Celina Fox once had one of the greatest titles in museum work, assistant keeper at the Museum of London. Her new book, The Arts of Industry in the Age of Englightenment, argues that mechanics and artisans used four principle methods of rationalizing there work. These are (in no particular order) drawing, model-making, societies, and publications. Combined, these activities helped to classify and celebrate the process of industry. Fox ties together the four methods, using them as themes which explain how industry was settled into everyday life.

Published by Yale University Press.

Typically, paper does not rank high among people’s conception of architectural materials.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, however, has made paper his primary material, simultaneously celebrating its strength and durability and its delicacy. Ban came to fame after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, his paper based solutions functioning as much needed temporary housing with great cost efficiency.

Ban studied in the United States and returned to Japan in 1985 to establish his practice. He currently maintains offices in Tokyo, Paris, and New York, and teaches at Kelo University. Ban is recipient of two World Architecture Awards (2001 and 2002) and the Architecture for Humanity Award (1999).

Shigeru Ban: Paper in Architecture is the first monograph to chronicle Ban’s innovative work. Forty of his permanent and temporary structures are featured though brilliant photography and concise text. An essay by Riichi Miyake neatly contextualizes Ban’s progression as an architect and his passion for innovation. The book serves as brilliant introduction to both the mind of Ban and the potential for paper in architecture.

Shigeru Ban: Paper in Architecture by Shigeru Ban, Rizzoli, 2009.

Stefan G. Bucher selected photographs from the personal portfolios of fellow graphic designers for The Graphic Eye. His intent is to provide a glimpse into the working methods and obsessions of creative professionals. Included are snaps from Ed Fella and Jeri Heiden.

Available from Chronicle. A video run through of the book may be viewed after the jump.

From the editors of the very excellent McSweeny’s, More Things Like This mingles high and low, and visual and literary arts. Contributors include Kurt Vonnegut and David Mamet. The book is all about exploring creativity and does so through text, drawings, and the odd interview.

Available from Chronicle.

The culmination of the 2nd advanced architecture competition from the Institute For Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Self-Fab House details some of the most innovative and advanced methods of house construction. The emphasis is on the potential of local application of new techniques and digital processes. An investigation of cutting edge self-sufficient housing spurred the competition, the best of which lands in the pages of the book.

Based in Barcelona, the IAAC is an international centre of  architectural research in territorial analysis, urban development,  digital fabrications and informational environments for improving cultural, economic and social conditions.

Edited by Lucas Cappelli, Self-Fab House offers 384 richly illustrated pages. Published by Actar.

Page views of Self-Fab House follow.

Philadelphia-based photographer and writer Marianne Bernstein has translated a long standing fascination with tattoos into a compelling portrait of the city’s tattooed residents. While just a sampling, Bernstein’s approach covers a range of tattoo styles, meanings, and personalities. Her book Tatted releases this week from Grit City Inc. and includes interviews with Philadelphia Eddy and Troy Temple. Having had the pleasure of speaking with both (casually and as panel members), I can attest to the wealth of knowledge they have to share. An essay by Craig Bruns, curator at Independence Seaport Museum, puts Berstein’s contemporary vision of Philadelphia tattooing in historic continuum.

Tonight, PURE GOLD! Gallery is opening an exhibition to complement the release. Head down to the Piazza to view the photographs in grand scale and share your own tattoo stories.

A short preview of Tatted after the jump.

Quite embarrassed to have only just learned about this collection. Touted by the Financial Times as “The most important art publication of 2009, if not the decade,” Vincent van Gogh: The Letters draws on 15 years of research. Not surprisingly, it is the most comprehensive printing of the artist’s letters ever produced. Additionally 4,000 illustrations are included, providing a view to the art that van Gogh himself discussed in his correspondence. A great depth of material for sure, but probably worth the effort — there are six volumes and a dvd.

Available from Thames & Hudson. More looks follow.

Launched officially within the last few days, And Press is a new venture from artist/designer Eric Elms. The initial catalog features collected work from Para, Colin Dodgson, and Luke Barber-Smith. My colleague at Highsnobiety, Pete Williams, talked with Elms about And Press. Read the feature here.

A few choice examples from the current And Press offerings follow.

In the study of British Decorative arts there are few people whose work informs and inspires as much as Michael Snodin. Currently Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Snodin’s latest publication examines the history and reception of Horace Walpole’s collection at Strawberry Hill. Along with other scholars, Snodin (the editor) brings full life to the home, its contents, and the world surrounding both.

The son of powerful Whig Minister Robert Walpole, Horace grew to be the best known commentator on Georgian life in England. His collections ranged from arms & armor to rare books, all carefully displayed in his groundbreaking home Strawberry Hill. A related exhibition is now on view at The British Art Center at Yale, where it will run through January 31, 2010. In March, the exhibition will open at the V&A and remain in situ until July 4, 2010.

Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill is available from Yale University Press.

The outstanding collection of American Modern Art at the Art Institute of Chicago has never been subject of a publication. American Modernism at the Art Institute of Chicago aims, rightly, to rectify that truth. Including some 175 works of sculpture, painting, decorative arts, and works on paper, the book reflects the range of material produced from WWII to 1955. As such, it is a sound overview of American Art in the covered decades, with iconic work from Hopper (Nighthawks) and Wood (American Gothic) share space with painters from O’Keeffe to Hartley. Apart from the big names, the book also includes an accessible history of how the collections came into being.

American Modernism at the Art Institute of Chicago is available from Yale University Press.