, Amateur Craft counters both the marginalisation and the glorification of amateur craft practice. It is richly illustrated with 41 images, 14 in colour, including 19th century ephemera and works of contemporary art.

Chromatopia : an illustrated history of colour

Did you know that the Egyptians created the first synthetic colour; or that the noblest purple comes from a predatory sea snail? Throughout history, artist pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects.
From grinding down beetles and burning animal bones to alchemy and pure luck, Chromatopia reveals the origin stories behind over fifty of history's most vivid colour pigments. Spanning the ancient world to modern leaps in technology, this is the book for the artist, the history buff, the science lover and the design fanatic.

Curriculum

Curriculum explores the intersection of contemporary art and school education, surveying a broad range of practices that share an interest in how the conventions of learning, as typically encountered in schools, might be extended or reimagined. At the heart of Curriculum is Art School, an art-in-education initiative that has brought artists to work with students in Ireland since 2014. Essays in the book engage with the work of artists who took part in Art School, exploring specific moments within the program and revealing their resonance in the wider field of art and craft education. These texts offer a forum in which to rethink art education at all levels, while retaining a committed and informed engagement with the phenomena they assess. A vital text for curators, artists, and educators, Curriculum considers the school as a zone of artistic and curatorial practice, foregrounding the potential of contemporary art (understood in wide terms) to stimulate students' creativity in original and open ways.

Design As Art

Bruno Munari was among the most inspirational designers of all time, described by Picasso as 'the new Leonardo'. Munari insisted that design be beautiful, functional and accessible, and this enlightening and highly entertaining book sets out his ideas about visual, graphic and industrial design and the role it plays in the objects we use everyday. Lamps, road signs, typography, posters, children's books, advertising, cars and chairs - these are just some of the subjects to which he turns his illuminating gaze.

Art in Theory

A ground-breaking new anthology in the Art in Theory series, offering an examination of the changing relationships between the West and the wider world in the field of art and material culture Art in Theory: The West in the World is a ground-breaking anthology that comprehensively examines the relationship of Western art to the art and material culture of the wider world. Editors Paul Wood and Leon Wainwright have included 370 texts, some of which appear in English for the first time. The anthologized texts are presented in eight chronological parts, which are then subdivided into key themes appropriate to each historical era. The majority of the texts are representations of changing ideas about the cultures of the world by European artists and intellectuals, but increasingly, as the modern period develops, and especially as colonialism is challenged, a variety of dissenting voices begin to claim their space, and a counter narrative to western hegemony develops. Over half the book is devoted to 20th and 21st century materials, though the book's unique selling point is the way it relates the modern globalization of art to much longer cultural histories. As well as the anthologized material, Art in Theory: The West in the World contains: A general introduction discussing the scope of the collection Introductory essays to each of the eight parts, outlining the main themes in their historical contexts Individual introductions to each text, explaining how they relate to the wider theoretical and political currents of their time Intended for a wide audience, the book is essential reading for students on courses in art and art history. It will also be useful to specialists in the field of art history and readers with a general interest in the culture and politics of the modern world.  

A history of pictures : from the cave to the computer screen

The making of pictures has a history going back perhaps 100,000 years to an African shell used as a paint palette. Two-thirds of it is irrevocably lost, since the earliest images known to us are from about 40,000 years ago. But what a 40,000 years, explored here by David Hockney and Martin Gayford.

Information design workbook : graphic approaches, solutions, and inspiration + 30 case studies

Information Design Workbook, Revised and Updated takes a methodical, comprehensive, approach to conveying the fundamentals of effective, innovative information design.

With loads of new case studies demonstrating the latest approaches, you'll learn about the history, theory, criticism, technology and media, process, method, and practice of information design as well as learn how to create visually compelling and meaningful graphics.

Opening with a brief history followed by an instructive breakdown of the discipline, get an intimate understanding of the complexities of crafting information designto effectively improve communication both functionally and aesthetically. You'll learn every aspect of the discovery process, including how to work within your client's business structure, create a project timeline, identify and prioritize possible audiences, construct a creative brief, and explore personas (user profiles) and scenarios.

Then, explore best practices and get practical tips on creating planning documents and testing your design. An overview of key design principles—including color, type styling, structure, and graphic elements—shows you how to apply these basic tools to develop powerful information design solutions.

Printing Design for Graphic Designers: an inspirational guide to special production techniques and finishes

A complete and thorough overview of different production and finishing techniques and howto make the most of them. Printing Design for Graphic Designers is a reference book that showcases design projects from all over the world and focuses on the processes that were used to print them. The book opens with a thorough introduction of printing history, from the primitive seal rolls used in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago to today's digital technology. The projects are structured according to their printing specifications, which include cutting and folding, printing and varnishing, UV ink, thermography printing, thermochromic ink, screen printing, abrasive ink, solid colour-gold/silver ink, embossing and debossing and foil stamping. In recent years, with the help of new software tools, designers have incorporated printing finishes into their work. The result is incredibly sophisticated and daring effects applied to a wide variety of items, from business cards to record sleeves, books, posters and art. Printing Design for Graphic Designers is a wonderful journey into distinctive design and surprising creativity and will serve as a remarkable source of inspiration for graphic design and printing sector professionals.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0