Nature, Form & Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima

New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2003. Hardcover. VG+ (light edgewear to DJ, boards; interior clean; binding is solid.). Brown cloth boards with white lettering on the spine; colorful photo-illustrated DJ; 275 pp.; richly illustrated. "George Nakashima (1905-1990) is best known for his unique pieces of furniture, which are prized for their respect for the natural forms of the tree and the inherent grain of the wood. This remarkable creative spirit was also an architect, who designed a number of distinguished buildings during his career. Above all, he was a man committed to the integration of his life as an artist with the rhythms of the natural world. Working with his family and a crew of workmen in his studio, he left a rich legacy, not only the works of his extraordinary personal artistry, but a creative tradition that continues to flourish in the Nakashima Studio today. Told by Nakashima's daughter and colleague, the designer Mira Nakashima, this story of the artist's life examines not only the furniture and the architecture that he designed, but also the philosophical and spiritual underpinning of his work, his personal worldview, his quest for the integration of humanity and nature, and for world peace." "Lavishly illustrated with superb photographs of Nakashima's work, many taken expressly for this book, and with documentary photographs from the Nakashima archive, Nature, Form, and Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima is an insightful and beautiful evocation.