Book of the day > Catherine Opie: Keeping an Eye on the World. Published by Walther König, Köln. "The work of the celebrated Los Angeles–based photographer Catherine Opie includes portraits of gay and lesbian subjects and American urban landscapes, ranging from large-scale color works to small black-and-white prints. A full survey of her works from the early 1990s to the present, Keeping an Eye on the World is published for Opie's first European retrospective, at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in Norway."

Book of the day > Leïla Menchari: The Queen of Enchantment. Published by Hèrmes/Actes Sud. "For more than 30 years, Leïla Menchari (born 1928) was responsible for designing the traffic-stopping window displays at Hermès’ prestigious flagship store at 24 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris. Menchari’s aesthetic vision and her sense of color and texture created magnificent installations that brought the best out of silk and leather. Born in Tunis and considering herself a citizen of the world, Menchari was inspired by her journeys to the Near and Far East, her encounters with extraordinary figures of the art world and her Beaux-Arts training. For Hermès she created Egyptian archaeological sites with sand and crumbling statues and iconic scenes of Paris with monuments crafted out of organza, among many other fantasies. Featuring a preface by Hermès CEO Axel Dumas, this extensively illustrated, sumptuous publication focuses on 137 Hermès storefronts created by Leïla Menchari between 1978 and 2013."

Book of the day > Rineke Dijkstra: WO MEN. Hasselblad Award 2017. Published by Walther König, Köln. "This large-format volume, designed by Irma Boom in close collaboration with Rineke Dijkstra, focuses on the female figure in the photographer's work―women and girls who have stopped somewhere (in a park, a beach, at a party), whom she captures in such a way that they appear present to an astonishing degree. Spanning three decades of work, the book unites images from her classic series, including both photo- and video portraits, and extracts them from chronological order to suggest fresh ways of looking at her work. The book is published for Dijkstra's 2017 Hasselblad Award, for which occasion the Hasselblad Foundation described her images as "recalling the visual acuity of 17th-century Dutch portraiture." Essays discuss Dijkstra's gift for communicating an empathy with her subjects, and the logic of her image layouts in book form."

GO! THIS WEEKEND!: The Los Angeles 'Zine and Art Book Bazaar.  It's a grassroots, local, and independent event; "an experiment with fellow artists in the  community. It's about taking a bunch of interesting beautiful things, merging them together for a weekend, and sharing that experience with the public." Called a "weirder, more radical alternative" to the Printed Matter Art Book Fair (which is on hiatus this year), we encourage you to go forth and revel in the home-grown fun. You can find details at lazaabb.com. 

Book of the day > Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! Published by City Lights/Sister Spit.  "Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet—but instead of "A is for Apple", A is for Angela—as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the Civil Rights Movement.

And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds.

American history was made by countless rad—and often radical—women. By offering a fresh and diverse array of female role models, we can remind readers that there are many places to find inspiration, and that being smart and strong and brave is rad."

Book of the day > Ellen Gallagher: Accidental Records. Published by Hauser & Wirth. "Accidental Records includes new paintings and drawings by Ellen Gallagher (born 1965) that continue her exploration of the complex histories of the Black Atlantic and the afterlives of the Middle Passage. Widely associated with a resurgence in this diasporic critical space, Gallagher has developed her own genre of history painting which makes us question our geographies. The slowly layered surfaces of her work become a kind of reckoning, the way sailors mark their locations at sea, determined to return. Alongside views of Gallagher’s artworks and portraits of the artist working in her studio, texts are included by Adrienne Edwards, curator at Performa and the Walker Art Center, and Philip Hoare, a writer whose books include Leviathan or, The Whale and The Sea Inside. The book accompanies Gallagher’s solo show at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles."

Book of the day > #girlgaze: How Girls See the World. Published by Rizzoli.  "#girlgaze is on a mission to close the gender gap by creating visibility and tangible jobs for girls behind the lens and this timely book, from photographer and media entrepreneur Amanda de Cadenet's visionary focus, features a beautiful and powerful collection of images capturing how young women perceive the world. This inspiring must-have for feminists and creatives alike showcases the work of a diverse collective of female-identifying photographers mixing candid and formal photos of females living their lives: moments of significance caught in a fraction of a second at home, on the streets, remote countrysides, and in war-torn countries. Spirited, elegant, and inspiring, #girlgaze promotes and highlights the work of Gen Z female photographers from all walks of life and is a stunningly beautiful representation of the female gaze."

UPCOMING EVENTS!  Sign up for our mailing list to be in the know.

If you ever thought Arcana boss Lee Kaplan was inscrutable, now’s your chance to have your mind changed. In the debut episode of her new podcast Voyages, client / collector / aesthete / textile consultant / traveler Joanna Williams (of Kneelandco.com - @jleighwms ) talks to Lee about the Arcana origin story and hears about how his love and reverence for the books he sells sometimes results in grumpy yelp reviews from badly behaved guests. Thank you, Joanna, for giving Lee this opportunity! You can listen to the episode at kneelandco.com/voyages and subscribe to the Voyages podcast on itunes!

Book of the day > Basquiat: Boom For Real. Published by Prestel. "Focusing on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s extraordinary breadth of influences, from graffiti to bebop jazz to Hollywood cinema, this exciting new survey charts his ground-breaking career. Basquiat first came to prominence when he collaborated with Al Diaz to spray-paint enigmatic statements under the pseudonym SAMO©. He went on to work on collages, Xerox art, postcards, performances, and music before establishing his reputation as one of the most important painters of his generation. Accompanying a major exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery, this book opens with introductory essays from the curators, which place his practice in a wider art historical context and look at his career through the lens of performance. Six thematic chapters offer new research, with essays from poet Christian Campbell on SAMO©; curator Carlo McCormick on New York / New Wave; writer Glenn O’Brien on the downtown scene; academic Jordana Moore Saggese on Basquiat’s relationship to film and television; and music scholar Francesco Martinelli on Basquiat’s obsession with jazz. This insightful new survey also features extended captions, rare archival material, and extensive photography, demonstrating how Basquiat’s legacy remains more powerful and relevant than ever today."