New Releases by Michael Bird

Embark on a chilling journey through nightmarish tales that will captivate the ghoulish modern reader. Encounter landlords with sinister requests, ethereal housemates, and a glass-encased jungle built by an eccentric father. These gothic stories blur the lines between dreams and reality, weaving a tapestry of macabre encounters and festering secrets. MEDIA REVIEWS 'These macabre tales feature oppressive, labyrinthine dreams, and even more unsettling realities. This is a damp, festering collection full of death and decay - rotten petals, decomposing carcases, creeping fungi - with a really interesting theme of living situations or, as one story puts it, "unhomely homes". The characters in these stories are all experiencing their own forms of haunting, and must question the boundaries between the real and the imagined. I thought 'Rot' and 'The City Where One Finds the Lost' were excellently visceral, and I enjoyed the anti-capitalist undertones that ran throughout the collection.' - Alyssa Lloyd, Small Press Book Club 'Modern Gothic is a tour de force of short horror fiction. Sometimes gruesome and always uncomfortable this collection will disquiet any reader, its perfect for fans of the weird.' - Brooke Smith, Bookseller at House of Books and Friends

Dear Vincent explores the art and life of Vincent van Gogh through the letters he exchanged with his brother Theo.

Examining for the first time the life and work of the sculptor Matt Rugg (1935- 2020), Michael Bird's impeccably researched text vividly charts Rugg's parallel careers as artist and teacher in the context of developments in creative pedagogy in Britain during the second half of the twentieth century, and their implications for practice and teaching today. Highlighting the impressive range of Rugg's output, from his distinctive 'painted drawings' to large-scale metal constructions, and the unifying strands in his thought, this book skilfully draws together Rugg's work, ideas and inspirational role as an educator. Lavishly illustrated, it charts successive phases of Rugg's continuous experimentation with found industrial materials and form, and the subtle interrelationship in his work between two and three dimensions. Dr Harriet Sutcliffe's research into the Basic Course led by Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton at King's College, Newcastle, in the 1950s and 1960s provides fascinating insights into both Rugg's oeuvre and wider developments in British art practice and pedagogy.

Limited atonement is not the only Reformed model of atonement Hypothetical universalism, or unlimited atonement, states that Christ's death is sufficient for the guilt of all people yet is only effectively applied to those with faith. This tradition, typified by the French Reformer Moïse Amyraut, has continued among Anglicans and Baptists for over four centuries, yet has been underexplored in Reformed systematic theology. Unlimited Atonement fills a gap in resources on atonement theology that begin with the unlimited love of God. Editors Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower draw on the specialties of each of the ten contributors, addressing themes such as - the biblical and historical sources of the soteriological position known as Amyraldism - distinctive features of Anglican atonement theology - hypothetical universalism, election, and the Baptist theological tradition - other prominent advocates of unlimited atonement - the issues of systematic theology at stake - atonement theology in preaching Unlimited Atonement is the most comprehensive analysis of Amyraldism to date, providing a resource for theology and Bible students and teachers in an esoteric stream of Reformed theology. Bird and Harrower provide a starting point for anyone who wants to understand the sources and merits of Amyraldism.

In This is Tomorrow Michael Bird takes a fresh look at the long twentieth century, from the closing years of Queen Victorias reign to the turn of the millennium, through the lens of the artists who lived and worked in this ever-changing Britain. Bird examines how the rhythms of change and adaptation in art became embedded in the collective consciousness of the nation and vividly evokes the personalities who populate and drive this story, looking beyond individual careers and historical moments to weave together interconnecting currents of change that flowed through London, Glasgow, Leeds, Cornwall, the Caribbean, New York, Moscow and Berlin. From the American James McNeill Whistlers defence of his new kind of modern art against the British art establishment in the latter half of the 19th century to the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliassons melting icebergs in London, he traverses the lives of the artists that have recorded, questioned and defined our times. At the heart of this original book are the successive waves of displacement caused by global wars and persecution that conversely brought fresh ideas and new points of view to the British Isles; educational reforms opened new routes for young people from working-class backgrounds; movements of social change enabled the emergence of female artists and artists of colour; and the emergence of the mass media shaped modern modes of communication and culture. These are the ebbs and flows that Michael Bird teases out in this panoramic account of Britain and its artists in across the twentieth century.

Wereldberoemde kunstenaars als Ben Nicholson en Barbara Hepworth maakten van de pittoreske kustplaats St. Ives in Cornwall een wervelend internationaal kunstcentrum. De vele kunstenaars die zich er voor korte of langere tijd vestigden, lieten zich vooral inspireren door het eeuwenoude landschap, de zee en de verbondenheid tussen de plaatselijke bevolking en haar omgeving. Ver van de grote kunstcentra en actuele ontwikkelingen, vonden ze een persoonlijke stijl op de maat van licht, land en ruimte.0Met de tentoonstelling Living the Landscape Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson en de kunstenaars van St. Ives, 1939-1975 besteedt Museum Belvédère als eerste museum in Nederland aandacht aan een bijzonder hoofdstuk uit de geschiedenis van de moderne kunst in Groot-Brittannië.00Exhibition: Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, The Netherlands (28.05.-25.09.2022).

