Books on Art and Culture

This Is Where We Live – Illustrated Stories of Place and Space
Authors: gestalten & Antonis Antoniou

This Is Where We Live – Illustrated Stories of Place and Space is a visually impressive coffee table book that shows how illustration reshapes our perception of space, architecture, and living environments. In over 200 illustrations, contemporary illustrators explore how places are not only built, but also felt, narrated, and imagined.

From floor plans transforming into fictional worlds to cities depicted as dreamscapes, this book demonstrates how cross-sections, axonometric drawings, maps, and playful diagrams serve as powerful storytelling tools. Illustration is used here to question, interpret, and redefine space—sometimes realistically, sometimes poetically or conceptually.

At the intersection of illustration, architecture, and design culture, This Is Where We Live functions as both a visual atlas and a manifesto. This photobook invites readers to look differently at the spaces in which we live, work, and move, and shows how drawing can help develop new perspectives on place, rhythm, and daily life. An inspiring book for illustrators, architects, designers, and lovers of visual culture.

What to expect

• More than 200 illustrations that approach space as a source of imagination, exploration, and cultural meaning
• Visual stories by leading and emerging illustrators with diverse drawing styles
• Essays on the cultural, political, and conceptual role of spatial imagination
• A unique combination of illustration, architecture, and narrative design

About the Authors

gestalten is an internationally renowned publishing house from Berlin, founded in 1995. The publisher is known for high-quality coffee table books on design, architecture, illustration, fashion, and contemporary visual culture. Gestalten collaborates with leading creative professionals and documents trends and ideas that influence the way we live and design.

Antonis Antoniou is a designer, curator, and author specializing in visual storytelling and spatial representation. He gained international recognition with influential publications such as A Map of the World and Mind the Map, in which he explores how illustration can make complex spaces, systems, and ideas insightful and imaginative. His work is at the crossroads of art, design, and architecture.

The Picture Book Book
Authors: Seymour Chwast & Steven Heller

The Picture Book Book is a colorful and inspiring coffee table book that offers a unique overview of the groundbreaking work of Seymour Chwast, one of the most influential graphic designers and illustrators of the 20th and 21st centuries. This richly illustrated photo book compiles more than 40 of his iconic picture books, demonstrating how graphic design and storytelling playfully and intelligently come together.

Editor Steven Heller contextualizes Chwast's work, showing how his bold typography, strong graphic forms, and subtle humor have pushed the boundaries between children's books, art, and design. Chwast's picture books are not only intended for children but also appeal to adults through their layered meaning, visual sharpness, and cultural relevance.

The Picture Book Book is both a visual reference and a collector's item. The book bridges the gap between high-quality design and accessible visual culture, making it a must-have for lovers of graphic design, illustration, picture books, and visual culture. Perfect as a coffee table book, source of inspiration, or gift for creatives.

What to expect

• A carefully curated selection of over 40 picture books by Seymour Chwast
• Essays and interpretations by Steven Heller on Chwast's influence on design and illustration
• A luxuriously designed collector's item at the intersection of art, literature, and graphic design
• Inspiration for designers, illustrators, educators, and lovers of visual storytelling

About the authors

Seymour Chwast (°1931) is a co-founder of the legendary Push Pin Studios and is considered a pioneer of modern graphic design. His work has permanently changed the visual language of illustration, typography, and picture books. Chwast's work is included in collections of institutions such as MoMA and the Louvre. In 2023, he received the prestigious Cooper Hewitt Design Visionary Award. To this day, he remains an influential voice within the international design world.

Steven Heller is a design historian, writer, and former art director of The New York Times. He is the (co-)author and editor of more than 200 books on design, illustration, and visual culture. He is also a co-founder of the MFA Designer as Entrepreneur program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Heller has received awards including the Smithsonian National Design Award (Design Mind) and the AIGA Medal for his lifetime contribution to the field.

A Night at the Disco
Authors: Alice Harris and Christian John Wikane

A Night at the Disco is an ode to the decade when the dance floor became the epicenter of a global cultural revolution. This coffee table book, spanning an impressive 256 pages, celebrates the groundbreaking dance music from 1970–1979. A Night at the Disco brings to life an unparalleled visual history of disco.

Featuring over 100 iconic artists, A Night at the Disco shows how styles, sounds, and attitudes converged in an era that forever changed music, fashion, and nightlife. From soul and funk to pop, jazz, and rock: the photography captures not only the artists but also the energy of clubs, discotheques, and stages – from underground New York to far beyond.

