Designing private residences has its own very special challenges and nuances for the architect. The scale may be more modest than public projects, the technical fittings less complex than an industrial site, but the preferences, requirements and vision of particular personalities becomes priority. The delicate task is to translate all the emotive associations and practical requirements of "home" into a workable, constructed reality. This publication rounds up 100 of the world's most interesting and pioneering homes designed in the past two decades, featuring a host of talents both new and established, including John Pawson, Richard Meier, Shigeru Ban, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Daniel Libeskind, Alvaro Siza, and Peter Zumthor. Accommodating daily routines of eating, sleeping, and shelter, as well as offering the space for personal experience and relationships, this is architecture at its most elementary and its most intimate.

Before aesthete, designer, and architect Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956) came along, Austrian architecture and design was suffocating under a surfeit of opulent ornamentation and bombastic flourish. With his radical new approach and a band of like-minded figures, Hoffmann was a founding father of the Viennese Secession and Wiener Werkstatte and revolutionized Western aesthetics with a brave new minimalism. This essential introduction explores Hoffmann's key ideas, projects, and designs to understand his radical aesthetics and their continued influence on European architecture and design, from monochrome interior schemes to the cutlery we put on the table. We explore his integral role at the center of both the Vienna Secession in 1897 and the Wiener Werkstatte, and his commitment to stylistic purity, including some of Europe's first major modernist buildings, such as the Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and the Palais Stoclet (1905-1911).

When Kunstwerke und Gerathschaften des Mittelalters und der Renaissance (1852-1863) was published, what purchasers in fact bought was a printed museum. With 216 hand-colored copperplate engravings, the publication gives a comprehensive overview of applied arts in Europe from the 9th to the 16th centuries, spanning furniture, metalwork, jewelry, tapestries, and bookbinding. The book's lead editor was well placed to select masterpieces from the Middle Ages through to the Renaissance from both public and private collections. Jakob Heinrich von Hefner-Alteneck (1811-1903), was head of the Royal Cabinet of Prints and Drawings in Munich and later director of the Bavarian National Museum. The signatures on the plates of Kunstwerke und Gerathschaften show that he was also the work's main draftsman. As much an artwork in itself as a collection of applied arts over eight centuries, this exquisite catalogue offers the contemporary reader both a record and a sourcebook of all that can be achieved by the human hand and creative imagination.

Discover a world of decorative ideas with this compendium of history's most elegant patterns and ornamental designs.The World of Ornament brings together the two greatest encyclopedic collections of ornament of the 19th century: Auguste Racinet's L'Ornement polychrome Volumes I and II (1875-1888) and Auguste Dupont-Auberville's L'Ornement des tissus (1877) to provide one lavish source book spanning jewelry, tile, stained glass, illuminated manuscript, textile, and ceramic ornament. Encompassing classical, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Asian and Middle Eastern, as well as European designs from medieval times through the 19th century, this compilation of cultures and aesthetics offers a primary reference for artists, historians, designers, and patternmakers, and anyone engaged in decorative design and impact.

Travel through time and across the country with this state-by-state tour of the United States over the past 100 years. Following on from the critically acclaimed National Geographic: Around the World in 125 Years, the volume brings together more than 700 captivating images from the magazine's illustrious archives to chart a century of change and growth from Alabama to Wyoming. State by state, these remarkable images bring a vivid account of a vast, evolving, and diverse country, from breathtaking landscapes to advancing industry, evocative rural life to burgeoning towns and cities. We travel from the ski slopes of Colorado to the jazz bars of New Orleans, from the luxurious Hollywood Hills to a barbershop in Kentucky, and from Manhattan's Chinatown to a river baptism in Mississippi. Along the way, the tour takes in the gamut of photographic evolution, shifting from early black-and-white and autochrome images of the 1920s and 1930s into midcentury Kodachrome, then the harder-edged reportage of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally the digital images of the 1990s through to the present. With an introductory essay by photography editor David Walker, as well as prefaces to each state section and fascinating storytelling captions, this book celebrates not only the world's greatest photography magazine but also the people, history, and beauty of the United States in all its kaleidoscopic glory.

