This is such a neat book; I'd leave it open to a different letter every so often just to appreciate it fully.

This is no easy A-B-C! Marion Bataille’s 3-D exploration of the alphabet is truly a work of art. From the lenticular cover to the clever execution throughout, bold letters move from point A to Z in ways you never imagined possible. Discover this treasure & prepare to be amazed! Hardcover. Approximately 7.25”x5.75”

$19.95, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

This book has a kind of wry humor; it's packed with all sorts of graphics and comics that show just how bad our world could get, and you find yourself chuckling along until you realize that some of the events aren't all that far-fetched, and in fact, some are actually happening. It's a little disconcerting to have disasters drawn in a friendly sort of way, yet I suppose that gives a special sense of visual punch and irony. A few of my favorite highlights: Julia Hoffman’s Let’s Get Carbon-ated questionaire, Johnny Sweetwater's Endangered Species chart, the Nozone Survival Kit by Jesse Gordan (photographs by Tony Cenicola), and the personified line charts and graphs crying over data, hiding their heads under the covers or putting their heads into a stove.

Conspiracy theories, pending Ice Ages, potential revolutions, viral epidemics, and other doomsday prophecies: wherever you look—from the cover of Time magazine to the weird weather outside your window—the message seems universal: the Earth our children inherit will certainly be nothing like the one we currently inhabit. UN reports and newspaper articles are illustrated with dry charts and graphs predicting technological, economic, and ecological transformations that are already dramatically altering the way we live. Forecast revisualizes these abstractions about everything from our environment to our waistlines, from the stock market to the Middle East through the eyes of cartoonists and graphic designers who have made comics with a conscience...

$24.95, Buy it here.

[posted by katie]

Take a look at this paper documentary; it's pretty amazing:

The lives of refugees and the displaced are told through journals, stories, images, and graphic novellas: war in Chechnya, ethnic cleansing in Burma, globalization in Mexico, and AIDS in Malawi.The book features works by Joe Sacco, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Julie Morstad, Phoebe Gloeckner, Chris Abani, Karen Connelly, Kamel Khelif, and many others. A foldout case contains the four volumes, one for each country.

The I Live Here Foundation helps unheard people tell their stories to the world. We set up creative writing programs in forgotten places such as a youth prison in Africa or a refugee camp on the Burma border. We also collaborate with noted writers and artists to produce stories and images that go far beyond ‘crisis journalism.’

To visit site, go here.
To donate, go here.
$29.95, Buy it here or for $19.77, here.

[posted by katie]

Contemporary photography seems to catch the eye everywhere nowadays; I think I'll be adding this monograph to my list of books to check out.

The work of Martin Parr (b. 1952) bridges the divide between art and documentary photography. His studies of the idiosyncrasies of mass culture and consumerism around the world, his innovative imagery and his prolific output have placed him firmly at the forefront of contemporary art.

$24.95, Buy it here or $18.21 here.

[posted by katie]

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]

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]

When I was in art school a fellow classmate once talked about how he thought trucks (in the US) were all about glamour, with their lights and fancy mudflaps and extra reflectors. The whole idea struck me as entirely true, yet also completely funny considering the stereotypical idea of someone that might drive an eighteen wheeler, and how unlikely they might be to admit to decorating their vehicle in order to be seen as "glamorous", an adjective often used to describe young lip-glossed celebrities. Well, these decorated trucks (i.e. Decotora) from Japan are sure celebrations of glamour and their owners look like they're pretty proud to admit it, just as they should be. Fascinating.

[via pingmag]

[posted by katie]