Bøker utgitt av Merrell Publishers Ltd

Signs of Our Times: From Calligraphy to Calligraffiti covers six decades of an art trend led by artists from the Arab world and Iran. Starting in the early 1950s, this alternative and original approach to modernism began with artists who took inspiration from their own cultural sources and combined them with international aesthetics and concepts.This publication considers the work of 50 key artists, ranging from important pioneers of the calligraphic movement to those who use the written word in their work today. The book begins with a contribution from Venetia Porter, curator of Islamic and contemporary Middle Eastern art at the British Museum, who provides a historical contextualization of the movement and its relationship to lettrism in Europe. In a second essay, the writer and curator Rose Issa presents an overview of 60 years of the art movement in Arab countries and Iran, from the independences of the late 1940s and 1950s to the present day. A timeline by Juliet Cestar, an expert on contemporary Middle Eastern art, then sets out major cultural and historical events in the Middle East over the course of the last 60 years.The main part of the book is divided into three sections, each devoted to a different generation of artists: the first generation of pioneers, who created a new aesthetic language following the independence of their countries; the second generation of artists, who mostly live in exile and who reference their own cultures and languages in their work; and the third generation, comprising contemporary artists who have absorbed international aesthetics, concepts and languages and who occasionally use Arabic and Persian script, or the morphology of letters, in their work. The entry for each artist includes a concise biography and a statement from the artist about their work. The artworks, in a variety of media, are also interspersed with poems and relevant literature, putting into personal and historical contexts the innovative use of words in art.

For more than 600 years the Livery Companies have played a leading role in the commerical activities and social and political life in the City of London. In the 14th and 15th centuries they began acquiring, adapting and building 'headquarters': the Livery Halls. All of the existing Halls have been freshly photographed and documented.

Chateau La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence, is a unique estate that combines sculptural artworks by leading contemporary artists alongside works by some of the world's best-known architects, all within the grounds of a working organic vineyard.

The Crown in Focus traces the remarkable relationship between the British Royal Family and photography over the course of nearly 200 years, from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's enthusiastic adoption of the emerging technology in the mid-19th century to the use of Instagram by the modern monarchy.

Published to mark the reopening of the spectacular 40,000 square feet of ceiling and wall decorations of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich,The Painted Hall is a wonderful celebration of what has been called `the Sistine Chapel of the UK'.

Southern California is the birthplace of skateboard culture. The artist Amir Zaki grew up skateboarding and so has a deep appreciation of the large concrete structures as sculptural forms, landscape, architecture and art. The importance of his photographs are underlined by Tony Hawk and Peter Zellner.

Presented as a series of 50 brief essays or `perspectives', Patrick le Quement's thoughtful and astute observations from the street, from the design studio and from his seat in the boardroom give the reader a penetrating and often amusing insight into the high-level workings of the global car industry.

Kiftsgate Court, perched on the northern edge of the Cotswolds Hills in Gloucestershire, is a garden composed of many different scenes. Three women have tended Kiftsgate, each one its driving force for a third of a century, and each building on the legacy of the previous generation.

It is a familiar sight late night in the centers of major cities like London and New York: the rush of people sneaking drunken kisses and fumbling exchanges before stumbling home. But travelling the opposite direction there is a select few who only come out after midnight. The 'Night Flowers' is an affectionate term that encompasses the loose-knit society of drag kings and queens, club kids, alternative-queer, transgender, goths, fetishists, cabaret and burlesque performers who bloom at night and burn brightly under the neon lights of central London.These portraits are the result of a project begun by Damien Frost in early 2014 where he went out every night to wander the streets of London in search of its most colourful inhabitants. In so doing, Damien first stumbled across the world of the 'Night Flowers' and he began documenting the people and their wild array of looks and creative expresssion.For the most part, the photographs are incidental portraits taken after chance encounters on the streets, down dark alleys or backstage in a club and often in cramped and crowded circumstances - the poise and grace of the subjects belying the quizzical looks or comments or event taunts thrown at them by passers-by. Damien's photographs reveal a massive array of artists, dancers, designers, performers and others who were turning themselves into an ephemeral artwork that would last for a few hours at most.

Georgetown's architecture was molded by the French, Dutch, British and Spanish during the C18th/C19th and built in a classical style reinterpreted by local craftsmen largely in wood. The book gives a brief history of Georgetown, explaining the various house types with photographs of the buildings and their particular features

Ed Kluz has a fascination for the sites of lost once-celebrated houses. His highly original works are a combination of watercolour and delicate painted collage elements. Tim Knox describes Kluz's artistry and draws parallels with Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden. Olivia Horsfall Turner introduces each house, detailing its history and fate.

