Violette Editions

First published in 2021 by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions

‘Filled with spectacular hand-drawn illustrations from prestigious jewellery houses … essential reading for anyone interested in exploring the world of high jewellery’ – .Cent

’About as sumptuous as a book can get … a feast for the eyes’ – Country & Town House

About the commission:

Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour is the final volume of Violette’s trilogy – ten years in the making – of authoritative books on coloured gemstones, which began in 2013 with Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Opulence and Power (currently in its fourth edition) followed in 2019 with Ruby: The King of Gems (now in its third). Here again, Robert Violette was entrusted by the series sponsor (Gemfields) to take full authority over the origination of this book, from the editorial and creative leadership to commissioning the author, designer, researchers, printers and overseeing production to finished copies, including custom-dyed blue cloth. This work included renewing its long-standing relationships with all the leading jewellery houses, auction houses, museums and private collections of the world to undertake picture research and selection with the author. Violette Editions, as it always does for its publications, also completed the digital pre-press and proofing inhouse. Continuing the partnerships established with Emerald, Violette was also the agent for this title, securing worldwide distribution with Thames and Hudson.

About the book:

A feast for all the senses, Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour features page after page of exquisite sapphire jewels and artefacts from the 4th century BCE to the present day, interspersed with text exploring the history of this beautiful gemstone and its enduring popularity with style icons, past and present.

Joanna Hardy, the highly regarded jewellery and gemstone expert, reviews the sapphire’s history with captivating stories told in a succinct exhilarating style. She takes the reader on a journey from early trade along the Silk Route and the creation of medieval talismans, to the jewellery collections of the great royal houses of Europe and the finest designers at work today. Along the way, she showcases spectacular jewels worn by many notable figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Windsor, as well as pieces by such iconic jewellery houses as Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet and Tiffany. A selection of work by 21st-century jewellery designers such as Shaun Leane, Hemmerle, Lauren Adriana, Bina Goenka and Mish is featured. There is also an exclusive insight into six major private collections, including previously unpublished pieces. With its rich, royal-blue silk cover and gold-foil blocking, Sapphire is a beautiful addition to any gem-lover’s library.

Joanna Hardy is an independent gemmologist and jewellery specialist, formerly of Debeers, Philips and Sotheby’s. She lectures widely and writes for many international magazines and newspapers and features on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. Joanna is also the principal writer in Emerald, and the sole author of the third volume in this trilogy, Ruby: The King of Gems (2022).

Edited by Robert Violette and produced by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Hardback with custom-dyed blue cloth, 328 pages
More than 500 colour plates
34.5 x 24.5 cm (h x w)
Published by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions (October 2021)
ISBN 978-0-500519-41-7 (Thames and Hudson)
ISBN 978-1-900828-47-5 (Violette, hors commerces)

First published in 2019 by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions

‘Filled with spectacular hand-drawn illustrations from prestigious jewellery houses … essential reading for anyone interested in exploring the world of high jewellery’ – .Cent

’About as sumptuous as a book can get … a feast for the eyes’ – Country & Town House

About the commission:

Ruby: The King of Gems is the middle volume of this trilogy of authoritative books on coloured gemstones, which began in 2013 with Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Opulence and Power and was completed in 2021 with Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour. Here again, Robert Violette was entrusted by the series sponsor (Gemfields) to take full authority over the origination of this book, from the editorial and creative leadership to commissioning the author, designer, researchers, printers and overseeing production to finished copies. This work included renewing its long-standing relationships with all the leading jewellery houses, auction houses, museums and private collections of the world to undertake picture research and selection with the author. Violette Editions, as it always does for its publications, also completed the digital pre-press inhouse. Here, continuing the partnerships established with Emerald, Violette was also the agent for the publication, securing worldwide distribution under the Thames and Hudson imprint.

About the book:

This is the most ambitious book ever published on ruby, the king of gems. Originated and produced by Violette Editions, and published by Thames and Hudson, this is the second volume in a series of major publications on coloured gemstones. From emperors and empresses, kings and queens, Maharanis to Hollywood royalty, this book showcases hundreds of the world’s most significant and renowned pieces of ruby jewellery, including many previously unseen designs from royal and private collections.

Historic creations are represented alongside pieces from major modern and contemporary jewellery houses, among them Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, Mellerio dits Meller and Graff. Additionally, Ruby offers practical guidance on what to look for in a quality ruby gemstone, a look at extraordinary jewellery techniques as well as the author Joanna Hardy’s travelogue from visits to the world's great ruby deposits.

Joanna Hardy is an independent gemmologist and jewellery specialist, formerly of Debeers, Philips and Sotheby’s. She lectures widely and writes for many international magazines and newspapers and features on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. Joanna is also the principal writer in Emerald, and the sole author of the third volume in this trilogy, Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour (2022).

Edited by Robert Violette and produced by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Clothbound, 328 pages, more than 500 colour plates
34.5 x 24.5 cm (h x w)
Published by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions (October 2019)
ISBN 978-0-500519-41-7 (Thames and Hudson)
ISBN 978-1-900828-47-5 (Violette, hors commerces)

First published in 2013 by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions

With principal texts by Joanna Hardy and Jonathan Self, a preface by Franca Sozzani and introduction by Hettie Judah

About the commission:

Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Opulence and Power is the first volume of a trilogy, ten years in the making, of authoritative books on coloured gemstones, which was followed in 2019 by Ruby: The King of Gems and in 2022 by Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour. For all three of the titles in this series, Robert Violette was entrusted by the sponsor (Gemfields) to take full authority over the origination of the books, from editorial and creative leadership to commissioning the author, designer, researchers, printers and overseeing production to finished copies. This work included establishing relationships with all the leading jewellery houses, auction houses, museums and private collections of the world to undertake picture research and selection with the author. Violette Editions, as it always does for its publications, also completed the digital pre-press inhouse. Violette was also the agent for the publication, securing worldwide distribution with Thames and Hudson.

About the book:

Emerald is the most ambitious homage to this beautiful gemstone ever published. Lavishly illustrated in a large format with bespoke cloth the colour of Colombian emeralds, this publication brings together a stunning collection of images and essays befitting a gemstone that is 20 times rarer than diamond.

Vogue Italia editor, Franca Sozzani, opens the book with a personal note on her relationship with jewellery and gemstones, which is then followed by Hettie Judah’s introduction to the complicated narratives behind some of the most iconic women, men, celebrities and royals to have worn famous emeralds, from Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor to royals including Queen Elizabeth II and the Maharani Gayatri Devi.

Across more than 200 pages, the main part of this book, jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy selects and introduces some of the world’s most significant emerald artefacts and designs from around the world, including many previously unseen pieces from private, public and royal collections. Historic creations are represented alongside modern jewellery houses, including Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari, Harry Winston, Shaun Leane, Leo De Vroomen, Grima and many more.

The final part of Emerald delves into the cultural history of the emerald trade from mine to market. Author Jonathan Self and photographer Errol Rainey have visited ancient sites, working mines and collectors and dealers across four continents. With a particular focus on Colombia, India, Zambia and Egypt, this section of the book gives context to the origins of our fascination with this opulent green gemstone.

Joanna Hardy is an independent gemmologist and jewellery specialist, formerly of Debeers, Philips and Sothebys. She lectures widely and writes for many international magazines and newspapers and features on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. She is also the sole author of Ruby: The King of Gems (2019) and Sapphire: A Celebration of Colour (2022), also originated by Violette Editions.