"Through these travels and the photographs, I got to love the United States more than I could have in any other way." - Jack Delano Amid the ravages of the Great Depression, the United States Farm Security Administration (FSA) was first founded in 1935 to address the country's rural poverty. Its efforts focused on improving the lives of sharecroppers, tenants, and very poor landowning farmers, with resettlement and collectivization programs, as well as modernized farming methods. In a parallel documentation program, the FSA hired a number of photographers and writers to record the lives of the rural poor and "introduce America to Americans." This book records the full reach of the FSA program from 1935 to 1943, honoring its vigor and commitment across subjects, states, and stylistic preferences. The photographs are arranged into four broad regional sections but otherwise allowed to speak for themselves-to provide individual impressions as much as they cumulatively build an indelible survey of a nation. The images are both color and black-and-white, and span the complete spetrum of American rural life. They show us convicts, cotton workers, kids, and relocated workers on the road. We see subjects victim to the elements of nature as much as to the vagaries of the global economic market. We find the work of such perceptive, sensitive photographers as Marion Post Wolcott, Jack Delano, Russell Lee, Walker Evans, Ben Shahn, and Dorothea Lange, and read their own testimonies to the FSA project and their encounters with their subjects, including Lange's worn, weather-beaten and iconic Migrant Mother. What unites all of the pictures is a commitment to the individuality and dignity of each subject, as much as to the witness they bear to this particular period of the American past. The subjects are entrenched in the hardships of their historical lot as much as they are caught in universal cycles of growing, playing, eating, aging, and dying. Yet they face the viewer with what is utterly their own: a unique, irreplaceable, often unforgettable presence.

Helmut Newton, master of late 20th-century fashion photography, always considered the printed page the most important factor in his work. It was, he explained, in the framework of an editorial or advertising commission, that he found his inspiration and produced his best shots. Joining the prestigious roster of TASCHEN's Helmut Newton titles, including Sex & Landscapes, World without Men, and the much coveted Helmut Newton SUMO, this fresh edition of Pages from the Glossies gathers the most eminent and interesting examples of Helmut Newton's work for magazines across Europe and the United States. Facsimiles of more than 500 original spreads from the likes of Elle, Amica, and, above all, Vogue follow Newton's ongoing ability to break the boundaries of his genre and explore the interaction of his unique, daring, pictures with typography and layout. In lively personal anecdotes alongside the spreads, Newton talks through the inspirations and informal moments behind some of his most memorable images. We follow him scouting models, setting up a shot with the captain of a nuclear submarine, collaborating with Anna Wintour, and negotiating between different cultural attitudes towards the nude.

Modernist aesthetics in architecture, art, and product design are familiar to many. In soaring glass structures or minimalist canvases, we recognize a time of vast technological advance which affirmed the power of human beings to reshape their environment and to break, radically, from the conventions or constraints of the past. Less well-known, but no less fascinating, is the distillation of modernism in graphic design. This unprecedented TASCHEN publication, authored by Jens Muller, brings together approximately 6,000 trademarks, focused on the period 1940-1980, to examine how modernist attitudes and imperatives gave birth to corporate identity. Ranging from media outfits to retail giants, airlines to art galleries, the sweeping survey is organized into three design-orientated chapters: Geometric, Effect, and Typographic. Each chapter is then sub-divided into form and style led sections such as alphabet, overlay, dots and squares. Alongside the comprehensive catalog, the book features an introduction from Jens Muller on the history of logos, and an essay by R. Roger Remington on modernism and graphic design. Eight designer profiles and eight instructive case studies are also included, with a detailed look at the life and work of such luminaries as Paul Rand, Yusaku Kamekura, and Anton Stankowski, and at such significant projects as Fiat, The Daiei Inc., and the Mexico Olympic Games of 1968. An unrivaled resource for graphic designers, advertisers, and branding specialists, Logo Modernism is equally fascinating to anyone interested in social, cultural, and corporate history, and in the sheer persuasive power of image and form.

