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Erotic Classic Japanese Art In One Book By Phaidon Press

Filed under: Art, Books

This interesting publication is certainly not safe for the family room. Dating back literally hundreds of years, Japan (among other cultures actually) has a history for high quality erotic art. Much of it was produced during the ukiyo-e period that ranged from the 17th - 19th century. The art has a feeling just as you would expect from traditional Japanese art, and much of the work was done by some of their major famous historic artists - such as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Kuniyoshi. Those instead of a large wave, fishing boat, or calm mountain scene, these paintings are are taboo defying images of sexuality and hidden passions from a culture that mostly repressed such thoughts from being publicly discussed. The images here are "safe for all eyes," but not that the majority of these works are for adults only. This is old-world Japan hentai - a sexually charged art style popular in Japan today.

This classic art (known as Shunga, or "spring images") and stories from this era were contained in "pillow books." Pillow books had a variety of purposes similar to what we would use such imagery today - to inform, entertain, and of course arouse. The difference is the quality of the work being on par with the era's finest paintings and other master works. Shunga works were mostly originally done on wood, and are great collector's item all over the world. In the upcoming publication Poem of the Pillow and Other Great Stories: Erotic Japanese Art by Utamaro, Hokusai, Kuniyoshi and other artists of the Floating World, by Phaidon Press, much of this famous art is collected in one source. The book will have 350 full color images done in Phaidon's typical high quality style. The 384 page, beautifully presented book will be available soon and comes with a large erotic scene image by Utamaro that can be framed. Price is just $49.95 and available in June.

Gallery: Erotic Classic Japanese Art In One Book By Phaidon Press

Tags: book, erotic, gian carlo calza, GianCarloCalza, hokusai, japan, japanese, phaidon, poem of the pillow, PoemOfThePillow, shunga, utamaro

Phaidon Atlas Of 21st Century World Architecture Book Makes Ideal Gift

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Books

Some people are hard to shop for, or alternatively you don't know someone well enough to get them something they really like. Then you have the added pressure of the Holiday season closely coming to its apex, and you are left stressing about what to get for those important people in your life. Usually the idea of a book doesn't get ones juices flowing as the idea of an exciting gift, but that isn't always the case. Here you have just one good example, of a world of image-rich publications that make a stunning presentation, and provide hours of interest. It is hard to go wrong.

This book is the Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture from Phaidon Press. Call it a coffee table book, but it is one that people will want to look through a lot. The big book is about 20 lbs and 800 pages of pictures and detail rich content that is perfect for anyone with even a mild interest in architecture. I can't put the book down - each full page is dedicated to a specific structure, complete with technical layouts, photographs, and discussions of the building function, design, and about the architect. Structures include single family homes to massive complexes. Further, the book is arranged into color-coded sections by continent. That makes it easy to see the differences in architecture by region as well as culture.

Remember that the Atlas contains new buildings, all from the 21st century. You really get an incredible survey of how varied modern architecture really is. In addition to this publication, Phaidon produces a range of topical publications that would likely suit just about anyone, of any age or interest type. A great gift or for yourself. I just got too excited about this book not to blog about it. Retail price is $195, available direct from Phaidon.

Tags: architecture, atlas of 21st century architecture, AtlasOf21stCenturyArchitecture, book, gift, phaidon