Jonathan Self has been passionate about emeralds and their enigma for more than 30 years. He has written for The Times, Country Life and Vanity Fair and is the author of over a dozen books.

Franca Sozzani was the legendary editor of Vogue Italia.

Hettie Judah is a writer, editor and curator based in London. She is a Contributing Editor to ArtReview, has written and edited numerous books on fashion, art and design and is a regular contributor to SHOWstudio. She has also edited and contributed to Interwoven: Kvadrat Textile and Design and Ten Years in the Bag: Selfridges 2003–2013, also originated by Violette Editions.

Edited by Robert Violette and produced by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Map illustration by Nina Chakrabarti
Hardback, 328 pages, 400 colour plates
34.5 x 24.5 cm (h x w)
Published by Thames and Hudson in association with Violette Editions (November 2013)
ISBN 978-0-500517-20-8 (Thames and Hudson)
ISBN 978-1-900828-45-1 (Violette, hors commerces)

Published in October 2017 by Lisson Gallery

About the commission:

For this publication, Robert Violette was commissioned, over a two-year period, to advise on all creative, editorial and production aspects of this ambitious 1152-page 50th-anniversary project, including the business elements, the search for an art director, content creation and management. In fact, the founder of Lisson Gallery, Nicholas Logsdail, had first consulted Robert Violette in 1997 for a volume celebrating the gallery’s 30th anniversary, never realised at the time.

About the book:

Featuring work by more than 150 artists from over 500 exhibitions staged since 1967 at Lisson’s galleries in London, Milan and New York, this substantial volume celebrates the legacy and continuing importance of Lisson’s engagement with contemporary art and artists.

Lisson Gallery’s unique and extensive archive fills this publication with more than 2,000 illustrations collected from five decades of resources, including installation views, essays and significant press clippings, correspondence from artists and other ephemera never previously published. The A to Z structure of ARTIST / WORK / LISSON features every artist to have held a solo show with Lisson: from ABRAMOVIC, AKOMFRAH, ANDRE and ARCANGEL, to RYMAN, SANDBACK and WEINER. Each is accompanied by a short narrative, notable review or previously published extract by many of the finest writers of the last half century including Stuart Morgan, Okwui Enwezor, Germano Celant, Roberta Smith, Homi K Bhabha, Tom McCarthy and Robert Storr. As well as a deep collection of textual, archival and visual material, ARTIST / WORK / LISSON includes a number of short essays and recollections by the gallery’s founder, Nicholas Logsdail, and other members of the Lisson Gallery including Ossian Ward, editor of this book, and Greg Hilty, gallery director. These individual contributions, distributed throughout the book, address specific themes relevant to the gallery’s unrivalled longevity and position at the centre of international contemporary art in Britain over the last 50 years: BEGINNINGS, COLLECTORS, MINIMALISM, INTERNATIONALISM, MARKET, MATERIAL, etc.

The publication of this book also accompanied a large-scale exhibition to mark Lisson Gallery’s 50th anniversary. Entitled Everything at Once, the exhibition took place at Store Studios in London from 5 October to 10 December 2017 and was co-organised with The Vinyl Factory.

Ossian Ward is Head of Content at the Lisson Gallery. He was previously chief art critic at Time Out London and is author of Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art.

Edited by Ossian Ward
Editorial and creative advice by Robert Violette
Designed by Irma Boom
Produced by Zoe Anspach, Lisson Gallery
Paperback, 1152 pages
More than 900 colour plates
29.7 x 21 cm (h x w)
Published by Lisson Gallery (October 2017)
ISBN 978-0-947830-63-2

Published in December 2013 by Selfridges & Co

About the commission:

With just six months’ notice, Robert Violette was asked by Alannah Weston, then creative director for Selfridges & Co, to create a publication to mark ten years of ownership and innovation at this historic retail destination by the Weston family. To assist, Robert commissioned art and fashion writer Hettie Judah to edit and write the content, digging deep into the archive held by this legendary department store. Produced by Violette Editions, which managed all aspects of editorial production and design, this book also benefitted from Violette’s inhouse pre-press for more than 600 illustrations.

About the book:

With an introduction by Charlotte Sinclair, Ten Years in the Bag celebrates a decade behind the scenes and in front of the windows at Selfridges. Named the best department store in the world in 2010 and 2012, the London flagship store is famed for its lavish and distinctive window displays and for its influential daring in the sphere of retail. Selfridges’ most fabled events and installations, alongside accounts from collaborators, designers, retailers, long-standing employees and clients, demonstrate this store’s characteristic ingenuity and innovation. With contributions from Bruce Weber, Katie Grand, Mark Hix, Bay Garnett and Charlotte Tilbury, amongst others, this is the most comprehensive book to date on the award-winning department store, made even more famous by the eponymous television series.

Charlotte Sinclair is a Contributing Editor to Vogue, and writes on arts, travel and fashion for The Independent, The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Condé Nast Traveller and Australian Vogue.

Hettie Judah is a writer, editor and curator based in London. She is a Contributing Editor to ArtReview, has written and edited numerous books on fashion, art and design and is a regular contributor to SHOWstudio. She has also edited and contributed to Interwoven: Kvadrat Textile and Design and contributed to Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Opulence and Power, also originated by Violette Editions

Produced by Violette Editions
Designed by Veronica Ditting
Hardback, 256 pages, 600 illustrations
28.5 x 22 cm (h x w)
Published by Selfridges & Co (December 2013)
ISBN 978-0-9557070-1-8

Published in October 2013 by Prestel

About the commission:

At its flagship London showroom, designed by Peter Saville and David Adjaye, Robert Violette met Anders Byriel, CEO and son of the founder of the iconic Danish textile company, Kvadrat. Soon after, Byriel commissioned Robert to collaborate with Saville, then also a creative adviser to Kvadrat, and produce a book that presents the diverse history and influence of Kvadrat’s products and design collaborations. Robert commissioned art and design writer Hettie Judah to edit the publication, while Violette Editions took responsibility for the editorial management, pre-press and print production. Design was managed by Kvadrat’s design agency, Graphic Thought Facility, which also contributed to production with a unique bespoke cloth made from wool sheared from sheep owned by artist Olafur Eliasson, a frequent collaborator with Kvadrat. Violette was also given responsibility for the commercial aspects of this title, and secured a co-edition sale with Prestel Publishing for worldwide distribution.

About the book:

With a foreword by Peter Saville and contributions by Tord Boontje, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Denise Denise Hagstömer, Hettie Judah, Sevil Peach, Zoë Ryan, Joel Tettamanti, Rosemary Trockel, Jane Withers

In electrifying colour and exquisite detail, this survey of Kvadrat, the renowned Danish textile company, tells its complete story from inception to collaborations with world-famous visual artists and designers.

Since its foundation in 1968, Kvadrat has nurtured important relationships with an evolving creative community, collaborating with and supporting designers, architects, artists, and performers. This beautifully designed volume celebrates the textiles of Kvadrat, drawing a thread from its deep roots in the coastal landscape of Denmark through its engagement with aesthetic pioneers of the twentieth century. Filled with color photographs and fascinating texts, the book highlights specific themes that characterize Kvadrat’s association with the likes of Tord Boontje, Sevil Peach and others; its influence in the field of textile design in homes, offices, and entertainment venues; and even follows a herd of Icelandic sheep reared by artist Olafur Eliasson from birth through sheering. Interwoven is the definitive history of a highly influential organization and its indelible imprint on the world we inhabit.