Baby Talk The Anne Geddes phenomenon An infant curled within a seashell, on a bed of flowers, or its mother's body. With her distinct style and sensitive compositions, Anne Geddes has become one of the world's most widely known and loved photographers, celebrated for her unique take on infancy and parenthood in soft, characterful, vibrant portraits. Like no photographer before, Geddes strives to capture the beauty, purity, and vulnerability of early childhood and to embody within an image her deeply held belief that each and every child must be "protected, nurtured and loved." Since its inception in 1992, The Geddes Philanthropic Trust has designated significant funds from the range of Anne Geddes products to help prevent child abuse and neglect in countries around the world. This Geddes retrospective draws from access to the photographer's complete archive, reaching back to the late 1980s. With many previously unseen images as well as a sticker motif, it honors not only a whimsical and endearing aesthetic but its underlying philosophy of care for the young and vulnerable and for the future of mankind.Text in English, French, and German

Life in the woods: Creative cabin architecture Ever since Henry David Thoreau s described his two years, two months, and two days of cabin existence at Walden Pond, Massachusetts in Walden, or, Life in the Woods (1854), the idea of a refuge 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. This new TASCHEN title, combining insightful text, rich photography and bright, contemporary illustrations by Marie-Laure Cruschi, explores 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. As such, the cabin comes to showcase some of the most inventive and forward-looking practice of contemporary architecture, with Renzo Piano, Terunobu Fujimori, Tom Kundig and many fresh young professionals all embracing such distilled sanctuary spaces. The cabins selected for this publication emphasize the variety of the genre, both in terms of usage and geography. From an artist studio on the Suffolk coast in England to eco-home huts in the Western Ghats region of India, this survey 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."

Printmaker, landscape painter, and cofounder of Der Blaue Reiter ("The Blue Rider"), Franz Marc (1880-1916) left an exceptional legacy in German Expressionism. His work absorbed influences including Paul Gauguin, van Gogh, Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Robert Delaunay to galvanize a new vocabulary of form and color. Especially keen on depictions of animals, Marc's work began emphasizing cubist, semiabstracted shapes; frenetic, whirling compositions; and in his paintings, a new vocabulary of color. Marc located spiritual values in different shades. Blue was spirituality and masculinity. Yellow depicted femininity and joy. Red hues correlated to anger and violence. It was with his friend and peer Wassily Kandinsky that Marc founded Der Blaue Reiter, a loose band of artists connected by a shared interest in woodcuts and prints, the symbolic values of color, and spontaneous approaches to painting. The group was short-lived, dissolving with the onset of the First World War-which would also claim Marc's life in 1916-but it set an Expressionist standard that would flourish for decades. In this new edition in TASCHEN's popular Basic Art series, we meet this pivotal figure of German art and explore his short but hugely accomplished career, which at once defined an era and set an enduring point of Expressionist reference.

In 1956, TIME magazine called him one of the defining "form-givers of the 20th century." Today, Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) remains a locus classicus of modernism for architects and designers alike. As a Bauhaus pioneer, even his earliest work was marked by a material restraint; the balance of texture, color, and shape; and a symbiosis of local and global, big and small, rough and smooth. In this essential introductory monograph, we survey Breuer's complete career through some of his most influential projects and ideas, from his landmark tubular furniture to the MoMA Research House to his innovation of "binuclear" housing, splitting living and sleeping areas into separate wings. Along the way, we follow Hungarian-born Breuer's journey to international acclaim, with featured projects from Germany, France, England, Switzerland, and across the United States contributing to his global status as a modernist maestro.

In pursuit of both knowledge and delight, the craft of botanical illustration has always required not only meticulous draftsmanship but also a rigorous scientific understanding. This new edition of a TASCHEN classic celebrates the botanical tradition and talents with a selection of outstanding works from the National Library of Vienna, including many new images. From Byzantine manuscripts right through to 19th-century masterpieces, through peonies, callas, and chrysanthemums, these exquisite reproductions dazzle in their accuracy and their aesthetics. Whether in gently furled leaves, precisely textured fruits, or the sheer beauty and variety of colors, we celebrate an art form as tender as it is precise, and ever more resonant amid our growing awareness of our ecological surroundings and the preciousness of natural flora.

Court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (June 1599 - August 6, 1660) is not only a leading light of the Spanish Golden Age, but among the most celebrated masters in all Western art history. Monet and Renoir, Corot and Courbet, Degas and Dali all hailed his influence. Picasso was so inspired by his masterpiece Las Meninas that he painted 44 variations of it. Velazquez's importance is found particularly in his naturalist approach, in contrast to the more ubiquitous idealized manner of his age. Early works included numerous "bodegones", genre scenes of everyday life in early 17th century Spain, in which warm, rich tones and textures set off the most ordinary of subjects and humble of faces, such as Old Woman Frying Eggs. Later, his portraiture for the Royal Court brought the same naturalism to the highest echelons of society, marking a profound shift in the depiction of royalty with softer, more relaxed poses that offered his subjects a human warmth and character as much as a sense of grandeur. Velazquez's most famous work, Las Meninas, was also painted in the royal court, but in its enigmatic composition raises many broader questions about reality and illusion and the relationship between the painter, painting, and viewer. This fresh TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 edition introduces Velazquez through key works from throughout his career. From humble genre scenes to the royal portraits, the exquisite Rokeby Venus nude, and the ever-mysterious Las Meninas, we explore his exceptional attention to composition, masterful handling of tone, and his remarkable influence as, in Manet's words, "the greatest painter of all."

