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Art & Culture

Culture and art is many things and at Tales you find a wide selection of art and culture books. If you enjoy a trip to the museum or an evening at the theatre this is the place for you. If you are more into architecture or a well written song, fear not you also find books about that. Lastly design and fashion is also part of our art and culture selection, so what are you waiting for? Set your inner creativity free and get inspired by some of the world’s best artists, musicians, designers or architects.
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  • by Clarence Ellis
    £8.99

    Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating. A handy illustrated guide to identifying pebbles is included on the reverse of this book jacket

  • - 130 Ways to Make the Most of Your Fujifilm X Series Camera
    by Rico Pfirstinge
    £21.99

    In this book, X-Pert Corner columnist and workshop mentor Rico Pfirstinger teaches you all about the capabilities of the Fujifilm X series lineup of cameras, which he's discovered through years of in-depth research, experience, and experimentation. No matter which X series camera you own-whether it be the X-T3, X-H1, X-T2, X-Pro2, X100F, X-T20, X-E3, GFX, or any other Fuji X series camera-Rico cuts to the chase and provides a plethora of tips and practical instructions not found in user manuals or anywhere else. With this knowledge, you will be able to take full advantage of your X series camera.The Fujifilm X series boasts amazing features, but some users may require an adjustment period if they are new to these cameras-even photographers who have been lifetime DSLR shooters. This guide will help you to quickly feel comfortable using your camera so that you can achieve excellent results. Rico reveals many hidden features, functions, and procedures, so photographers of every level-beginners, enthusiasts, and experienced pros-will learn new and better ways to use their Fuji X series camera to its full potential. Beyond beneficial practices for all X series shooters, Rico also covers advanced concepts, such as the capabilities of Fujifilm's ISOless sensors with Dual Conversion Gain, and offers solutions for common issues, such as inaccurate focus or RAW conversion artifacts.Topics covered include:. Firmware upgrades, lens issues, OIS and IBIS. Menus shortcuts, Custom Settings, My Menu, Quick Menu, and Fn buttons. Mirrorless exposure metering. Maximizing dynamic range. ISOless photography. Autofocus settings, challenges, and strategies. Film simulations, white balance, and JPEG settings. RAW conversion (internal and external). Flash photography. And much more...

  • - Sew 12 Beautiful Bags and 12 Matching Purses
    by Debbie Shore
    £9.99

    Sew 12 gorgeous bags and 12 matching purses with this stylish, easy-to-use book

  • - A Career Guide for Writers
    by Chris Foxon
    £11.99

    This straightforward and accessible book discusses the opportunities and pitfalls of life as a playwright. Whether you're an aspiring writer wondering how to break into the industry, or a working playwright looking to land bigger commissions, this is your insider road map to navigating the world of professional theatre.

  • by Jerry Schatzberg
    £31.99

  • - Shifting Hollywood Terrain
    by Joi Carr
    £37.49 - 67.49

    This book explores John Singleton's cinematic voice and helps explicate his propensity for the folk elements in his work (the oral tradition and lore).

  • by Simon Wood
    £35.49

    The first and only publication of its kind, Sneaker Freaker has been at the forefront of the global sneaker scene for nearly two decades. With over 650 redesigned pages, fresh photography, insane historical detail, and otaku-level minutiae, this monster anthology combines the magazine's finest and content created exclusively for TASCHEN into...

  • by Charlotte Cotton
    £80.49

    Jump into the megawatt world of Mert and Marcus, the creative tour de force who have styled and shot some of the most powerful brands and personalities of our time, from Miu Miu to Angelina Jolie, Givenchy to Gisele Bundchen. Sourced from our best-selling Collector's Edition, some 300 pictures illuminate the hyper-glamorous, hyper-glossy...