Kvadrat has been a leader in the field of textile innovation since its founding in Ebeltoft, Denmark, in 1968. A progressive design company, it produces contemporary textiles and textile-related products for architects and designers in public spaces and for private homes. The company regularly collaborates with the world’s finest creative talents in projects that push the boundaries of textile manufacturing and application.

Hettie Judah is a writer, editor and curator based in London. She is a Contributing Editor to ArtReview, has written and edited numerous books on fashion, art and design and is a regular contributor to SHOWstudio. She has also edited and contributed to Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Opulence and Power and Ten Years in the Bag: Selfridges 2003–2013, also originated by Violette Editions.

Produced by Violette Editions
Edited by Hettie Judah
Designed by Graphic Thought Facility
Hardback, 208 pages, 200 colour illustrations
29 x 29 cm
Published commercially by Prestel (Autumn 2013)
ISBN 978-3-79134858-2 (Prestel)
(Alternative edition published by Violette in association with Kvadrat, hors commerce)

An exhibition catalogue edited and produced by Violette Editions, published in February 2012 by Blain|Southern (London) and Acquavella Galleries (New York)

About the commission:

In 2011, and just following the passing of Lucian Freud, Blain|Southern gallery asked Robert Violette to edit and produce this ambitious catalogue to accompany an exhibition curated by William Feaver, who had been a very close friend of the artist. A decision was made, together with David Dawson, the artist’s long-time assistant, that the reproductions of these works on paper should be finest seen to date. To that end, Violette Editions also undertook the careful retouching and digital proofing of images that came from sources ranging from photo libraries to the artist’s galleries and collectors. With the consultation of artist John Riddy, who for years had been the approved photographer of works by Freud, the fidelity and manner of reproduction is closer to the original works than in any prior publication. Combined with the best book materials and Robert’s personal supervision on press, the finished result stands out amongst all of Freud’s bibliography.

About the book:

Essays by William Feaver and Mark Rosenthal

Beginning in the 1940s and spanning the artist's career, Lucian Freud Drawings brings together more than 100 works, many of which have never been shown in public before.

Encompassing portraiture, landscapes and studies of animals, this collection includes portraits of Freud's mother and father, his children and close friends among them the painter Francis Bacon and artist Leigh Bowery.

Speaking of the artist’s earliest work, curator William Feaver observes: ‘From childhood there were drawings of goblins and fairies, tables piled high and the pear tree outside the Freuds’ holiday home on the Baltic island of Hiddensee. Later came fantastical jeux d'esprit, sharp images of friends patient enough to sit for him, etchings and drawings demonstrating his love of Ingres.’ This collection traces Freud’s development from this phase up to the early 1950s when he chose to concentrate primarily on his painting. It also covers his return to etching in the 1980s.

Covering more than seven decades, the works illuminate an aspect of Freud's oeuvre that was often overshadowed by his painting – drawing was the essence of his practice from first to last.

Lucian Freud (1922–2011) built up a formidable reputation as one of the most powerful contemporary figurative painters of nudes, portraits and faces. His gutsy realism is characterised by strong forms and arresting detail, rendered with rich dynamic brushwork. Family members, friends and favourite models all played a role in the human drama of Freud’s studio. Freud was born in Berlin in 1922, a grandson of Sigmund Freud. His family moved to London in 1931, where he lived until his death in 2011.

William Feaver was The Observer’s art critic between 1975 and 1998. He has written several books about Lucian Freud and curated a number of exhibitions of his work, including the major retrospective at Tate Britain, London in 2002.

Mark Rosenthal has been guest curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, since 2010 and adjunct curator at the Detroit Institute of Art since 2007. Previously he was a curator at the Norton Museum of Art, consultative curator at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Head of Department of Twentieth Century Art at the National Gallery, Washington. Rosenthal has contributed to numerous contemporary art publications and has held a number of Art History professorships.

This catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition Lucian Freud Drawings, curated by William Feaver, shown at Blain|Southern, London, from 14 February to 6 April 2012. The exhibition coincided with a major retrospective of Freud’s portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London, curated by Sarah Howgate. Lucian Freud Drawings is co-organised with Acquavella Galleries, New York, where the exhibition was shown in June 2012.

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Digital pre-press and colour proofing by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Hardback, 256 pages, more than 100 colour illustrations
28 x 29.7 cm (h x w)
Published by Blain|Southern and Acquavelle Galleries (February 2012)
ISBN 978-0-9569904-3-3 (Blain|Southern)
ISBN 978-0-9569904-2-6 (Blain|Southern and Acquavella Galleries)

Devised, edited and produced by Robert Violette and published in Spring 2011 by Rizzoli Publications in association with Hotel Il Pellicano

‘What makes the book so irresistible is not the aristo name-check: Corsini, Pucci, Borghese, Pignatelli. It's that the people in the pictures (taken over five decades) seem to possess that confident, offhand chic that only Italians bring to the season, along with an inherent sense of the theater of summer.’ – The New York Times

’I remember well the completely effortless elegance of the place, how it felt more like a superchic house party than a hotel … a rich photographic chronicle.’ – Town & Country

’One of the most intriguing new books of photography in the past few years.’ – Achtung magazine

’A fascinating insight into the rise of the leisure class in the 20th century.’ – Creative Review

About the commission:

Through photographer Fergus Greer (see Leigh Bowery Looks), who had taken photographs at Hotel Il Pellicano, Robert Violette was reunited with Marie-Louise Scío, daughter of the owner of the hotel (whom Robert had first met 15 years previously), to discuss a publicaiton the hotel would like to make, the first in its history. The main purpose was to utilise some of the hundreds of photographs in the Getty archive that famed photographer Slim Aarons had taken over the decades he had been a frequent visitor during the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s. On a visit to the hotel, Robert noticed a photo album on an office shelf, filed amongst business papers. This remarkable binder turned out to be an edited collection of hand-prints assembled personally by photographer John Swope, himself a co-founder of the hotel in the 1960s. It was clear that these photos should be used; Robert’s additional contribution was to suggest a new documentary set of contemporary life at the hotel, asking Juergen Teller to undertake the commission. This relationship between Teller and the hotel has been so successful that they soon after collaborated on another extensive publication wiht Violette Editions, Eating at Hotel Il Pellicano. In addition to editorial, creative and production responsibilities, Violette Editions also undertook all the digitial pre-press and colour proofing inhouse, and secured commercial distribution worldwide with Rizzoli Publications.

About the book:

Photography by John Swope, Slim Aarons and Juergen Teller

With a Visitor’s Note by Bob Colacello and a full history of the hotel by Bronwyn Cosgrave explore Il Pellicano’s illustrious legacy and its continuing seductive allure.

One of the most beautiful destinations in the world, the Hotel Il Pellicano, located on the Argentario in Tuscany, is a hangout for many from the design, fashion and art worlds. Charlie Chaplin and his family were notable return guests, and John Wayne once ordered martinis from his moored yacht by the hotel’s beach. With photographs by the great chroniclers of yesteryear glamour, John Swope and Slim Aarons – who captured the likes of Emilio Pucci, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Britt Ekland and Susanna Agnelli relaxing here – as well as recent pictures by Juergen Teller, one of the most influential fine art and fashion photographers working today, this book presents three artful perspectives on a modern-day dolce vita.

John Swope (1908–1979), a co-founder of Hotel Il Pellicano, was a photographer at Life and in 1939 published the first book of candid photography of film stars, Camera Over Hollywood. At the time he took the photographs in this book, Swope was married to British actor, Dorothy McGuire.

