Book of the Day Posted May 24, 2025

Book of the Day: Vince Aletti - Physique

From the publisher: "Physique showcases over 250 rare physique photography prints from the private collection of renowned critic and curator Vince Aletti. Spanning the 1930s to the early 1960s, these photographs chronicle a hidden, coded world of homoerotic imagery. Once sold discreetly through mail-order catalogues and underground physique magazines, the prints point to an emergent queer sensibility and visibility. Accompanying this visual archive is a personal essay by Aletti which traces the historical and political significance of these images, firmly establishing their place in the canon of photography. He celebrates the artistry of the photographers, models, and studios that brought the photographs to life. Physique reveals a forgotten chapter of American gay culture in which photographic prints served as a lifeline, connecting a community of men under threat while also providing solace, pleasure, and empowerment amid oppression." Book of the day!
Book of the Day Posted May 18, 2025

Book of the Day: Revisions - Francis Bacon in the Act of Painting

From the publisher: "An indispensable supplement to Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonné, uncovering valuable new information about the artist's practice. The manner in which Bacon’s paintings evolved was misunderstood during his lifetime. Since he always painted alone in his studios, there were no witnesses to the emergence of his visceral imagery. His insistence on privacy helped generate considerable speculation about his painting process, most of it erroneous. Bacon did make one clear statement about the genesis of his paintings: 'I sketch out very roughly on the canvas with a brush, just a vague outline of something, and then I go to work … .' Yet this fundamentally accurate summation of his technique ran counter to the received wisdom and was misunderstood or ignored. Martin Harrison’s introductory essay begins by demonstrating exactly what Bacon meant, and what he did: it will show what “rough sketching’ signified. It also deploys X-ray and infrared images that reveal under-drawing, and analyzes other features that elucidate Bacon’s methodology. Photographs of paintings briefly arrested at intermediate points before completion—taken by the few visitors to the studio allowed the privilege—help to explain later stages in painting process. Sophie Pretorius’s survey incorporates every one of the images that have hitherto remained unseen, illustrating the transitional states of all the paintings recorded in photographs, arranged thematically. A reference section includes thumbnail images of all the paintings discussed here, arranged in chronological order. This is consistent with the layout of Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonné (2016), to which this volume may be regarded as a supplement, publishing significant new information."
Book of the Day Posted May 16, 2025

Book of the Day: Chromotherapia

Book of the day! From the publisher: "Chromotherapia: Feel-Good Color Photography offers genuine relief from the black-and-white world. Often disparaged, not always taken seriously, color photography has nevertheless allowed artists to get out their palettes and 'paint.' Many have freed themselves from the medium’s documentary status to explore the common roots of the image and the imaginary, flirting with the worlds of Surrealism and Pop. Famed Italian visual artist and curator Maurizio Cattelan and curator Sam Stourdzé offer a rereading of the history of color photography through the 20th century into the 21st, and through the works of over 19 artists who take us on a journey into vibrant, acidulous worlds. Treat yourself to sunny yellow, azure blue, bright red, bubbly orange and more, straight from the lenses of the biggest names in color photography. Artist include: Yevonde Middleton, Harold Edgerton, Erwin Blumenfeld, Walter Chandoha, William Wegman, Hiro, Guy Bourdin, Alex Prager, Juno Calypso, Adrienne Raquel, Miles Aldridge, Ouka Leele, Hassan Hajjaj, Ruth Ossai, Pierre et Gilles, Sandy Skoglund, Martin Parr, Arnold Odermatt, and Toiletpaper."

Book of the Day Posted May 15, 2025

Book of the Day: Of & About Posters The Lawrence Weiner Poster Archive (1965–2021) at the Vancouver Art Gallery

From the distributor: "The first publication to document the 250 posters that comprise the Lawrence Weiner Poster Archive (1965–2021) held in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s collection. Featuring an introductory essay by exhibition curator Grant Arnold, who has worked with the Lawrence Weiner Poster Archive since the mid-1990s, and short commissioned texts from artists, scholars, and curators who worked closely with Weiner throughout his career, Of & About Posters will be the definitive text on this central aspect of Lawrence Weiner’s production. Lawrence Weiner is considered one of the foremost conceptual artists worldwide. His posters, which are a fundamental part of his practice and are designed by the artist himself, have appeared as promotions for exhibitions as well as works in and of themselves. This publication will include a full presentation of the Lawrence Weiner Poster Archive, consisting of more than 250 posters from the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Together, they convey the evolution of Weiner’s work over a period spanning more than fifty years." Conceptually and otherwise, this is our book of the day!
Book of the Day Posted May 10, 2025

