{"title":"Chris Gibson","description":"\u003cp\u003eChris Gibson explores the rich intersections of creativity and everyday life, delving into the subtle emotions and stories behind art and culture. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Church's Starfish\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Guitar\u003c\/em\u003e, invite readers to reflect on the significance of artistic expression and its impact on personal and communal identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRooted in the Arts \u0026amp; Culture category, Gibson’s writing offers a thoughtful, nuanced perspective that resonates with anyone interested in the deeper meanings of creativity. Expect narratives that blend vivid imagery with gentle insight, making the ordinary extraordinary through the lens of art.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-churchs-starfish-by-chris-gibson-9781501387005","title":"The Church's Starfish","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a string of commercial disappointments, in 1986 Australian rock band The Church were simultaneously dropped by Warner Brothers in the US and EMI in Australasia. The future looked bleak. Seemingly from nowhere, their next record, \u003ci\u003eStarfish\u003c\/i\u003e, became an unlikely global hit. Its alluring and pensive lead single, 'Under the Milky Way', stood in stark contrast to the synth pop and hair metal dominating the 1980s. A high watermark of intelligent rock, \u003ci\u003eStarfish\u003c\/i\u003e musically anticipated alternative revolutions to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet in making \u003ci\u003eStarfish\u003c\/i\u003e, The Church struggled with their internal contradictions. Seeking both commercial and artistic success, they were seduced by fame and drugs but cynical towards the music industry. Domiciled in Australia but with a European literary worldview, they relocated to Los Angeles to record under strained circumstances in the heart of the West Coast hit machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book traces the story of \u003ci\u003eStarfish\u003c\/i\u003e, its background, composition, production and reception. To the task, Gibson brings an unusual perspective as both a musician and a geographer. Drawing upon four decades of media coverage as well as fresh interviews between the author and band members, this book delves into the mysteries of this mercurial classic, tracing both its slippery cultural geography and its sumptuous songcraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSituating \u003ci\u003eStarfish\u003c\/i\u003e in time and space, Gibson transports the reader to a key album and moment in popular music history when the structure and politics of the record industry was set to forever change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47432840446188,"sku":"9781501387005","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781501387005.jpg?v=1774766325"},{"product_id":"the-guitar-by-andrew-warren-9780226763965","title":"The Guitar","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGuitars inspire cult-like devotion: an aficionado can tell you precisely when and where their favourite instrument was made, the wood it is made from, and that wood’s unique effect on the instrument’s sound. In \u003ci\u003eThe Guitar\u003c\/i\u003e, Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren follow that fascination around the globe as they trace guitars all the way back to the tree. The authors take us to guitar factories, port cities, log booms, remote sawmills, Indigenous lands, and distant rainforests, on a quest for behind-the-scenes stories and insights into how guitars are made, where the much-cherished guitar timbers ultimately come from, and the people and skills that craft those timbers along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGibson and Warren interview hundreds of people to give us a first-hand account of the ins and outs of production methods, timber milling, and forest custodianship in diverse corners of the world, including the Pacific Northwest, Madagascar, Spain, Brazil, Germany, Japan, China, Hawaii, and Australia. They unlock surprising insights into longer arcs of world history: on the human exploitation of nature, colonialism, industrial capitalism, cultural tensions, and seismic upheavals. But the authors also strike a hopeful note, offering a parable of wider resonance—of the incredible but underappreciated skill and care that goes into growing forests and felling trees, milling timber, and making enchanting musical instruments, set against the human tendency to reform our use (and abuse) of natural resources only when it may be too late. \u003ci\u003eThe Guitar\u003c\/i\u003e promises to resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love with a guitar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47455768477932,"sku":"9780226763965","price":43.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/81u1Ka0YnbL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774797752"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/chris-gibson.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}