Slim Aarons (1916–2006) was famous for his life-style photographs of socialites and celebrities of the twentieth century; his images of appeared in Life and Town & Country magazines.

Juergen Teller’s is one of the best-known photographers at work today. His fashion and journalistic photography has been the subject of many books and exhibitions for the last two decades. He is also the photographer for the follow-up to this book, Eating at Hotel Il Pellicano, also created and published by Violette Editions.

Bob Colacello is Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair. He was editor of Interview magazine for its first 12 years and has written biographies of Andy Warhol and President and Mrs Reagan.

Bronwyn Cosgrave, former features editor for British Vogue, writes on fashion, film and design and is author of Made for Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards.

Devised, edited and produced by Robert Violette
Digital pre-press and colour proofing by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Hardback, 240 pages, 200 illustrations
29.5 x 21 cm (11 ¾ x 8 ¼ in)
ISBN 978-0-8478-3644-4

Published in September 2011 by Rizzoli Publications

About the commission:

In 2010, mult-disciplinary designer and artist Hussein Chalayan asked Robert Violette to edit this unprecedented major monograph on his work as a fashion designer. This is the only occasion, since editing Damien Hirst’s first major book in 1997, when Robert has edited for another commercial publisher a book that he has not also produced and published himself. Rizzoli also commissioned Violette Editions to undertake the complex digital pre-press for this book, including archival images documenting every one of Chalayan’s collections to date. The innovative format for this book also includes paper inserts and an off-centred binding, employing the shape always used by the designer for his show invitations.

About the book

Edited by Robert Violette, with texts by Judith Clark, Susannah Frankel, Pamela Golbin, Emily King, Rebecca Lowthorpe and Sarah Mower

The first comprehensive book on the designer Hussein Chalayan, one of the most innovative, experimental and conceptual fashion designers working today.

Internationally acclaimed, Chalayan is renowned for his inventive use of materials and integration of new technology into his designs. He is also celebrated for putting the creative process on view. Some of his best-known designs include a paper dress that can be folded into an envelope and airmailed, armchair covers that transform into dresses and a coffee table that reveals itself to be a wooden skirt. Original and groundbreaking, his designs are also pretty and modern, and this book explores that continuum. Featuring Chalayan's complete body of fashion and creative work – including his installations, videos and photographs – this unique and beautiful volume is as thought-provoking as it is stunning and is sure to be coveted by fashion, art and design connoisseurs.

Hussein Chalayan lives in London and Istanbul and shows his collections in Paris. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including Radical Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Fashion at the Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan, Airmail Clothing at the Musée de la Mode Palais du Louvre in Paris and Goddess: the Classical Mode at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. He has twice been named the British Designer of the Year and in 2006 was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).

Judith Clark is Reader in the field of Fashion and Museology at London College of Fashion. She has curated major exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, ModeMuseum in Antwerp, Palazzo Pitti in Florence and Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Clark is also co-author with partner Adam Phillips of The Dictionary of Dress, published by Violette Editions.

Susannah Frankel is fashion editor of The Independent newspaper. She is a regular contributor to Dazed and Confused magazine and SHOWstudio.com.

Pamela Golbin is the curator-in-chief at Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris, and author of the books Valentino, Balenciaga and Madame Vionnet.

Emily King is an author, curator and design historian. She is a design editor for Frieze magazine and a regular contributor to Print, The Gentlewoman and Fantastic Man.

Rebecca Lowthorpe is the Fashion Features Editor for Elle magazine.

Sarah Mower is a fashion journalist and Daily Telegraph columnist who writes for Vogue and Style.com. She is the British Fashion Council's first Ambassador for Emerging Talent.

Devised by Hussein Chalayan and Robert Violette
Edited by Robert Violette
Digital pre-press by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Hardback, jacket, 356 pages, 450 illustrations
31 x 26 cm, asymmetrical
Published by Rizzoli Publications (September 2011)
ISBN 978-0-7478-3386-3

Devised, edited and produced by Robert Violette and published in 2010 by HSBC Private Bank

About the commission:

Following the success of Violette’s work editing and producing three issues of a design biannual for Swarovski, HSBC Private Bank, one of the regular principal sponsors of Design Miami/Basel and other design-related events, commissioned Robert Violette to devise, edit and produce, and commission the design for, this book on collecting contemporary design. Violette Editions also handled all aspects of digital pre-press and production.

About the book:

A bricolage of theoretical, contextual and practical guidance for collectors of and enthusiasts for both historical and contemporary design. This book identifies the nuances separating the accumulated, everyday object from the collected, connoisseurial object, while highlighting some of the ambiguities that conflate the two. It charts key moments in design history from the last 150 years and highlights important preoccupations shaping contemporary practice.

It does not, however, seek to crystal-ball gaze or predict market trends. Instead this publication reviews what has come before, what is happening now and who are the finest practitioners.

Featuring over 70 contemporary designers, including Ron Arad, Maarten Baas, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Martino Gamper, Stuart Haygarth, Joris Laarman, Julia Lohmann, Studio Makkink and Bey, Marc Newson, Rolf Sachs and Kram/Weisshaar.

Author Libby Sellers is a design historian and curator, former gallerist and former senior curator at the Design Museum, London. Sellers was nominated for the 2008 Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Fund for cultural entrepreneurs and the Wallpaper* Courvoisier Design Awards in 2009. This is her first book. Sellers is also the author of Women Design (Francis Lincoln, 2018).

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Digital pre-press by Violette Editions
Designed by Studio Frith
Hardback, 208 pages, 110 illustrations
26 x 17.5 cm (h x w)
ISBN 978-0-9565766-0-6

With editorial assistance by Robert Violette, published in 2007 by Actes Sud

About the commission:

As the leading publisher at the time of books in English by Sophie Calle, Robert Violette was commissioned by the artist and her French publisher, Actes Sud, to review and refine their English-language edition.

About the book:

In this remarkable artist’s book, French conceptual artist Sophie Calle presents 107 outside interpretations of a ‘break-up’ email she received from her lover the day he ended their affair. All of the interpreters of Calle’s break-up letter were women, and each was asked to analyse the document according to her profession – so that a writer comments on its style, a justice issues judgment, a lawyer defends Calle’s ex-lover, a psychoanalyst studies his psychology, a mediator tries to find a path towards reconciliation, a proofreader provides a literal edit of the text, etc. In addition, Calle asked a variety of performers, including Nathalie Dessay, Laurie Anderson and Jeanne Moreau, among others, to act the letter out. She filmed the singers and actresses and photographed the other contributors, so that each printed interpretation stands alongside at least one riveting image of its author, and some are also accompanied by digital documentation.

Originally published to accompany a multimedia exhibition by the artist housed in Paris’s Bibliotheque Nationale de France (and which also featured in the French pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale and later the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London), Take Care of Yourself features a stamped pink metallic cover, multiple paper changes, special bound-in booklets, bright green envelopes containing DVDs and even Braille endpapers.

Sophie Calle works with photography, performance and literature. Born in Paris in 1953, since the 1980s her work has been shown at galleries and museums throughout the world including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern and the Centre Pompidou, which hosted a major retrospective in 2005. In 2007, Calle represented France in a critically acclaimed show at the 52nd Venice Biennale. Violette Editions also published Calle’s first major book in English, Double Game (1999).

