Events Posted May 15, 2014

Special Two Day Exhibitiohn at Arcana > EB, THE JERSEY GENIUS!


WE ARE  PLEASED TO PRESENT A VERY SPECIAL TWO-DAY EXHIBITION FEATURING THE WORK OF THE RECLUSIVE OUTSIDER ARTIST AND FOLK ENGINEER,

“eb, THE JERSEY GENIUS”
-INVENTOR OF THE BOONSBURG EGG -

 

Oft-viewed as a crank by the academic establishment, this special presentation will take a closer look at eb’s controversial-yet-plausible theory that for decades Egyptologists have been incorrectly attributing symbols depicted in the hieroglyphic language as religious icons, when according to eb, they are simply artistic renditions of the actual tools used to build the pyramids.
 
The exhibit will include reconstructed contemporary working versions of these tools as well as present a fully operating ramp model that demonstrates exactly how all of the oddly shaped “function specific” tools depicted on the hieroglyphs worked together to form a larger assembly line system that enabled the Egyptians to easily roll the massive stones up the ramps. 
 
Adding credibility to his theory, eb has zeroed in on the most important religious icon of ancient Egypt, the Sun Disc.  For centuries scholars have claimed that the Sun Disc was their God because it was always depicted in a place of high honor, with Egyptians shown in religious worship with hands raised and palms facing forward.  But, being an inventor, eb noticed something odd about this that no scholar had ever mentioned.  After obsessing over thousands of images, he realized that at no time did they ever represent the Sun Disc as a perfect circle – which would have been the sensible thing to do.  Instead, they repeatedly drew it as an odd, somewhat egg-shaped disc containing very specific angles of slope that are quite difficult to render. He wondered, “Is it possible that the greatest engineers of all time weren’t able to draw a perfect circle when depicting their God, or were they consciously choosing not to draw it as a perfect circle again and again and again?  If so, what was the significance of this shape and why was it held in such high regard?”
 
At the center of the exhibition is the device that eb believes not only answers the above questions, but also helped usher in Egypt’s golden age of pyramid building - a testable one ton version of his patented Boonsburg Egg invention.  Not only is his invention the same shape as the Egyptian Sun Disc, but by using it, an individual has the ability to easily roll tons of weight up an incline with just a small push – a push initiated from the palms-forward stance uncannily similar to the one in which the ancient  Egyptians are so frequently depicted on the hieroglyphs.
 
Was the Sun Disc their God, their Science, or possibly both?  Come to Arcana for one extraordinary weekend and you be the judge!
 

 
Events Posted Apr 06, 2014

Book Signing at Arcana 4/6/14 > The Blighted Eye: Original Comic Art From The Glenn Bray Collection

THE BLIGHTED EYE: ORIGINAL COMIC ART
FROM THE GLENN BRAY COLLECTION

With Glenn Bray and Doug Harvey

 

All from the mind-boggling collection of Glenn Bray, The Blighted Eye is the most copious, most diverse, and most lavish compilation of original comic art ever published. An enthusiast of marginal and outsider American pop culture, he started to collect original comic art in 1965 - a time when very few people, including the artists themselves, truly valued the original art. Bray has over the last nearly fifty years amassed likely the most eclectic collection of original comic art in private hands. The Blighted Eye presents not only a staggering array of original art, but a testament to Bray's dogged and visionary commitment to preserving the work by the greatest artists working in an art form habitually sneered at by cultural gatekeepers throughout most of the 20th Century.

