Since Guinevere de la Mare, Senior Community Manager of Chronicle Books, has joined us on our “Be Art Guest” Pinterest board for Word Week, we decided to show some love to our Bay Area publishing neighbor. Here are our top 5 Art Tomes from Chronicle Books:
1. The Visual Arts: A History by John Fleming and Hugh Honour
“In this Revised Seventh Edition, contemporary art historian Michael Archer has brought the account of contemporary art up to date, reflecting the latest developments that continue to shape out cultural history.” —Chronicle Books
2. Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars
“In this interactive coloring and activity book, Marion Deuchars takes the broad canvas of art and fills it with drawings and activities that engage with what art can be, how it can be made, what it can mean for you and what it has meant for people through the ages.” —Chronicle Books
3. Art Made From Books editied by Laura Heyenga
“Artists around the world have lately been turning to their bookshelves for more than just a good read, opting to cut, paint, carve, stitch or otherwise transform the printed page into whole new beautiful, thought-provoking works of art.” —Chronicle Books
4. Andy Warhol Pop Box by The Andy Warhol Foundation
“Andy Warhol has been called the pope of twentieth-century pop culture-a one-man show who dazzled with his innovative influence not only on modern art, but also on film, music, fashion, and even the idea of celebrity. This box offers a unique peek at this modern legends vibrant, chaotic life, with exact reproductions of fascinating ephemera from the Factory years and beyond.” —Chronicle Books
5. Frida Kahlo by Martha Zamora
“Mexican author Martha Zamora captures the essence of one of Mexico’s most prolific and talented painters in a single comprehensive volume.” —Chronicle Books
Which of these is your favorite? Like Chronicle Books, we believe the intersection of literature and art is crucial to define our current cultural moment.
To kick off UGallery’s Word Week, we’ve invited Guinevere de la Mare to guest pin for “Be Art Guest.” Guinevere understands the intersection of art and literature better than anyone. Her blog, Paper is Poetry, is a wellspring of all things art, poetry, and inspiration. She is also the Senior Community Manager at Chronicle Books (our favorite Bay Area book publisher…shhhh). If her CV doesn’t get you excited to see her pins, check out the image below that we pulled from her blog. It’s book art from Su Blackwell. Now that’s an wordy piece of artwork. Be sure to check out the rest of Guinevere’s pins here.
Happy Pinning, Guinevere!
Whether your father prefers spending his free time dining in the finest restaurants or surfing on the open ocean, we have photography for him. We’ve picked four photographs from our Father’s Day Art Collection to describe four different types of dads. Which best describes your dad?
Mystery Man
If your dad is the quiet, subtle type, then this colorful and crisp photograph will be right up his alley. Steer Father’s Day down the right road with this automobile gem.
For the Chef and/or Fine Diner
Restaurant in Oxford Street by Ernest Zhanaev
Does Dad know all the best eats in town? Does dad grow a garden so that his meals are always the freshest they can be? Serve this photograph to dads that like to cook, eat, and dine.
For the History Buff
Ansen Seale’s historic photograph of a soldier in war is perfect for a classic father that enjoys reading long nonfiction stories about war. Have a history buff on your hands? Claim this photograph for dad’s den.
For the Surfer and/or Nature Lover
Does your dad watch endless hours of Planet Earth or National Geographic? Etienne Roudaut’s La Vague is the perfect gift for him. Whether Dad prefers to enjoy nature in the comfort of his own home or out in the waves, this photograph captures all the beauty that enthralls
We hope your dad is one of these four! Maybe he is a little bit of all these dads (in which case you can get more than one!) Visit the Father’s Day Collection for more selections and ideas.
Father’s Day is just around the corner and since Dads are on the brain, we thought it would be interesting to look into Dadaism. What is DADA? Is it art made by dads? Nope. It’s a little more complex than that. Read on to find out exactly what DADAISM is and you’ll have a little bit of history to share this Father’s Day.
Dadaism is an art movement that began in Europe during the 20th century. It stems from the avant-garde. Many speculate that the true origin of Dadaism is Zurich, Switzerland in the beginning of World War I. It was seen as a protest against the upper-class bourgeois. Many Dadaists blamed the rich nationalists for the war. There are three prominent figures in the Dada Art Movement: Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray.
Marcel Duchamp was famous for creating his “readymades.” In 1917, he submitted one of his most famous works (and the symbol of Dadaism) the Fountain (pictured below). By mixing satire with the mundane, Dadaists made political statements that resonated in the war wrought world arena. Dadaism laid the roots for another art movement: Surrealism.
If you think your Dad may enjoy some Dadaist art, he may just enjoy this painting by UGallery artist Chevis Ordonez:
Drunken Monkey Bar and Grill by Chevis Ordonez
Father & Son by Gregor Hochmuth
For this Father’s Day, UGallery whipped together a collection of our best photography. Sleek and sophisticated, photography is a hassle-free and meaningful gift for any dad (whether he is gadget-guru or not). Capture and remember this Father’s Day with a meaningful gift from UGallery’s photography Father’s Day Collection.
After releasing UGallery’s summer catalog focused on our artists, we caught up with a few of our favorite photographers and painters to ask them a little bit more about their art. Throughout the week, tune in to hear from them. For our first artist, we caught up with Gregor Hochmuth (He is also taking over our Instagram account for a week! Check out which photographs of his we pick daily!) Read on below to find out more about him.
1. What is your favorite subject to photograph?
I love photographing everyday scenes that become unrecognizable in a specific framing or angle. People will often ask me, “What’s that?!” and when I tell them, they’re so surprised because they probably walked past a similar object or place recently but didn’t take note of it. It’s a nudge towards more curiosity in our world. Speaking less abstractly, I also love photographing shop windows, or reflections more broadly, in which I can twist the perception of what’s up or down, what’s mirrored, reflected, or “real”.
