Browsing Category 'Books'
MULTIPLE SIGNATURES is a fascinating new exploration of graphic design today, courtesy of Michael Rock, co-founder of the famous 2 x 4 agency, known for their creative work for giant brands such as Chanel, Harvard, MoMA, Nike, Prada, and Procter & Gamble. The hefty paperback is just out from the good people at Rizzoli. [Read More]
The Skirball Center here in LA is currently showing Angeleno artist Gary Baseman’s first major retrospective, and this excellent new catalogue from Skira Rizzoli, under the same title, accompanies that exhibition beautifully. I’ve been a fan of Baseman’s work for ages, and it all came full circle when I was lucky enough to invade his studio with Bobby Hundreds a couple of years back. It was an incredible opportunity to delve into the complicated universe which Baseman’s art explores, and so is this impressive hardcover. [Read More / View Photos]
Mark Ryden: The Gay 90′s is a new hardcover title from Rizzoli, which documents the popular LA-based Pop Surrealist’s latest works. The new title certainly offers an excellent opportunity to investigate what all the Mark Ryden hype is about – with over 140 pages and 80+ illustrations, including beautiful and unsettling examples of his trademark bulbous-headed debutantes and nearly as many examples of his fixations on red meat and a rather uncomfortable-looking Abraham Lincoln. Yes, it’s quite eerie, dark, and creepy, but it’s also amazingly skillful, cohesive, and thought-provoking. It also contains something of a centerfold, which is fun. My favorite aspect of this coffee table all-star, however, is all the initial sketches and drawings it contains – several per completed artwork in some instances. An appealing offering for both dedicated fans and newcomers to the weird world of Ryden. [View Images]
The Pop Object: The Still Life Tradition in Pop Art is an impressive new hardcover title from Rizzoli, by Princeton University arts Professor, accomplished author, and trustee on several gallery boards, John Wilmerding. The hefty 248-page, large format tome is a major survey of pop art from the ’60s through today, and also serves as the catalog for a current exhibition the author curated at New York’s Acquavella Galleries, under the same moniker. Wilmerding categorizes major works in the movement, according to theme and precedent, and of course includes important work by Warhol, Thiebaud, Koons, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Tom Wesselmann, and many more household names in pop art. [View More]
All the Buildings in New York is a tremendously sentimental and skillful ode to the very fabric of New York City – its amazing architecture. A Brooklyn transplant by way of Australia, artist, illustrator, and compulsive draw-er, James Gulliver Hancock has attempted to document all of the buildings in New York, sharing much of it on the project’s blog. This new hardcover title from Rizzoli/Universe is the first book based on Hancock’s blog, and also includes bonus illustrations which were not featured on it. I was slightly concerned about how much time Hancock must have invested in this effort, but he seems to be doing very well, professionally speaking anyway, managing two solo exhibitions last year, as well as work for an impressive range of clients. [View Photos]
Paris, Line by Line is a beautiful new title from Universe, which follows the success of Robinson’s previous 2009 re-release, New York, Line by Line. Both titles are actually reprinted vintage gems, originally published in the 1960′s; the result of German artist Robinson’s travel-inspired art. Born Werner Kruse, Robinson was best known for his signature pen & ink style, on full display in this excellent hardcover… [Read More / View Photos]
…Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is a really entertaining fiction novel I’m reading at the moment. I don’t post about fiction much, even though that’s mostly what I read in my free time. Written by Swedish journalist/author Jonas Jonasson, it tells the bizarre, unlikely, and incredible story of Allan Karlson – an easy-going Centenarian with a knack for ending up in the middle of a remarkably unlikely turn of events. It retells his life story, while a new adventure unfolds in the present. I’m already looking forward to Mr. Jonasson’s next title, whenever that might arrive.
Check out this video preview for the new graffiti/typography book, Flip The Script, from Handselecta AKA Christian Acker. I’ve not seen it in person yet, but apparently Christian has analyzed, documented, and presented the best graffiti handstyles from around the country, and with the attention to detail you’d expect to find in a typography title. Via FNG. [Watch Video]
The second-last day of the year is arguably a decent time to look back at the top Typo-Graphical posts for 2012. Everyone else is doing it! In short, 2012 was all about T-Files interviews and graphic novel reviews. [Read More]