"What's the Point of Art? reveals how art has changed the world, one artistic movement at a time, and it is guaranteed to inspire, surprise, and entertain everybody who picks it up. Why is art important? What's so great about it? In this book, children will see the world through famous artists' eyes, learning what inspired them to make art. If you want to learn why art has the power to be beautiful, shocking, entertaining, and even political, this...

A first and thorough look at the Mexican celebration of the dead, the sacred days when the souls of the departed return to visit the living. Tracing the Days of the Dead tradition from its roots in Indian culture to its manifestations in contemporary Chicano communities, this unconventional and visually arresting documentary contemplates the loving and sometimes humorous Mexican cultural attitudes toward "that constant companion," death.

"This nuanced account explores Maya mythology through the lens of art, text, and culture. It offers an important reexamination of the mid-16th-century Popol Vuh, long considered an authoritative text, which is better understood as one among many crucial sources for the interpretation of ancient Maya art and myth. Using materials gathered across Mesoamerica, Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos bridges the gap between written texts and artistic representations,...

"Folk art is embedded in cultures and civilisations around the world, in the form of characteristic and often practical objects and artefacts that draw from local traditions, techniques, and stories that have been passed down generations. From mural art to fashion, product design, graphics and interiors, new folk art collates a colourful collection of worldwide work by creatives that have breathed new life into the familiar by combining the contemporary...