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What Is Color?: The Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art
by Steven WeinbergIn this zany and vibrantly illustrated nonfiction guide to all things color, the origins of today's pigments come alive across continents and history, with oodles of art, tons of science--and extensive interactive backmatter!So what is color? A red apple? A yellow banana? The purple goo from a squished sea snail?Once you start digging, color turns out to be a lot of things--it’s messy, stinky, and even a little bit dangerous. You may already know that it’s art, but it’s science, too! What Is Color? will take readers all over the world, introducing them to talented, brilliant, creative people from scientists to famous artists and everyone in between as we take the color wheel for a spin.Perfect for curious and creative minds who love paintbrushes as much as microscopes, this clever and eye-catching full-color nonfiction book dives deep into the strange, wacky, silly, and occasionally perilous history behind the colors that paint our everyday lives.Readers will get:• A laugh-out-loud funny adventure full of gross-out facts (like how cow pee can be used to make the color yellow!).• Hilarious illustrations that encourage creativity and fun while learning!• A kid-friendly primer on global art history, from Yayoi Kusama to Van Gogh, Basquiat, and many more.• A dazzling full-color book, with rainbow edges and vibrant info-filled endpapers.• Extensive backmatter with a glossary plus art and science activities perfect for the classroom and home!
What Is Contemporary Art?
by Terry SmithWho gets to say what counts as contemporary art? Artists, critics, curators, gallerists, auctioneers, collectors, or the public? Revealing how all these groups have shaped today's multifaceted definition, Terry Smith brilliantly shows that a historical approach offers the best answer to the question: What Is Contemporary Art?
What Is Cosmopolitical Design? Design, Nature and the Built Environment: Design, Nature And The Built Environment
by Albena Yaneva Alejandro Zaera-PoloThe scale of ecological crises made us realize that every kind of politics has always been cosmopolitics, politics of a cosmos. Cosmos embraces everything, including the multifarious natural and material entities that make humans act. The book examines cosmopolitics in its relation to design practice. Abandoning the modernist idea of nature as being external to the human experience - a nature that can be mastered by engineers and scientists from outside, the cosmpolitical thinking offers designers to embark in an active process of manipulating and reworking nature ’from within.’ To engage in cosmopolitics, this book argues, means to redesign, create, instigate, and compose every single feature of our common experience. In the light of this new understanding of nature, we set the questions: What is the role of design if nature is no longer salient enough to provide a background for human activities? How can we foster designers’ own force and make present what causes designers to think, feel, and act? How do designers make explicit the connection of humans to a variety of entities with different ontology: rivers, species, particles, materials and forces? How do they redefine political order by bringing together stars, prions and people? In effect, how should we understand design practice in its relation to the material and the living world? In this volume, anthropologists, science studies scholars, political scientists and sociologists rethink together the meaning of cosmopolitics for design. At the same time designers, architects and artists engage with the cosmopolitical question in trying to imagine the future of architectural and urban design. The book contains original empirical chapters and a number of revealing interviews with artists and designers whose practices set examples of ’cosmopolitically correct design’.
What Is Japanese Cinema?: A History
by Yomota InuhikoWhat might Godzilla and Kurosawa have in common? What, if anything, links Ozu’s sparse portraits of domestic life and the colorful worlds of anime? In What Is Japanese Cinema? Yomota Inuhiko provides a concise and lively history of Japanese film that shows how cinema tells the story of Japan’s modern age.Discussing popular works alongside auteurist masterpieces, Yomota considers films in light of both Japanese cultural particularities and cinema as a worldwide art form. He covers the history of Japanese film from the silent era to the rise of J-Horror in its historical, technological, and global contexts. Yomota shows how Japanese film has been shaped by traditonal art forms such as kabuki theater as well as foreign influences spanning Hollywood and Italian neorealism. Along the way, he considers the first golden age of Japanese film; colonial filmmaking in Korea, Manchuria, and Taiwan; the impact of World War II and the U.S. occupation; the Japanese film industry’s rise to international prominence during the 1950s and 1960s; and the challenges and technological shifts of recent decades. Alongside a larger thematic discussion of what defines and characterizes Japanese film, Yomota provides insightful readings of canonical directors including Kurosawa, Ozu, Suzuki, and Miyazaki as well as genre movies, documentaries, indie film, and pornography. An incisive and opinionated history, What Is Japanese Cinema? is essential reading for admirers and students of Japan’s contributions to the world of film.