With editorial assistance by Robert Violette for the English-language edition
Hardback, 424 pages with 4 CDs and two small booklets, 135 illustrations
29.7 x 21 cm (h x w)
Published by Actes Sud (2007)
ISBN: 978-2-7427-6835-6

About the commission:

During the successful collaboration with Swarovski creating Rocks, a biannual magazine dedicated to interior and product design, Violette Editions was commissioned by Swarovski to create, edit and produce this publication about their Crystal Palace installation by French designer Arik Levy at the 2009 Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

About the book:

Arik Levy is one of the most progressive designers at work today. Honoured by his peers in disciplines ranging from furniture and interior design to lighting, hi-tech clothing and product design,
Levy has also extended his practice as an artist, photographer
and filmmaker. Following previous exhibitions of his design work
at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Jerusalem Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, in April 2009 Levy installed an 80m-long exhibition of sublimely beautiful works – collectively entitled Osmosis – for Swarovski Crystal Palace at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan. This book documents that installation, which Levy based on the ‘chaton’ form, that most emblematic of crystal cuts, abstractly transformed here in media ranging from wire-frame superstructures and 450kg marble Floor Jewels, to interactive audio-visual arenas (with soundscapes by Leon Milo) and, of course, archetypal Swarovski crystal.

With a conversation between author Leornard Koren and Arik Levy, texts by writer and designer Suzanne Trocmé, curator Zoë Ryan and composer Leon Milo, and more than 200 illustrations in colour.

Arik Levy was born in Tel Aviv in 1963. After studying at the Art Center Europe in Switzerland, and a stint in Japan, he established himself as a designer, technician, artist, photographer and filmmaker. Levy is a founding partner (alongside Pippo Lionni) of the Paris-based multidisciplinary design studio, L design, which creates brand identities, packaging, signage, exhibition and interior design. He has exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Jerusalem Museum in Israel and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2009, Violette Editions also edited and produced Arik Levy: Rocksplit & Rockshelves for HSBC Private Bank.

Leonard Koren trained as an artist and architect. He now consults and writes books on design- and aesthetics-related issues. Koren’s publishing projects include WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers and Which 'Aesthetics' Do You Mean?: Ten Definitions.

Leon Milo creates sonic enviornments in which instrumental
and electronic audio and nautral sounds are united. His
compositions have been presented internationally in concert
halls, dance, film, television, radio, public sound installations,
galleries and museums.

Zoë Ryan is a British writer and curator, and is Neville Bryan Curator
of Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. Prior to Chicago, Ryan was
Senior Curator at the Van Alen Institute (VAI) in New York.

Suzanne Trocmé is editor-at-large for Wallpaper* magazine where she held the position of architecture and design editor for many years. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages, and Trocmé also lectures and curates exhibitions.

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Art direction and design by See Studio
Hardback, 128 pages, over 200 colour illustrations
27 x 21 cm (h x w)
Published in 2009 by Swarovski Crystal Palace
ISBN: 978-0-9563940-0-2

ROCKS: Swarovski Design Biannual
Autumn/Winter 2009

Edited and produced by Violette Editions and published in 2009 by Swarovski Corporate Communications

About the commission:

Commissioned by Nadia Swarovski, the third and final issue of this new bespoke publication for Atelier Swarovski‘s creative office in London focuses on the deeply forged kinships with both established and new talent in contemporary design, those who push the boundaries of concept, and who use Swarovski crystals in fashion, art, jewellery and costume. This biannual was published and distributed internationally by Swarovski. This biannual was the final issue published following the financial crash of 2008. See also Autumn/Winter 2008 and Spring/Summer 2009.

Contents:

Origins: Arik Levy's light projections

Osmosis: Suzanne Trocmé immerses herself in the virtual world of Arik Levy and his installation for Swarovski Crystal Palace at the 2009 Salone de Mobile

Cry Wolf: Jeweller Stephen Webster writes about his first pieces for Atelier Swarovski and his new London shop

Gothic Geometry: Atelier Swarovski collection A/W 2009

Highland Gem: Vogue fashion features director Harriet Quick on the emergence of Edinburgh-based designer Holly Fulton

Light Opera: Benjamin Seidler takes aim at Robert Wilson’s collaboration with Viktor & Rolf on costumes for Weber’s melodrama Der Freischütz

Interviews: Fashion editor Indigo Clarke talks to Diane von Fustenburg and Alexander Wang

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed and art directed by See Studio
112 pages plus a 16-page pull-out poster by Arik Levy
27.5 x 20.8 cm
ISSN: 1758-3691

ROCKS: Swarovski Design Biannual
Spring/Summer 2009

Edited and produced by Violette Editions and published in 2009 by Swarovski Corporate Communications

About the commission:

Commissioned by Nadia Swarovski, the second issue of this new bespoke publication for Swarovski‘s creative office in London focuses on the deeply forged kinships with both established and new talent in contemporary design, those who push the boundaries of concept, and who use Swarovski crystals in fashion, art, jewellery and costume. This biannual was published and distributed internationally by Swarovski. See also Autumn/Winter 2008 and Autumn/Winter 2009.

Contents:

The Real and the Virtual: Viktor & Rolf’s black hole stones and their digital salon for S/S 2009.

Natural Dis-tinction, Un-Natural Selection: Alexander McQueen’s take on nature and civilisation for S/S 2009. Photography by Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones

Transatlantic Contrasts: Fashion editor Indigo Clarke interviews Swarovski's collaborators during New York fashion week, in contrast with highlights from London

Stripes, Stakes and Twists: Atelier Swarovski collection S/S 2009

Hypnerotosphere: Gallerist and writer Libby Sellers on Nigel Coates’ multi-disciplinary installation at the 11th Venice Biennale for Architecture

Liquid Space: Mark Rappolt, editor of Art Review, on the poetry and technology of Ross Lovegrove’s environment at Swarovski Crystal Palace, Design Miami

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed and art directed by See Studio
118 pages, plus a 16-page pull-out poster by Nicholas Kirkwood
27.5 x 20.8 cm
ISSN: 1758-3691

ROCKS: Swarovski Design Biannual
Inaugural issue: Autumn/Winter 2008

Edited and produced by Violette Editions and published in 2008 by Swarovski Corporate Communications

About the commission:

Commissioned by Nadia Swarovski, this new bespoke publication for Swarovski‘s creative office in London focuses on the deeply forged kinships with both established and new talent in contemporary design, those who push the boundaries of concept, and who use Swarovski crystals in fashion, art, jewellery and costume. This biannual was published and distributed internationally by Swarovski. Two further issues were published following the financial crash of 2008, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2009.

Contents:

Origins: Sketches, studio drawings and photographs by Marcel Wanders, Zaha Hadid, Hussein Chalayan and Paul Cocksedge

The Room is the View: Vicky Richardson on the work of 10 designers at the 2008 Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Milan.

Interview: Ron Arad & Paul Cocksedge: Robert Violette interviews Ron Arad and Paul Cocksedge about illusion, 'design-art' and exhibiting in Milan

Conceptual Glamour & Modern Opulence: Indigo Clarke interviews 14 designers on their collections for London fashion week A/W 2008.

Interview: Giles Deacon: Indigo Clarke interviews Giles Deacon about finding inspiration in the Victorian Gothic for A/W 2008

Micro-Geographies: Judith Clark investigates the geological origins of crystals created for Swarovski by Hussein Chalayan.

Emerging Forces: Kay Barron takes stock of jewellery couture at events in London and Mumbai, and six designers explain how participating in Swarovski Runway Rocks has expanded their creative horizons.

