August 29, 2010
In early 2007, after finishing up curating our 11 Spring exhibition, Sara and I received a phone call from a wonderful book editor named Ethel Seno. Ethel, who had recently finished working with David LaChapelle on Heaven To Hell, was looking for her next project and had been speaking to her boss, Benedikt Taschen, about doing a big book on urban art. She asked if we were interested in collaborating.
Having collected TASCHEN books for many years, and knowing the quality of the books that Benedikt Taschen puts his name to, we were thrilled to receive Ethel’s call. But what we weren’t interested in doing, and something we told Ethel when we first spoke, was to work on developing another “street art book.” Even back in 2007 there were already tons of quickly produced street art books in the stores, and while a few of them were indeed very good, we didn’t want to add another book to an already crowded genre.
In talking with Ethel, we said that we wouldn’t be interested in doing the book without including the writer Carlo McCormick whom we felt knew the subject better than anyone else on the planet, and could add wonderful context and a fresh perspective. Soon Carlo was brought into the conversations and a couple of months later contracts were signed and we all rolled up our sleeves and started work.
Paolo Buggiani, Minotaur, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC 1980
We’re thrilled to announce that in just a few weeks time, after three years of development, TRESPASS: A HISTORY OF UNCOMMISSIONED URBAN ART will finally hit stores around the world. We couldn’t be happier as TRESPASS is definitely the book that we all wanted to make. And while the book does include some wonderful examples of street art and graffiti, it’s much, much more than that. Using the act of trespassing as a narrative thread to bring together a very disparate group of artists, we set out to find visual documentation of ephemeral acts of public art that in many cases had no known photos. Unlike other books that are grouped by decades (“The 70’s, “The 80’s”..) or by medium (“Stencils”, “Wheatpastes”...) or by location (US, Europe, Asia....) the chapters in TRESPASS are, thanks to the brilliance of Carlo McCormick, organized by a series of very unique themes including: Conquest of Space, Public Memory/Private Secrets, and Magical Thinking. In addition to Carlo's text the book not only includes essays by Sara and myself, Anne Pasternak from Creative Time, and civil rights lawyer Tony Serra. Finally, to set the theme of the book into motion, TRESPASS opens with a wonderful introduction penned by Banksy.
With over 300 pages of works by more than 150 artists, Trespass ultimately brings together into one book four generations of artists that include Jean Tinguely, Philippe Petit, Paolo Buggiani, Duke Riley, Spencer Tunick, Keith Haring, Os Gemeos, Jenny Holzer, Barry McGee, Gordon Matta-Clark, Shepard Fairey, Blu, Billboard Liberation Front, Guerrilla Girls and Banksy, among others. If you’re a regular Wooster reader, some of the photos may be familiar to you. But many of them will surprise you, as the book includes dozens of never seen before photographs of long-lost ephemeral works. In putting the book together with Carlo and Ethel, we held true to one fundamental rule: Every photograph in the book had to be of a work that was unauthorized and lacked permission. Commissioned work, even even if the photographs were absolutely spectacular, would not be included.
ZEVS, Liquidated McDonald’s, Paris, France, 2005
In an early conversation with Benedikt Taschen, Sara stressed the fact that for us to truly put out the book we all hoped for, not only did the book have to be large format and of very high quality, but it also had to be extremely affordable. Our wish was that the book would sell for under $50.00 so when we heard that TASCHEN had agree to a retail price of $39.99, we were absolutely thrilled.
So in the coming weeks stay tuned for more information about TRESPASS as like being parents of a new born baby, it’s a project that we’re very proud of and love talking about. There are also plans for a series of launch events including one in New York on September 28th and one in Miami during Art Basel in December.
To give you an early taste of what the book is all about, click here for a special visual “leaf-through” of the book.
We can’t wait for all of you to see the finished book and to hear your thoughts and reactions.
Posted by marc at 5:37 PM in Books |
September 9, 2009
From Chris - "Saw this in Williamsburg, corner of Lorimer and Metropolitan Ave. I'm hoping someone has appropriated a key to open the panel and created their own art. The book is from 1993, so I am assuming it is not an Ad."
Mystery solved. The phonebooths are the work of Jordan Seiler. You can see more of them here.
Posted by marc at 8:36 AM in Books |
April 21, 2009
Having now done a few books of our own, we learned early on that no matter how hard you try to get things perfect, mistakes happen.
