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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 Sheila Rock
    £18.99

    Statement of responsibility from colophon.

  • by Patrick Pfeiffer
    £15.49

    Learn to play bass guitar quickly and easily with this guide and bonus interactive CD!The bass guitar is utilized in almost every single genre of music-rock, classical, jazz, metal, funk, and country just to name a few. Bass Guitar Exercises For Dummies provides bassists an opportunity to dabble with all these styles and more.

  • - The Famous Twenty-Six in Pure Black and White
    by William Nicholson
    £12.49

  • by Jessica Hundley
    £20.99

    Trace the hidden history of Tarot in the first volume from TASCHEN's Library of Esoterica, a series documenting the creative ways we strive to connect to the divine. Artfully arranged according to the sequencing of the Major and Minor Arcana, this visual compendium gathers more than 500 cards and works of original art from around the world in...

  • by Jamie Hewlett
    £18.99

    This special edition updates Jamie Hewlett's first-ever monograph with around 30 brand new pieces. Through stories, characters, strips, and sketches from the Tank Girl era through Gorillaz and up to the present day, we trace Hewlett's exceptional capacity for invention and celebrate a polymath artist who refuses to rest on his laurels.

  • - LOVE coloring books for adults Vintage grayscale colring book
    by Attic Love
    £7.99

    VINTAGE VALENTINES DAY coloring books for adults The designs in this GRAYSCALE vintage coloring book are suitable for all skill levels Unique gift idea for family and friends for valentines day or any other day Big size 8.5" x 11" Beautiful authentic vintage 9mages were used for inspiration Coloring is great for relaxation Single sided pages suitable for all skill levels When coloring over greyscale try to think of it as a color by numbers for adults (Just without the numbers.) The darkness or lightness of the grey will be your guide and will show you how dark or light color you should use and exactly where on the image you should use it.Light colors over light grey areas, dark colors over dark grey areas, and the medium colors in between.When coloring this way you will get the look of shading without having to shade at all - providing the depth which is so hard to achieve on a traditional coloring page. greyscale coloring books for adults.greyscale adult coloring.grayscale coloring books for adults.grayscale coloring book.valentine coloring book.valentines day coloring books for adults.

  • - The Greatest Detective in the World
    by Mark Aldridge
    £10.99 - 18.99

    From the very first book publication in 1920 to the film release of Death on the Nile in December 2020, this investigation into Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world's favourite fictional detective.

  • by James Acaster
    £10.99

    The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.

  • - A Rhyming Coloring Book
    by Margalit Cutler
    £13.49

    Playful rhymes and whimsical art celebrate the many faces of the vulva in this mesmerising colouring book. Some of the rhymes uplift this oft-misunderstood body part: My vag is a martini / sometimes dry, sometimes dirty / but always delightful & a little bit flirty. And others keep it wonderfully real: Slobbering on a bush / my vag is a giraffe / majestic in person / but goofy in photograph. These pages provide a wonderful antidote to body shame. Colour your heart out as you marvel at the versatility, prowess, and personality of the vagina.

  • by Paciorek Andrew L. Paciorek
    £10.49 - 25.99

  • - The Biography of Chris Cornell
    by Corbin Reiff
    £15.49

    "The new Chris Cornell biography is the book his legacy deserves." -Kerrang!

  • - A Collection of Contemporary Poetry and Photography
    by Clarissa Sofia
    £17.49

    This book is an exploration of relationships between people and places, love, death, and mental health, specifically depression and anxiety. Clarissa shares her journey as a young woman growing into her adult skin through poetry and self-portraiture. In this collection, Clarissa questions our current society and tackles ways of dealing with the reality of what it means to be conscious, conveying self-acceptance as the highest form of rebellion.

  • - A Land of Prayer: A Photo Travel Experience
    by Andrey Vlasov
    £37.49

  • by Sadakichi Hartmann
    £21.49

    This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

  • by Hugh Nini & Neal Treadwell
    £39.49

  • - For Beginners
    by S J Tyler
    £12.49

  • by David Byrne
    £15.49

    From former Talking Heads frontman and multimedia visionary David Byrne and revered bestselling author, illustrator, and artist Maira Kalman-an inspiring celebration in words and art of the connections between us all. A joyful collaboration between old friends David Byrne and Maira Kalman, American Utopia offers readers an antidote to cynicism, bursting with pathos, humanism, and hope-featuring his words and lyrics brought to life with more than 150 of her colorful paintings.The text is drawn from David Byrne's American Utopia, which has become a hit Broadway show-returning to Broadway on September 18, 2020, and soon to be a documentary from Spike Lee. The four-color artwork, by Maira Kalman, which she created for the Broadway show's curtain, is composed of small moments, expressions, gestures, and interactions that together offer a portrait of daily life and coexistence.With their creative talents combined, American Utopia is a salvo for kindness and a call for jubilation, a reminder to sing, dance, and waste not a moment. Beautifully designed and edited by Alex Kalman, American Utopia is a balm for the soul from two of the world's most extraordinary artists.

