Book Art Studio America Contemporary Artists' Spaces - Thames & Hudson

America is often regarded as the epitome of the land of freedom, opportunity, distant borders, and inspiring open spaces. From Lewis and Clark's first transcontinental expedition in the nineteenth century to Jack Kerouac's iconic journey of alcohol and drugs in the 1940s, America's vast horizons, diverse landscapes (both urban and open), endless permutations of climate, and enticing suggestion of unlimited possibilities have inspired some of the greatest minds in history to embark on literal and imagined journeys. Among hearts and minds, both captivated and critical, none have been more significant than visual artists in this country. The psychological, intellectual, spiritual, and economic transformations wrought by American national mythologies continue to drive artists toward greatness despite an increasingly globalized world. Art Studio America: Contemporary Artist Spaces was created because the story of America, with its endless energy and possibilities, remains a relevant theme.

Contrasting intimate visits to artists' studios—aimed at evoking individual elements of their inner landscapes—with explorations of the vast landscapes of light and form that have inspired artists from the luminists and the Hudson River School to the present, the book offers a privileged insight into the dreams, ideas, and reflections of 115 active artists today. While the world may be familiar with their work, it rarely, if ever, allows for such an intimate exploration of their studios against the backdrop—both literal and symbolic—of their larger environment. From renowned figures like Marina Abramović, John Baldessari, Francesco Clemente, Chuck Close, John Currin, Rachel Feinstein, Nancy Holt, Robert Irwin, Alex Katz, Joseph Kosuth, Brice Marden, Ed Moses, Kiki Smith, and Bill Viola, to the new guard—including Allora & Calzadilla, Tauba Auerbach, Hernan Bas, Walead Beshty, Theaster Gates, Rashid Johnson, Sterling Ruby, Dana Schutz, Taryn Simon, Mickalene Thomas, and Leo Villareal—Art Studio America offers a fascinating look at one of the world's largest artistic communities. Essays by renowned experts Benjamin Genocchio, Mark Godfrey, and Robert Storr complement the richly illustrated profiles of the artists.

From New York to Southern California, Art Studio America offers a unique journey across the country through artists and their studios. Beautifully illustrated with custom photographs produced to the highest standards, the book provides a fresh perspective on the current art scene for enthusiasts and an exceptional introduction for its players.

Thames & Hudson was founded in 1949 by Walter and Eva Neurath. Their greatest passion and mission was to create a “museum without walls” and to make the world of art accessible to a broad audience, as well as to showcase the research of leading scientists. To reflect international perspectives, the company's name combined the rivers flowing through London and New York, represented in its logo by two dolphins symbolizing friendship and intelligence, one facing east, the other west, suggesting a connection between the Old World and the New.

Today, still an independent family-run company, Thames & Hudson is one of the world's leading publishers of illustrated books, with over 2,000 titles in print. It publishes high-quality books across all areas of visual creativity: fine arts, applied arts, decorative arts, performing arts, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and music, as well as archaeology, history, and popular culture. It is also expanding its list of children's books. Headquartered in London, with a sister company in New York and branches in Melbourne, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In Paris, another subsidiary, Interart, distributes English-language books in France.

History of Thames & Hudson

Walter Neurath was born in Vienna in 1903. In 1938, he left his hometown — where he ran an art gallery and published illustrated books — for London. Initially, he worked as production director at Adprint, a company founded by Viennese émigré Wolfgang Foges. Neurath and Foges developed a pioneering concept of what is now called book packaging (or co-publishing), where book ideas are developed, commissioned, produced, and sold to publishers operating in different markets and languages, to create large print runs and thus reduce unit production costs. Neurath’s concept was the first of many innovations introduced to the publishing world through Thames & Hudson.

Desiring to continue book packaging in the second edition and recognizing the need to amortize the high costs of illustrated books, Neurath founded his own publishing company, with offices in London and New York, in the autumn of 1949. Eva Neurath, who arrived in London from Berlin in 1939, was a co-founder.

Of the ten titles published on Thames & Hudson’s first list in 1950, *English Cathedrals*, with photographs by Martin Hürlimann, was the first and most successful. The firm’s strong belief in the longevity of books remained evident, as it remained in print until 1971. Also in the first year of publication was *Out of My Later Years* by Albert Einstein, an early indicator of the program’s scope. As the list gradually expanded—from ten titles in 1950 to 144 in 1955—the company moved its offices from High Holborn to a Georgian townhouse at 30 Bloomsbury Street, near Bedford Square, becoming the epicenter of book publishing in London. The manufacturing remained at this address, eventually expanding to five houses by 1999, when it returned to High Holborn.

In 1958, Thames & Hudson launched one of its most famous series, *World of Art*, which became the foundation of a highly diverse list. Characterized by pocket-sized editions and black spines, the series expanded in just seven years to 49 titles. Nearly 60 years later, the series includes over 300 titles, which, according to Christopher Frayling, are “splattered with paint copies” in every art school in the country.

Other important series that added depth and prestige to the list include *Ancient People and Places*, edited by Glyn Daniel, who from the 1950s contributed to pioneering archaeological interest, both in book form and television. Over 34 titles were published in this series over 34 years. The large-format *Great Civilizations* series, published in 1961, featured contributions from esteemed scholars such as Alan Bullock, Asa Briggs, Hugh Trevor-Roper, A. J. P. Taylor, and John Julius Norwich.
After building one of the most important publishing houses in Europe in less than two decades, Walter Neurath died in 1967 at the age of 63. Sculptor Henry Moore wrote that “his death was a loss to our cultural life.” Sir Herbert Read noted that Neurath “more than anyone else was responsible for the revolution in art publishing,” and that he was “one of those rare entrepreneurs who successfully combine business acumen with idealism.” Eva Neurath became chairwoman. Walter’s son, Thomas, who joined the company in 1961 along with his sister Constance, became managing director; Constance later served as art director for several decades. Both Thomas and Constance remain on the Thames & Hudson board, as do Thomas’s daughters, Johanna and Susanna.
From producing the first commercial edition of *The Book of Kells* to the triumphant publication of the six-volume *Vincent van Gogh — Letters*, from technical innovations like “French folds” to the controversial documentation of graffiti art in *Subway Art*, Thames & Hudson has always been at the forefront, both culturally and in production techniques.

2016 marked an extraordinary new chapter for the company, announcing publishing partnerships with two of the world’s most important museums: the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The world of art and scholarships remains at the heart of the Thames & Hudson publishing program, which stays true to its core principle: providing a “museum without walls”.
Today, Thames & Hudson is a recognizable international brand that symbolizes British publishing. Its extensive catalog includes thousands of interesting book titles. Many of these are prestigious collector’s editions.

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