Posts tagged ‘book’
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Serious heat in the form of this special edition casing for the release of Carte Blanche book. The special case from Bentley does the trick in making this volume even more desirable. “Each copy of the Special Edition is custom-produced to Bentley’s exacting standards and arrives inside a stunning metal case. The result is a striking and unique collector’s item – an expertly crafted book like no other.” For serious heads at 500 copies worldwide. (acq)
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Curated points us at this photography tome from Taschen. “Photographers A-Z functions as a complete compendium of important photographers of the 20th-century. Included are masters with works hanging in museum collections, as well as the finest in “applied” – fashion, etc. – areas. As you might imagine, the names come in alphabetical order, a brief biographical sketch complementing a series of photographs from each artist.”
Available from Amazon.
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Well before the web, email and Hypercard (I had a zine built in Hypercard – serious), zines were one of the most authentic and personal ways for people to self-publish their works. Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when I discovered zines and mini-comics, FactSheet Five was the bible. Luckily, technology has not slowed down the zine world. In fact, in Cambridge, MA, we even have a zine library – one of many across the globe. Gestalten’s new book, Behind the Zines , tackles the subject.
“With a cutting-edge selection of international examples, Behind the Zines introduces the broad range of zines that exists today. These include zines that function as a new kind of project-oriented portfolio to showcase a self-profile or document an exhibit. While some act as (pseudo) scientific treatises to call the reader‘s attention to a specific topic, others serve as playrooms for creatives to run riot and express themselves and communicate with each other in a space that is free from editorial restrictions.”
Delivers on May 31, 2011.
Available from Amazon.
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Written by a Canadian, Peter Toohey, “Boredom: A Lively History ” has the best title of any book released this week.
This informative and entertaining investigation of boredom—what it is and what it isn’t, its uses and its dangers—spans more than 3,000 years of history and takes readers through fascinating neurological and psychological theories of emotion, as well as recent scientific investigations, to illustrate its role in our lives. There are Australian aboriginals and bored Romans, Jeffrey Archer and caged cockatoos, Camus and the early Christians, Dürer and Degas. Toohey also explores the important role that boredom plays in popular and highbrow culture and how over the centuries it has proven to be a stimulus for art and literature.
One wonders what Toohey would say about Tumblr.
Copies are available from YUP and Amazon.
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Later this month, MIT Press will be releasing a new book, “Ai Weiwei’s Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants, 2006-2009 ,” and the timing could not be better to bring my light on the Chinese activist and artist. The book collects Ai Weiwei’s blog writings and more, much of it “removed” by Chinese authorities.
“In 2006, even though he could barely type, China’s most famous artist started blogging. For more than three years, Ai Weiwei turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings. He wrote about the Sichuan earthquake (and posted a list of the schoolchildren who died because of the government’s “tofu-dregs engineering”), reminisced about Andy Warhol and the East Village art scene, described the irony of being investigated for “fraud” by the Ministry of Public Security, made a modest proposal for tax collection. Then, on June 1, 2009, Chinese authorities shut down the blog.”
Available from Amazon.
If you have not taken a moment to read our “Curated Q&A” with Alison Klayman, Director of “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” we recommend it.
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Harper Collins delivers a new photography book of newly surfaced The Beatles photography as shot by Bob Bonis. From the publisher: “Unearthed after forty-five years, the photos that comprise The Lost Beatles Photographs form a groundbreaking portrait of the most iconic band of the twentieth century at a pivotal time in their career, conquering America. Bonis’s photos offer fans unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to The Beatles during their breakthrough moments on the world stage, from rehearsing backstage to stellar performances in concert.”
Available from Amazon .
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Coming this May from Phaidon, is an extraordinary look at the history of the modern office chair. A Taxonomy of Office Chairs by Jonathan Olivares delves into the past of the utility seat that in the modern world has gained cult-like status. The book catalogs not only the models and makes but also looks at the “unique elements” of each. As Olivares explains it, “I wanted to find something that on one hand has a rich technical history, and on he other hand is related to the human body in an intimate way. The office chair is that perfect synthesis.”
Most interesting is the fact that Knoll funded the research project which took more than three years and 4,000 chairs to complete.
Available from Amazon.
Photography: Selectism.com
More looks inside The Taxonomy of Office Chairs book after the click.
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Publisher JRP Ringier published a new anthology of Hedi Slimane’s photography. From the publisher: “As Hedi Slimane: Anthology of a Decade reveals, Slimane’s photographs, which traverse the music scene, the New York art scene, street fashion and haute couture, are as fresh as his groundbreaking work in fashion. Drawing on photographs taken throughout the past decade, this volume records Slimane’s early years in the fashion industry, before, during and after his tenures at Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. It was during this decade that Slimane brought to men’s fashion an androgynous, rock verve that influenced couture worldwide. This selection of 175 color photographs lays bare Slimane’s inspirations for this look…” Coming April 30, 2011.
Available from Amazon.
More looks after the click.
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Here’s another look at Assouline’s American Fashion Designers at Home . More than 100 homes are featured in the book – with looks inside the homes and holiday escapes of Betsy Johnson, Ralph Lauren, and many others. The photography presents the homes in full detailed looks. A beautiful coffee table addition and a source of inspiration for some.
Available from Amazon.
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, takes a look at one year of unique and sometimes odd items bought and sold over the course of a year. Authored by Jolyon Fenwick and Marcus Husselby of 