Senses & Sensuality: Libby Sellers profiles Tord Boontje and his new collection for Atelier Swarovski.

The Eyes Have It: Judith Watt on Swarovski's historic collaborations with Christian Dior

Interview: Rodarte: Indigo Clarke interviews sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy from fashion label Rodarte

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed and art directed by See Studio
128 pages, plus a 16-page pull-out poster by Erdem
27.5 x 20.8 cm
ISSN: 1758-3691

Published in 2008 by Rizzoli Publications

About the commission:

Greg Lynn and Mark Rappolt asked Robert Violette for his assistance in creating and finding a publisher for this book, the first on Lynn’s architectural practice and teaching. As agent and editorial adviser, Robert secured a publishing arrangement with Rizzoli.

About the book:

‘A glimpse into Lynn's methods and theories, as well as a study of his career.’ – Ocean Drive

’The book not only showcases the work of the contemporary architect's firm, but it also includes contribution from theorists, artists and social commentators. It features a photographic contribution from Ari Marcopoulos, a series of “maps” by Imaginary Forces and a complete catalogue of work of Greg Lynn's studio.’ – Create Magazine

One of the most provocative and exciting architects today, Greg Lynn has defined how designers and architects use computers as
a medium, operating in an expanded field that fuses cutting-edge technology, contemporary art, and science-fiction aesthetics with architectural form. At the epicentre of a debate about the role of digital design in architecture and design, his projects skilfully blend high technology and detailed craftsmanship, driven by modeling software from the film and aerospace industries. Included are contributions from theorists, architects, artists and futurists such as
J G Ballard, Chris Bangle, Rene Daalder, Sonia Eram, Imaginary Forces, Brian C. Goodwin, Jeffrey Kipnis, Sylvia Lavin, Ross Lovegrove, Ari Marcopoulos, Peter Schroder and Bruce Sterling. Greg Lynn: FORM offers a window into Lynn’s methods and techniques, theoretical positions, and career trajectory. Rather
than a retrospective of Lynn’s career, it is thought-provoking and forward-looking.

Greg Lynn (b. 1964) founded the independent architectural office Greg Lynn FORM in 1994, having earned his graduate degree in architecture from Princeton University and worked in the offices of Antoine Predock and Peter Eisenmann. Lynn held a professorship for urban planning and research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) from 1999 to 2002, and has served as a professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna since 2002.
He also lectures at Yale University's Graduate School of Architecture (New Haven, CT) and at the University of California's Graduate School of Architecture in Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2008 his installation at the Venice Architecture Biennale was awarded the Golden Lion.

Mark Rappolt is Editor of ArtReview and former Editor of AA Files, the journal of the Architectural Association in London. He is also the co-editor with Robert Violette of Gehry draws (2004).

Agented by Robert Violette
Edited by Mark Rappolt
Designed by NonFormat
Hardback, 368 pages
24.4 x 20.3 cm
Published by Rizzoli Publications (2007)
ISBN: 978-0-8478-3102-9

Published in March 2008 by Selfridges & Co

About the commission:

To mark the opening of its flagship ‘Wonder Room’, Selfridges & Co and design writer and curator Jane Withers approached Robert Violette to create a book on the subject of ‘wonder’, given responsibility for the concept, content origination, editorial and production. The result is this encyclopaedic and illustrated volume of arcane, modern and commonplace wonders, introduced by novelist Nicholas Blincoe and with an Afterword by Allanah Weston (Selfridges Creative Director). Violette Editions also undertook the digital pre-press and proofing for this book, which was completed in under six months.

About the book:

‘A luxury item, an extravagance, a bonbon of a publication.’
– ICON

’A delight ... [a] charming little book’ – Lucia van der Post,
The Times

In addition to including the opinions provided by customers, employees and members of the public, Selfridges and Violette Editions solicited responses from notable figures in art and design including David Adjaye, Tom Ford and Sir Paul Smith, amongst hundreds of others.

On 1 March 2007, a notice was placed on Selfridges’ website asking members of the public to answer the following question: What are the wonders of your world? For 60 days, this question remained on the website and was additionally circulated in letters, emails and by word of mouth. During that time, hundreds of replies were received, many of which are collected and illustrated in this volume. This book goes far beyond the usual lists of ancient and modern wonders promoted by governments and the tourist industry, celebrating the idiosyncratic phenomena that enthral, inspire and move us.

A Book of Wonder was included in Grafik magazine’s Review Top Fifty and nominated for a D&AD Award in 2008.

Edited by Robert Violette and Jane Withers
Designed by Kerr/Noble
Illustrated by James and James
Hardback, 292 pages, 140 illustrations
21 x 14.4 cm (h x w)
Published by Selfridges & Co (March 2008)
ISBN: 978-0-9557070-0-1

Published in 2007 by Bata Brands SARL

About the commission:

In 2006, the global shoe brand Bata approached Robert Violette to devise and edit a concept book about the company’s historic past. Travelling to Zlin and to Prague in the Czech Republic with the venerable Thomas Bata (1914 to 2008), son of the founder, to experience firsthand the brand’s innovations and culture, Robert was able to devise and write the story of the company in a form that would be accessible to Bata’s thousands of employees around the world. Robert also travelled to Italy, Germany and Switzerland to complete this editorial research and writing.

About the book:

Bata approached Violette Editions to create a book that explores the company’s history and its commitment to satisfying the needs and emotions of its customers.

’Innovative from the beginning, Thomas Bata departed radically from the century-old traditions of the one-man cobbler’s workshop ... In 1905, at the age of 29, [Bata] started his own modern factory and became the first person in Europe to introduce mechanisation and mass production to shoemaking ... After more than a century of Bata's consistent service and innovation, [the company’s] values remain the same ... Bata is now a highly synergised company, with shoe innovation centres in four major territories, including China ... And although Bata is a consistently developing global company, the family continues to lead and support the organisation with their passion for footwear and advice on products and initiatives. They continue to recognise the highly talented individuals and teams who contribute both to the company‘s success and to the communities where Bata operates.‘

Devised and edited by Robert Violette
Design and art direction by Jan Ludwig
Hardback, 144 pages, 95 illustrations
26.9 x 26.9 cm
Published by Bata Brands SARL (2007)
ISBN: 978-2-9700572-0-8

Published in November 2002 by Penguin Books Ltd

About the commission:

Given a brief in 2001 to publish an illustrated book about a bridge that did not yet exist, Penguin Books enlisted the editorial help of Robert Violette to commission and create the content, successfully completed after the bridge itself was inaugurated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

About the book:

The Millennium Bridge is the first new London bridge across the Thames since Tower Bridge was built in 1894. It represents a unique collaboration between an architect, a sculptor and an engineer – Lord Foster, Sir Anthony Caro and Professor Chris Wise of Ove Arup – brought together by a Financial Times sponsored competition. This was the catalyst for a historic cross-river partnership involving, amongst others, the City of London and the borough of Southwark. The Millennium Bridge links St Paul’s Cathedral on the north bank to Tate Modern at Bankside and has played a significant role, alongside the Tate and New Globe Theatre, in the regeneration of the south side of the river. With text by Deyan Sudjic and significant help with illustrative content from Foster and Partners and Ove Arup, this book is a celebration of this London landmark, describing a remarkable marriage of design and engineering.

Deyan Sudjic was Director of the Design Museum in London. Formerly editor of Blueprint and Domus magazines, he was also Director of the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2002. Sudjic is also a critic, teacher and writer on contemporary art, design and architecture.