2. Do you have a favorite photograph that you’ve ever taken?
Oh! So hard to say! And I hope it changes often. I know that I’ve taken my most favorite collection of photos at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 - it was just such a stunning visual environment. But if I had to pick a single photograph of all, it’d be this timeless favorite, taken in Berlin:
Father & Son by Gregor Hochmuth
3. Has working at Instagram changed the way you take photographs?
Unlike any other medium for photography, Instagram rewards you with such instant feedback & appreciation from around the world. When taking photos outside of Instagram, it might take me weeks or months before anyone else would really see them and tell me what they think — with Instagram, someone from somewhere in the world will like a photo within seconds of me posting it. Moreover, it’s so easy to follow an infinite number of amazingly inspiring photographers through Instagram — I’m learning from their perspectives every day.
We just launched our Summer Catalog. This season, we are focusing on our artists, so we have pages and pages of our artist’s portfolios. You can flip through our catalog here.
Alex Andreev. St. Petersburg, Russia.
Utopia
Alex Andreev embarks on a “journey of the intuition” as he delves into childhood memories and dreams to create his art. Alex is attracted to digital art for its freedom and ease of use. He overcomes the hurdles of traditional mediums by digitalizing images and layering one symbol on top of another.
Elizabeth Noble. Phoenix, Arizona.
Ranunculus
Elizabeth Noble’s background in architecture fuels a more fluid and loose painting style. With a Bachelor of Architecture from Arizona State University under her belt, Elizabeth delves into representational impressionism as a detour from the rigidity of building fundamentals. Still, her art offers structure that is playful enough to echo the works of Sorolla, Vasquez, Turner and Van Gogh.
Glenn Quist. Elk River, Minnesota.
Evening Wine Tasting
Glenn Quist is like Edward Hopper in his choice of subject matter and in Modigliani style. Glenn derives images from memory and imagination and imbues them with highly stylized colors and shapes. Rather than tell a story directly, Glenn invites his view to derive their own meaning from his work. His paintings are mystical portraits of the subconscious and are “somewhere between dreams and reality.”
Danielle Tibedo. Yucca Valley, California.
Sunshine in the City
Living in Joshua Tree, California has its perks. For Danielle Tibedo, living in the desert offers her endless inspiration. Her passion for nature and love of pure expression are the pillars of her work. With wild abandon and a unabashed style, she turns painting into a spiritual quest to discover beauty.
We just love the work of designer Christopher Patrick of Christopher Patrick Interiors! That’s why we’ve brought him on to the blog to share some of his favorite art interiors with us! Check out his picks below.
As an interior designer I’m often asked to select artwork for my clients. It’s a tough task considering that artwork can be so personal; but a challenge I’m willing to undertake. I’m a firm believer in pairing works of art that you love with interiors that you love. Not everything has to be matchy matchy. Whether its traditional or contemporary, abstract or realism, photography or oil on canvas, artwork can make a space more engaging and dynamic. I’ve chosen a few examples that explore different ways designers have added artwork to their spaces to create a cohesive look.
Victoria Hagan uses an over-scale photograph in sepia tones to compliment her tailored interior. Anchored by a large velvet sofa, this piece of art becomes like a portal into a different world.
Jamie Drake has never been one to shy away from color, and this project is no different. Using a collection of Gene Davis paintings to add even more color to an already bold entry hall, Drake has managed to turn an otherwise feature color into a “neutral” background color to set off the artwork. I love the way he’s gathered this collection into two groups of three with a third group of four at the top; one more way to add drama to the space
Frank Roop added artwork in this space that compliments the interior’s overall color scheme. The nature inspired color palette is only further enhanced by photographs of landscapes. On such a graphic focal wall, Roop has paired out of focus photography to balance the crisp horizontal stripes. In white frames and white matting these works of art are set apart from the colors on the wall. It’s a perfect combination. 
Sara Story has combined a graphic piece of art to compliment the bold nature of her interior. The warm tones in the brick are repeated in the artwork which becomes a focal point over the sofa.
Don’t forget your kitchen! I love adding artwork to kitchens, it makes them feel more like a living-room and less like a utilitarian-space. Its a way of visually softening the space without adding tactile objects that can be ruined by the goings on in a kitchen. Magdalena Keck has created a wonderful collage that does exactly that. Using a monochromatic scheme as her backdrop, she softens the harshness of the space by adding visual interest in dramatic photography.
Be creative. Jonathan Adler uses a multitude of mediums to add art to his space (and in a creative way to boot)! Porcelain sculpture lamps add visual interest to the end tables. Graphic pillows create a collage of color and pattern on the sofa. Vintage glass bottles add color to an otherwise neutral space. And the unusual placement of the paintings (in front of windows) add an unexpected twist to this space that becomes a foil to the traditionalism of the symmetrical space planning.
These rooms are incredible! Thanks for joining us today, Christopher!
There’s no better way to discover amazing interior designers than in The New York Times Home Section. When we stumbled upon UGallery art in a DUMBO residence designed by Tilton Fenwick in the paper, we fell instantly in love. As a thank you to Tilton Fenwick for using Autumn Rose in their project, we invited the Curators of Chic to curate their very own UGallery art collection. Below are three of my favorites from the collection. You can view the rest of their collection here.
Rock and Roll by Valerie Chiang
Molten by Alaina Sullivan
If you like what Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick selected, you are not alone. The art in this collection is creating quite the buzz in the twittersphere. Don’t let another design-savvy collector snatch the art before you!