Man, there's some impressive artwork captured in this book. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of graffiti, but this book kind of changed my mind. It's pretty incredible how the artists' interpretations of popular culture are morphed into such provocative compositions, usually on a very large scale, and it's even more amazing to see crew efforts where different graffiti artists collaborate on a single piece. And, jeez, some of the artwork is just so sharp...you'll have to see it for yourself; you can visit Camerota's Graffiti Japan website for a preview.

Photographed by Remo Camerota, Graffiti Japan captures the culturally unique aspects of Japanese street art, providing the most complete look at Japan’s contemporary graffiti scene ever compiled...
Interviews with KRESS, BELX2, FATE, TENGA, EMAR, SUIKO, QP and many more reveal how these artists define their work as specifically Japanese, musing on everything from replicating the calligraphic intricacies of the Japanese language with spray paint, to foreign influences and national pride. Every single photograph in Graffiti Japan was shot in Japan, featuring anime and manga characters, kanji, sprawling legal murals and illegal hidden spots, all of which comprise this spectacular scene that could not exist in any other country.

$27.95, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

This is a complete treasure trove of patterns. I swear, even if you're not an artist or a designer, it'll have you itching to pick up a pencil and mess around, or maybe at least overcome any objection to defacing a book so that you don't have to feel guilty when you take one of the pages out to frame it. Or maybe you'll just enjoy perusing all the hand-drawn patterns and that'll be enough for you. Either way, it's a refreshing compilation of work from a lot of talented designers.

While patterns have been around forever, there's a recent movement, a tendency among designers, to allow patterns to animate their work with colorful and exuberant complexity. Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in their work in inventive and innovative ways...the examples in this book push the boundaries of the traditional concept of what a pattern is...Featuring more than 250 vibrant and exciting patterns, Over and Over explores this magic on every single page and will inspire designers everywhere.

Also, Mike Perry's site is fun to browse through if you're interested.

$35.00, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

If you've ever browsed through Found Magazine then you'll know what to expect from this collection of Polaroids.

There are photographs, and then there are Polaroids. This hardbound beauty is stuffed with 100+ specimens and curiosities from the Polaroid age, when gratification was as instant as the digital camera but far easier to lose. It's filled with an incredible collection of photos - some of them very funny, others strangely moving and affecting.

$16.49, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

I'm a big fan of b-boys (as witnessed by anyone who has seen me watch SYTYCD), so this book had me before I even opened the cover.

Acclaimed rock photographer Charles Peterson is back with a new subject—the world of contemporary breakdancing. B-boying, as it’s referred to by its adepts, centers around the “cypher” (circle) created when b-boys and b-girls gather to practice or to “battle.” Bigger and badder than ever, breakdancing has grown since its beginnings in the early eighties to become a global youth phenomenon today. Yet it remains a highly individualized practice—all one needs to get down are some beats and a smooth floor (and, of course, scads of strength, style, and brio).

[posted by katie]

So, if you're in the mood for a little art quiz, try matching the artist to the picture...and don't worry if you get some wrong. I took a load of art history classes and I got one mixed up (the shame!). Answers below.

Fra Angelico: $39.95, Buy it here. or $30.36, here.
"Fra Angelico (c.1390/95–1455) was the most celebrated religious painter of the early Italian Renaissance"

Ingres (Ingres is pronounced 'ang', fyi): $39.95, Buy it here. or $26.37, here.
"A new monograph charting the entire career of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), one of the most influential painters of the French Neo-classical period."

Raphael: $39.95, Buy it here. or $26.37, here.
"A new monograph charting the entire career of Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483–1520)."

Titian: $39.95, Buy it here. or $28.00, here.
"Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, c.1488/90–1576) was an outstanding painter of the Renaissance."



[posted by katie]

I'm sure everyone's heard that Polaroid has discontinued their instant film, much to the dismay of the general public. This special edition celebrates the medium with 351 pages of over 400 works from the Polaroid Collections.