The book includes exclusive commentary from Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founders of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others. Their personal stories and insights offer a unique behind-the-scenes look and reveal the stories behind the beats that have continued to inspire generations.

With a foreword by Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire), A Night at the Disco is an essential publication for lovers of music, dance, and disco, and for anyone who wants to understand the lasting influence of the seventies on contemporary pop culture.

What to expect:

• Breathtaking photography of over 100 iconic artists from the 70s
• Exclusive quotes and personal stories from legends like Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, and many others
• Unique backstage insights that bring the disco era to life from within
• A tribute to the groundbreaking dance and disco music of 1970–1979
• From underground clubs in New York to discotheques worldwide: the complete story of a cultural phenomenon

About the author(s):

Alice Harris is an acclaimed and bestselling author of many art and photography books. Her oeuvre includes titles such as What the Band Wore, The White T, The Blue Jean, The Wedding Album, Blow Me A Kiss and I Only Have Eyes For You. As iconic and stylish as her books is her own career, shaped by global travels and a background in the fashion and music industries. Alice Harris lives and works in New York City.

Christian John Wikane is a New York-based music and culture journalist who has interviewed over 500 artists. He is Contributing Editor at PopMatters, co-producer of Unscripted: Conversations with Christian John Wikane, and worked as a consultant on various music documentaries, including Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (CNN), Love to Love You, Donna Summer (HBO), and the Emmy-nominated documentary TINA about Tina Turner (HBO).

Marilyn Monroe 100 – The Official Centenary Book

Authors: Christian Siriano, Rachel Syme, David Wills and Louie Conway

Marilyn Monroe 100 is the only official book celebrating Marilyn Monroe's hundredth birth year. This exclusive centenary book is published in close cooperation with the Marilyn Monroe Estate and offers an unparalleled and complete portrait of one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century.

The book brings together the work of seventeen photographers who closely followed Marilyn between 1945 and 1962. From early images of a young Norma Jeane to world-famous glamour portraits and intimate, candid behind-the-scenes moments. Photographers such as André de Dienes, Joseph Jasgur, and Bernard of Hollywood show her first steps. Photos by John Florea and Philippe Halsman reveal a rising star, while Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, and Henri Cartier-Bresson capture Marilyn on the sets of her most iconic films. Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon highlight her timeless beauty, and photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, Sam Shaw, George Barris, and Milton Greene reveal a more personal, vulnerable side.

The book concludes with Bert Stern's legendary Last Sitting, complemented by recently rediscovered photographs by Allan Grant for Life magazine, published just two days before Marilyn's death. Together they form an impressive visual testament.

In addition to photography, Marilyn Monroe 100 contains a rich selection of quotes from Marilyn herself, combined with essays by leading writers and cultural experts. They paint a picture of a woman with a unique personality: complex, intelligent, and far ahead of her time. One hundred years after her birth, it becomes clear how avant-garde Marilyn Monroe truly was.

This beautiful coffee table book is a monumental and stylish tribute to a woman who profoundly changed the world.

What you can expect:

• The only official jubilee book, approved by the Marilyn Monroe Estate
• A luxurious oversized coffee table book with gold print, gilded edges, spot gold, and fold-out pages
• The most complete photo collection ever, from 17 top photographers who documented Marilyn's life and career
• Marilyn in her own words, supplemented with sharp cultural analysis
  The ultimate collector's item for fans of Marilyn, Hollywood's Golden Age, and timeless fashion

About the author(s)

Marilyn Monroe 100 features contributions from a select group of leading voices in fashion, culture, and photography. Fashion designer Christian Siriano, winner of multiple CFDA awards, reflects on Marilyn's lasting influence on style and beauty. Rachel Syme, cultural critic and writer for The New Yorker, illuminates the complexity of Marilyn's public and private life.

David Wills, author and photographic preservationist, provides profound insights into the historical and visual significance of the imagery. Louie Conway, writer and editor at Iconic Images, places Marilyn's photography within a broader cultural context. Together, they offer a layered and contemporary perspective on an icon who continues to inspire.

Gered Mankowitz: Photographs

Gered Mankowitz is among the absolute top in the history of photography. With Photographs, he presents his most comprehensive book to date: an impressive overview of no less than 65 years of photography, from 1960 to 2025. The book will be released around his 80th birthday and feels like a crowning achievement for an exceptional career.