What Is Landscape?
by John R. StilgoeA lexicon and guide for discovering the essence of landscape.“Mr. Stilgoe does not ask that we take his book outdoors with us; he believes that reading and experiencing landscapes are activities that should be kept separate. But, as I learned in his book, the hollow storage area in a car driver's door was once a holster, the 'secure nesting place of a pistol.' I recommend you stow your copy there.”—The Wall Street JournalLandscape, John Stilgoe tells us, is a noun. From the old Frisian language (once spoken in coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany), it meant shoveled land: landschop. Sixteenth-century Englishmen misheard or mispronounced this as landskep, which became landskip, then landscape, designating the surface of the earth shaped for human habitation. In What Is Landscape? Stilgoe maps the discovery of landscape by putting words to things, zeroing in on landscape's essence but also leading sideways expeditions through such sources as children's picture books, folklore, deeds, antique terminology, out-of-print dictionaries, and conversations with locals. (“What is that?” “Well, it's not really a slough, not really, it's a bayou...”) He offers a highly original, cogent, compact, gracefully written narrative lexicon of landscape as word, concept, and path to discoveries.What Is Landscape? is an invitation to walk, to notice, to ask: to see a sandcastle with a pinwheel at the beach and think of Dutch windmills—icons of triumph, markers of territory won from the sea; to walk in the woods and be amused by the Elizabethans' misuse of the Latin silvaticus (people of the woods) to coin the word savages; to see in a suburban front lawn a representation of the meadow of a medieval freehold.Discovering landscape is good exercise for body and for mind. This book is an essential guide and companion to that exercise—to understanding, literally and figuratively, what landscape is.
What Is Lighting Design?: A Genealogy of People and Ideas
by Michael ChybowskiWhat Is Lighting Design?: A Genealogy of People and Ideas explains what lighting design is by looking at the history of ideas that are a part of this craft and how those ideas developed. Lighting design began in the West with the Renaissance, and each historical period since then has modified how and why light is used in performance, the methods for producing light, and the consensus around what its purpose is. Exploring each lighting design era and the basic components of lighting design, the book discusses how the central ideas of this craft developed over the past 500 years, what today’s lighting designers are concerned with, and how lighting design contributes to performances. This book is designed as a main course text for History of Lighting Design university courses and a supplementary text for and Introduction to Lighting Design, Stagecraft, and Scenography courses. It will also be of interest to directors, choreographers, and working lighting designers who wish to explore the history and meaning of their craft.
What is Painting? (Revised Edition): New Edition
by Julian BellJulian Bell’s incisive, fully updated study of modern art and the nature of painting, which daringly tries to explain it “Yes, but is it art?” This lucid book by Julian Bell, himself a painter, confronts the uncertainty many people feel about art today and challenges generally accepted ideas. Now in a completely revised second edition, What is Painting? is a fresh, focused look at painting. Bell addresses questions such as “does anything unite those objects we call paintings?” and “what factors have changed the nature of painting over the last two centuries?” by looking at historical evidence and reasoning from common experience. The current shape of painting pushes the book’s arguments in new directions and a substantial new chapter, The Arts and Art, speaks to the interplay between 2D work, 3D work, and the immateriality of digital imagery. The text has been revised paragraph by paragraph considering both force of presentation andr />historical perspective. The intention is to provide a general reader’s introduction to theories of painting that is not only reliably informative but stimulating and amusing to read. The book is an introductory guide to art theory for everyone interested in understanding modern art or in making art themselves.
