Arts, Architecture & Design Books

Housing in Australia is currently in a period of rapid change, even crisis, due to increasing environmental consciousness, demographic movements, affordability pressures, and new technologies in the building industry, in the workplace and in the house...

In the early days we did painting. Cultural way. For ourselves.Then on the mission Sister Alice was working with the young men and women, like Gracie Green and Matthew Gill. We did a lot of landscapes at the start. Then after that people did a lot of...

Between 2012 and 2019 Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis, Inge Kral and Jennifer Green worked together to make an enduring record of endangered verbal arts in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands communities of Western Australia. They filmed traditional Ngaanyatjarra...

University campuses are now a fixture of practically every major city in Australia but often go under-appreciated as built environments. This collaborative history sheds light on the origins and evolution of campus design from the Second World War to...

Unhallowed Arts is part of a series of events and publications organised by SymbioticA to commemorate the bicentenary of Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley's Frankenstein, or The Modern prometheus.  The book contributes to the legacy...

When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948, photography was considered a 'universal language' that would communicate across barriers of race and language. 70...

'It's a bit of a haven. It's a paradise for sure. Close to utopia for me.' - Abbe MayFreo Groove is a window into the world of Fremantle musicians and the vibrant musical culture that has built up over generations.From blues musician Dave Brewer, The Jam...

Told in the artist's own words via a series of interviews, this revealing biography of Helen Grey-Smith examines the dignified artist's fascinating life. In this book author Gwen Phillips gives us the rare opportunity to listen to an artist speaking...

In a rush of remembrance that seemed longer than my own life, I recognised that was who we are, that there was a term for it, for our family Aboriginal. At that point I began the long process of trying to understand what had happened that we had almost...

This exquisite art book contains the precious story and transformative work of celebrated artists now living in an aged care facility in Ngaanyatjarra country, a remote and isolated community that is the centre of their abundant world amongst ancient...

Left stranded in a tree by his wife, a Noongar man has to rely on his Wadjela friend to help him back down. Yira Boornak Nyininy is a story of forgiveness and friendship.This story comes from the wise and ancient language of the First People of the...

A man goes hunting for some tucker with a pack of dogs, but he doesn't get what he expected... Dwoort Baal Kaat is the story of how two different animals are related to one another.This story comes from the wise and ancient language of the First People...

Mamang was created as part of an Indigenous language recovery project led by Kim Scott and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project. From a creation story told to the American linguist Gerhardt Laves at Albany, Western Australia, around 1931 and...

Noongar Mambara Bakitj was created as part of an Indigenous language recovery project led by Kim Scott and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project. Inspired by a creation story told to the American linguist Gerhardt Laves at Albany, Western...

Feather and Brush traces the history of bird art in Australia - from the simple engravings illustrating accounts of the earliest European voyages of discovery to the diversity of artwork available today. It explores the early European approach, in which...

Who could resist a little dab of colour here and there? Two curious curlews discover a stash of paints and brushes. An adorable case of Australian birds introduce readers to the joy of colours and colour mixing.

This gorgeous collection of photographs, accompanied by extended captions and insightful interviews, is a visual celebration of the New Zealand farmer and the landscape in which they live and work. It tells the stories of the people who are the backbone...

As soon as war broke out in September 1939, the conflict at sea began. It raged without respite until the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan just under six years later. World War Two at Sea highlights the key moments in this absorbing story,...

This stunning insight into the micro world of the minibeasts reveals the critical roles these true rulers of our world play in our future survival. Simply put, without the invertebrates (insects) and other tiny critters, humans would not survive. While...

Illuminating Wisdom brings art and wisdom together in a beautiful celebration of some of the world’s most inspiring philosophical, spiritual and literary quotes. Approximately 80 quotes have been drawn from some of the great wisdom and literary...

Introducing 50 of the world's most magnificent trees for travellers and nature lovers to enjoy from the comfort of an armchair or to seek and behold in the wild.Whether taking in the beautiful cherry blossoms of Japan or a beech forest's seasonal hues in...

This beautiful and inspiring book is an authoritative and timely account of our planet’s natural wonders, explaining how and why our bodies and brains benefit from being in nature, as well as the importance of valuing and protecting them for future...

Revealing the best of Lonely Planet’s travel photography from across the globe, this pictorial does more than display beautiful photographs of classic scenes and locations. Our photographers – in their words – share the backstories of how they got the...

