Stephen Ellcock – författare

A remarkable compendium of diverse and evocative imagery exploring the wide-ranging and profound associations of the five natural elements, masterfully curated by image alchemist and cult social media figure Stephen Ellcock. Elements is an eclectic, evocative and resoundingly beautiful treasury of imagery exploring depictions of the elemental forces that reveal their profound significance to ancient philosophers, alchemists and astrologers, and modern artists, photographers and scientists alike. Expertly curated, themed and paired by image alchemist Stephen Ellcock, modern and visionary images are juxtaposed with the ancient and arcane; the creative power of the elements is contrasted with the disastrous; and the connections of the elements with the seasons, the humours, the signs of the zodiac and parts of the body are revealed. Following physician and occultist Robert Fludd’s (1574–1637) presentation of the order of the elements, Ellcock guides readers through a remarkable selection of images, ascending from earth, through water, air and fire before culminating in the most spiritual of the elements, celestial aether. He makes parallels with the five elements of eastern philosophies and their relationship to the chakras, acupuncture and Chinese astrology. Introductory text explores how the elements have defined the components of Earth and the heavens and their relationship to humanity since they were first proposed by the Persian prophet Zoroaster, more than 2,000 years ago. Insightful panel texts punctuate the pages, illuminating key concepts. Pertinent literary, philosophical and spiritual quotations intersperse the amazing images, presenting further commentary on the overarching themes. At a time when humanity’s relationship with the Earth teeters on the edge of catastrophe, this compendium of images exploring the natural elements promises the possibility of earthly and spiritual harmony emerging from the chaos.

Featuring more than 450 awe-inspiring images curated by Stephen Ellcock, Ark is a celebration of the living wonders of this planet. Stephen Ellcock – renowned curator and author of The Cosmic Dance, Underworlds and Elements – brings together an amazing selection of images from a broad range of cultures and eras, depicting living wonders from all five kingdoms of nature. This visual treasury also features a foreword by Robert Macfarlane, an essay on the stories of the ark by acclaimed author Sarah Perry, and three inspiring essays on the natural world by tree scientist Harriet Rix, marine biologist Helen Scales and birder Stephen Moss. Each writer guides readers through some of the intricate, life-sustaining relationships that populate nature’s elemental realms of earth, water and air, and outlines some of the threats that climate change and human actions pose. Symbols throughout pinpoint which of the species pictured are critically endangered or vulnerable. Ark is a celebration of the myriad lifeforms inhabiting our planet and a powerful environmental call to arms.

A darkly evocative compendium of images exploring natural, constructed, imaginary and subconscious underworlds, curated by renowned image collector and social media figure Stephen Ellcock. From the burrows and secret bunkers beneath our feet to imagined hellscapes and surrealist dreamscapes, the disquieting, alarming and wonderful visuals span natural and constructed subterranea and imagined and subconscious worlds. A personal introduction by Stephen together with contextual chapter introductions establish the key themes, while supplementary texts elucidate essential concepts, historical events and figures. Thought-provoking literary, philosophical and spiritual quotations punctuate the intriguing images. Together, the images and authoritative text highlight the interplay between the real and the imagined, revealing how the real has fed our fears and hopes and informed our imagination – and conversely, how our imagination has depicted the esoteric, the abject and the unknown.

'Stephen’s collection of glorious images is one of the most reliably edifying and entertaining things in my day' Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NighttimeStephen Ellcock's international following avidly await his carefully curated and sequenced albums of little known and public domain imagery on social media. Taking his title from the first ever encyclopedia in the English language All Good Things (Omne Bonum), Ellcock's compendium of art and photography inspired by both the natural world and human endeavour provide comfort in these solace-seeking times.All Good Things evokes the medieval tradition of exquisite, illuminated books: beginning with the universal and travelling through the realms of sky, sea, earth, science and humanity before ending amongst the angels and monsters that have so preoccupied artists over the centuries. Using found artwork from archives, libraries and little-known collections of art, illustration, photography and textiles, this is a glorious adventure; one that can be appreciated on many levels.

A stunning book by photographer Leah Gordon and bestselling art author Stephen Ellcock, illustrated with 100 incredible color images from a diverse range of artists of different eras, exploring the enclosure of common land in England and the struggle over the centuries to regain access.IN 1600, 50% OF ENGLAND WAS COMMON LAND. IT'S NOW 3%. THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW THAT HAPPENED.This is a visual journey through the history of the enclosure of common land in England and the stories of those who have attempted to resist. Richly illustrated with Leah Gordon's photography alongside fine art and folk customs past and present, discover: A timeline of this centuries-long struggle for access to the land. The stories of rural resistance such as the Levellers, the Diggers, the Luddites and Captain Swing. The links between the struggles of the industrial working-class and the peasants. Contemporary conflicts around land rights, such as the New Age travellers and rave scene, the anti-road campaign and the Right to Roam movement. Common People offers a reimagining of English history told by the people themselves, giving voice to the silenced history of the enclosures and the incredible visual creativity inspired by rural resistance and protest.