The book features work by a pantheon of cartooning masters, including Charles Addams, Carl Barks, Hans Bellmer, Charles Burns, Al Capp, Daniel Clowes, Jack Cole, Coop, R. Crumb, Jack Davis, Kim Deitch, Bill Elder, Al Feldstein, Virgil Finlay, Drew Friedman, Ernst Fuchs, Chester Gould, Justin Green, Rick Griffin, Bill Griffith, Matt Groening, Milt Gross, George Grosz, Rory Hayes, Jaime Hernandez, George Herriman, Alfred Hitchcock, Al Hirschfeld, Graham Ingels, Cameron Jamie, Bernard Krigstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Travis Louie, Jay Lynch, Don Martin, Gary Panter, Virgil Partch, Savage Pencil, Peter Pontiac, Charles Rodrigues, Spain Rodriguez, Doreen "Weird Wanda" Ross, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Bud Sagendorf, Charles Schulz, Jim Shaw, Gilbert Shelton, Joost Swarte, Stanislav Szukalski, Irving Tripp, Jeffrey Vallance, Chris Ware, Robert Williams, Karl Wills, Gahan Wilson, S. Clay Wilson, Basil Wolverton, Wallace Wood, Jim Woodring, Art Young, Bob Zoell, and  - it should go without saying - many more.

With the increasing sophistication of comics over the last thirty years in the form of graphic novels, journalism, and memoirs, the cartoon form is finally taking its place alongside more traditional popular narrative media - novels, films, theatre - as an art form to reckon with, widely reviewed and embraced by a discriminating reading public. Simultaneous with this growing acceptance of comics as a literary form has been the recognition among museums and galleries that the artists' original drawings are art objects, and public exhibitions of original comics art has proliferated over the last decade with such shows as Masters of American Comics at LA's Hammer Museum and R. Crumb's Underground at Seattle's Frye Museum.

Events Posted Mar 16, 2014

Book Launch & Signing at Arcana 3/16/14 > Dreaming Small

DREAMING SMALL: INTIMATE INTERIORS

Written by Douglas Woods, Photographed by Melba Levick

The masterpieces of small-house living featured here will serve as inspiration to those who struggle with the challenges presented by contemporary life in petite-size homes. Dreaming Small is a celebration of jewel-box homes, each marked by a sense of style that marries eclecticism, practicality, beauty, and livability. From quintessential bungalows and classic casas to Tudor fantasies, these delightful abodes are models of rich diversity and inspired living. In brilliant new photography, the book explores the possibilities that exist in these mostly unpublished gems by legendary architects Irving Gill, Richard Neutra, and Paul R. Williams, among others. The houses, each around two thousand square feet, are examples of what is possible in the small house and offer the reader a colorful palette of ideas from which to artfully transform spaces into comfortable, contemporary living.

Some homes featured here are period-perfect time capsules, harkening back to the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, while others embrace the new and are entirely of today. All are a testament to how a well-designed house can wonderfully serve the needs of the twenty-first century. In an age where many are downsizing, this book will be welcomed. While showcasing a mix of homes, it emphasizes light, bright, and inspiring interiors that are beyond distinct architectural styles. The trend of reviving old houses will continue to grow steadily, and this book will be inspirational for those looking to do it right.

 

Events Posted Feb 26, 2014

Book Signing at Arcana 2/26/14 > Mungo Thompson & Michael Webster - Crickets

PLEASE JOIN ARCANA: BOOKS ON THE ARTS + LA>< ART FOR A BOOK SIGNING AND RECEPTION FOR

MUNGO THOMSON AND MICHAEL WEBSTER'S  C R I C K E T S
Published by LA><ART, Christoph Keller Editions, and JRP | Ringier
 

The artist's book Crickets is the musical score for Mungo Thomson's artwork Crickets. For it, the artist acquired the rights to a compilation of field recordings of crickets made in France, Cameroon, Senegal, Martinique, Borneo, Thailand, and Venezuela between the late 1960s and late 1990s. These recordings became the basis for an original score. The result is a dynamic composition that moves around a company of musicians and offers different instrumentation as the locations and species in the recordings change from track to track. Crickets was performed at the Ball of Artists in 2012 and on the High Line in New York City on in 2013.

In addition to the first available copies of Crickets, Mungo Thomson's signed, blind-debossed, letterpress print Crickets score experimental cluster track 14 limited to five copies published by LA><ART Editions will be available for sale at the event. The image features several measures of music developed for violins to play “atmosphere” on Crickets. We will also have copies of Mungo Thomson's recent hardbound Site Santa Fe catalogue Time People Money Crickets.

 

Events Posted Jan 30, 2014

Printed Matter's Los Angeles Art Book Fair, 1/30/14-2/2/14

MEET US AT THE FAIR!
 