Presents Weston's earliest work from a recently discovered family album and compares it with his latest masterworks

Metroburbia examines the architectural history and development of London and its suburbs.

Among the most magnificent buildings of England are its Anglican cathedrals, great symbols of spiritual and architectural power. No one can fail to marvel at Durham's incomparable Romanesque masterpiece, the elegant stylistic unity of Salisbury, the world-famous stained glass of Canterbury or the striking Gothic scissor arch at Wells. In this breathtaking book, available for the first time in a compact hardback edition, award-winning Magnum photographer Peter Marlow has captured the nave of each of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals. Taken in natural light at dawn, usually looking towards the east window, these remarkable images bring into sharp relief the full splendour of the architecture, whatever the style. Marlow's spellbinding photographs are accompanied by his commentary on the project, including sketches, preparatory shots and technical notes; an introduction by curator Martin Barnes on the tradition of church architecture in England, particularly the work of Frederick Evans and Edwin Smith; and a concise summary of each cathedral interior by architectural historian John Goodall.A unique photographic record of the Anglican cathedrals of EnglandA new compact edition of this superbly produced, critically acclaimed bookWith an overview of the architectural importance of each cathedral, and an introduction on ecclesiastical photographyEssential for anyone interested in architectural photography, church architecture or the heritage of England

For many hundreds of years Kazakh nomads have been grazing their livestock near the Altai Mountains in western Mongolia. The Altai Kazakhs are unique in their tradition of using golden eagles to hunt on horseback. The lifestyle of these hunters, known in Kazakh as burtkitshis, is changing rapidly, and over the last few years the award-winning photographer Palani Mohan has spent time with these men and their families, documenting a culture under threat.The special bond between a hunter and his eagle begins when the hunter takes an eagle pup from a nest high on the rock face. The pups are usually about four years old (a golden eagle can live to 30 years of age). It's important that the pup has learned to hunt and is not still dependent on her mother; but neither can she be too old nor experienced, or she will not learn to live with humans. The hunters take only female pups from the nest, as females are larger and more powerful and aggressive than the males. Adult female golden eagles can have a wingspan of up to 9 feet, and weigh over 15 pounds.The eagle pup gradually learns to accept food from the hunter, and once trust has been established, the hunter begins to train the bird. The hunters describe the eagle as part of their family. The eagle takes pride of place in the home most of the time except during the day in the summer months or the warmest part of the day in the winter months. While all the men in the family handle the eagle, only the man who took her from the nest hunts with her.Hunting takes place in winter, when temperatures can plummet to minus 40 degrees Farenheit. The birds are carried in swaddling, which the hunters claim keeps them both warm and calm. The strong bond between hunter and eagle is strengthened by the amount of time they spend together. Hunting trips can last many days, as the hunter and eagle trek up to a mountain ridge to obtain a good view across the landscape. Once the prey - usually a fox - is spotted, the hunter charges towards it to flush it into the open, then releases the eagle to make the kill. Hunters traditionally wear fur coats made from the skins of the prey their eagle has caught.The relationship between hunter and eagle typically lasts six to eight years, then the eagle is released back into the wild to breed. One hunter tells Mohan: 'You love them as your own, even when you set them free at the end.'In his book, which comprises an introductory essay and 90 dramatic duotone images, Mohan explains how the burkitshis are slowing dying out. Rather than endure the brutal winters, their children choose to move to the capital, Ulan Bator, for a better way of life. There are also fewer golden eagles in the Altai Mountains. Although the 'Golden Eagle Festival' takes place every October to showcase the ancient art of hunting with eagles, attracting tourists from across the world, there are only between 50 and 60 'true' hunters left. This book is therefore a timely, important record of these proud men and their magnificent eagles in a remote, unforgiving part of the planet.