  • - mini format
    by Phaidon Editors
    £23.99

    The bestselling visual biography of one of the twentieth century's most innovative, influential artists

  • - Adapting the Sublime
    by Elisa Pezzotta
    £28.49 - 83.49

    Although Stanley Kubrick adapted novels and short stories, his films deviate in notable ways from the source material. In particular, since 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), his films seem to definitively exploit all cinematic techniques, embodying a compelling visual and aural experience. But, as author Elisa Pezzotta contends, it is for these reasons that his cinema becomes the supreme embodiment of the sublime, fruitful encounter between the two arts and, simultaneously, of their independence. Stanley Kubrick's last six adaptations-2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999)-are characterized by certain structural and stylistic patterns. These features help to draw conclusions about the role of Kubrick in the history of cinema, about his role as an adapter, and, more generally, about the art of cinematic adaptations. The structural and stylistic patterns that characterize Kubrick adaptations seem to criticize scientific reasoning, causality, and traditional semantics. In the history of cinema, Kubrick can be considered a modernist auteur. In particular, he can be regarded as an heir of the modernist avant-garde of the 1920s. However, author Elisa Pezzotta concludes that, unlike his predecessors, Kubrick creates a cinema not only centered on the ontology of the medium, but on the staging of sublime, new experiences.

  • - The Art of the Movie
    by Ramin Zahed
    £25.49

    Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an enthralling book penned by the talented Ramin Zahed. Published by Titan Books Ltd in 2018, this captivating read falls under the genre of science fiction. The book takes readers on an exhilarating journey, introducing them to a new universe and a different version of Spider-Man that they've never seen before. Zahed's storytelling prowess is evident in his compelling portrayal of the Spider-Verse, making this book a must-read for all Spider-Man enthusiasts. With a unique narrative style and an intriguing plot, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a testament to Zahed's creativity and imagination. Titan Books Ltd takes pride in bringing this masterpiece to the bookshelves.

  • - Manchester and Salford in the 1960s
    by Shirley Baker
    £16.49

    Compelling street photography from Manchester and Salford during the slum clearances of the 60s

  • - ; Ouvrage Precede d'Un Cours Elementaire de Geometrie
    by Guillaume Compaing
    £14.49

    WORK IS IN FRENCH This book is a reproduction of a work published before 1920 and is part of a collection of books reprinted and edited by Hachette Livre, in the framework of a partnership with the National Library of France, providing the opportunity to access old and often rare books from the BnF's heritage funds.

  • - Commentaires Et Compositions de Alphonse Mucha
    by Alfons Mucha
    £11.49

  • by Kreitim Aftim
    £10.49

    Author looks back on his lengthy career working for the BBC.

  • - A Counting Book for Bengali Kids
    by Aruna K Hatti
    £15.49

  • by Otto Dix
    £23.49

    Otto Dix (1891–1969) is considered one of the true lions of 20th-C art, a man who established himself as an uncompromising artist that refused to temper how he rendered the realities that he witnessed. Dix’s early works often depict the true brutalities of the WWI battlefields and trenches he served in for over three years, as well as the decadent underworld of 1920s Berlin.  With the publication of this first of three volumes of an extensive selection of letters, the most comprehensive collection of Otto Dix texts at last comes into print in English. Encompassing well over 1,000 letters, and ranging from friends and family to other artists, collectors, colleagues, critics & biographers, the letters offer a personal portrait of six decades of the 20th C. Dix himself was a controversial figure throughout his life, and while he claimed never to write self-testimonials, the artist had much to say about the widest range of subjects in his private correspondence. Therein, we discover much about a figure who exhibited a gruff, often abrasive persona to many, a man who depicted war with unrepentant brutality yet who could at the same time pen the most romantic, schmaltzy letters to his wife and sketch amusing caricatures to his daughter.   Following his experiences throughout WWI, Dix immediately took up with the dadaists in Dresden in 1919 and became an established figure as part of the Sezession. A few years later, after his first portrait commission in Dusseldorf in 1922, Dix met his future wife, Martha, with whom he would go on to raise three children, and who is one of the principle correspondents in this volume of letters. Some of his most significant work was produced in the 1920s, including his powerful Krieg (War) portfolio, for which the Nazis branded him a “degenerate artist” and forced him to resign his professorship in 1933. Condemned to internal exile, Dix thereafter resided in Hemmenhofen, in the extreme southwest part of Germany. Twelve years later, he would suffer further indignities from the Nazis when ordered to join the Volkssturm in 1945. Dix ended up in a prisoner-of-war camp, again a survivor of a second harrowing cataclysm. After his release, from 1946 onwards, the painter lived between East and West Germany, never truly at home in either ideologically, yet he remained prolific, continuing to produce art until the end of his life, having lived through two World Wars as well as the “Cold War.” This first volume covers the period 1904–1927 and the heart of it is a selection of Dix’s postcards from the WWI front written to his school friend in Dresden, Helene Jakob, a form of artistic reportage of uncanny power. Recipient of the Die schönsten Deutschen Bücher shortlist in 2014, Dix’s letters will prove to be of considerable interest to art historians, scholars of Expressionism, and aficionados of Dix, all of whom will encounter the artist as never before.