Book of the Day: "BTS" by Dave Naz

BTS is a substantial 2025 collection of color images of a who's who of recent adult film actresses shot behind the scenes by the noted Los Angeles-based erotic photographer Dave Naz. Featuring a brief introductory text by Eric Kroll, it includes unguarded, sometimes nude - but decidedly not hardcore - portraits of the likes of Gabbie Carter, Kylie Page, Lana Rhoades, Kyler Quinn, Lexi Belle, Jenna Haze, Sasha Gray, Faye Reagan, Abella Danger, Dakota Skye, Bree Olson, Hannah Hays, Chloe Cherry, Tali Dova, Stella Cox, and scores more. A brand new, most handsome example of this brand new, soon to be be out of print publication from Friend Editions limited to one hundred and fifty copies additionally SIGNED AND DATED "Dave Naz 2025" in black ink on the inside front cover. Book of the day, and available from us here.
Book of the Day Posted May 09, 2025

Book of the Day: The Virgin Suicides

From the publisher: "For her first feature film, The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola commissioned British fashion photographer Corinne Day to join her on set. Renowned for her unadorned, grungy photographs of iconic models of the 1990s, Day’s representation of female beauty met its match in Coppola, whose debut marked the first of her unaffected, empathetic depictions of womanhood. Edited from Day’s original negatives, this volume, which launches alongside The Virgin Suicides' twenty-fifth anniversary, gives mesmerising and unprecedented insight into Coppola’s enigmatic staging of the Lisbon sisters and their suburban trappings. In Day’s photographs, the lush mystique of Coppola’s set runs through images of the young actors at work and between takes, their candid posturing and pensive expressions reflecting the intimate and collaborative environment of the shoot. Fragments of the set and costume design appear suggestively – crucifixes, pink lace bras, homecoming dresses, beauty products, and toffee apples – all playing their part in Coppola’s depiction of the yearning and repression of adolescence. Completed with new texts by Sofia Coppola and Jeffrey Eugenides, this volume opens a fascinating dialogue between Eugenides’s original text and Coppola’s cult adaptation." Book of the day.
Book of the Day Posted May 02, 2025

Book of the Day: "Orion" by Brendan Donnelly

Hail Satan! Hail Astaroth! Hail… I don’t know… Baphomet! Artist and archivist Brendan Donnelly has crafted an unholy mix of heavy metal and BDSM imagery in this new hell-bound tome Orion. And it even comes with a foreword by yours truly, Arcana manager Jesse “Abaddon” Pearson. Death to false metal! Book of the day! Chaos reigns! (Friend Editions, 2025)
Book of the Day Posted May 01, 2025

Book of the Day: Parks 2

Parks 2, the second volume in the publisher Standards Manual's Parks series, is a brand new collection of over 300 United States National Park maps and brochures documented by photographer Brian Kelley. Outdoorsy nostalgia overload; book of the day. (Standards Manual, 2025)
Book of the Day Posted Apr 25, 2025

Book of the Day: McAtlas by Gary He

An exhaustive investigation into the global ubiquity of McDonald's. From the author: "Like many people, I often visited McDonald's while overseas because it was reliable and comfortable. But it was an iftar meal during Ramadan in 2018 that made me consider that perhaps the more interesting thing was not the consistency of the fries from country to country, but what the multinational had to add to the local menus to survive and thrive. The project was completed without the input or support from McDonald's corporate. This required years of travel to over 50 countries across six continents to tell the story with photos and field work, in lieu of PR-managed interviews and handouts. The result is a refreshingly real take on one of the most recognizable brands in history, with visuals that showcase the wildly successful independent spirit of local entrepreneurship that powers the global icon. McDonald's localized menu items are the project's raison d'être—and why the chain has dominated around the world. Each item that I photographed was purchased from a McDonald's restaurant and presented as it would appear to a customer: no photo studio food styling tricks like using fake ingredients, and no avocados or cutting boards on the side to give the scene extra vibes. Just the items on a clean background. The end result? A collection of hundreds of photographs from over fifty countries documenting McDonald's localizations that allowed it to rise to the top of the global food chain." Book of the day.
Book of the Day Posted Apr 23, 2025

Book of the Day: Daniel Johnston - I'm Afraid of What I Might Draw

From the publisher: "A significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative scenes, Daniel Johnston inspired musicians and listeners for decades. From his origins in the Austin scene in the mid-1980s, where he performed at local venues while working at McDonald’s, to his appearance on MTV and championing by Kurt Cobain, to eventual world fame, Johnston’s singular compositions and raw lyrics earned him lifelong fans. Predating his interest in music and continuing alongside it, art was Johnston’s longest-running passion. This publication presents drawings spanning four decades of Johnston’s production, including many rare and previously unseen pieces. The artist’s brightly colored illustrations, incorporating figures from pop culture, devils, and heroes, blended with his own original characters, range from his iconic 'Jeremiah the Innocent Frog' to surrealist landscapes. With the support of Johnston’s family and estate, the first comprehensive project since his passing includes remembrances from his brother, musicians, and artists, and benefits the Hi, How Are You Project, a non-profit named after Johnston's most famous album, that educates young adults worldwide on mental health through creative content, events, and community programs."
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