Devised and edited by Robert Violette
Designed by Untitled
Paperback, 128 pages, more than 100 illustrations
24.6 x 24.6 cm
Published by Penguin Books Ltd (2002)
ISBN: 978-0-140290-37-0

Published in 1998 to accompany an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum

About the commission:

In 1997, Jill Ritblat and fashion writer and curator Amy de la Haye invited Robert Violette to devise, edit and produce this D&AD Silver award-winning exhibition catalogue, which took the form of a handbag with it’s bespoke large-format snapbinding fabricated entirely with recycled plastics, including the ‘paper’ interior. Robert advised on these creative aspects, which included commissioning new still-life photography from Toby McFarlan Pond of selected items from Jill Ritblat’s wardrobe, donated to and exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About the book:

One Woman's Wardrobe: The Jill Ritblat Collection was published in a limited edition of 1,500 copies to accompany the exhibition curated by Amy de la Haye at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 20 March to 25 October 1998.

Jill Ritblat is a patron of the arts and former Turner Prize judge (1988) who has been purchasing selected highlights from couture and ready-to-wear collections since the 1960s. In 1997 she donated much of this wardrobe to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her gift includes pieces by Giorgio Armani, Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark, Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent and Bellville Sassoon and is documented in this publication with a foreword by Amy de la Haye, texts by Elizabeth Wilson, Sally Brampton and Jill Ritblat.

Professor Amy de la Haye is a fashion historian, writer and curator based in London. She is Rootstein Hopkins Chair of Dress History & Curatorship and Joint Director of the Research Centre for Fashion Curation at London College (LCF) of Fashion, UAL. Between 1991 and 1998 she was the curator of 20th Century dress at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Amy de la Haye is co-author of 20th Century Fashion.

Elizabeth Wilson is Visiting Professor of Cultural Studies at the London College of Fashion. She has written for The Guardian and New Statesman and is a frequent broadcaster on BBC Radio 4.

Sally Brampton is a columinst and published author; previously fashion editor at The Observer, she launched Elle magazine in the UK and was editor for five years.

Toby McFarlan Pond has photographed for The New York Times, W magazine and many others; his advertisement work includes Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

Devised, edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed and art directed by Richard Smith at Area
Paperback, 45 pages, 30 illustrations
46.5 x 34 cm
ISBN: 978-0-948835-25-4

Published in 1999 by Museo do Design, Lisbon

About the commission:

Following a successful collaboration on the inaugural publication for the Berardo Collection in Sintra, Portugal, Francisco Capelo commissioned Robert Violette to edit and produce this Portuguese-language collection catalogue for the new design museum in Lisbon. Capello’s personal collection of twentieth-century furniture formed the core of this collection for the Museo do Design, Lisbon, when it opened in 1999.

About the book:

Museo do Design, Lisboa: Luxo, Pop & Cool de 1937 até hoje (Design Museum Lisbon: Luxe, Pop & Cool from 1937 to Today) includes texts by Cristina Morozzi, Pierre Staudenmeyer, Pascale Cassagnau & Chloé Braunstein and Rui Afonso Santos; with introductions by Yvonne Brunhammer and Francisco Capelo.

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed by Sofia Lucas and Paulo Silva
Translated from the English by Institut Franco Portugais and Túlio Gasperi
Paperback, 276 colour illustrations
29.7 x 22.7 cm
Portuguese, 320 pages
Published by Museo do Design, Lisboa (1999)
ISBN: 978-972-97428-2-8

Published in 1996 by Jay Jopling/White Cube

About the commission:

In early 1996, Jay Jopling commissioned Robert Violette to edit and produce this book, working with Anthony Gormley to select and edit the content. Responsible for print production, Violette took great efforts with the artist to achieve great fidelity in reproducing these subtle works on paper.

About the book:

Catalogue published to accompany an exhibition of drawings by Anhtony Gormley held at Independent Art Space, 28 November to
21 December 1996.

Sir Anthony Gormley’s work has been exhibited extensively, with solo shows throughout the UK in venues such as the Whitechapel, Tate and the Hayward galleries, the British Museum and White Cube. His work has been exhibited internationally at museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Louisiana Museum in Humlebaek, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, Malmö Konsthall, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Germany. Blind Light, a major solo exhibition of his work, was held at the Hayward Gallery in 2007.

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed by Peter B Willberg
Hardback, 189 pages, illustrated throughout
23.8 x 23 cm (h x w)
Published by Jay Jopling/White Cube (1996)
ISBN: 978-0-9522690-1-4

I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever, Now

Published in 1997 by Booth-Clibborn Editions and Monacelli Press, reissued in smaller hardback format in 2006 by Other Criteria, also published in the US by Harry N Abrams

About the commission:

In early 1995, because of Robert Violette’s work creating Jeff Koons’s first book, The Jeff Koons Handbook (and other publications for the Anthony d’Offay Gallery since 1988), Damien Hirst and Jay Jopling asked Violette to edit this first major illustrated book on Hirst, to be produced and published by Booth-Clibborn Editions. Commissioned by Edward Booth-Clibborn, Robert spent the next two years working alongside the artist with designer Jonathan Barnbrook, supported greatly by Honey Luard at White Cube, to create this landmark publication.

About the book:

‘Beautifully produced – this book is magnificent’ – Sarah Kent, Time Out

’Astonishing – I tell you it's enormous, in every sense of the word’ – Esquire

’It’s a dazzling combination of the sublime and the unthinkable’ – Richard Cork, The Times

’I defy anyone to pick up this book and not finish it‘ – Philip Hensher, The Daily Telegraph

Wtih essays by Gordon Burn and Stuart Morgan, this internationally acclaimed collection of Hirst’s ideas and obsessions is a powerful combination of text and visual elements. Each piece is set against a visual narrative of drawings, words, photography, typography, pop-ups and other special effects that make this book like no other, before or since. Expressed in his own words and documented with his own selection and arrangement of images, this powerful monograph – Hirst’s first – is a beguiling collection of his ideas and obsessions about life and art. This book encompasses the entire range of Hirst’s work – paintings, sculptures and installations completed to the date of publication – which continues to provoke both scorn and admiration among critics and viewers. An essay by celebrated novelist Gordon Burn looks at Hirst’s work and the breadth of its impact. This is a landmark publication that has redefined the scope of fine-art monographs.

Damien Hirst (b. 1965) is a world-famous artist and cultural figure. He won the Turner Prize in 1995 and has had solo exhibitions at White Cube, the Saatchi Gallery and Tate Modern in London, at the Marble Palace in St Petersburg and the Gagosian Gallery in New York. At Sotheby’s in September 2008 Hirst’s works set a new record for a sale dedicated to a single artist.

Gordon Burn (1948–2009) was an award-winning writer of both fiction and nonfiction. His book of interviews with Damien Hirst, On the Way to Work, was published in 2002. He was also the author of novels Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son, Alma Cogan and The North of England Home Service.

Stuart Morgan (1948–2002) was a significant writer, critic and curator who contributed to the British contemporary art scene and cultural panorama.

