London Unfurled

by Matteo Pericoli

Overview

From the author of the wonderfully unique Manhattan Unfurled comes an equally elegant, heartfelt, and unprecedented portrait of London

 
Divided and united by its river, London is one of few cities in the world to find its essence in two profoundly different, yet nearly touching, urban characters—meaning that the Thames provides the perfect vantage point for telling a comprehensive story of this complex city. Arriving with little previous knowledge of London, Matteo Pericoli made an intensive 20-mile journey along the Thames, from Hammersmith Bridge to the Millennium Dome and back again. More than two years later, he has completed an astonishing document of his journey: two 37-foot-long pen-and-ink drawings depicting the city's north and south banks. Each drawing—presented on either side of this beautiful single-sheet accordion-style book—is rendered with loving and essay-like detail, revealing a distinct profile of London in all of its diversity: a dozen boroughs, 19 bridges, and hundreds of buildings, including the Houses of Parliament, Tate Modern, Battersea Power Station, and Millennium Wheel. Pericoli's inimitable drawings, constantly complementing and questioning each other, brought him to a better understanding of London. Both lifelong residents and those who have never visited will find that this breathtaking work of art deepens their thoughts and renews their fascination with one of the world's most impressive cities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780330517829
Publisher:	Pan Macmillan
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Pages:	2
Product dimensions:	11.30(w) x 7.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Matteo Pericoli is best known for his illustrated books of New York, where he lived from 1995 to 2008, such as The City out My Window, Manhattan Unfurled, and World Unfurled. He has been profiled on CBS Sunday Morning and Fresh Air; his work is published regularly in the New York Times; and he has also been published in Harper's, the New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and Vanity Fair. His other projects have included cover artwork for Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin, cover artwork for the Beastie Boys' To the 5 Boroughs, and a 397-foot-long panoramic mural at John F. Kennedy Airport.

Editorial Reviews

 "Pericoli's incredible drawings of the north and south banks of the Thames...are like a painterly rendering of Google Earth"  —Monsters and Critics

"London Unfurled makes for a perfect gift."  —Monsters and Critics

"An interesting addition to architecture or art history collections as well as collections on London history."  —Library Journal

"Amazing...a great way to study the culture that exists between North and South London."  —Londontopia

"Original and intricate, perfect for giving the impression of London."  —blogcritics 

"Remarkable...astonishing detail."  —Brain Pickings

"Dramatic." — Entertainment Weekly

From the Publisher

Illustrator Pericoli (Manhattan Unfurled) has previously drawn the skylines of Manhattan and a 397-foot panoramic mural at John F. Kennedy Airport. Here, a 37-foot double-sided panoramic view of London unfurls from its case. The panorama can be arranged to mimic the curves of the Thames, and it shows both north and south views. The pen and ink drawings feature details of each bank, its landmarks and buildings, both familiar and unfamiliar, and highlight the crowded skylines of Canary Wharf and the startling outline of the Millennium Dome in North Greenwich. An accompanying booklet provides a key to each frame of the panorama. VERDICT An interesting addition to architecture or art history collections as well as collections on London history.

Library Journal