Mankowitz became a leading name in London during the Swinging Sixties. A photoshoot with Marianne Faithfull marked the beginning of his long-standing collaboration with The Rolling Stones, for whom he was the official photographer in the mid-sixties. This was followed by iconic portraits of music legends such as Jimi Hendrix, The Yardbirds, Elton John, and Kate Bush.

However, his oeuvre extends far beyond music. Mankowitz continually developed: from promotional photos of movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to award-winning advertising campaigns for brands such as Heineken and British Rail. He also continued to capture new generations of artists and published several books about his work. With his own texts, Mankowitz shows how he always remained in dialogue with his medium – curious, sharp, and relevant.

What to expect:

• The most complete overview ever of Gered Mankowitz's work, spanning six decades
• Rare and never-before-published photos that highlight his unique vision and signature
• Personal commentary from Mankowitz himself, full of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights
• Contributions from close collaborators and subjects such as Noddy Holder, Dave Stewart, and Suzie Quatro
• An indispensable reference work for lovers of photography, music, and visual culture

About the Author

Gered Mankowitz was born into a family of creatives and intellectuals. He left school at fifteen, without qualifications, but with a clear direction: photography. Encouraged by a friend of his father – the legendary actor Peter Sellers – he picked up the camera. After a short period in fashion photography, he broke through with his images of the vibrant music scene of the sixties. Later, he expanded his field to film and advertising, where he further refined his versatility and craftsmanship.

Gered Mankowitz: Photographs is therefore not just a coffee table book; it is also the story of a photographer who constantly reinvented himself.

The Big Shot, Photographs by Greg Brennan

The Big Shot is an impressive ode to three decades of press photography at the highest level. In this coffee table book, Greg Brennan, one of Britain's longest-serving and most respected press photographers, opens his archive and his memories. The result is an intimate and sometimes surprisingly personal portrait of the world behind the spotlights.

From Hollywood icons and music legends to sports heroes, fashion visionaries and members of the British royal family: Brennan was there. Always looking for that one moment when the mask briefly slips. With encounters with, among others, Jack Nicholson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth II, The Big Shot shows how history, celebrity and humanity converge in a fraction of a second.

The story is told in Brennan's own words, supplemented by a personal narrative from his son Dylan. Together, they not only paint an exceptional photographic portrait of an era but also the life story of a photographer for whom the perfect shot sometimes took years to capture. With over 100 photos, this book is a visually powerful parade of famous faces and an honest look behind the public personas they represent.

What to expect:

• The first overview of this iconic British press photographer's work, featuring images spanning three decades
• A fascinating 'who's who' of international celebrity culture
• Personal, captivating stories from Greg Brennan about the moment, the place, and the encounter

About the Author(s)

Greg Brennan is among the absolute top of British press photography. As one of the longest-serving photographers in his field, he has captured countless influential figures over the past decades: rebels, world leaders, icons, and trendsetters. His strength lies in timing and instinct – the ability to capture people at their most unfiltered moment. With The Big Shot, Brennan shows that behind every famous photograph lies a story, and behind every public figure, a human being.

Jazz: Best of the Apollo, Village Vanguard and Riverside Sessions
Authors: Richard Scheinin and Steve Scharpiro

In Jazz: Best of the Apollo, Village Vanguard, and Riverside Sessions, a rarely seen chapter of jazz history comes to life. The legendary photographer Steve Schapiro – globally renowned for his compelling social documentaries from the 1960s – turned his lens to the New York jazz scene early on. Even before his big breakthrough, he captured musicians in clubs, studios, and backstage moments, precisely at the intersection where music, zeitgeist, and personal expression converge.

In the early 60s, jazz experienced a golden age in New York. Schapiro, raised in the Bronx and working as a freelance photographer, gained access to the intimate world of Riverside Records. There, he not only photographed performances but also the moments in between: Sonny Rollins lifting weights backstage, Bobby Timmons engrossed in a sudden musical insight, musicians completely absorbed in their craft. His images exude proximity, respect, and a keen eye for the decisive moment.

The photographs in this coffee table book – largely never before published – feature icons such as Cannonball Adderley, Melba Liston, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, and Count Basie. Together, they form a visual historical document of exceptional value, presenting jazz not as a myth, but as lived reality.