Herbert Baglione has been working with Upper Playground on a book of his work, and two images in the book are mistakenly attributed to Herbert alone when in fact they were made as a collaboration with the artist Kboco.
So to both Herbert, Kboco, and Upper Playground - Congratulations! We can't wait to see the full book
Posted by marc at 8:31 PM in Books |
April 19, 2009
We're pleased to let you know that the third book in our "Books We Love" series is Urban Recreation from Akay and Peter.
When we started working on the "Books We Love" series a few months back, Sara and I put Urban Recreation on the top of our list. The book first came out in in late 2006 and has been on our coffee table ever since. make them available through the Wooster site..
When we first got a copy of the book, we wrote on the Wooster site:
Behind every piece of art there's always a terrific story. The intrigue about street art is that most often it's impossible to know who the artist is, let alone know the story behind the work....
When we first started to roam the streets of Soho many years ago, we would always walk past these two faded globes with the word "Akayism" on them. These posters lead us to learn more about the work of one of the true legends in street art today, Akay, who lives in Stockholm.
Akay's work is similar to that of artists like Dan Witz in that they think about their work in projects rather than random actions.
This month a terrific book called Urban Recreation is being published by Document. The book tells the stories behind the different projects of Akay and Peter, who together are known as the Barsky Brothers.
The work that these two guys do on the street is extremely rare, in the sense that it truly goes beyond spray cans and wheatpastes to be actual architectural structures and installations. The time, not to mention the money, that goes into their projects is remarkable. The book tells the stories behind thirteen projects done in the last four years.
Using material they find on the streets, Akay and Peter take ugly empty places and turn then into these magical little oases.
For us, Akay and Peter are the type of artists who have the ability to truly change the way people think about (a) their environment and (b) what should be in it and (c) what are definition of public art should be.
One of the projects that we really loved was City Swings in which for two weeks the Barsky Brothers installed 65 swings in Stockholm for people to enjoy, all made from found objects.
If there is one book that you should purchase this month, it's Urban Recreation.
Over the last few weeks we've been working hard to get a significant amount of copies to make them available for sale on the site. We were thrilled when they arrived last week. Like all the others we're confident that you'll love the book. But if you don't, all you have to do is return it to us and we'll refund your money.
Urban Recreation
by Akay and Peter
Price: $22.00 (27% off the retail price of $29.95)
192 Pages
Size: 9.4 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
Format: Hardcover
Color
Previous "Books We Love":
Talk Back: The Bubble Project
Public Phenomena by Temporary Services
Posted by marc at 6:19 PM in Books |
March 2, 2009
We're pleased to let you know that the second book in our "Books We Love" series is Ji Lee's Talk Back: The Bubble Project which came out from Mark Batty publisher in 2006.
Back in 2005, when we first saw Ji Lee's white speech bubbles plastered on advertisements all over Manhattan, we thought that they were, from a graphic perspective, quite interesting. But what we didn't know then, was that Ji was not only putting the bubbles up, but that he was returning to them days and weeks later to meticulously photograph the messages and drawings that people had filled in. Ji's extensive documentation became the basis of the "Talk Back" book.
Ji's project, which he calls "bubbling" is about reclaiming our public spaces, neutralizing the negative effect advertising has on our daily lives and "instantly transforming the corporate monologue into a true public dialogue." Back in 2006 we did a short interview with Ji for Theme Magazine.
Ji explains the project:
What we like about the book is that it's at times funny; at times extremely provocative, and always incredibly insightful. Over the years we've bought countless copies for our friends and relatives. We're confident that you'll love the book, but if you don't, all you have to do is return it to us and we'll refund your money.
Talk Back: The Bubble Project
by Ji Lee
Price: $14.00
128 Pages
Size: 7 x 9 inches
Format: Paperback
If you are unfamiliar with our "Books We Love" series, here's why we're doing it:
Over the years, one of the things we love to do when we travel is to discover amazing self published books at stores like Magma in London or Zakka in New York. But unfortunately most of these types of small bookstores have either gone out of business or are now completely filled with mass market titles that you can easily find much cheaper on Amazon.
So this year, knowing that times are tough not just in the United States but in cities around the world, Sara and I are more committed than ever to use the Wooster site and the audience we have to showcase less expensive works that we (and the people who made them) are sincerely passionate about. Things that are truly special.