Printed Matter's LA ART BOOK FAIR
 

Free to the public at the Geffen Contemporary at MoCA
  

The 2013 Printed Matter Art Book Fair was an unprecedented success in terms of its attendance, energy, and sheer volume of amazing stuff for sale under one gigantic roof!
 
We'll be downtown again this year with another enticing assortment of rarities from the realms of Pop and Conceptual documentation, art ephemera from the sixties, seventies and eighties, artist books, catalogues, posters, and periodicals. Some of the highlights will be signed works by Gordon Matta-Clark, Andy Warhol, and Damien Hirst, dozens of Ed Ruscha artist books and homages, vintage Allen Ruppersberg prints from the Colby Poster Company, some truly unique Man Ray items, Raymond Pettibon 'zines and artwork, Punk documentation, vintage Erotic magazines, a complete set of Mike Mandel's Baseball Photographer trading cards, and lots more.

So please stop by our booth #N-03 to say hello, fill us in on your Super Bowl predictions, and make the most of this unique opportunity to shop many of the exquisite, inspiring, and rarely-seen items from the Arcana: Books on the Arts hidden-recesses and flat files. See you there!

Lee + Whitney

 

Events Posted Nov 09, 2013

Book Signing at Arcana 11/9/13 > Perry Ellis with Erica Lennard

PERRY ELLIS: AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL
with PHOTOGRAPHER ERICA LENNARD
AND SPECIAL GUESTS!

 

In the late ’70s, spirited young designer Perry Ellis introduced a fresh, witty and relaxed new sensibility to American sportswear. Initially for women and a few years later, for men, the clothes were easy, oversized, slouchy but classic at heart and they caused a sensation. Ellis, who once told the New York Times that he "always made a determined effort to do something different," did just that - creating a series of signature looks such as his “dimple” sleeves and single-cabled sweaters that set his clothes apart from everyone else’s. Nearly three decades after his untimely death, the legacy of the designer Ellis is still very much felt.  Perry Ellis: An American Original is the first complete monograph to celebrate his exceptional career. 
 
The beautifully illustrated book showcases Ellis’ designs through a combination of photography and sketches, providing an insightful look at each season of his career from 1976 throgh 1986, offering readers unique access to editorial and ad campaign photographs from the archives of brilliant photographer Erica Lennard with whom Ellis worked almost exclusively. Included here are a treasure trove of drawings,
ephemera, and never-before-published photos from the personal collections of the designer’s friends and family, adding insight to Ellis' unique aesthetic while solidifying his place as one of the key contemporary designers of American fashion.

Erica Lennard is an internationally renowned photographer whose books include Secret Gardens of Hollywood and American Writers at Home.
Events Posted Nov 03, 2013

Book Signing at Arcana 11/3/13 > The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds by Harold Bronson

THE RHINO RECORDS STORY: REVENGE OF THE MUSIC NERDS  BY HAROLD BRONSON
 

In the 1970s, in the back room of a Los Angeles record store, Harold Bronson and Richard Foos were making history - and Rhino Records was born. Starting as an expression of their shared passion for rock music, absurdity, and an anti-establishment sensibility, Rhino soon outgrew its beginnings as a reissue label, taking on new artists and new mediums.

In a mix of hard work, passion for music, and a flair for the unconventional, the story of Rhino Records takes shape. This behind-the-scenes look at a company considered by many to be the industry’s best, reveals its history, along with the secrets to their success. Written from the perspective of co-founder Harold Bronson, The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds tells the tale of how a little record shop ultimately became a socially conscious, multimillion-dollar corporation whose accomplishments grew to encompass several gold records, Label of the Year Award, the revival of the careers of many deserving musicians, and the creation of a company to produce feature films.
 
