Though this was published way back in 2000, it's still pretty interesting to browse through these different homes in London. I check out a lot of interior design books from the library (I know, I'm a nerd) and I find it so enthralling to see what ideas and interiors still seem current despite the publication date.

"London, staid London, becomes probably the most provocative, diametrically opposed city in the world when its living interiors are exposed. Edwards shows off her skills in this portfolio of 42 mainly urban spaces. Most owners are in the arts (or a related industry), in love with color, and experts at eclecticism. There's a male trio who believe in crowning all of their stuffed animals. An admitted spokesperson of the underworld surrounds himself (and his family) with suitably garish and kitsch furnishings. And the book pays tribute to Margaret Tyler, owner of the largest stash of royal memorabilia in the nation (if not anywhere in the world). Exuberant color photographs and minimalist text make for a repeatable and enjoyable viewing experience." Barbara Jacobs from Booklist

[posted by katie]

Much like the other 'Cream' books, this looks to have loads of interesting artists. I've not looked through this one yet, but it looks promising.

"Continuing the phenomenon established by cream (1988) Fresh Cream (2000) and Cream 3 (2003), Ice Cream identifies the most significant emerging figures in an often confusing world and acts as an expert guide to future trends - Each artist is featured over four pages with a selection of their most interesting work together with a commentary by the curator who selected them, an exhibition history, and a bibliography"

To read more about the book, visit Phaidon.

[posted by katie]

If you're serious about collecting (photography specifically), you'll have no doubt already put in your order for this one, but just in case you missed the boat or curiosity has taken hold, here's your chance.

"A highly collectible, limited facsimile edition of the journal made by pioneering Stephen Shore during his influential road trip across America in 1973. Limited to 3,300 copies, plus 100 artists proofs, each copy is signed and numbered by the photographer. Shore meticulously itemizes where he stayed, what he ate, what he watched on TV, alongside pasted-in ephemera such as receipts, postcards and parking tickets. Also every photograph he took on his journey. Brings together the entire body of work for the first time, including iconic shots, outtakes and unpublished photographs. An essential title for any photobook collector or photography enthusiast."

(pre-order to ship mid-June)

[posted by katie]

There are only a handful of public spaces that I can think of that inspire awe, probably because most seem to default to a utilitarian outcome rather than lifting the bar to any higher aesthetic. Yet the large scale projects by Weiss/Manfredi show a different side to this particular architecture. Their interdisciplinary approach can be seen most recently in the completed Olympic Sculpture Park (above right), whose Z-shaped path moves visitors through three different land parcels over a busy street. The way the landscape is involved as the structure, and how that structure surrounds and promotes the activity shows a thoughtful regard for both function and form.

Plus, there's enough documentation of details, photographs, and drawings to make your head hurt, or at least expand alarmingly with the realization of just how huge some of these projects seem to be.

"For nearly two decades the architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi has practiced outside the traditional boundaries of architecture. Their work with complex sites and programs benefits from an interdisciplinary approach and a dynamic integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape design. Surface/Subsurface presents nine major projects that have been completed since their first monograph Site Specific, published in 2000.Their design process–exemplary of the best contemporary architectural practices–reveals potential in subsurface conditions with the goal of generating an entirely new language for the surface."

Hardcover, 208 pages, 300 color illustrations

$60.00, Available at PA Press or Amazon

[posted by katie]

In a seemingly surreal environment, Jimmy and Dena Katz have captured bizarre yet ordinary scenes from in and around the Salt Flats of northern Utah. The backdrop of such a unique landscape sets off characters and objects, saturating colors with sharp sunlight and providing the rare opportunity for an uncomplicated study of silhouettes.

"Again and again they discovered human possessions and personal obsessions flung onto the salt surface against undulating mountains and boundless sky. They became intrigued by the inventors who, with their hand-built hotrods, racecars, and rockets, participate in the annual rituals and races on the Salt Flats—making their own statement in the landscape."