What Is Paleolithic Art?: Cave Paintings and the Dawn of Human Creativity
by Jean Clottes Oliver Y. Martin Robert D. MartinWas it a trick of the light that drew our Stone Age ancestors into caves to paint in charcoal and red hematite, to watch the heads of lions, likenesses of bison, horses, and aurochs in the reliefs of the walls, as they flickered by firelight? Or was it something deeper--a creative impulse, a spiritual dawn, a shamanistic conception of the world efflorescing in the dark, dank spaces beneath the surface of the earth where the spirits were literally at hand? In this book, Jean Clottes, one of the most renowned figures in the study of cave paintings, pursues an answer to this "why" of Paleolithic art. While other books focus on particular sites and surveys, Clottes's work is a contemplative journey across the world, a personal reflection on how we have viewed these paintings in the past, what we learn from looking at them across geographies, and what these paintings may have meant--what function they may have served--for their artists. Steeped in Clottes's shamanistic theories of cave painting, What Is Paleolithic Art? travels from well-known Ice Age sites like Chauvet, Altamira, and Lascaux to visits with contemporary aboriginal artists, evoking a continuum between the cave paintings of our prehistoric past and the living rock art of today. Clottes's work lifts us from the darkness of our Paleolithic origins to reveal, by firelight, how we think, why we create, why we believe, and who we are.
What is Scenography?
by Pamela Howard"Pamela Howard's ground-breaking What is Scenography? was the first book to set out the bold new approaches to designing and directing for theatre which had dazzled audiences in Europe during the previous decades. It did us all a service by enriching the scope of how we understand the aesthetics of the stage. The lavish new materials (drawings, colour photos, new production analysis) included in this second edition make it even more essential for anyone interested in new developments in theatre." - David Bradby "To write, design, organize, manage, sculpt, educate, paint, research and above all, to passionately live the life of the performance is what Pamela has done throughout her whole career and, in one way or another, it is reflected here in this book: the universality of stage design, its elements and its soul." - Ramon Ivars "Gives an excellent sense of scenography and a window on a life in the theatre - which is fascinating. ...A superb book." - Professor Arnold Aronson, Columbia University, USA "Pamela Howard is the precise definition of what a scenographer of today should be: a multiple artist. Her vast experience with space, her rare and acute power of reflection, her workshops worldwide, her masterful control of drawing and painting and her ability to interconnect scenography with other artistic expressions qualify her to discuss with great authority what "space for staging" should be in the coming decades of this millennium." - Jose Carlos SerroniPamela Howard's What is Scenography? has become a classic text in contemporary theatre design and performance practice. In this second edition, the author expands on her holistic analysis of scenography as comprising space, text, research, art, performers, directors and spectators, to examine the changing nature of scenography in the twenty-first century. The book includes: case studies and anecdotes from Howard's own celebrated career illustrations of her own recent work, in full colour throughout an updated 'world view' of scenography, with definitions from the world's most famous and influential scenographers A direct and personal response to the question of how to define scenography by one of the world's leading practitioners, What is Scenography? continues to shape the work of visual theatremakers throughout the world.
What is Scenography? (Theatre Concepts Ser.)
by Pamela HowardThe third edition of Pamela Howard’s What is Scenography? expands on the author’s holistic analysis of scenography as comprising space, text, research, art, performers, directors and spectators, to examine the changing nature of scenography in the twenty-first century. The book includes new investigations of recent production projects from Howard’s celebrated career, including Carmen and Charlotte: A Tri-Coloured Play with Music, full-colour illustrations of her recent work and updated commentary from a wide spectrum of contemporary theatre makers. This book is suitable for students in Scenography and Theatre Design courses, along with professional theatrical designers.
What Is the Story of Batman? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Michael Burgan Who HQ Jake MurrayWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.His aliases include the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and World's Greatest Detective, but he's best known as Batman, and he's leaping from the night sky onto the page in this fun biography.Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American philanthropist and business owner, and Batman, his crime-fighting alter ego, have been entertaining audiences since 1939. The character was so popular after appearing in Detective Comics that DC Comics decided to give Batman a comic book of his own. In doing so, they created one of the company's most successful franchises.Author Michael Burgan details the history of Batman--from his tragic origin story and his infamous arch enemies--to his iconic depictions in television and movies throughout the years. This book shows readers why this superhero with no superpowers is so beloved around the world.