Edited by Robert Violette
Designed by Jonathan Barnbrook
Hardback, 334 pages 700 illustrations (with 7 gatefolds, 23 die-cuts, 7 pop-ups, 1 poster and ephemera)
33.8 x 29.5 cm (h x w)
ISBN: 978-1-86154-279-3 (2006 edition)

Anselm Kiefer: The Psychology of ‘After the Catastrophe’
Rafael Lopez-Pedraza

Edited, agented and produced by Robert Violette and published in 1996 by George Braziller and Thames & Hudson

About the commission:

In 1995, soon after leaving the Anthony d’Offay Gallery and in one of his first independent editorial projects, Robert collaborated with the distinguished psychoanalyst and author Rafael Lopez-Pedraza on this book analysing the work of Anselm Kiefer. This resulted in an international co-edition published in the US by George Braziller, who personally worked with Robert on the editorial aspects of the text, and in the UK by Thames and Hudson. Robert edited and produced this book and acted as exclusive agent for the author.

About the book:

‘...[A] thoughtful and intelligent introduction to Kiefer's art, well illustrated with key works spanning 30 years.’ – Times Literary Supplement

’This book is a welcome venture which crosses the disciplines of art and analytical psychology. Lopez-Pedraza, a distinguished Jungian analyst, has selected paintings from the work of an established 20th-century German artist, Anselm Kiefer, and linked these, as the subtitle indicates, to Jung’s paper “After the Catastrophe”. As might be expected from Thames & Hudson, this is a well produced book. It is lavishly illustrated in colour and ... the pictures are well presented, integrated in the text, and conveniently placed for reference.’ – The Journal of Analytical Psychology

Anselm Kiefer’s work is characterised by its emotional investigations into Germany’s historical past. For years, he has probed both the myths and events that have shaped German history and has offered thought-provoking insights into their relationship and significance through his paintings and artist’s books. In this book, Rafael Lopez-Pedraza draws on his experience and knowledge as a trained psychologist to present a new reading of Kiefer’s work. He addresses the central issues of myth and history in the artist’s work through the perspective of Jung’s writings. Unfolding the nature of Kiefer’s complex creativity, the author demonstrates how depth psychology can help us to better understand Kiefer’s art and ideas.

World reknowned artist Anselm Kiefer (b. 1945) has produced a diverse body of work in painting, sculpture and installation. He studied art informally under Joseph Beuys at the Düsseldorf Academy in the early 1970s. An artist of international renown, he first provoked controversy with his exhibition for the German Pavilion at the 1980 Venice Biennale.
In 1987 The Museum of Modern Art organised his first major retrospective, which toured the United States. In the decades since, Kiefer has continue to have major solo exhibitions at institutions around the world.

Rafael López-Pedraza (1920–2011) was born in Cuba of Spanish heritage and attended the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich from 1963 to 1974. He lived predominantly in Caracas, Venezuela, where he divided his time between professorial duties, a psychotherapeutic practice and writing.

Edited, agented and produced by Robert Violette and published in 1996 by George Braziller and Thames & Hudson
Hardback, 99 pages, 46 illustrations
23.6 x 21.1 cm
ISBN: 978-0-8076-1415-0 (George Braziller)
ISBN: 978-0-500-01757-9 (Thames & Hudson)

Published in 1995 by Thames and Hudson and The MIT Press in association with Anthony d’Offay Gallery

About the commission

The Daily Practice of Painting, Writings and Interviews 1962–1993 by Gerhard Richter was originally published in German by Surhkamp Verlag. Acquiring the English-language rights, the Anthony d’Offay Gallery, which represented Richter in the UK, undertook the English-language translation. While heading up publications at the gallery, Robert Violette coordinated and produced this English translation. He also agented the co-editions to Thames and Hudson and The MIT Press, who kept the book in print for more than 10 years.

About the book:

‘Richter’s writings and interviews rain a cold shower of intelligence on a cultural climate torpid with complacency or resignation. They could not come into English at a more needful moment.’ – Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

Gerhard Richter is one of the foremost painters of his generation.
A great deal has been written about the bewildering heterogeneity of his work over the past 30 years. His seemingly wilful and defiant movement between abstract and figurative modes of representation and his seemingly inconsistent methods of applying paint to canvas are consistent, if nothing else, with Richter himself – the master of the paradoxical statement. Although he has emphasised that he is first a painter and has never been a theorist, he has, throughout his career, issued provocative, contentious, and memorable statements. Over seven years in preparation, this book makes available a selection of Richter's texts from all periods of his career, many translated for the first time. There are public statements about specific exhibitions, private reflections drawn from personal correspondence, answers to questions posed by critics, and excerpts from journals discussing the intentions, subjects, methods, and sources of his works from various periods. The writings are accompanied by 87 biographical illustrations of paintings from the artist's personal collection.

Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) is one of the most influential painters working today. Amongst his many achievements, Richter has represented Germany in the 1972 Venice Biennale. In 2001, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, held a major retrospective of his work. Born in Dresden in 1932, Richter lives and works in Cologne.

Hans-Ulrich Obrist, a prolific curator and art critic, is currently
Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes and the Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery, London.

English translation coordinated and produced
by Robert Violette
Edited by Hans-Ulrich Obrist
Translated from the German by David Britt
Designed by Peter B Willberg
Paperback, 288 pages, 100 illustrations
23.6 x 16 cm (h x w)
Published by Thames & Hudson and The MIT Press in association with Anthony d’Offay Gallery (1995, and subsequent reprints)
ISBN: 978-0-500-27836-9 (Thames & Hudson)
ISBN: 978-0-262-68084-4 (The MIT Press)

Published in 1995 by Thames and Hudson and The MIT Press in association with Anthony d’Offay Gallery

About the commission:

Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House: Writings and Interviews 1973–1994 by Bill Viola was commissioned and originated by the Anthony d’Offay Gallery, which represented Viola in the UK. While heading publications at the gallery, Robert Violette co-edited this collection in close collaboration with artist. Rober also produced and agented the co-editions with Thames and Hudson and The MIT Press, with whom this book remains in print almost 30 years later.

About the book:

‘The only book my students have ever begged me to assign them; the only one everyone has read in time for class. Asked to explain its significance, one woman told me it was a unique opportunity to get inside a creative mind and share the process.’ – Deirdre Boyle, Afterimage

With an introduction by distinguished museum director Jean-Christophe Ammann, this book brings together a selection of essays, notebook entries, interviews, drawings and descriptions of projects that map Viola’s personal course through the readings, observations, experiments and associations that form the groundwork for his art.

Each work illustrated is accompanied by a description by the artist himself or by comments on the work’s origins from Viola’s personal notebooks. Chosen to represent the United States at the 46th Venice Biennale, Bill Viola, a New York artist living on the West Coast of the US, is recognised internationally for his work in video and sound installations.

Bill Viola (b. 1951) is internationally recognised proponent and pioneer of video art. Since the 1970s he has used innovative multimedia technologies to explore the phenomena of sense perception, focusing on universal human experiences and his interest in Eastern philosophies. His 2003 solo exhibition toured from the J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, to the National Gallery in London, Fondación La Caixa, Madrid, and the National Gallery of Australia. In 2006, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo’s Viola exhibition drew over 340,000 visitors.

Jean-Christophe Ammann (1939 to 2015) was a celebrated Swiss author and art historian. He commissioned and co-organised the Paris Biennale, Documenta 5 and the Venice Biennale. Previously director of the Kunsthalle Basel and the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt, Ammann was also Professor at the University of Frankfurt am Main.

Edited and produced by Robert Violette
Designed by Peter B Willberg
Paperback, 304 pages, 89 illustrations
23.4 x 15.7 cm (h x w)
First published in 1995 by Thames & Hudson and The MIT Press in association with Anthony d’Offay Gallery
ISBN: 978-0-500-27837-6 (Thames & Hudson)
ISBN: 978-0-262-72025-0 (The MIT Press)