Selections from the Polaroid Collections of Photography 25th Anniversary Special Edition. In existence for over 50 years, the Polaroid Corporation's photography collection is the greatest collection of Polaroid images in the world. Begun by Polaroid founder Edwin Land and photographer Ansel Adams, the collection now includes images by hundreds of photographers throughout the world and contains important pieces by artists such as David Hockney, Helmut Newton, Jeanloup Sieff, and Robert Rauschenberg. This title features over 400 works from the Polaroid Collections; an essay by Polaroid's Barbara Hitchcock illuminating the beginnings and history of the collection; and, a technical reference section featuring the various types of Polaroid cameras.

$14.99, Buy it here. or for $11.75, here.

[posted by katie]

This looks like it could be an excellent coffee-tablish book, if you're into that kind of thing.

Photographer Andrew Zuckerman's striking images of animals from around the world are as arresting as they are inspiring. These 150 astonishing studio portraits of wild creatures - from baby mountain lions to parrots, bears, porcupines & more - depict their subjects with rare sensitivity, insight, humor and wonder.

$60.00, Buy it here. or $36.00, here.

[posted by katie]

It seems like Phaidon just can't go wrong with their curated collections; this large volume of recent contemporary graphics seems to call for some serious sit-down-and-absorb-everything kind of time.

Area_2 is the second volume in the graphics version of Phaidon's award-winning series of curated compendiums, which includes Cream, Fresh Cream, Blink, 10x10, 10x10_2, and Spoon. Covering all manifestations of printed graphics created by the world's most visionary designers, Area_2 presents the posters, books, magazines, typography, packaging, and ephemera that has influenced visual culture over the past five years.

• An international, up-to-the-minute overview of graphic design today
• 100 of the most creative designers to have emerged on the international scene over the past five years, chosen by 10 of the most respected figures in the field
• More than 1500 full-color images showcasing the best of contemporary graphics, from posters to books to typefaces and beyond
• An indispensable reference not only for students and graphic designers, but also for anyone interested in the visual trends shaping our culture

$90.00, Buy it here or for $56.70, here.

[posted by katie]

There have been countless amounts of furniture made from plywood, several designs of which are considered iconic, and it's impressive to think of the process and history behind the widely used material.

Plywood is arguably the most modern design artifact: it is a material born of natural wood and formed by vigorous industrial processes that can assume the most organic of shapes through bending, laminating, and molding. plywood truly fulfills that most modern of dreams: bridging the gap between technology and nature. Bent Ply is the first book devoted to plywood in modern design. The book consists of two parts: the first, an illustrated history of plywood (tracing its origins to ancient Egypt, circa 2900 BC); the second, an annotated journal of the making of a piece of bent plywood furniture, from the forest to the showroom. Bent Ply contains numerous illustrations of the classics of bent ply design, including furniture from Alvar Aalto, Michael Thonet, and Charles and Ray Eames, and examples of its appropriation by the military: John F. Kennedy s PT109 boat and the DeHavilland Mosquito were both fabricated from plywood. Anyone interested in furniture design, woodworking, or materials will be fascinated by Bent Ply.

$32.97, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

One of the greats of architecture, Le Corbusier, now has an enormous monograph available. At 768 pages with 1000 colour illustrations and 1000 black and white illustrations, it might take a while to get through it, but man, I think it would be worth the time spent.

• A spectacular visual biography of the life and work of Le Corbusier (1887–1965), one of Modernism's most influential architects, urban planners, and theorists

• Approximately 2,000 images and documents, many previously unpublished, feature his major built works, urban plans, paintings, publications, and furniture as well as sketches, archival photographs, and personal correspondence

• Rarely seen photographs and correspondence shed new light on Le Corbusier’s relationships with Josephine Baker, Eileen Gray, Fernand Léger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Prouvé, and many others

$200.00, Buy it here.
(or for $126.00, here.)

[posted by katie]