The life and times of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/30-1569) were marked by stark cultural conflict. He witnessed religious wars, the Duke of Alba's brutal rule as governor of the Netherlands, and the palpable effects of the Inquisition. To this day, the Flemish artist remains shrouded in mystery. We know neither where nor exactly when he was born. But while early scholarship emphasized the vernacular character of his painting and graphic work, modern research has attached greater importance to its humanistic content. Starting out as a print designer for publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel produced numerous print series that were distributed throughout Europe. These depicted vices and virtues alongside jolly peasant festivals and sweeping landscape panoramas. He would eventually increasingly turn to painting, working for the cultural elite of Antwerp and Brussels. This monograph is a testament to Bruegel's evolution as an artist, one who bravely confronted the issues of his day all the while proposing new inventions and solutions. Rather than idealizing reality, he addressed the horrors of religious warfare and took a critical stand against the institution of the Church. To this end, he developed his own pictorial language of dissidence, lacing innocuous everyday scenes with subliminal statements in order to escape repercussions. To produce this XXL-sized collection, TASCHEN undertook a comprehensive photographic campaign, capturing all the breadth and splendid detail of Bruegel's oeuvre like never before. The result gathers all 40 paintings, 65 drawings, and 89 engravings in pristine reproductions-each piece a unique witness to both the religious mores and the close-knit folk culture of Bruegel's time.Marking the 450th anniversary of his death and his first ever monographic exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this volume is the most immersive journey into Bruegel's unique visual universe.

To his contemporaries in late 16th-century Venice, El Greco (1541--1614) was a contrary fellow, an innate artist blessed with extraordinary talent, but stubborn in the pursuit of his own path. Throughout his career, as he progressed from Crete to Venice, to Rome and ultimately Toledo, Spain, "The Greek" stood apart from his peers, merging different Western art traditions to create a unique pictorial language. El Greco's single-minded style rejected naturalism and rejected accessibility. Works such as The Disrobing of Christ (1577-79), The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586-88), and The Vision of St John (1608-14) reveal elongated, twisted figures; unreal colors; and an experimental rendering of space - all resistant to easy viewing and intent, instead, on an art of epic grandeur and intellectual beauty. Frequently regarded with suspicion and criticism during his lifetime, El Greco was revived by a troop of ardent modern admirers, including Pablo Picasso, Roger Fry, and Der Blaue Reiter pioneer Franz Marc. Today, the artist belongs to the privileged group of great old master painters, as much an anomaly of his age, as a reference point across the centuries. This essential introduction from TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 explores the influences and the ingredients of El Greco's radical and singular vision, from the symbolic world of Byzantine icons and the humanistic values of the Renaissance to the nascent beginnings of conceptual practice.

