About Face

2024

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: pages
ISBN: 9781760763992

Since the advent of the camera nearly two centuries ago, a portrait is no longer expected to be an exact likeness. From surrealist renderings to abstract interpretations, contemporary artists have shed the convention of traditional portraiture, experimenting with an array of styles to convey the personality and character of their subjects.

In About Face, Amber Creswell Bell examines the practices of a diverse canvas of portrait painters in Australia and New Zealand. The dynamic nature of both the artists and their work reflects an evolution of culture, society and creative practice. These painters use portraiture to convey a narrative, engage with social, political or environmental issues or evoke the complexity of the human experience; some are simply fascinated by human faces.

Whatever the artist’s motivation, every work makes clear that portraiture has always been a powerful means of telling stories and exploring our individual and collective identities.

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Australian Abstract

2023

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: 272 pages
ISBN-13: 9781760762858

There is no single neat definition of abstract art. It makes no attempt to represent reality; instead it has its own visual language using shape, colour and form with no rules. An explosion of creative expression and gestural force, Australian Abstract explores the constantly evolving genre and how it offers unparalleled artistic freedom, inviting deeply personal connection and interpretation from both artist and viewer. Works often straddle a mid-point between recognition and the sensed experience through the materiality of paint encompassing a pastiche of styles.

Drawing on extensive interviews Amber Creswell Bell examines the diverse practices of more than forty contemporary abstract painters, documenting a repertoire of styles, subjects, visions and philosophies. Some compare abstract art to music, particularly jazz; others are inspired by nature, science and geometry; and some simply relish the opportunity to express complex emotions in a way words cannot. What unites these extraordinary artists, however, is the conviction that this form of expression chose them.

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Still Life

2021

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: 271 pages
ISBN-13: 9781760760977

A rich survey of the work of more than forty still-life artists, which presents the genre in a uniquely Australian light.

Available from April 2021.

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Ken Done: Art Design Life

2021

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: 318 pages
ISBN: 9781760760854

A comprehensive and extensively illustrated monograph on the art and design of Ken Done, celebrating the man, his life’s work and his legacy.

Available from February 2021.

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Clay

2016

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 050050072X
ISBN-13: 978-0500500729

There is something deeply pleasing about the form and feel of handmade objects. Never has this been more evident than in the recent renaissance of pottery and ceramics. In our increasingly digital and intangible culture, there is a desire for unique pieces and a respect for the imperfections associated with the marks of the maker. Clay is the medium that so aptly communicates this authenticity.

From the functional to the decorative and sculptural works pushing the boundaries of the craft, Clay, written by Amber Creswell Bell, offers a glimpse into the lives and practices of over 50 studio potters from around the world. This is a celebration of the new pottery artisans; a snapshot of a moment of resurgence; and a behind-the-scenes look at the unique and eclectic offerings from independent studios from around the world.

A Painted Landscape

2018

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Hardcover: 272 pages
ISBN: 9781760760113
ISBN-10: 1760760110

Just as Dorothea Mackellar’s words have a knack for swelling the metaphorical chest of many Australians with the evocative descriptions in her iconic encomium ‘My Country’, this book forms an aesthetic study of the Australian landscape as seen, experienced and expressed by the Australian artists who choose to paint it, and the connection to place that the artists have with particular geographical locations today. We have a rich legacy of legendary landscape painters in Australia, and this book is a curated collection of fifty artists working today, who are creating a rich and exciting vision of Australia’s remarkable landscapes. This is Australia in the 21st century through a specifically creative lens. Artistic styles, visual language and motivations are as broad as this sprawling country; and the visions they paint are refracted through very different imaginations.Together these fifty artists paint a vivid image of the incredible diversity of landscapes that make up this vast continent.