Published by powerHouse Books

[posted by katie]

Photographs of the wounded in hospitals, empty playgrounds, and men crying over their dead children do little to assuage the overall feel of emptiness that is brought home with this book of photographs in Iraq. There's beauty to be found in the images of dusty landscapes, but the lonely streets, some scattered with trash, push the previous sense of beauty clear out of the way. The American soldiers outfitted in their layers of gear contrast roughly with the people living in such a war zone, especially since most Iraqis shown are captured, wounded, grieving or dead. There's an honesty that's painful to look at, a reality of immediate grief that we don't always see on the evening news channels, which, let's face it, by now if we watch at all we're mostly immune to that sort of stuff anyways. I'd like to think these images stir up some feelings that disregard personal political affiliations, and bring about some clear ideas of how horrible war is despite the reasons for it, and maybe even create some sense of compassion and understanding for those that go through it, but I'm sure there's someone somewhere who can prove me wrong.

“For me, this book is about distance. It describes the gap between different peoples and cultures in Iraq. It attempts to show the space between two wars, the American invasion and the Iraqi civil war, the space between us and them, my experience and your experience. The fear and mistrust between humans.” -Christoph Bangert

Photographs by: Christoph Bangert
Text by: Jon Lee Anderson

[posted by katie]

I've just finished looking through the new David Report bulletin called "I shop therefore I am" and I highly recommend taking a few moments to read through it. It might just make you a little more aware of your responsibilities as a consumer.

"Shopping has turned into a lifestyle. We consume as leisure and a way to pass time. But at the same time many are realizing that the power of consumption is stopping us from finding true and sincere happiness; and that shopping often works as a substitute for something that we´re missing in life. At what point does the accumulation of material goods become less fulfilling and more stressful and overwhelming... Our consumption grows in the same pace as our economic growth. Studies shows that in hundred years we consume eight times as much per capita as today. Can our globe take such a strain? The power of consumption is being questioned and there´s a change in attitude and way of life. We don´t want to be consuming goofs, we want to be considered aware and responsible. It is all about WHAT we buy and WHAT we choose to invest in, the world we live in will be the result of those choices."

[posted by katie]

With thoughtful watercolor drawings, Kate T. Williamson captures the many moments of her daily life after moving back in with her parents for what was thought to be a three-month stopover but soon became a twenty-three-month stay.

Small details and ordinary scenes amount to a personal memoir that catches all the joys and embarrassing episodes of living once again with one's own parents. From spending her twenty-fourth birthday at a Hall&Oates concert with her mother to hiding in the fridge at a floral shop to avoid the 'what are you doing with your life' question, there's a sense of self awareness captured in her own script that is alternately uncomfortable and funny. This would be a perfect gift for anyone who has ever moved back in with their parents (or might be tempted to) and for those who have experienced the strange period of 'in-between-ness' that occurs after college but right before finding one's own roots.

[posted by katie]

Full of details that would make the most of a smaller space, this book has many photos that will help jog your creative juices. My favorites: Small House by Kazuyo Sejima & Associates, Healy/Kaplow Loft by Matthew Baird Design, and Anderson House by Jamie Fobert Architects.

"Small Environments focuses on the type of architectural details that make up distinctive residential spaces under 1,200 square feet [120 square meters]. It presents recent work by architects from around the globe in color photographs and architectural drawings. Rather than simply another compendium of small projects, the book is structured according to categories of architectural detail. It includes sections on components essential to the design of small spaces, such as built-in pieces, mobile systems, storage, outdoor rooms, siting strategies and daylighting details."

[posted by katie]

Even though this was published back in '06, there were quite a few homes in this book I had not seen featured before. My favorites: Cell Brick House, Castle Groenhof, and, of course, Denis House.

"Popular demand has led IMAGES' team of researchers to scour the world for yet another stunning collection of homes. The 100 fabulous homes carefully selected for this volume represent contemporary residential architecture in all its myriad forms. Vast differences in location, climate, culture, style, materials, interiors, and even furniture result in a collection that showcases, with full-colour photographs, plans and drawings, the best in international residential architecture. This is a book that can be browsed through time after time, with each viewing guaranteed to inspire, delight and surprise."

[posted by katie]