The first being, Picasso: Peace and Freedom by Lynda Morris and Christopher Grunenberg (£35 hardback/ £24.99 paperback).

The second tome is called The Picasso Book by Neil Cox and is priced at £17.99.

Both publications are available at most bookshops or order on line from either Amazon or the Tate Shop.

Since it was founded in 1976 Art Monthly has consistently published interviews with leading contemporary artists. The interviews collected in this book offer unique insights into the thought processes and working practices of artists.

From Russian Constructivists of the 1920s to Turner Prize winners, this collection of interviews constitutes an entertaining and alternative history of 20th-century art written in the first person. Essential Reading.

Contributors include: Naum Gabo, Clement Greenberg, Victor Pasmore, Robert Motherwell, Agnes Martin, Anthony Caro, Brice Marden, Alan Charlton, Frank Stella, Carl Andre, Sol LeWitt, John Baldessari, Hanne Darboven, Hans Haacke, Richard Serra, Daniel Buren, Dan Graham, Michael Snow, Gilbert & George, David Tremlett, Jasper Johns, George Segal, Claes Oldenburg, Mark Boyle, Gustav Metzger, Ed Ruscha, Patrick Caulfield, Richard Hamilton, David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, RB Kitaj, Ilya Kabakov, Leon Golub, Joseph Beuys, Stephen Willats, Barbara Kruger, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Jeff Wall, Liam Gillick, Richard Deacon, Anish Kapoor, Bill Woodrow, Sophie Calle, Gary Hill, Jimmie Durham, Thomas Struth, Willie Doherty, Mark Wallinger, Anya Gallaccio, Steve McQueen, Douglas Gordon, Tacita Dean, Simon Patterson, Angela Bulloch, Mike Nelson

A series of live interviews at Tate Modern has been organised in conjunction with the publication of this book. See http://www.artmonthly.co.uk/events.htm for more information

edited by Patricia Bickers and Andrew Wilson
essay by Iwona Blazwick
introduction by Patricia Bickers

Orders through Cornerhouse
Telephone:+44 (0) 161 200 1501
www.cornerhouse.org
£19.95; 608pp; paperback
Co-published by Ridinghouse and Art Monthly
ISBN 978-1-905464-04-3

Text Source: ArtMonthly

A series of questions are put by Sara to the gallerists in order that the interviewer and the reader, can develop an expanding knowledge of how contemporary art is evaluated in the market place.

Available at the Tate Modern & ICA bookshops and priced at just £10.00, 12 Gallerists: 20 Questions provides an invaluable and honest insight for any art student, amateur and professional alike, into the real workings of London’s Contemporary Art world.  Well worth the read.

“Who values art? How is it valued? Who buys it? Who do gallerists sell to and how are prices decided upon? How are artists selected and how do they make the transition from art school, to the marketplace, to the museum? What’s the difference between the primary and secondary market? What types of gallery spaces exist and where does an artist start?” Sara Rowles

Click on ‘ARTICLE’ for a full interview on Sara.

Don’t forget, not only does Art Reviews’ Power 100 Issue come out next week at Frieze Art Fair, but next month the equally important Collectors Issue is released with everything you need to know about collecting art.  Ask your newsagent to save you a copy!

All Images © Norman Parkinson Ltd

Legendary British fashion photographer Norman Parkinson, CBE (1913 – 1990) is being celebrated in two ways this month; firstly with the launch of a new monograph by Louise Baring entitled ‘Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour‘.

Published by Rizzoli in October and with contributions by Grace Coddington and Jerry Hall, this book gives a wonderful view of his career spanning over 50 years.

Then to celebrate the publication of the book, a selection of portraits from the Norman Parkinson archive will be displayed at Somerset House, London from 9 October 2009 – 31 January 2010.

Norman Parkinson or ‘Parks’ as he preferred to be called, is quite simply one of my favorite photographers who revolutionised the world of British fashion photography in the 1940′s by creating pictures that were entirely different from anything that had come before him.

Parkinson’s images were modern, often humorous and spontaneous. He was one of the first photographers to bring his models from the rigid studio environment into a far more dynamic outdoor setting. He encouraged them to move naturallyand liked his girls to be active, jump and be full of life.

It was through this vivacity and his creative use of outdoor locations, that his work became famous. He was so influential, he also ‘made’ models such as Jerry Hall, Celia Hammond, Carmen Dell’ Orefice and Wenda Rogerson, who later became not only his muse, but his wife (see image below).

It wasn’t just his impulsive and unstructured style to photography that made him stand out – his persona played a big part in his celebrity. He was always professional,  had impeccable manners and charmed his subjects with his eccentricities. Since he was 6 ft 5 inches tall, he was unable to remain unobtrusive behind the lens of his camera, so he created this flamboyant personality who often wore a Kashmiri wedding hat while taking photographs, to reassure and disarm any uneasy sitters he had.