ADAM Architecture has a worldwide reputation for traditional Western design. Although the practice is based in the UK, it has built award-winning projects of all types around the world, and is known for combining modern interpretations of the Classical tradition with the latest technology. Among its most admired work are its country houses, and 19 of these houses are the focus of this new book, written by architectural historian Jeremy Musson.Robert Adam co-founded the practice (as Winchester Design) in 1986, and has worked with technical director Paul Hanvey for more than 30 years (including at a previous incarnation of the practice). Adam now works with three other architect-directors - Nigel Anderson, Hugh Petter and George Saumarez Smith - to build country houses that are not period reproductions but creative interpretations of past traditions. Each director has his own architectural personality, together producing a body of work that uses historical precedents, including construction techniques, materials, layout and details, to give expression to thoroughly modern works. Their schemes address the modern-day realities of energy conservation, climate control, internet access, computer-managed systems and security - all prerequisites in contemporary house design. Unlike country houses of the past, today's houses must be functional without live-in staff. Kitchens are now the focus of much family life and entertaining, rather than spaces to be kept from sight. These and numerous other practical considerations receive meticulous attention in an ADAM Architecture country house.The book begins with two forewords, with Clive Aslet and Calder Loth offering their interpretations of the ideal country house from a British and an American perspective respectively. The introduction provides an overview of the rich and varied tradition of the English country house, from the medieval manor house to houses of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, and the Classically inspired designs of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through to the architecture of the Gothic Revival and then the Arts and Crafts Movement. Architects associated with the country house throughout the ages include, among others, John Vanburgh, William Chambers, Robert Adam, John Nash and Sir Edwin Lutyens. And now, today, ADAM Architecture is one of the leading practices designing and building new country houses.

The first major study of Edwin Smith's work for over twenty years, and the first to put his work into its photographic and cultural context. Includes many rarely seen images as well as previously unpublished correspondence.

The definitive guide to modern and contemporary art of the Middle East and Arab world since 1945. Includes more than 500 colour illustrations, a guide to Arabic script and biographies of the 200-plus featured artists.

The Interiors of Chester Jones provides a unique and fascinating insight into both Jones himself - a former architect and managing director of Colefax and Fowler - and the thinking behind the many rich and nuanced interiors he has created since establishing his own firm in 1989.

A fascinating history of royal dining from medieval times to the present day, which features menus from royal celebrations, 200 rarely published illustrations and a foreword by well-known chef Heston Blumenthal.

A unique handbook of the logos of contemporary terrorist organizations worldwide, from al-Qaeda to the Real IRA, with a foreword by renowned graphic designer Steven Heller, and a chronology of major terrorist actions. This is an invaluable resource for graphic designers and anyone interested in international politics and counter-intelligence.

The first book to explore the large-scale redevelopment of the City of London since the mid-1980s. Featuring 200 specially commissioned colour photographs, this is an essential reference for tourists, architectural students and professionals, and anyone interested in modern architecture.

Both a practical guide and an inspirational sourcebook for anyone wishing to redesign their own home or restyle just one room, Secrets of a Stylish Home is written by an interior designer with years of experience in steering owners through each stage of the design process.

A unique survey of the most prominent contemporary artists creating photographs without the aid of a camera. Includes a fully revised and updated text as well as new works by the featured artists. Shadow Catchers is an authoritative and sumptuously produced account of the history of camera-less photography and the processes involved.

Danger! Women Artists at Work is a provocative exploration of the way in which art is transformed through a woman's point of view and includes a captivating selection of groundbreaking female artists throughout history, from Artemisia Gentileschi and Rosa Bonheur to Cindy Sherman and Tracey Emin.

A selection of outstanding Japanese products of this century, from gadgets and furnishings to office supplies and decorative objects. Features a comprehensive introduction to the history and traditions of Japanese product design and includes biographies of the leading designers, including Naoto Fukasawa, Tokujin Yoshioka and Toyo Ito.

A superbly entertaining A - Z of London, with delightful illustrations by artist Christopher Brown. A London Alphabet includes reminiscences of a London childhood by the artist, and also insights into the creation of his charming linocuts. An irresistible gift book for all lovers of one of the greatest cities in the world.

More Dream Homes presents 100 exceptional interiors of all styles from around the globe. Comprehensively illustrated with 800 photographs by world-renowned interiors photographer Andreas von Einsiedel, this is the ultimate reference for interior design professionals, architects and anyone wanting to create their own dream home.

A major new study of the garden in art, including works by such artists as Botticelli, Hiroshige, Monet, Van Gogh and many others, with extended captions providing detailed interpretations of each work, as well as insights into the artists' sources of inspiration and principal themes. A delightful and beautifully illustrated book.

Fashion Futures is a wide ranging survey of the visionary clothing designs, new materials, cutting-edge technologies and emerging trends shaping the future of fashion. It features interviews with leading designers and trend forecasters and includes a directory of practioners and researchers at the forefront of fashion technology and design.