What you can expect:

• An impressive photo archive by Steve Schapiro featuring jazz legends from the early 60s
• Narrative context and interpretation by renowned jazz journalist Richard Scheinin
• Iconic names like Miles Davis, Dorothy Ashby, Bill Evans, and many others, captured in their purest moments
• A foreword by Sonny Rollins, an afterword by Kurt Elling.

About the Author(s)

Richard Scheinin is a leading American jazz journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, GQ, and other national publications. He is a staff writer at SFJAZZ and was the classical and jazz critic for the San Jose Mercury News for over a decade. Scheinin has interviewed and profiled numerous public figures, from Sonny Rollins to the Dalai Lama, and is the author of Field of Screams: The Dark Underside of America’s National Pastime (W.W. Norton).

Steve Schapiro (1934–2022) was one of the most influential American photographers of his generation. He achieved global fame for his photojournalistic coverage of the American Civil Rights Movement, including the March on Washington and the Selma to Montgomery marches. He also created iconic portraits and film stills for The Godfather and Taxi Driver, among others. His work is held in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. In 2017, Schapiro received the Lucie Award for his exceptional contribution to photojournalism.

This Is Where We Live – Illustrated Stories of Place and Space
Authors: gestalten & Antonis Antoniou

This Is Where We Live – Illustrated Stories of Place and Space is a visually impressive coffee table book that shows how illustration reshapes our perception of space, architecture, and living environments. In over 200 illustrations, contemporary illustrators explore how places are not only built, but also felt, narrated, and imagined.

From floor plans transforming into fictional worlds to cities depicted as dreamscapes, this book demonstrates how cross-sections, axonometric drawings, maps, and playful diagrams serve as powerful storytelling tools. Illustration is used here to question, interpret, and redefine space—sometimes realistically, sometimes poetically or conceptually.

At the intersection of illustration, architecture, and design culture, This Is Where We Live functions as both a visual atlas and a manifesto. This photobook invites readers to look differently at the spaces in which we live, work, and move, and shows how drawing can help develop new perspectives on place, rhythm, and daily life. An inspiring book for illustrators, architects, designers, and lovers of visual culture.

What to expect

• More than 200 illustrations that approach space as a source of imagination, exploration, and cultural meaning
• Visual stories by leading and emerging illustrators with diverse drawing styles
• Essays on the cultural, political, and conceptual role of spatial imagination
• A unique combination of illustration, architecture, and narrative design

About the Authors

gestalten is an internationally renowned publishing house from Berlin, founded in 1995. The publisher is known for high-quality coffee table books on design, architecture, illustration, fashion, and contemporary visual culture. Gestalten collaborates with leading creative professionals and documents trends and ideas that influence the way we live and design.

Antonis Antoniou is a designer, curator, and author specializing in visual storytelling and spatial representation. He gained international recognition with influential publications such as A Map of the World and Mind the Map, in which he explores how illustration can make complex spaces, systems, and ideas insightful and imaginative. His work is at the crossroads of art, design, and architecture.

Ten Years in North Korea

There are few countries in the world that remain so closed that almost no one from outside gains insight. North Korea is certainly one of the most secluded. The dictatorship, which has been ruled by the same family for generations, prohibits almost all contact beyond its borders, isolating 26 million inhabitants from the rest of humanity. This is why Xiomara Bender's photo book "Waiting for the Rainbow" is so valuable, as it deals with the Korean region in a very honest way.

The author portrays the lives and daily routines of the people in this country, which few get the chance to know. She wants to draw attention to the many destinies and the changes of recent years, which in this strict dictatorship are only possible in subtle micro-steps. Through her photographic journey through time, her readers can witness this transformation that brings hope. People who appear more self-assured as the book progresses, a smile that turns into laughter, clothing that gradually reflects more fashion than uniformity. All of this is shown to us by the author in emotionally resonant images.

Over almost ten years, Bender undertook nine trips to North Korea to bring back this unique photo documentation. The award-winning artist wants to break through the culture of deliberate ignorance about North Korea with her work and, without reproach, draw attention to the unvarnished daily lives of the people who live there and their state-orchestrated routines.

In addition to the moving images, the author encourages reflection through many short texts, without coming across as didactic. Her language is art, which opens up to those who pave the way.

