Bookshelf Splendour

The fascinating things people have on their bookshelves. Why haven't I thought of purposefully placing a taxidermied hamster on mine? Things to shop for next weekend.

From the home of Carey Maloney. Images from New York Social Diary

Suspended Worlds 1

Wout's Dutch Landscape got me thinking about Gerda Steiner and Jorg Lenzlinger, most noted for their work "Falling Garden" in the San Staë church on the Canale Grande during the 2003 Biennial of Venice. Their explanation for building a suspended garden are amongst the most reasonable reasons I've ever come across.

The Doge (Mocenigo) needed a church so as to be able to have a monumental tomb built for himself, the church (San Staë) needed a saint so as to be able to be built, the saint (San Eustachio) needed a miracle so as to be pronounced a saint, the miracle needed a stag in order to be seen, and we built the garden for the reindeer.The visitors lie on the bed above the doge’s gravestone, and the garden thinks for them.

Images of other beautiful work found on the official website below. Don't be fooled; clicking on the main picture of each subheading produces more images of each work. Having a fetish for libraries, "Soul Warmer" Abbey Library of St.Gall, 2005 especially calls to me.

They will be installing a work at ACCA in Melbourne shortly. Must see.

All photographs by Gerda Steiner and Jorg Lenzlinger

TA for h~fh

More Libraries, Please

More images from Candida Hofer's (yikes! I've been spelling her name incorrectly) Libraries. Images found on if:book A Project of The Institute for the Future of the Book, itself an interesting site.

I was surprised by how many Google Images there are out there of her work, so readily available. On one hand great because her work is amazing and I wouldn't have known of her otherwise, on the other I'm wondering if its because her work is widely appropriated. I am officially a fan.

TA for h~fh

Books I bought when I went Home

I have caved and purchased the Tony Duquette tome that every second style blogger has posted. I have conceded that yes, it is a terrific and monumental book everyone should have, and deserves its ra-ra status.
I also bought China Contemporary by Thames&Hudson, Sir Terence Conran's inspirations book, and the littlest Paris Style book by Taschen. I spied Candida Hoffer's magical Libraries book and had palpitations because it's too beautiful - I couldn't let it go. Have determined to find a better online bargain somehow, but any clues as to how to find genius at a discount??

Libraries by Candida Hoffer

Found this on thecoolhunter.com - it looks stunning and another book I can pass of as "an educational investment". Hee.
Write up on Cool Hunter website:

The newest offering from Thames and Hudson has an unexpected literary edge. The book is a photographic portfolio of the world's most magnificent libraries. Before you start snoring, we're not just talking about your school library, we're talking about true cathedrals of knowledge housed in some of the globe's most stunning period buildings, absolute architectural landmarks in their own rights. Libraries featured include the BritishLibrary in London, the Escorial in Spain, the Whitney Museum and the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, the Bibliotheque
nationale de France in Paris, the villa Medici in Rome and the Hamburg University Library, among others. by Billy T