The first three volumes of this series were met with fervent acclaim from our readers, most of whom have been lying in wait for an affordable trade edition since the $ 1,000 boxed sets appeared. They laud these 440-page editions for their quality hardcover, elegant matte paper, and impeccable reproduction as the best of the best-the perfect tribute to the world's favorite dirty old man. Expect this book to be no different. Combining volumes 7 and 8 from the first boxed set (confusing, we know), it spans the years 1982 to 1989, a period when the artist was comfortably ensconced in rural California, raising his young daughter Sophie, who appears throughout this volume. But Crumb was still Crumb, declaring in one drawing, above a lovingly rendered tree, "As I get older I get more twisted, convoluted, depraved, cynical, embittered, self-centered, jaded, debauched, ruthless, greedy, conceited, set-in-my-ways, long-winded, absent-minded, prejudiced, closed-minded, misanthropic, nervous..." To prove this self-flagellating analysis he fills the pages with his signature perversions (in country settings), scathing social commentary, cruel self-portraits, experimental cubism... and some lovely sylvan landscape. His mastery of the Rapidograph pen is at its zenith here in his 40s; we only wish he'd chosen to include his prescient comic of Donald Trump from 1989.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney One of the most creative minds of the 20th century, Walt Disney created a unique and unrivaled imaginative universe. Like scarcely any other classics of cinema, his astonishing collection of animated cartoons revolutionized storytelling on screen and enchant to this day across geographies and generations. In TASCHEN's first volume of one of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation, some 1,500 images and essays by eminent Disney experts take us to the beating heart of the studio's "Golden Age of Animation." This landmark book traces Disney's complete animation journey from the silent film era, through his first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the pioneering artistic experiment Fantasia (1940), right up to his last masterpieces Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967). With extensive research conducted through the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte curates some of the most precious concept paintings and storyboards to reveal just how these animation masterpieces came to life. Masterful cel setups provide highly detailed illustrations of famous film scenes while rare pictures taken by Disney photographers and excerpts from story conferences between Walt and his staff bring a privileged insider's view to the studio's creative process. Each of the major animated features that were made during Walt's lifetime-including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians-are given their own focus chapter, without forgetting less familiar gems such as the experimental short films of the Silly Symphonies series and underappreciated episodic musical films such as Make Mine Music and Melody Time, all of which receive the same meticulous research and attention. Many unfinished projects, among them the proposed sequels to the legendary musical Fantasia or a homage to Davy Crockett by painter Thomas Hart Benton, are also highlighted with rarely seen artworks, many of them previously unpublished. Throughout, contributions from leading Disney specialists detail the evolution of each respective film. Realizing the Disney style was a collective project and, as much as the master himself, The Walt Disney Film Archives acknowledges the outstanding animators and designers who influenced the style of the studio, among them Albert Hurter, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Carl Barks, Mary Blair, Sylvia Holland, Tyrus Wong, Ken Anderson, Eyvind Earle, and Walt Peregoy. First volume of one of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation. Produced with the assistance of the Walt Disney Archives and Disney's famous Animation Research Library. Covers the Walt Disney journey from the era of silent films through to his final masterpiece The Jungle Book (1967). Includes the first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the landmark artistic experiment Fantasia (1940), and beloved postwar classics such as Cinderella (1950) and Peter Pan (1953). 1,500 illustrations and essays by eminent Disney experts. Masterful cel setups provide highly detailed illustrations of famous film scenes. Remarkable behind-the-scenes insight with excerpts from story conferences with Walt and his staff and rare pictures taken by Disney studio photographers. Copyright (c) 2016 by Disney Enterprises, Inc.

In a brief golden span between 1967 and 1972, the sexual revolution collided with recreational drug exploration to create "psychedelic sex." While the baby boomers blew their minds and danced naked in the streets, men's magazine publishers attempted to visually recreate the wonders of LSD, project them on a canvas of nubile hippie flesh, and dish it up to men dying for a taste of free love.Way Out, Groovie, Where It's At-each magazine title vied to convince the straight audience it offered the most authentic flower power sex trip, complete with mind-bending graphics and all-natural hippie hotties. Along the way hippies joined in the production, since what could be groovier than earning bread in your birthday suit? At its height, psychedelic sex encompassed posters, tabloids, comics, and newsstand magazines, but the most far-out examples of all were the glossy magazines from California, center of both hippie culture and the budding American porn industry. It's these sexy, silly reminders of peace, love, and pudenda we celebrate in Psychedelic Sex. So put on your beads, tune up your sitar, and let the love-in begin!

Over the course of the twentieth century, travel experienced an unprecedented boom. As ocean liners broke speed records, aerodynamic trains roared down tracks, and stylish boat-plane clippers evolved into jumbo jets, travel transformed from a cushioned journey of the elite into a convenient pastime for the general public. With the mass production of automobiles, invention of airplanes, freeways and motels, America led the wanderlust phenomenon. With nearly 400 vintage print advertisements from the Jim Heimann Collection, this book documents the exponential expansion of American tourism, through the domestic and global, exclusive and popular, exotic and standardized adventure. With an introduction, decade-by-decade analysis, and an illustrated timeline, rediscover the thrilling energy of this new age of mobility in which Americans climbed aboard locomotives or ships, jets or Greyhound buses to explore distant lands, or to see whole new sides to their own country.

