The latest volume in this beautifully produced and affordable series introduces readers to the major developments in the history of modern art―from Realism to the New Leipzig School. The story of modern art begins with a revolution―when the realists started rejecting romanticism in favor of depicting life as it really was. Since that movement began in the mid- 19th century, painters have be…
The marvels of Islamic patterns―the most recognizable visual expression of Islamic art and architecture―are not just a beautiful accident. The ancient practitioners of this craft used traditional methods of measurement to create dazzling geometric compositions, often based on the repetition of a single pattern. The results are magnificent in their beauty and awe-inspiring in their execution.
Throughout their long history the craft traditions of the Islamic world evolved a multitude of styles applied to a great variety of media but always with unifying factors that make them instantly recognizable. Harmony is central. There are two key aspects to the visual structure of Islamic design, calligraphy using Arabic script-one of the world's great calligraphic traditions-and abstract orna…
Contemporary Indonesian Art is a comprehensive introduction to the country’s key artists, curators, institutions, and collectors. It demonstrates how early artists broke from colonial and post-colonial power structures and shows how today’s artists grapple with issues of identity, globalization, and nation-building in Indonesia. The survey crosses ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries,…