Each book was chosen not because a publisher approached us, but rather hand selected by Sara an I solely because we want other people to have the book in their collection and share our passion for the work.
Most of the books in this series will be small editions, often self published, and ones that we feel have not received the attention they deserve. We're keeping the cost of the books as low as we can, always under $20.00 except for rare occasions, so that as many people as possible can buy them and include in their library.
Previous "Books We Love":
Public Phenomena by Temporary Services
Posted by marc at 2:08 PM in Books |
February 18, 2009
Over the years, one of the things we love to do when we travel is to discover amazing self published books at stores like Magma in London or Zakka in New York. But unfortunately most of these types of small bookstores have either gone out of business or are now completely filled with mass market titles that you can easily find much cheaper on Amazon.
So this year, knowing that times are tough not just in the United States but in cities around the world, Sara and I are more committed than ever to use the Wooster site and the audience we have to showcase less expensive works that we (and the people who made them) are sincerely passionate about. Things that are truly special.
So beginning this week, we're launching a new series of books for sale on the site that we think are truly special. Each book was chosen not because a publisher approached us, but rather hand selected by Sara an I solely because we want other people to have the book in their collection and share our passion for the work.
Most of the books in this series will be small editions, often self published, and ones that we feel have not received the attention they deserve. We're keeping the cost of the books as low as we can, always under $20.00 except for rare occasions, so that as many people as possible can buy them and include in their library.
So.....
We couldn't be happier to launch the series today with a book entitled 'PUBLIC PHENOMENA" by the acclaimed Chicago based collective, Temporary Services.
Public Phenomena took ten years to complete and only 1,750 copies were printed by Half Letter Press. The book is an amazing survey of handmade "modifications and inventions" that people create in public space. There's over 150 pages of photographs and essays in the book that cover a wide range of themes including roadside memorials, makeshift barriers, handmade basketball hoops, plant protectors and more.
Sara and I found the book to be absolutely fascinating and incredibly life affirming and inspiring. We're confident that you'll love the book, but if you don't, all you have to do is return it to us and we'll refund your money.
Public Phenomena
$15.00
by Temporary Services
Chicago: Half Letter Press. 2008
Pages: 152
Dimensions: 8.5" x 5.5"
Cover: soft
Binding: perfect bound, sewn
Process: digital
Color: color cover, full color
Edition Size: 1750
Posted by marc at 9:41 AM in Books |
December 3, 2008
Last weekend Sara and I started going through our storage and we found three boxes of the "Wooster Comix #1" that we self published back late 2005.
Looking through the book it's amazing to see early work by such artists as Adam Neate, Judith Supine, Anthony Lister and many other artists who today, three years later, have become quite well known.
In the middle of 2005 we invited a group of our favorite artists to try their hand at creating a series of narratives that featured their characters and street iconography. Most of the artists had never tried adapting their work into a storyline, so the project became equal parts challenging, exciting, and - ultimately - extremely creative and rewarding.
The result was Wooster Comix #1, a book that brought together over 35 artists from around the world including:
Dr. D, Goin, Lobster Roll, Travis Millard, Adam Neate, Bob Krobbauer, Allison Cole, Vinnie Ray, Mel Kadel, Jon Burgerman, Isoe, Justin Kees, Lennard, The Killer Gerbil, MCA, Diego Bergia, Cody Hudson, 0190ren, Matthew Rodriguez, Urban Medium, Pash, Zonenkinder, Ryan Browne, TVboy, Tofer, Rekal, Judith Supine, Numskull, Rafael Badilla, Tihm, Pure Evil, Anthony Lister, Drawwer, Caliper Boy, Eric Orr, Mike Clark
This evening we put together a video tour of the book with annotations by Sara and I.
We still have 300 books left of the 2000 that we printed back in 2005. They're $10.00 each USD. Perfect for the holidays.
Here's the specs:
Softcover
64 pages
Black and White
6.5" by 10.25"
Posted by marc at 6:47 AM in Books |
February 25, 2008
"I just got my copy of Nicholas DiGenova's new monograph in the mail. It is a fine thing--about 6' inches square, and somehow still so much more satisfying than 90% of the oversized coffee-table books lying around this place.
