Hardcovers are a great addition to at-home book collections and also make for good gifts. They last far longer than paperbacks are not damaged easily, making them perfect as reference guides and great literary works. Art Now! 4 and Decorative Arts, 1970’s are arguably two of the most-searched books from Taschen, a German art book publisher, for its extensive reference to the fast-moving world of art.
Art Now! 4 by Hans Werner Holzwarth
Hans Werner Holzwarth, a book designer and editor based in Berlin who has overseen numerous publications mainly on contemporary art and photography, has edited several books for Taschen. Art Now! 4 offers an encyclopedic look at contemporary art in 2013 with a highlight on East Asia, guiding readers to the art and artists of China, Japan and Korea.
The book acknowledges the global rise of both Chinese and Asian art, taking readers on what the introduction describes as “a tour of the art world today”. Several essays on contemporary art in China, Japan and Korea are featured, as well as profiles of over 100 contemporary artists. By spotlighting the development of art in East Asia, these compilations lead to the discovery of the scenes and places that in recent years have become the focus of the global art world, where new markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore, have taken on key roles.
Among the 100-plus artist profiles is that of Takashi Murakami, one of the most thought-provoking Japanese artists who became globally known after his collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Kanye West for his Graduation album.
Decorative Art 70’s by Charlotte and Peter Fiell
The book chronicles the futuristic, experimental aesthetic of the 1970s. Divided into eight sections, Decorative Art 70s features architecture and interiors, furniture, textiles and wallpapers, glass, lighting, silver and tableware and ceramics, offering a plethora of color and black-and-white images.
The book provides a glimpse into the world of design and architecture back in the 70s, which was exciting and fast-moving, a time when experimentalism was everywhere and many projects, thought not practical, were forward-thinking visions of a new kind of decorative art and design.
