Thomas Collins
Thomas Collins’s Notable Books of 2012
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My favorite book of 2012 is a follow-up to my favorite book of 2011. Both are a collection of essays written by Tom Lubbock that appeared in his weekly column at The Independent. Whereas last year’s Great Works examined painted masterpieces of Western art, English Graphic narrows the focus to smaller works in ink, drawings, and engravings produced in England—work seldom seen in the public eye. Typically no more than four to five pages each, these essays shimmer with sparkling wit and startling observations. Lubbock possesses the supreme gift of making obscure works seem familiar and familiar works seem fresh. In these pages, towering giants of English graphic arts like William Blake, William Hogarth, and Aubrey Beardsley rub shoulders with lesser-known geniuses such as George Romney, Francis Towne, and Thomas Cartwitham. Lubbock’s prose is masterful, and his keen examinations of artistic technique reveal how these images manage to firmly take hold in our imaginations.
Based on drawings from the Le Corbusier Foundation’s archives, Steven Park’s book contains new plans, sections, and elevations for 26 houses designed by the master French architect. Iconic buildings such as the Pavillon de l’espirit nouveau, Maison de l’homme, and Villa Savoye make their appearances. Park provides a brief history of each building and its program; however, the architectural renderings are the star of the book. Each of Le Corbusier’s houses is shown in exterior perspectives, sectional perspectives, sub-divisional plans, site plans, floor plans, and elevations from every cardinal direction. In particular, the sectional perspectives excel at showing how Le Corbusier conceived each building as dynamic spaces where the interior and exterior unify to create “machines for living in.” Steven Park’s minimal draftsmanship is beautiful, and the clarity of the drawings allows Le Corbusier’s architectural genius to shine through.
I’m a sucker for books on tree houses, and TASCHEN’s Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Air may be the best global survey of tree houses yet published. No longer relegated to the simple cobbled-together caprices of our youth, the tree houses of today are undergoing a revival of interest for those seeking sophisticated natural retreats, many designed by leading architects. Philip Jodidio’s introduction charts the history of these gravity-defying arboreal structures, and the playful illustrations by Patrick Hruby that accompany each tree house are a joy to behold. Finally, a coffee table book on tree houses that is worthy of your coffee table!
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Understanding Understanding: New from Richard Saul Wurman
Understanding Understanding
by Richard Saul Wurman
Publisher: Richard Saul Wurman and Jack Dangermond
Published July 30, 2017
From the author of Information Architecture, who says about his newest book: “This is a book for people to dip into, as they would walk in and out of the room of a dinner party and embrace their interests. . . Before the rules on how to organize information, before you learn grammar, before you work hard at expanding your vocabulary and go through the exercises of parallel meanings of things as using a Thesaurus and as one writes papers in class, before any learning one must understand.”
The Hard Life by Jasper Morrison
The Hard Life
by Jasper Morrison
Publisher: Lars Müller Publishers
Published in US: May 22, 2017
Photographs taken by designer Jasper Morrison of objects in the collection of the National Museum of Ethnology in Lisbon, Portugal. “The objects photographed and described may be appreciated both for their beauty and for the example they set of design at its purest. The Hard Life is a continuation of Morrison’s celebration of the ordinary and offers a new perspective on his design philosophy.”
Paula Scher: Works - Order from Unit Editions
Paula Scher: Works
Editors: Tony Brook & Adrian Shaughnessy
Design: Spin
Publisher: Unit Editions
Published April 2017
New book covering the career of of master designer Paula Scher, called “the most influential woman graphic designer on the planet.” (Ellen Lupton), This definitive, chronological visual record spans Paula’s early days in the music industry as an art director with CBS and Atlantic records; the launch of her first studio, Koppel & Scher; and her 25-year engagement with Pentagram.
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Type Tells Tales: New from Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
Type Tells Tales
by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published May 30, 2017
Reveals how type can become both content and illustration, as letters take the form of people, animals, cars, or planes. With numerous illustrations by F. T. Marinetti, Bruno Munari, and Francis Picabia, among others, as well as by contemporary designers such as Richard Eckersley, John Hendrix, Maira Kalman, and Corita Kent.
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