  • by John French
    £12.99

  • by Alexander S White
    £26.49

  • by Francesc Zamora
    £15.49

    Discover the latest innovations in tiny space design in this lush compendium in the 150 Best series, showcasing 150 full-color profiles.As the price of large residences have become increasingly out of reach for many people, aspiring home owners have begun to think smaller. 150 Best Tiny Space Ideas is an exciting overview of the smallest living space designs— architectural and decorating trends that combine to make dwellings under 450 square feet feel welcoming and expansive. All the projects featured in this handsome reference were created by internationally renowned architects and designers who have achieved practical, innovative, and stunning solutions adapted to the specific needs and tastes of their clients.Encompassing current trends in small space design, this latest volume in the highly successful 150 Best offers the work of international visionaries who have created and transformed a range of accommodations, from a micro-apartment in Taipei City to a silo in Phoenix to an island shack in British Columbia.Filled with black-and-white and four-color photos throughout, 150 Best Tiny Space Ideas is an inspirational resource for designers, interior decorators, and architects, as well homeowners interested in creating warm and truly livable homes regardless of space limitations.

  • - Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages
    by Jack Hartnell
    £11.99

  • - 1714-1830
    by Ginny Redington Dawes
    £31.99

    Georgian Jewellery is a celebration of the style and excellence of the eighteenth century, and of the ingenuity that produced such a wealth of fabulous jewellery.

  • - Using Watercolours, Acrylics and Oils
    by Jeremy Galton, Nick Harris, Jill Mirza & et al.
    £18.99

    A small practical handbook on choosing and mixing colours successfully. It shows how to create the maximum colour range from the minimum number of paints. The authors address watercolours, acrylics and oils, showing how to mix, blend and dilute in order to achieve a range of effects.

  • - 35 Contemporary Projects for Garden Furniture & Accessories
    by Hester van Overbeek
    £11.99

    Create cool and contemporary garden furniture and accessories with 35 simple projects using pallet wood.

  •  
    £12.49

    Adagio in G minor Thomaso Albinoni Chord Left Agnes Obel Dreaming Robert Schumann Faiths Song Lawrence Love Greed Flora Henrik Lindstrand Gymnopedie No.3 Erik Satie Inizio Ludovico Einaudi Last Song Alexis Ffrench Mandus Jessica Curry Mass Re-Imagined Phoria Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence Ryuichi Sakamoto New Moon The Meadow Alexandre Desplat Petrichor Keaton Henson The Tearjerker Returns Chilly Gonzales Throes Half Moon Run Variations on the Kanon George Winston What We Are Anne Lovett Written On The Sky Max Richter...and many more.

  • by Ruby Wax
    £10.99

    The autumn 2002 publication of Ruby Wax's memoirs was greeted with shock - and delighted acclaim. In the tradition of the best memoirs, such as The Moon's a Balloon and Billy, Ruby Wax revealed, surprised and captured the public more than was ever predicted.