Warpaint – Male Makeup and Identity Through Time
Authors: gestalten & Joshua Sims

Warpaint – Male Makeup and Identity Through Time is a stimulating and visually powerful coffee table book that reveals the often-underexposed history of male makeup and self-adornment. From ancient rituals and war paint to glam rock, punk, pop icons and contemporary street culture: this book shows how men throughout time used makeup to express identity, power, rebellion and belonging.

Through rich visual selections and sharp cultural analyses, Warpaint explores the male face and body as a canvas for transformation. Makeup proves to be not only an aesthetic choice but also a social, political and psychological statement. At a time when masculinity is being redefined and the market for men's grooming and cosmetics is growing strongly, this photo book offers a timely and in-depth reflection on appearance as both conformity and rebellion.

With historical objects, archive images and contemporary photography, Warpaint connects past and present. The result is an inspiring coffee table book for lovers of fashion, culture, identity, subcultures and social history.

What to expect

• A cultural history of male makeup, from ritual body paint to modern street style
• Images of historical artifacts, archives, and contemporary male makeup and body art
• Insightful essays on power, identity, masculinity, and expression
• A unique perspective on beauty, self-image, and cultural codes

About the authors

gestalten is an internationally renowned publisher from Berlin, founded in 1995. The brand is known for high-quality coffee table books on design, fashion, architecture, art and visual culture. Gestalten collaborates with leading creative thinkers and makers, translating cultural developments into books with a strong visual and substantive impact.

Joshua Sims is a journalist and author specializing in style, design, and subcultures. In his work, he explores the relationship between fashion, identity, and social norms, with a particular focus on masculinity and the social significance of clothing and appearance. He has written extensively on menswear and the evolution of male self-expression and is considered a perceptive commentator on contemporary culture.

Now is Now Tokyo. Street Photography
Author / curator: Lukasz Palka

Now is Now Tokyo is a powerful coffee table book that captures the raw energy and layered complexity of Tokyo through street photography. From the unique perspectives of multiple renowned photographers, an intimate and versatile portrait of one of the world's most fascinating metropolises unfolds.

The images showcase fleeting moments, bustling streets, and quiet observations: from neon-lit districts and busy intersections to human details that often go unnoticed. Tradition and hyper-modern urban culture seamlessly merge, presenting Tokyo as you rarely see it—authentic, surprising, and continuously in motion.

This photo book brings together the who's who of Tokyo street photography in one carefully curated volume. Now is Now Tokyo is a must-have for lovers of Japan, urban photography, contemporary art, and collectors looking for a visually striking and culturally relevant coffee table book.

What to expect

• Multiple perspectives from leading street photographers, each with their own style and signature
• Authentic street photography capturing daily life in Tokyo
• A visual exploration of contrasts: old and new, calm and chaos, intimacy and mass
• A unique overview of contemporary Tokyo street photography, compiled in one luxurious edition

About the author / curator

Lukasz Palka is a photographer, curator, and founder of nowherediary, an international platform for contemporary photography. He is known for his keen eye for visual storytelling and his talent for bringing together diverse photographic voices into coherent, high-quality publications. With Now is Now Tokyo, Palka delivers a carefully curated ode to Tokyo, where diversity, spontaneity, and urban aesthetics take center stage.

Ten Years in North Korea

There are few countries in the world that remain so closed that almost no one from outside gains insight. North Korea is certainly one of the most secluded. The dictatorship, which has been ruled by the same family for generations, prohibits almost all contact beyond its borders, isolating 26 million inhabitants from the rest of humanity. This is why Xiomara Bender's photo book "Waiting for the Rainbow" is so valuable, as it deals with the Korean region in a very honest way.

The author portrays the lives and daily routines of the people in this country, which few get the chance to know. She wants to draw attention to the many destinies and the changes of recent years, which in this strict dictatorship are only possible in subtle micro-steps. Through her photographic journey through time, her readers can witness this transformation that brings hope. People who appear more self-assured as the book progresses, a smile that turns into laughter, clothing that gradually reflects more fashion than uniformity. All of this is shown to us by the author in emotionally resonant images.

Over almost ten years, Bender undertook nine trips to North Korea to bring back this unique photo documentation. The award-winning artist wants to break through the culture of deliberate ignorance about North Korea with her work and, without reproach, draw attention to the unvarnished daily lives of the people who live there and their state-orchestrated routines.

In addition to the moving images, the author encourages reflection through many short texts, without coming across as didactic. Her language is art, which opens up to those who pave the way.