When I have to explain to some visitor who doesn't already know about some artist--"Fucking Bernini, man" or "Y'know Daido Moriyama" I pick up these huge editions and I riffle through the pages and pick out the particularly good ones and point. But I can tell already I'm not going to do that with this book. When people need to be told about DiGenova I will just toss this little book across the room (I will ruin it, I will keep having to buy more) and let it fall open to any page, because all the pages are spectacular--and there are a lot of pages, so you should buy it if you haven't
Am I biased? True, Nick is my friend, but only because when I first saw his work, I knew I had to meet whoever made it--I knew and liked the pictures long before I knew and liked him. So no, this is not a biased book review.
I think actually reviewing art books is stupid--there's the internet and you can just look and see for yourself, but I have a special reason here.
Here is my special reason--I need everyone to know, despite the fact that this book is the size and shape of a CD and the back of it is full of deliriously-laid out photos designed to make Nick and his works and friends and his repulsive studio in his cold corner of Toronto reeking of poultry and spraypaint seem young and fast and exciting and an introduction which mixes mad euro-rhetoric with weird translation to make gushing and weirdly oblique claims for the work that I dare anyone living to understand, that this is Art, with a capital "A". Not just very good--but important and innovative. Know that when we are ash and our machines are rust and ruin they will dig up a great deal of what we call Contemporary Art and they will put it in the scholarly basement museums where they keep old boats and spoons and pot shards because it will look like nothing more than Information and Opinion but that when they dig up DY 005: Nicholas DiGenova people will want it and people will keep it and no mater what atrophy or evolution people have gone through in the intervening years--whether the people are starved or half-mad or half-fish-they will pay money to see it.
What is it? Almost nothing--pictures of unlikely hybrid animals. Hardly the first work on the subject. Almost meaningless. There is no philosophy to be grasped or knowledge to be gained by studying these ridiculous animals. And that is the trick--because that means that all that is going on in, say, "Bi-Necked Amphibious Climber (Piloted By Member Of The Series 7 Militia)" (2006)--and any nervous system calling itself human will have to admit that there is a lot going on-- is art. Nicholas DiGenova's pictures succeed over and over and over at reminding us that the hardest and best challenge in art is just this: making some thing that you would rather be looking at than not looking at. Look at the many different feathers, look at the many claws, look at the tender loving dots like the way ancient Australians drew kangaroos, look at the faces of things that never lived but that feel so much more like the fresh bite of life than faux-humble faux-naive humdrumming of stoner expressionists fussing about finding ways to fumblingly shuffle human features around their traditional and fudge-colored canvasses, look at the thousand ingenuities of scale and scaliness necessary to hybridize and make the monsters into pictures, look at the furniture of someone else's mind--shorn of all the toothpaste and lightbulb-thoughts we have in common because we live on the same planet and in the same time. This is art. This the human experience, involuted and alien and accomplishing nothing but being there and being worth it.
DiGenova's work is like comic books and it is like graffiti and everyone knows that and everyone says that, but what should be obvious and I guess from the chatter isn't is how eagerly he takes advantage of the fact that most of what is in this book isn't comics and isn't graffiti and that therefore there are no deadlines or cops to chase him away from lavishing brand new forms of attention on the images his comic-book-crisp and graffiti-quick line makes possible. That is, he gives work new depth and weight and in a time when we are all perfectly aware how free and open and downloadable everything is and that every imaginable point of view is available and represented (poorly) somewhere on some nearby cable channel or website the only thing we need and don't have is depth and weight--the feeling that a constantly contemplating sentient mind is working its way toward some new thing as hard as we are. He paints his way across an idea as useless and absurd and (by local standards) redundant as a "Siamese Six-Shooter Stork" and it somehow comes out more uncanny and haunting than any flat, dead rectangle slathered with nothing but fiction has any right to be. Nicholas DiGenova has rendered a corner of human existence more absorbing, he has put out a book that can sit on your shelf near your bed and which, when opened up, does thing like flipping on a switch in a room in your head which you didn't know was there. This is new. This is a thing that does not look like other things. This is a gorgeous monstrous hybrid. Inasmuch as this work is like graffiti and like comics this work may be young and hip, but no more young and hip than a million things that are much worse. That's incidental. This is not some clever crap that is there to make you feel clever even though you're not. This is not here to prove to your friends that you know about skateboards or custom cars or Michelle Foucault or keyboardy music or even Art. This is not a bandwagon you will wish you'd jumped on. This is not a thing made to comment on some other thing because the person was scared to just say it. This isn't here to tell you something, or make you think about something or otherwise assume it knows what's good for you. This is a thing-in-itself. This is the product of a mind that needs to see what the things in it look like when they are in front of it because they are more complicated than what can be held inside it. These are the kinds of images that--if given the attention they deserve--will make tomorrow look different from today. And better.".. Zak Smith
Posted by marc at 3:07 AM in Books |
April 12, 2007
An amazing author like no other. Very sad to hear that he passed away today.