Nerds pictured here are Harold Bronson, our very own Lee Kaplan, (unknown fake Wherehouse spy) and Richard Foos.
Events Posted Oct 27, 2013

Book Signing at Arcana 10/27/13 > Alexander McQueen: Working Process - Photographs by Nick Waplington

ALEXANDER McQUEEN: WORKING PROCESS - PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK WAPLINGTON

In 2008 Alexander McQueen commissioned photographer Nick Waplington to document the creation of his Fall 2009 collection - all the way from inception to runway showing. Unfortunately, it was to be the last Fall / Winter collection that McQueen would stage before his untimely death. This show, which he titled The Horn of Plenty, found McQueen revisiting his fifteen-year archive of work and recycling it into a new collection. In effect, it was his personal survey of his work to date. The set was composed of broken mirrors and a giant trash heap made up of all the sets from his previous shows. Critics have commented that this reflected McQueen’s feelings towards the fashion system and how it pressures designers to be creative geniuses while relegating each collection to the garbage bin of history as soon as it’s sold. Waplington was given unprecedented access to McQueen and his staff, which included the current Creative Director of the brand, Sarah Burton. Every step of the creative process is documented in fascinating detail, and readers receive a rare insight into the inner workings of McQueen’s creative process. Most notably, McQueen himself conceived the book’s layout, sequencing each picture on storyboards. The book was ready for publication when McQueen died, then was put on hold - until now. This substantial overview, with more than one hundred and twenty photographs, is published just as McQueen edited it, commemorating the most personal of his collections. It includes an essay by Susannah Frankel, Fashion Editor at Grazia (U.K.).

Lee Alexander McQueen (1969-2010), CBE, was one of the most important fashion designers of the last two decades. He was the recipient of four British Designer of the Year awards, as well as the CFDA’s International Designer of the Year award, 2003. In 2011, following his death, the Costume Institute in New York organized an enormously successful retrospective of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artist and photographer Nick Waplington (born 1970) has published several books including Living Room and The Wedding (Aperture), Safety in Numbers (Booth Clibborn) and Truth of Consequence (Phaidon). He lives in London and New York.

 

Events Posted Sep 23, 2013

Book Signing at Arcana 9/26/13 > Ricky Swallow: Bronzes

PLEASE JOIN US THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th, 6:30 - 8:00 PM AT FOR A PUBLICATION PARTY FOR
RICKY SWALLOW:BRONZES

Ricky Swallow is known for intricately and attentively crafted sculptural works, often combining contemporary imagery with art historical references, and the traditional notion of nature morte. His current bronze works extend this practice while reflecting the more recent influences of twentieth century design, studio ceramics and the inventiveness of folk art.

This lovely new hardbound co-edition from Stuart Shave / Modern Art, London and Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney surveys the artist's ongoing body of bronze sculpture made since 2010, and features an essay by Michael Ned Holte, photographs by Fredrik Nilsen, and is Designed by A Practice for Everyday Life.

Events Posted Sep 06, 2013

Book Signing at Arcana 9/6/13 > Never Built Los Angeles

SAM LUBELL + GREG GOLDIN: NEVER BUILT LOS ANGELES


Never Built Los Angeles, published by Metropolis Books, explores the “what if” Los Angeles, investigating the values and untapped potential of a city still in search of itself. A treasure trove of buildings, master plans, parks, follies and mass-transit proposals that only saw the drawing board, the book asks: why is Los Angeles a mecca for great architects, yet so lacking in urban innovation? Featured are more than 100 visionary works that could have transformed both the physical reality and the collective perception of the metropolis, from Olmsted Brothers and Bartholomew’s groundbreaking 1930 Plan for the Los Angeles Region, which would have increased the amount of green space in the notoriously park-poor city fivefold; to John Lautner’s Alto Capistrano, a series of spaceship-like apartments hovering above a mixed-use development; to Jean Nouvel’s 2008 Green Blade, a condominium tower clad entirely in cascading plants. Through text and more than 400 color and black-and-white illustrations drawn from archives around the U.S., authors Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin explore the visceral (and sometimes misleading) power of architectural ideas conveyed through sketches, renderings, blueprints, models and the now waning art of hand drawing. Many of these schemes--promoting a denser, more vibrant city--are still relevant today and could inspire future designs. Never Built Los Angeles will set the stage for a renewed interest in visionary projects in this, one of the world’s great cities.

 

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