Writer’s Letters is a collection of fascinating letters written by great writers, from Dickens to De Beauvoir

Tweetalige catalogus van de tentoonstelling 'Giacometti/Chadwick : facing fear' over het werk van de beeldhouwers Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) en Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003).

Mick Francis is back for the final chapter of The Nation's Murder. As he is pushed to his limits, he has to think about walking away from the case as his loved ones are on the edge of being taking away from him for good. As he tries and stop the El Corazon gang from continuing their human trafficking business, they make it personal as Mick starts to unravel the truth on why and who is behind the case.

George Fullard: Sculpture and Survival is the first book for almost 20 years on the life and work of this highly individual British artist, whose achievement and influence are now winning belated recognition. Fullard's sudden death at the age of 50 in 1973 cut short a career that had already moved through several very distinct phases. A virtuoso modeller in clay, he was championed by John Berger in the 1950s as Britain's best young realist sculptor but swiftly moved on to experimenting with large-scale assemblages in which he explored dream, memory and his preoccupation with the sculptural 'phantom'. Fullard's landmark exhibition at the Marlborough Gallery in 1964, featuring his War Series, established him as an artist of disquieting poetic intensity at a time when many British sculptors were committed to an abstract, formalist idiom. This book is both a compelling biography, charting Fullard's short and turbulent life, and an in-depth appreciation of his work, beautifully illustrated with new photography. Michael Bird's research into Fullard's private papers, sketchbooks and other archival sources, and new interviews with people who knew him, inform a timely reappraisal of one of the most distinctive and surprising British artists of the later 20th century.

An enthralling journey through the story of world art, from early cave paintings right up to the present day. Discover artists and their art around the world, in 70 exciting and imaginative tales about artists and the way they created their work. Written by educator and art historian Michael Bird, and beautifully illustrated by Kate Evans, the book also features reproductions of the famous artworks discussed, a comprehensive timeline of events, and extra feature spreads on places connected with art. This is a beautiful and engaging introduction to art for any home or school library.

On Thursday, December 6th 1917, a French freighter loaded with over 2,500 tons of high explosives collided with another vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and caught fire. At exactly 9.06am she blew up. The explosions, which was seen and heard fifty-two miles away, unleashed a man-made destructive force unequalled in power until the first atomic bomb. It levelled the Halifax waterfront, wiped out a square mile of the city from the face of the earth and sent an enormous wave crashing over the piers to tear ocean-going ships from their moorings. The Town That Died tells in full the whole story of this appalling disaster, which led to thousands of deaths and injuries while the homeless numbered in tens of thousands. Set against the background of the lives of many of the people involved, it tells exactly what happened on that morning, of the cruel twist of fate that meant it was impossible to rescue many of the people trapped in their burning homes and the bitter legal battle that was fought to establish who was to blame for the catastrophe. Michael Bird spent over a year researching this book, travelling over 7,000 miles to piece together the incredible story by interviewing survivors, discovering contemporary letters, diaries and newspapers and official documents and reports that had not been previously available. There is much that will shock in this study of human behaviour at a time when men and women were tested to breaking point. Predominantly, this is the story of the great courage, endurance and self-sacrifice shown by thousands of ordinary people when they found themselves caught up in the horror of The Town That Died.

A lively and authoritative introduction to the history of art in Cornwall, from Turner to the present day. Themes include: Cornwall in the Romantic vision of landscape; the Victorian development of ''mythical'' Cornwall as a tourist destination; the search for rustic authenticity and the early art colonies in Newlyn and St Ives; Cornwall''s ......

From the earliest cave paintings through to the internet and street art, this inspiring book chronicles the 100 most influential ideas that have shaped the world of art. Arranged in broadly chronological order, it provides a source of inspiration and a fascinating resource for the general reader to dip into. Lavishly illustrated with historical masterpieces and packed with fascinating contemporary examples, this is an inspirational and wholly original guide to understanding the forces that have shaped world art.

Bryan Wynter (1915-75) was a major figure in post-war British art. This is the first full-length survey of his career. It examines the cultural, intellectual and social contexts of his work, from his early studies at the Slade and interest in Surrealism, through his move to Cornwall after the Second World War and his place in the progressive art scene in London and St Ives between 1945 and 1975. Generously illustrated with works from all periods of Wynter''s creative life, including many works never previously reproduced, this book makes an important contribution to the history of post-war British art. It will be a valuable source of reference for all those with an interest in abstract art, the St Ives painters, and post-war cultural history.

A child can draw and colour in, make sculptures from material found on the beach, play snakes and ladders or learn a few words of Cornish with this activity book. Simple, informative writing with line drawings cover all aspects of life in Cornwall - its art and artists, its language and history, its landscape and life on the sea. Aimed at children aged five to eleven, whether on holiday or living locally, the book provides plenty to do on a long car journey or a rainy day.

Includes material on urban squirrles, chipmunks, raccoons, skunks, cottontails, opossums, woodchucks, pocket gophers, moles, house mice, rats, bats, birds, herptiles.