  • by Christopher Warwick
    £35.49

    Celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with this definitive photographic story of her public and private life. Brimming with tradition, history, glamour, and culture, this book features international tours, state functions, royal weddings, and jubilees, and showcases the glorious royal photography of such luminaries as David Bailey, Yousuf...

  • - Basic Forms
    by Thierry De Duve
    £18.99

    An elegant new edition of Bernd and Hilla Becher's classic black-and-white photographic study of industrial buildings.

  • by Wally Koval
    £21.99

    Accidentally Wes Anderson is a captivating book written by Wally Koval. Published in 2020 by Orion Publishing Co, this book falls under a unique genre that attracts a wide range of readers. The book takes you on a visual adventure of the world's most idiosyncratic and distinctive places, as seen through the lens of the popular Instagram account, @AccidentallyWesAnderson. It's a collection of more than 200 locations spanning every continent and every time zone. Whether it's a colorful cityscape, a grand entrance, or a forgotten seaside resort, each location embodies the distinct aesthetic of filmmaker Wes Anderson. This book is a must-have for those who love travel, design, and cinema.

  • by ITV Ventures Ltd
    £18.99

    An official and comprehensive celebration of 60 years of Britain's favourite soap.

  • - My Nature Journal
    by Jo Brown
    £11.99

    Things of such magnitude deserve respect and understanding. They deserve to be remembered...

  • - Raising the Kanneh-Masons
    by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
    £8.99 - 14.99

    The most talented musical family in the world. For the first time, mother Kadie Kanneh-Mason shares her unique story.

  • by Daniel Kothenschulte
    £18.99

    One of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation, finally available in a compact edition. The landmark volume includes behind-the-scenes photos, story sketches, and cel setups of famous film scenes. It covers each of the major animated features made during Walt's lifetime, as well as lesser-known short films and episodic...

  • - Instrumental Hip Hop & Electronic Music at the Turn of the Century
    by Laurent Fintoni
    £11.99

    In Bedroom Beats and B-sides, Laurent Fintoni details the rise of bedroom producers at the turn of the century through the stories of the instrumental hip-hop and electronic music scenes that made this rise possible. From trip-hop, illbient, and IDM to leftfield hip-hop, glitch, and beats, the book explores how these scenes acted as incubators for new ideas about composition and performance that are now taken for granted. Combining social, cultural, and musical history with extensive research and over 100 interviews, the book tells the B-side stories of hip-hop and electronic music from the 1990s to the 2010s, exploring the evolution of a modern beat culture.

  • - A Visual Guide to Produce Clothing.
    by Abc Seams Pty Ltd
    £32.49

    What is inside a Tech Pack and how should I explain my designs?Sewing Seams for Tech Packs is a reference book that focuses on the technical aspects of fashion design.This tool will allow you to not only understand how garments are made, but also how to enrich your skills as a designer.The 27 garment pieces that are developed within this book, are the basis to explain almost any design. We show you in detail how each garment is done, and how to explain it clearly to a factory.By referring to this book when making your tech packs you will save time and avoid misunderstandings.Design like a proChoose the most appropriate seams for any project, and master the technical issues that are involved in developing garments.

  • by Luis-Martin Lozano
    £128.49

    Among the few women artists who have transcended art history, none had a meteoric rise quite like Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. One of the key figures in Mexican revolutionary modern art, she was also a pioneer of the politics of gender, sexuality, and feminism. This XXL monograph combines all of Kahlo's 152 paintings with rarely seen...

  • - The Music and the Musician
    by Lawrence Cohn
    £22.99

    Our most passionate music, rooted in ancient Africa but brought to blossom in America at the doorstep of the twentieth century.

  • - One Person's Discovery of Orb Photography.
    by Sandy Mayberry
    £19.49

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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