What Is the Story of Captain Kirk? (What Is the Story Of?)
by M. D. Payne Who HQYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!Journey to deep space and learn how James Tiberius Kirk became one of the greatest space heroes in the Star Trek universe in this addition to the New York Times bestselling series.From appearances in live action and animated television shows, a series of films, comics, video games, and more, James T. Kirk is an established space captain in pop culture. Star Trek remains one of the most popular science-fiction series of all time, and Captain Kirk is one of the most famous and highly decorated captains in the history of Starfleet. As the commanding officer of starships like the U.S.S. Enterprise, viewers follow his adventures through space. But did you know that Kirk wasn't even the show's first Captain? And that the Star Trek series almost didn't happen? Author M. D. Payne takes readers aboard Starfleet starships as Kirk explores new worlds, encounters new villains, and "boldly goes where no man has gone before."
What Is the Story of Captain Picard? (What Is the Story Of?)
by David Stabler Who HQYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library! Climb aboard the starship USS Enterprise and learn how Jean-Luc Picard became one of the most beloved Starfleet members in the Star Trek universe.Star Trek stands as one of the most popular science-fiction series of all time, and Captain Picard is one of its fan-favorite characters thanks to his inspiring quotes and brilliant leadership. As the captain of the starship USS Enterprise, Picard has taken viewers with him on adventures through space for decades. Now, young fans can learn even more about the famous character, including details about his obsessions with Earl Grey tea and Shakespeare.From appearances in live-action and animated television shows, a series of films, comics, video games, and more, Jean-Luc Picard is an established icon in the Star Trek universe and a beloved character across pop-culture channels.Author David Stabler takes readers aboard Starfleet starships as Picard adventures through space, defeats great evils, and inspires hope in us all to believe that "things are only impossible until they're not."
What Is the Story of Doctor Who? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Gabriel P. Cooper Who HQWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.This What Is the Story of? title is out of this universe! Learn the history of the Time Lord, the TARDIS, and the epic battles they've faced across time and space.When Doctor Who began airing on the BBC in 1963, British audiences were introduced to the rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Now, viewers from all over the world are glued to their screens for the mysterious Doctor's intergalactic adventures. But how did this time traveler became such a beloved character? Author Gabriel P. Cooper provides readers with the inside scoop on the Doctor's unique time machine, loyal companions, and diabolical foes. This book, just like the show, is sure to intrigue a new generation of fans.
What Is the Story of Dracula? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Who Hq Michael BurganWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved--and frightening!--characters of our time. Find out how Dracula--a smooth-talking count with a dark secret--became the infamous creature we all know and fear. From appearances in films and animated features to interpretations as a Muppet and breakfast cereal mascot, Dracula has been the inspiration for many other fictional vampires and is now an established figure in pop culture. Created by Bram Stoker in his 1897 Gothic horror novel, Count Dracula is a nobleman who uses his powers as a vampire to dominate his victims. Even though Dracula didn't succeed in the novel, the fictional character has lived on to dominate the real world as one of its most popular supernatural villains. Author Michael Burgan explores Dracula's mysterious origins in the historical figures who might have shaped the character, as well as the films and actors that cemented Dracula's place in cinematic history.
What Is the Story of Godzilla? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Sheila Keenan Who HQWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time. In this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series, young readers will discover the exciting story of one of the world's favorite monsters...Godzilla!In 1954, Godzilla appeared on screen for the first time in a Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda. Awakened by nuclear radiation, the enormous sea monster has appeared in over thirty other films, making Godzilla the longest-running film franchise in history. Known as the "King of the Monsters," Godzilla has earned a huge fanbase worldwide. The dinosaur-like amphibian has been featured alongside friends and foes such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla, in TV shows, books, video games, and more. There is even a Godzilla star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! Learn about the lasting legacy of this iconic character in this nonfiction book for young readers.