With his geometric structures perched upon the hillsides, beaches, and deserts of California, John Lautner (1911-1994) was behind some of the most striking and innovative architectural designs in mid-20th-century America. This introductory book brings together the most important of Lautner's projects to explore his his ingenious use of modern building materials and his bold stylistic repertoire of sweeping rooflines, glass-paneled walls, and steel beams. From commercial buildings to such iconic homes as the Chemosphere, we look at Lautner's sensitivity to a building's surroundings and his unique capacity to integrate structures into the Californian landscape. With several of Lautner's houses now labeled Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments, we'll also consider the architect's cultural legacy, as much as his pioneering of a visual paradigm of 1950s optimism, economic growth, and space-age adventure.

The vivid history of the capital of love and photography
A city built on two millennia of history, Paris is entering the third century of its love story with photography. It was on the banks of the Seine that Niepce and Daguerre officially gave birth to this new art that has flourished ever since, developing a distinctive language and becoming a vital tool of knowledge.
"Paris, Portrait of a City" leads us through what Goethe described as "universal city where every step upon a bridge or a square recalls a great past, where a fragment of history is unrolled at the corner of every street." This history is recounted in photographs, all the way from Daguerre's incunabula to the most recent images. In fact, Paris can claim to be the only city in the world whose archives house an almost complete record of over a century and a half of transformations. This huge panorama of nearly 600 pages and as many photographs makes "Paris, Portrait of a City "unique. This book brings together the past and the present, the monumental and the everyday, objects and people. Thanks to images captured by the most illustrious photographers - Daguerre, Marville, Atget, Lartigue, Brassai, Kertesz, Ronis, Doisneau, Cartier-Bresson and many more - but also by many unknown amateurs, these pages show the essential workings of a human drama acted out on the stage of history. These visions attempt to bottle just a little of that "Parisian air," something of that particular poetry given out by the stones and inhabitants of a constantly changing city that has inspired untold numbers of writers and artists over the ages.
Presenting an exciting patchwork of images from past and present, "Paris, Portrait of a City" is a huge and unique photographic study that, in a way, is the true family album of all Parisians. It is to them, and to all lovers of this capital city, that this vibrant, loving and tender testimony is dedicated.

Branching out. Childhood fantasy meets grown-up savoir faire
The idea of climbing a tree for shelter, or just to see the earth from another perspective, is surely as old as humanity. Tree houses are chronicled in ancient civilizations and their lore crosses through the history of every part of the world where trees grow. This stunningly-illustrated study offers a tour of the best tree houses in the world, some designed by architects, others the work of unknown craftsmen. A teahouse, a restaurant, a hotel, a playhouse for children, or a perch from which to contemplate life--the tree house can take as many forms as the imagination can offer. In times of concern for sustainability and ecological responsibility, the tree house may also be the ultimate symbol of life in symbiosis with nature. Whether rustic or contemporary in style, tree houses make the most of space. Climb into this trove of tree houses and enjoy a new perspective on the world.

Otto Wagner (1841-1918) is one of the most significant figures of turn-of-the-century architecture. He was associated with the Viennese Secession, a group of artists and designers headed by Gustav Klimt that initiated a departure from the conservative style of the Viennese Kunstlerhaus. Wagner's visionary approach, described as structural rationalism, pioneered the use of materials such as glass, steel, and especially aluminum to redefine Viennese structural identity. From the imposing Austrian Postal Savings Bank to the scintillating St. Leopold Church at Steinhof, one of the most important Art Nouveau churches in the world: Discover the breadth of Wagner's career as well as the political, economic, and social dynamics of his time. This incisive overview features a map locating all of the architect's most renowned projects and recent, fresh photography from masters like Keiichi Tahara.

The self as a subject is one of the most fascinating and fruitful of artistic enterprises. From the 15th century to today, this collection brings together some of the best examples of self-portraiture to explore the genre's evolution over the centuries as well as the enduring questions of selfhood and self-representation that have besieged human experience for centuries before social media and the selfie. Is a self-portrait of an artist a medium of reflection? Or is it merely a black void, the "false mirror," as the Surrealist Rene Magritte entitled his 1928 painting of an eye? How much does it impart about contemporary notions of beauty, power, and status? From Albrecht Durer to Egon Schiele, Fra Filippo Lippi to Frida Kahlo, this far-reaching collection explores the numerous ways in which artists have taken themselves as subjects, the variety of ingenious methods and perspectives they have used, and the intriguing questions they raise.