 Norman Parkinson, self portraits

Biography

Norman Parkinson began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd. In 1934 he opened his own studio together with Norman Kibblewhite specialising in portraiture. In 1935 he had his first solo exhibition that included portraits of Vivien Leigh and Noel Coward after which Parkinson was recruited by Harper’s Bazaar and The Bystander magazines to take editorial and reportage photographs.

After the war he was employed as a portrait and fashion photographer for Vogue magazine and worked for them right up until 1960 when his contract was terminated over after a dispute regarding ownership over negatives of photographs commissioned for its magazine.

He was then recruited as Associate Editor of Queen magazine (the most influential fashion and features magazine of the early 1960s), before moving to Tobago with his family in 1963 to live in tax exile. He frequently returned to London and travelled around the world to fulfill the assignments required by Queen magazine, however when his contract with them ended he began to freelance for Life Magazine and others until his death at the age of 75.

Norman Parkinson was one of the first fashion photographers to enjoy personal celebrity worldwide recognition. He was not just much-loved with the fashion pack, but was also admired and adored by the British Royal family. 

He took the first official photographs of Prince Charles at his investiture as Prince of Wales. A favourite of Princess Anne, he photographed her on her horse in Windsor Great Park, and took official portraits for her 19^th and 21^st birthday’s as well as the official engagement and wedding portraits of her and Captain Mark Phillips.

He also took portraits for Queen Mothers 75^th and 80^th birthday’s, including the ‘Blue Trinity’ portrait of the Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.

Part of Parkinson’s success, is that he reinvented himself for each of the seven decades of his career, continually dazzling the world with his sparkling inventiveness as a photographer.

This timely book, ‘Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour‘ illustrates his unrivalled portfolio containing photographs of many of the greatest icons of the twentieth century as well as some of the world’s most beautiful women. Shining through his work is Parkinson’s inimitable wit and style, and his unique eye for glamour and beauty.

www.normanparkinson.com

For those who love Books…

All the big art publishing houses such as Phaidon, Thames & Hudson, Phaidon, Koenig, Four Corners Books and about 80 others, will be exhibiting at a new art book fair launching in London in September.

The London Art Book Fair is designed by a team led by Alasdair Willis from Established & Sons and will take place at the newly expanded Whitechapel Gallery. Publishers, distributors, rare book dealers, galleries and small presses have all gathered together for this inaugural fair that offers a wide programme of talks, events and classes combined with book signings by authors and artists.

An exhibition by the Ivory Press created especially for the fair can be found in one of the top floor galleries. Stunning, large format, hand made publications are on display by artists such as Eduardo Chillida, Sir Anthony Caro and Anish Kapoor amongst others.

There will also be a chance to buy a wide selection of art books at fantastic discounted prices.

Gallery director Iwona Blazwick says: “London is the thriving centre of the art world, and the new London Art Book Fair is the chance to exchange and read about the latest ideas, as well as an unmissable opportunity to buy the most beautiful art publications.”

The London Art Book Fair runs from 25 – 27 September, 2009

One of the most important issues of the year, ArtReview magazine’s annual POWER 100 will be on sale at Frieze Art fair from Wednesday 15 October.

‘The art world’s equivalent to the Forbes 100′ – Reuters

“Now in its seventh year, the Power 100 assesses the big names in the artworld at a time when contemporary art’s appeal has never been greater – and the stakes have never been higher.

The ArtReview Power 100 looks at the artworld not according to what it shows, but who it is. The list is a highly visible barometer in an otherwise opaque industry, letting you know who’s deciding what you see, and telling you a little about why.”

The V&A is the world’s greatest museum of art and design. For the past 150 years its collection has been an inspiring resource for designers, reflecting a breadth and depth that represents over 3,000 years of artefacts from all over the world.

V&A’s Publishing department produces between 15 to 20 books per year under the V&A imprint and its popular art and design titles have world wide distribution.

This limited edition box set on pattern is priced at £30.00 and contains the first four titles in a new series of patterns books. Beautifully designed, accessible and informative, the box set is a respository of ideas for designers of all kinds but also a collectable object in itself. Commercial designers looking to license patterns can use these books as a starting point for research. Each book includes a CD of all the images contained within – to be redrawn or reworked.

The first four titles contained in this box set are William Morris, Digital Pioneers, Indian Florals and The Fifties. Carefully branded to draw on the Victoria and Albert Museum’s pre-eminent status, the series will encourage you to collect the entire range.

FORMAT: Hardback with slipcase
PAGES: Each book – 80 pages
ISBN NUMBER: 9781851775903

Every September, Menstyle, the publishers of French magazine AD Collector (Architectural Digest), create a one-off special design issue enabling style enthusiasts to better understand up and coming design fads and styles.

Gathered in 252 pages, this edition lists 421 designer trends and with images of over 1000 design pieces – essential for anyone wishing to be informed on the current design movements.

Available from news stands now.