The Beauty of Everyday Things
Soetsu Yanagi
RRP $22.99

The Japanese philosopher and aesthete’s definitive, hugely influential exposition of his philosophy of folkcrafts, setting out the hallmarks of Japanese design as we know it today – anonymity, quality, simplicity and honesty – and, of course, wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection.

The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe – the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty.

In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things – from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function: the beauty of everyday things.

Confabulations
John Berger
RRP $16.99

Also containing Berger’s own drawings, notes, memories and reflections on everything from Albert Camus to global capitalism, Confabulations takes us to what is ‘true, essential and urgent’.

‘Language is a body, a living creature … and this creature’s home is the inarticulate as well as the articulate’. John Berger’s work has revolutionized the way we understand visual language. In this new book he writes about language itself, and how it relates to thought, art, song, storytelling and political discourse today. Also containing Berger’s own drawings, notes, memories and reflections on everything from Albert Camus to global capitalism, Confabulations takes us to what is ‘true, essential and urgent’.

Ornament & Crime
Adolf Loos
RRP $22.99

Revolutionary essays on design, aesthetics and materialism – from one of the great masters of modern architecture.

‘But art has nothing to do with forgery, with lies. The paths of art may be thorny, but they are clean.’

Ornament and Crime comprises a selection of essays by celebrated Viennese architect, Adolf Loos, and cover the full range of design – from architecture to jewellery, pottery to plumbing, craft training to printing. A great enthusiast and great hater, Loos and his ideas were absolutely fundamental to 20th century aesthetics, as well as being very enjoyable to read. He extols heroes and denigrates villains, as he makes quite clear: ‘If you want to have a contemporary craft, if you want to have contemporary utility objects, then poison the architects’.

The Penguin on Design series includes the works of creative thinkers whose writings on art, design and the media have changed our vision forever.

On Photography
Susan Sontag
RRP $19.98

Susan Sontag’s groundbreaking critique of photography asks forceful questions about the moral and aesthetic issues surrounding this art form.

Susan Sontag’s On Photography is a seminal and groundbreaking work on the subject.

Susan Sontag’s groundbreaking critique of photography asks forceful questions about the moral and aesthetic issues surrounding this art form. Photographs are everywhere, and the ‘insatiability of the photographing eye’ has profoundly altered our relationship with the world. Photographs have the power to shock, idealise or seduce, they create a sense of nostalgia and act as a memorial, and they can be used as evidence against us or to identify us. In these six incisive essays, Sontag examines the ways in which we use these omnipresent images to manufacture a sense of reality and authority in our lives.

With thanks to our friends at Penguin Random House, purchase our curated selection of 3 Essential Art Reads & receive a 4^th FREE Penguin Art Classic! Bundle includes an awesome complimentary Penguin tote bag*!

Bundle Value RRP $82.95
Price $62.97
Kino Member Price $56.67

Limited to 10 packs ONLY.

*This offer is valid by phone order and in-store only. Please call 9262 7996 Mon- Sat, 11am-4pm to place your order. Free standard shipping on orders over $50 within Australia, only while stocks last. Books are not changeable.