Barry Dawson Bücher

The reverence accorded to textile art on the islands is reflected in every area of production; precision of weave and exquisite patterning are testimony to superlative craftsmanship. Lying at the heart of a vast network of trading routes, Indonesia has absorbed a wealth of foreign influences that have spawned an eclectic culture uniquely mirrored in its textile art. Beautiful cloud shapes characteristic of Chinese painting reappear in Javanese batik, while Ming porcelain and Chinese embroideries have provided inspiration for many wonderful patterns. Indian symbols - the tree of life, the naga snake, the sacred mountain, the lotus - have all been rendered as textile motifs. Geometric forms, human and animal figures and even Dutch Art Deco designs can also be found.

Street graphics have become the visual language of cities. Signs and symbols instruct, inform, portray concerns, and express aspirations. Culturally specific, they are also increasingly universal, always creative, and always fun. Tokyo's vibrant street graphics combine ancient tradition, twentieth-century mass production, and a twenty-first-century urban vision that is uniquely Japanese. A colorful clash of imagery renders the familiar strange and the strange bizarre. Cartoon characters can signify the police or pornography. Fashion statements are derived from diverse sources―ancient Egypt or even a hospital operating room. Slot machines vend erotica; pets and cops are robots; tempting dishes of sushi turn out to be inedible plastic representations. Ridley Scott's futuristic film Blade Runner was inspired by Tokyo's neon nightscape, where a fashionable department store doubles as a giant digital TV screen featuring lifesize dinosaurs in Godzilla's hometown. Barry Dawson's photographic vision of Tokyo forms a creative reference for students and designers, as well as an imaginative, offbeat pictorial guide for visitors and armchair travelers. 150 color illustrations

Much of today's most exuberant, most creative, and most telling imagery is all around us, in the street. Nowhere is the visual cornucopia more striking than in India, whose roads are a continuous gallery of images vibrantly portraying the country's rich cultural diversity. From Arabian Sea to Indian Ocean, Northern Himalayas to southernmost tip, the subcontinent's overlapping parade of art and design excites the eyes. Street furniture, architecture, transport, billboards, posters, packaging, animals, and people are all used as the media of calculated design and spontaneous expression. Ancient or modern, permanent or transient, India's street art has evolved in a myriad of styles reflecting regional variation and concern. Barry Dawson's photographs offer both a colorful journey through India's cities, towns, and villages and a graphic celebration of its creative street culture. Here is an inspirational source of vibrant ideas for students, artists, and designers, as well as a vivid memory for anyone who has ever visited India.