"It is difficult to leaf through this book without saying ‘wow’ over and over, which means this is definitely top of the Christmas reading list." - Embroidery Magazine"For anyone involved with textile arts, fashion, design, or art—from makers to collectors, from students to museum curators—this book is an absolute must-have. A feast for the eyes, a source of inspiration, and a reminder of how art, craft, and imagination are intertwined." — NL MagazineStephen Ellcock's Book of Textiles is a unique collaboration between bestselling author Stephen Ellcock and textile expert Karun Thakar. Together, they share an inspiring vision of the world through the medium of textiles, leading the reader on a journey into the splendours of nature and the infinite complexities of the human condition.A social-media sensation, Ellcock is widely known for his online curation of artworks, while Thakar owns one of the world’s most important and varied textile collections. Through a spellbinding selection of more than 200 of the most significant, extraordinary and distinctive pieces in Thakar’s collection, these pages cover everything from fashion, costume and adornment to pattern and design, rituals and magic, pure abstraction and the sublime.Combining Ellcock’s singular vision with Thakar’s expert eye, Stephen Ellcock's Book of Textiles is a ground-breaking compendium of wonders and a must-read for anybody with an interest in art and visual culture, as well as textile devotees, experts and enthusiasts.

A visual journey from the minute to the infinite, exploring the relationships and harmonies between all parts of the universe and inspiring personal contemplation regarding our own place within it. In The Cosmic Dance, renowned image alchemist Stephen Ellcock presents a pan-global collection of remarkable, arresting and surprising images drawn from the entire history of art to explore the ancient belief that the cosmos is reflected in all living things. Organized thematically, the visual journey begins with the microscopic, the particulate and the elemental; then explores the human body as a cosmos in miniature, the beauty of divine proportions and our search for spiritual enlightenment; before finally revelling in the colossal, the celestial and the infinite. An eloquent introduction provides an overview of the central themes and expert commentaries introduce each section. Detailed panels provide bitesize information on key concepts and key thinkers – from the four elements to Cosmic Man and from the möbius strip to the Mandelbrot set – while thought-provoking quotations from philosophers, writers, artists and scientists interspersed throughout the artworks prompt a closer, more personal engagement with the images. This stunning treasury of artworks provides the perfect guide to a deeper contemplation of the world around us, allowing readers, in the words of William Blake, to ‘see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour’.

Be guided and inspired by the gods of the music world with this creative set of oracle cards. Are you suffering from creative block? Struggling to make a difficult life decision? Find out what David Bowie, Grace Jones, Maria Callas and other great artists would have done. Simply select a card from the pack and channel the oracle’s advice on attitude, lifestyle or inspiration – any obstacle will become surmountable. Contains 50 oracle cards plus a booklet featuring the artists’ biographies and details of how to use the cards.

Dip in to this pack of 50 illustrated cards to refresh and revitalize your senses. How much of the world's beauty have we become indifferent to, caught up in the bustle and rush of day-to-day life? Take a break from the madness, and from your smartphone, and rediscover the magic of the world around you. Surprising, engaging prompts will help you hone in and focus on the world around you and tune back in to the things that really matter.

This is a book about English art like no other. Forget the tired rogues' gallery of lords and ladies, forget the tall ships and haywains. These images cut to the heart of England's psychic landscapes to portray an Albion unhinged, where magic and rebellion and destruction are the horses to which the country is hitched. On these fabled shores we are all castaways, whether our family has lived here for four thousand years or for four. Here you will find depictions of ancient trackways, chalk carvings and standing stones, of animal-masked community rituals, of streets set ablaze in protest, of occult dreams and psychedelic prophecies. There are over 200 images by artists ranging from William Blake, J.M.W. Turner and Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash, Louis Wain, Bill Brandt, Derek Jarman and Ithell Colquhoun to present-day visionaries such as Paula Rego, Cathy de Monchaux, George Shaw, Jamie Reid, Matt Collishaw, Tacita Dean, Lina Iris Viktor, Yinka Shonibare, Nick Waplington, Dan Hillier, Nicola Tyson, Sutapa Biswas and Chila Kumari Burman. The mind-blowing selection of images is accompanied by short texts by Mat Osman, exploring magic and mazes, ghosts and gardens, shipwrecks and cities. These poetic renderings of a spectral isle, together with Stephen Ellcock's hallucinatory visual journey, reclaim Albion as an eternally inspiring and anarchic domain - an England on fire.

Time for Magic offers an entrancing overview of Jamie Reid's incredible art, structured around the eight seasonal festivals of the Wheel of the Year (the equinoxes and solstices plus Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain). Jamie observed these festivals, holding rituals at his allotment in Liverpool, and focused on this theme in his later paintings. This book features key Wheel of the Year artworks as well as famous earlier pieces, including the pre-punk, Situationist-inspired agit-prop and the work he produced for the Sex Pistols. Curator Stephen Ellcock has selected the art and in his own inimitable creative style arranged it into season-themed chapters, as well as finding images of Druidic ceremonies held by Jamie's great-uncle, Chief Druid George Watson MacGregor Reid. Stephen Ellcock in conversation with John Marchant introduces Jamie's life, legacy and love of making trouble; John Marchant provides captions giving deep insight in Jamie's work; and Philip Carr-Gomm writes about the Wheel of the Year and how it can help us find a new way of being in this era of climate crisis.

Who was the most shocking rock band in living history, the Sex Pistols or Black Sabbath? Did Led Zeppelin destroy more hotel rooms than The Who? Was anyone more influential than The Beatles? And who threw more diva strops? This fun trump game rates 32 bands by criteria ranging from Commercial Success, to Appetite for Destruction to Sex Appeal.Settle the score on who rules the rock world with these 32 trump cards.

'Perfect for our time' Adrian Searle, Guardian An extraordinary collection of powerfully inspiring imagery on the nature of challenge and change. Features 240 reproductions of art, photography and objects, selected from cultures through history and across the globe, including works by living artists: Zanele Muholi, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Ellen Gallagher, Shirin Neshat, Gillian Wearing and many others.