What Is the Story of Jurassic World? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Jim Gigliotti Who HQPrepare to be thrilled by an imaginary world where dinosaurs have been brought back to life and roam alongside humans in this Who HQ book all about Jurassic World!Discover the action-packed history of Jurassic World and how dinosaur fans of all ages came to love the series' movies, books, TV shows, and even theme park rides. From the 1990 Michael Crichton novel to the movies still releasing today, young readers will love stepping into this world where dinosaurs rule. The Jurassic World franchise has thrilled fans for decades by building a world where science and adventure meet, raising the question: Could dinosaurs and humans ever really live together?
What Is the Story of Looney Tunes? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Steve Korte Who HQWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.If you're a fan of Acme anvils and know that the question "What's up, Doc?" needs no answer, this history of the cartoon favorites Looney Tunes is for you!In the 1930s, Warner Brothers studios introduced the world to the Looney Tunes. A witty rabbit named Bugs, a stuttering pig named Porky, and an erratic duck named Daffy are just some of the characters that have left audiences hysterically laughing for almost a century. These animated short films, starring some of the most iconic cartoon characters in history, went on to have a second, long life on television.In this book, author Steve Korte details how these toons were imagined, which talented folks were tasked with animating and voicing them, the success the shows and films have garnered over the years, and what lies ahead for Bugs and the gang.
What Is the Story of Scooby-Doo? (What Is the Story Of?)
by M. D. Payne Who HQYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library! Nothing mysterious about it! Learn all about how Scooby and his friends took over Saturday mornings--and then the world--in this debut title in the What Is the Story Of? series.Most kids are familiar with the always-hungry, scaredy-cat Great Dane called Scooby-Doo and his true-blue friends of Mystery Inc. But how did Scooby and the gang make it onto the silver screen? Author M. D. Payne lays out the whole groovy tale in this book that's sure to have readers shouting, "Zoinks!"
What Is the Story of the Mummy? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Sheila Keenan Who HQYour favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!The Mummy joins other classic horror characters Dracula and Frankenstein in our What Is the Story Of? series.Unlike the other classic Universal horror movie monsters of their time, the Mummy's origins can't be found in the pages of a book. His story was inspired by the opening of King Tut's tomb in 1922. The world fell in love with all things Egyptian and was enthralled with stories of ancient mummies. The film producers of the early Dracula and Frankenstein films wasted no time creating a character who's been creeping out of his coffin and entertaining audiences since 1932. Author Sheila Keenan explains the history of the movie and its remakes, the legendary curse of King Tut's mummy, and what lies ahead for this monstrous creature.
What Is the Story of Willy Wonka? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Steve Korte Who HQ#1 New York Times bestselling Who HQ series brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.Grab your golden ticket and learn how Willy Wonka became an internationally popular figure in literature and film.The whimsical, wacky, and wondrous character of Willy Wonka made his first appearance in Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When the fictional factory owner opened up the doors of his company, readers were welcomed into his world of pure imagination...and chocolate! Wonka went on to dazzle a whole new set of fans in the 1971 film that brought Dahl's characters to life. Since then, there have been other movie adaptations, books, musicals, and even theme park rides that bring the world just a little bit closer to this fantastic chocolatier. Learn about the legacy of Wonka in this new book from the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
What Is the Story of The Wizard of Oz? (What Is the Story Of?)
by Kirsten Anderson Who HQWho HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time.We're off to see the Wizard...along with Dorothy, Toto, and all of her friends as they make their way onto the What Is the Story of? list. When L. Frank Baum wrote about the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy and her pet dog in the magical Land of Oz in 1900, he wanted to create a beautiful story based on the America he knew and treasured. But he had no idea his book would become a bestseller and grow into the cultural phenomenon that it is today. After the iconic 1939 film, numerous sequels, retellings, and musicals, it's easy to see why The Wizard of Oz has been called "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale." From Baum's first book through Wicked, the story of The Wizard of Oz is as fascinating as the tale itself.