Extraordinary? You bet. Elusive? Not quite. From Antarctica and the Amazon to Victoria Falls and the Great Wall of China, Lonely Planet reveals 101 spectacular sights and how to see them on any budget. Inspiring and practical, with expert advice on how...

Experience 60 of the world's greatest adventures on water - from sailing the Nile by felucca and cruising the Canadian Arctic, to exploring Pitcairn Island by cargo ship. With detailed accounts of each route, beautiful photos and practical tips on how to...

Delve inside the myriad landscapes of Japan with this stunning collection of photographs and discover the nation's extraordinary diversity of places, people and experiences - from moments in awe-inspiring cities to quiet escapes in remote, exotic corners...

Immerse yourself in Australia with this stunning collection of photographs and discover the nation's extraordinary range of landscapes and environments, cultures, creatures and people - from world-famous wineries and white-sand beaches to buzzing cities...

Sharpen your skills and your pictures with this updated edition of Lonely Planet's bestselling Best Ever Photography Tips . Featuring 45 practical tips and ten golden rules from award-winning travel photographer Richard I'Anson, it's packed with insight...

Reflections on a Surprising Universe takes the reader beyond the headlines of the latest scientific breakthroughs, translating complicated topics into an understandable narrative. It covers a wide array of scientific developments in clear and concise...

In Kitchen Witchcraft: Crystal Magic, best-selling author Rachel Patterson looks at some of the more commonly available crystals and presents them in a magical light! Combining an extensive reference section along with topics such as how to work with...

The Hidden Goddess delves into the Bible to uncover the goddesses that have been buried within it. As well as discussing familiar figures such as Eve and Mary, the book also features Asherah, Sophia, Lilith, and others, exploring their histories, their...

In virtually every system of spirituality the world has ever known, sound has been considered a direct link between humanity and the divine. The ancient mystery schools all taught their students the use of sound as a creative and healing force. Now,...

William Morris viewed his patterns as both an art form and a means of social commentary. In response to the industrial designs and manufacturing of the Machine Age, he created wallpapers and fabrics that boasted natural floral motifs and handmade...

Despite the rise of industrial manufacturing, William Morris believed in craftsmanship. Along with other leading painters, Morris founded what would become Morris & Company, producing decorative textiles and furnishings in a way that intimately linked...

William Giles (1872–1939) is widely considered to be one of the most important and innovative British color printmakers of the early 20th century. He focused on the Japanese woodcut relief method, a technique new to the Western world at the time. With...

Vincent van Gogh is considered a tragic figure—struggling against madness, in and out of mental hospitals—yet he created works of genius. Shimmering with light and color, saturated with the intensity of his vision, they resound throughout the world of...

Make a lasting statement with this keepsake box of notecards, featuring an assortment of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. Van Gogh was a prolific artist. He created over 2,000 works, from quick sketches to intricate oil paintings. He devoted his life to art...

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) The Starry Night, 1889 A swirling starlit sky over a peaceful, timeless landscape—Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is among the world’s most immediately recognized works of art. The energetic impasto of his...

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) The Night Café (Le café de nuit), 1888 Vincent van Gogh often rejected the naturalism of Impressionism in favor of bold, intense colors that conveyed emotion. The Night Café portrays a scene just past midnight, with...

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) Irises, May 1889 Though intensely driven, van Gogh was a deeply thoughtful artist who had the respect of his Impressionist peers. His images convey the earthy, spiritual joy he took in his surroundings, and to see the...

Using black ink pens and colored pencils, American artist and illustrator Tim Jeffs has created a kaleidoscope of chameleons—part of his veritable ink zoo of intricately drawn animals. He begins each drawing with extensive research into the given...

In 1896, Kate Cranston, the pioneer of Glasgow tea rooms in the late nineteenth century, commissioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh—who would become one of the Western worlds’ most renowned designers—to design her tea rooms, and over the next two decades he...

Spirit, as Robert Bissell says, is nearly impossible to describe. It’s full of magic and mystery, and you can find it only when you allow yourself to experience it firsthand—something best done in the natural world. Zoomorphism—using animals to show us...

Wide-open spaces, the seasonal textures of land and sky, and clouds as you have never seen them before. In Steve and Bonnie Harmston’s serigraphs, the sky’s the limit and the clouds are fantastic. Using simple shapes and knock-your-socks-off color, each...

One summer morning, Georgia O’Keeffe’s friend Maggie arrived at the artist’s New Mexico home with the flower that inspired this painting. Once the canvas was finished, O’Keeffe traded the sunflower—the model, not the painting—to Maggie’s young nephew for...