  • - The Official Story of Glastonbury Festival
    by Emily Eavis
    £21.99

    Title: Glastonbury 50, Author: Emily Eavis, Publication Year: 2019-10-31, Publisher: Orion Publishing Co, Language: eng

  • by Studio MDHR
    £33.99

    Get transported back to the golden age of 1930s animation with an art book celebrating the acclaimed run & gun game, Cuphead!Each page of this curated collection of artwork is designed to capture the vintage look and feel of the 1930''s. Take a gander at the game''s traditional hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation. Peek at the early concepts, production work, and early ideas that went into the making of Cuphead''s characters, bosses, stages and more including never-before-seen content from the upcoming DLC! Relive the most cherished and challenging moments of Cuphead and Mugman''s adventure to reclaim their souls from The Devil, all in a way you''ve never seen before! Guided by personal insights from game directors Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, take a one-of-a-kind trip through the Inkwell Isles and discover an all-new appreciation for Cuphead''s animation style and challenging retro gameplay.Dark Horse Books and Studio MDHR are thrilled to present The Art of Cuphead! This vintage-style art extravaganza is the perfect book for fans of Cuphead!

  • - An Instagrammer's Edinburgh
    by Shawna Law
    £15.49

    A love letter to Edinburgh, in words and photos. Seen through the distinctive lens of leading instagrammer Shawna Law, Pockets of Pretty showcases the majestic and secluded gems that make the city special.

  • by Michelle Rial
    £9.49

    The "how do I become an adult?" is your not-too-serious answers to all the questions you are probably overthinking.

Culture
What defines culture you might ask? The answer is culture is what defines you. It is what makes us humans human and differentiate us from all other species on the planet. Art and culture is what we share with others, whether it is so called high culture or pop culture. High culture is typically associated with the ‘finer’, classical art forms such as opera, classical music, visual art, ballet and plays. Works that often have a certain age and artistic acknowledgement begin it, but fine culture is also sometimes seen as “high-brow” and not something everyone can understand and that’s sad, because culture and cultural books are for everyone no matter the kind. On the other end of the spectrum we have pop culture that typically is associated with more modern, popular and mainstream forms of culture. It can be pop music, cartoons or big blockbuster movies. We have cultural books from each side of the spectrum, but the best thing is that a change between the two concepts is coming and people are more open about mixing high culture and pop culture, because they are not that different at all. The most important thing about culture is that it connects us and is part of who we are. It can create communities and friendships, but also let us reflect upon ourselves. You can get wiser on that topic in some of our selection’s culture books. 

Art
In our selection you find some of the finest art books featuring some of the greatest artists in history and now. Art is a very important part of our culture. In art you have the possibility of getting engrossed in a wonderful painting, a provocative sculpture, a brilliant play or a beautiful ballet. 
In art you can get lost in the most wonderful stories and themes and identify yourself with someone who doesn’t necessarily look and act like you. By experiencing that you improve your ability of empathy. At the same time you can learn about yourself through art and art books especially when it comes to feelings that can be difficult to describe. In art the themes and problematics are universal and that’s why we feel recognized when experiencing a play, listening to a symphony, studying a great painting or reading a good art book. The art books are best enjoyed in a relaxed setting giving the art room to speak. 
Another beautiful thing about art is that it needs interpretation. When a person meets a well painted painting, a classical sculpture, or a provocative installation it makes us reflect about what it means, and what the art will tell us about society, life or yourself. Everyone can get something different out of a good artwork, because it speaks directly to you and functions as a dialog, where you will have to finish the sentence with your interpretation taking our own life and experiences into the artwork.
We also have a lot of artist books. One of the most talented and popular artists right now are the world famous Dane Vilhelm Hammershøi. Hammershøi has a very significant way of painting giving voice to the melankolic side of the world and of us humans. The painter is famous for his artworks of especially white doors in his apartment in Copenhagen. In the paintings Hammershøi plays with light and shadow in a brilliant way giving room to both sides, which also could be seen as a reflection of life that contains both. The motive also makes the art watcher wonder what is on the other side of the doors or corridors making them compose a continuation of the painting. You can read about Hammershøi in an European context in the artist book Hammershoi and Europe

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