Charta/Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery

Human Game: Winners and Losers

Edited by Francesco Bonami, Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi. Essays by Ashley Heath, Andrea Lissoni, Mathilda McQuaid, Toby Miller, Peter de Potter, Stefano Pistolini, Olivier Saillard, Roberta Sassatelli, Nick Sullivan, et.al.

How did sports grow from primeval playground games into the worldwide business we know today? This reflection on athletics and their increasingly central role in contemporary society examines their metamorphosis from purely social activities into disciplines combining technology, economy, medicine, communication, fashion and art. The increasing spread of sports culture has altered habits and ways of dressing all over the world, marking us all as members of the tribe of athletes (never mind the infighting between Nike and Adidas or high-tech and retro factions). This powerful compilation of research, analysis and visuals looks into the influence of sports, sports celebrities and sportswear in fields as varied as film, fashion, art, advertising and architecture. Designed by acclaimed graphic firm "Hola", the book is organized under themes such as Speed, Protection, Functioning, Lightness, Sensuality, Resistance, Tradition, Mutation, Unisex and Entertainment. Media phenomena considered include Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Mike Tyson and Venus and Serena Williams alongside fashion forces like Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Puma, with illustrations of the ways in which garments are transformed and specific trends become cult objects. Their influence on high-end fashion is seen in the work of Giorgio Armani, Prada, Stella McCartney and Lagerfeld for Chanel. And then there is the work of contemporary artists like Matthew Barney, Uri Tzaig, Douglas Gordon, Angela Bulloch and Annika Larson, pieces that both engage with and analyze these trends, approaching sport as a symbolic territory. This look into the connections between athletics and our social, political and cultural life begins to parse the meaning of our culture's biggest obsession.

PUBLISHED BY:Charta/Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery
LIST PRICE: US $39.95 CAD $48.00
FORMAT:Paperback, 5.5 x 8 in. / 500 pgs / 600 color.
ISBN: 9788881585953 ISBN10: 8881585952
PUBLICATION DATE:09/15/2006
AVAILABILITY: In Stock: Order below or contact your local bookstore or museum shop.
D.A.P. DISTRIBUTION CODE:TRADE