What is the Theatre?
by Christian Biet Christophe TriauWhat is the Theatre? is one of the most coherent and systematic descriptions and analyses of the theatre yet compiled. Theatre is, above all, spectacle. It is a fleeting performance, delivered by actors and intended for spectators. It is a work of the body, an exercise of voice and gesture addressed to an audience, most often in a specific location and with a unique setting. This entertainment event rests on the delivery of a thing promised and expected – a particular and unique performance witnessed by spectators who have come to the site of the performance for this very reason. To witness theatre is to take into account the performance, but it is also to take into account the printed text as readable object and a written proposition. In this book, Christian Biet and Christophe Triau focus on the practical, theoretical and historical positions that the spectator and the reader have had in relation to the locations that they frequent and the texts that they handle. They adopt two approaches: analysing the spectacle in its theatrical and historical context in an attempt to seek out the principles and paradigms of approaching the theatre experience on one hand, and analysing the dramaturgy of a production in order to establish lines of interpretation and how to read, represent and stage a text, on the other. This approach allows us to better understand the ties that link those who participate in the theatre to the practitioners who create theatrical entertainment.
What is Theatre?: An Introduction and Exploration
by John BrownThis major introductory textbook is from one of the leading educators working in theatre today. What Is Theatre? will make its reader a better playgoer, responding more fully to performance, with a keener appreciation of all the resources of theatre-acting, design, direction, organization, theatre buildings, and audiences. By focusing on the best professional practice and the most helpful learning processes, Dr. Brown shows how to read a play-text and to see and hear its potential for performance. Throughout this book, suggestions are given for student essays and class discussions, to help both instructor and reader to clarify their thoughts on all aspects of theatre-going. While the main focus is on present-day theatre in North America, history is used to illuminate current practice. Theatres in Europe and Asia also feature in the discussion. A view is given of all contributors to performance, with special emphasis placed on actors and the plays they perform. This textbook is not tied to a few specific play-texts, but designed to be effective regardless of which play a student sees or reads. In Part Two, leading practitioners of different generations and cultural backgrounds describe their own work, providing a variety of perspectives on the contemporary theatre. All this is supplemented by nearly 100 black and white and color illustrations from productions, working drawings, and plans. This new text engages its readers in the realities of the theatre; it is up-to-date, comprehensive, and packed with practical advice for understanding how theatre works and how plays come alive in performance. John Russell Brown is professor of Theatre at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has taught at a variety of colleges including New York and Stanford Universities. For 15 years he was an associate director of the National Theatre in London, and he has directed plays in many other theatres including Cincinnati Playhouse, the Empty Space in Seattle, and the Clurman Theatre in New York. Professor Brown has written extensively about theatre, especially about Shakespeare and contemporary theatre. He is editor of The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre.
What Is This Feeling?
by Robby WeberThis joyful romp from Robby Weber, perfect for fans of Jason June and Morgan Matson, follows a boy who will do anything to win his drama club's scavenger hunt in New York City, even if it means teaming up with a tech crew loner…and discovering unexpected sparks between them.Theater star Teddy McGuire is ready for all his dreams to come true. He and his best friend, Annie, have been counting down the days to the end-of-the-year drama club trip to New York City. To make it even more magical, if they can win the annual scavenger hunt, they&’ll get a chance to meet their popstar idol, Benji Keaton.But the universe has other plans: when Annie can&’t go on the trip, Teddy is forced to room with tech crew loner Sebastian, who has no interest in the scavenger hunt—or Teddy—and seems to have a secret agenda of his own.On a larger-than-life adventure across the city, the boys will discover a lot more than what&’s on their checklist, including masquerade mishaps, obstacles of Jurassic proportions, Hollywood starlets, and, most surprisingly of all, sparks beginning to fly between them. In a story about chasing your destiny, Teddy and Sebastian are about to learn the secret to making their own luck.Also by Robby Weber: If You Change Your Mind I Like Me Better