Posted by marc at 7:58 AM in Books |
January 11, 2007
Behind every piece of art there's always a terrific story. The intrigue about street art is that most often it's impossible to know who the artist is, let alone know the story behind the work. One of the cool things for us is that we often learn the stories behind different pieces of work on the street, and we then share these stories with others through the Wooster site.
So when we first started to roam the streets of Soho many years ago, we would always walk past these two faded globes with the word "Akayism" on them. These posters lead us to learn more about the work of one of the true legends in street art today, Akay, who lives in Stockholm.
Akay's work is similar to that of artists like Dan Witz in that they think about their work in projects rather than random actions.
This month a terrific book called Urban Recreation is being published by Document. The book tells the stories behind the different projects of Akay and Peter, who together are known as the Barsky Brothers.
The work that these two guys do on the street is extremely rare, in the sense that it truly goes beyond spray cans and wheatpastes to be actual architectural structures and installations. The time, not to mention the money, that goes into their projects is remarkable. The book tells the stories behind thirteen projects done in the last four years.
Using material they find on the streets, Akay and Peter take ugly empty places and turn then into these magical little oases.
For us, Akay and Peter are the type of artists who have the ability to truly change the way people think about (a) their environment and (b) what should be in it and (c) what are definition of public art should be.
One of the projects that we really loved was City Swings in which for two weeks the Barsky Brothers installed 65 swings in Stockholm for people to enjoy, all made from found objects.
If there is one book that you should purchase this month, it's Urban Recreation. We've included photos of a few of the projects that the book showcases, but to get the stories behind them, buy the book. We're told that it willbe distributed in the US by From Here to Fame (NYC) and Last Gasp of San Francisco. We hear that both US distributors will probably have the book in stock in February or March.
Posted by marc at 6:40 AM in Books , Culture Jamming , Environmental |
October 20, 2006
While in Milan earlier this year we met a wonderful photographer named Alex Fakso. Alex has been working on a new book called Heavy Metal which will be in stores soon. Keep an eye out for it.
Also, Alex has put together a video trailer for the book, something that we wish more photographers and book publishers do. Now with the low costs of producing video content, and the power of Youtube, it makes a lot of sense....
Posted by marc at 7:38 AM in Books |
August 18, 2006
We're pleased to learn that Nicholas Ganz's new book, Graffiti Women, is set to come out in November. Haven't seen it yet, but if it's half as good as his last book, Graffiti World, we're in for a treat. It's good to see that someone has finally put together what looks to be like the definitive book on an amazing group of woman who are central to the graffiti and street are movement. Can't wait to see it.
Posted by marc at 7:14 AM in Books |
July 31, 2006
Rojo Magazine in Spain has put out four terrific new books. First is Blanco from the Barcelona based street artist Lolo. Second is
Heads or Tails from Sakristan. Third is The dead, the damned and the children of the revolution from Juju's Delivery. And, last but not least, is the long awaited book by Eltono & Nuria, Bar Tom Cruise
Posted by marc at 7:44 AM in Books |
April 5, 2006
Amongst our numerous passions is a deep love for artist crafted limited edition books. Recently was had a chance to peep a new book of art from the Canadian artist known as Other. The book, which comes with a mix CD, is really terrific. You can find more information here.
Posted by marc at 8:08 AM in Books |
January 10, 2006
Our friends at Rojo Magazine have updated their website. If you haven't checked it out lately, now is a good time. If you're not yet familiar with Rojo and the tireless work of David Quiles Guilló, then you should become so asap. Rojo is an amazing supporter of the arts and a fantastic resource. Year after year Rojo supports new and emerging artists with a magazine, events, books, and much more.
Recently Rojo published a series of five monographic mini-books from such artists as Tofer, Neasden Control Centre, Boris Hoppek, Albert Bertolin and Nuno Valerio.
You can purchse them online here.
The Rjo book collection will soo include works from Lolo, Eltono+Nuria, Robbf/Biosfear, Sakristan and Juju's delivery.
Posted by marc at 10:41 PM in Books |