From the publisher: "Alien worlds, alter-egos, and Pleasure Domes--Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation explores the overlooked importance of science-fiction fandom and the occult to U.S. queer history. Science fiction and occult communities helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ movement by providing a place for individuals to meet, imagine, and create a life less restricted by societal norms. Focusing on Los Angeles from the late 1930s through the 1950s, this reader follows the lives of artists, writers, publishers, early sci-fi enthusiasts, and progressive communities, from Kenneth Anger, Lisa Ben, and Jack Parsons to the L.A. Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) and Ordo Templi Orientis at the Agape Lodge (O.T.O.). Spanning sci-fi fandom, aerospace, queer history, and the occult, Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation reveals how visionary artists, filmmakers, scientists, science-fiction writers and fans worked together to build a world of their own making. Featuring copious illustrations of salacious pulps, ritual paintings, and archival materials, authors Joseph Hawkins, Joan Lubin, Alexis Bard Johnson, Ben Miller, Judith Noble, Kelly Filreis, and Susan Aberth tell the interconnected stories behind the underground communities of early Los Angeles."

"In 1966, at the age of 28, photographer Joel Meyerowitz embarked on a journey that would take him to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Greece. In total, he drove 20,000 miles through 10 countries and ended up taking 25,000 photographs. This trip was a transcendental experience and formative in shaping Meyerowitz's instinctive and brilliant identity that he is known for today. Europa 1966–1967 compiles a selection of photographs taken by Meyerowitz on his yearlong trip through Europe, offering an exciting glimpse of the 'New Old World' that, having lately overcome the trauma of World War II, opened itself to modernity and progress. Meyerowitz witnessed societies in transition, stuck between dictatorship and economic blossoming. Yet he also documented unshakable cultural traditions, such as when he lived with a flamenco-performing family in Francoist Spain for six months. The strength and freshness of Meyerowitz’s gaze and the new codes that were captured in these pictures inspired the next generation of photographers."

"Fashion Army investigates the evolution of military attire into iconic fashion. French visual researcher Matthieu Nicol presents a catalogue of three hundred and fifty documentary images from the declassified US Army Natick Labs archive, tracing military style from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. These images showcase the meticulous development of clothing and gear designed for both the battlefield and everyday military life, highlighting the profound connection between fashion, power, and aesthetics. Through this ambiguous and compelling sequence, Fashion Army offers a nuanced account of style, innovation, and the far-reaching influence of military apparel on fashion and identity, ultimately interrogating the signifiers of violence embedded in such attire. Includes an essay by renowned fashion critic Angelo Flaccavento, reflecting on the interplay between military functionality and the fashion industry"

We have the latest entry in our friend Ed Templeton’s City Confessions book series here at Arcana now! And they’re signed! This time around, Ed turns his uncanny, sensitive, courageous, and witty eye on Paris and Parisians. Sacre bleu! It’s our livre du jour, bien sûr! (Super Labo, 2024) From the publisher: "In this third installment of his City Confessions series Ed Templeton presents 69 black and white analog photographs shot in the city of Paris over the last 23 years. Taking long circuitous walks through the city from Montmartre to the Panthéon, from Cimetière du Père-Lachaise to the Champs-Élysées, Templeton spends his days in the streets observing the denizens of the city, both the locals and the tourists as they go about their lives in this historic metropolis. Employing a cinéma vérité style to capture people in everyday situations, the photographs depict daily life in Paris with its ebbs and flows, taking the pulse of a city whose casual chic style is unmistakable."

Today's book of the day is This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance. From the publisher: "The American writer and activist James Baldwin (1924–87) considered himself a 'witness' as he challenged perspectives on America and its history through his work. He was often recognized for speaking out against injustice when other like-minded artists, collaborators and organizers were overshadowed or silenced. By bringing together artworks that feature James Baldwin alongside portraits of other key figures who had an impact on his life, This Morning, This Evening, So Soon situates Baldwin among a pantheon of culture bearers who were instrumental in shaping his life and legacy, particularly in relationship to his advocacy for gay rights. The book accompanies an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, Rhea L. Combs, in consultation with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Hilton Als. Well-known portraits by Beauford Delaney and Bernard Gotfryd are shown alongside paintings, photographs and films representing key figures in Baldwin’s circle. By viewing Baldwin in this context of community, readers will come to understand how Baldwin’s sexuality and faith, artistic curiosities and notions of masculinity—coupled with his involvement in the civil rights movement—helped shape his writing and long-lasting legacy. The book relies on portraiture to explore the interwoven lives of Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry (writer and activist), Barbara Jordan (lawyer, educator and politician), Bayard Rustin (leader in social movements), Lyle Ashton Harris (artist), Essex Hemphill (poet and activist), Marlon Riggs (filmmaker, poet and activist) and Nina Simone (singer-songwriter, pianist and activist), among others." (Delmonico-D.A.P., 2024)

"Donald Judd Furniture includes more than one hundred pieces of his furniture, spanning 1970 to 1991, designed for his living and working spaces at 101 Spring Street and in Presidio County, Texas. The publication introduces readers to Donald Judd’s furniture designs, initiated during the renovation of his home and studio at 101 Spring Street in New York, and as the result of the difficulty Judd later had in furnishing his home in Marfa, Texas. These furniture designs exemplify the directness of form and presence for which his artworks are celebrated, as well as offering a distinct and unadorned functionality. In this book they are presented through detailed drawings and breakdowns of materials, and color photography exploring their placement and function within these spaces. As well as surveying a central aspect of his work, Donald Judd Furniture details Judd’s understanding of functionality, form, and his deep interest in the possibilities of design in a world of mass-production." via MACK Books.

Ghost and Spirit is a new book about Mike Kelley, and… actually that’s all you might need to know. It’s a new book, copiously illustrated and with abundant essays, expertly covering the career of Mike Kelley. See you in the store soon! (Tate Modern, 2024)

Sagan Lockhart's new photo book I Don't Play chronicles the early 2010s in the vibrant world of the Odd Future collective. This vital document of Los Angeles' near past features Odd Future members Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Travis Taco Bennett, Syd Tha Kid, Hodgy, and more as well as Playboi Carti, Danny Brown, Mac Miller, Lee Spielman, the cast of "Workaholics," skaters Jason Dill and Sean Pablo, and so many others. It's our book of the day!

 

Taschen’s illuminating and magickal Library of Esoterica series continues with the new volume Sacred Sites. An exploration of the history of holy and spiritual art and architecture through time and across cultures, it is a worthy addition to its predecessors—all of which are currently available at Arcana. This, of course, is our book of the day. (Taschen, 2024)