Book of the Day > Agnes Denes: Absolutes and Intermediates. Published by The Shed. “Agnes Denes: Absolutes and Intermediates accompanies the largest exhibition of the artist’s work in New York to date, held at The Shed in fall 2019 as part of the arts space’s opening season. Presenting more than 130 works, this comprehensive publication, presented in an embossed slipcase, spans the 50-year career of the path-breaking artist dubbed “the queen of land art” by the New York Times, famed for her iconic Wheatfield—A Confrontation (1982), for which she planted a two-acre wheatfield in Lower Manhattan on the Battery Park Landfill, in the shadow of the then recently erected Twin Towers. A major undertaking, this superb catalog includes a comprehensive text by the exhibition’s curator, Emma Enderby, an interview with Denes by Hans Ulrich Obrist, essays by prominent scholars and curators including Caroline A. Jones, Lucy R. Lippard and Timothy Morton that examine Denes’ multifaceted practice in new ways, writings by the artist and reflections by curators who have worked with Denes over the course of her career. New works by Denes commissioned by The Shed for the exhibition are presented in a special insert.“

See more of Jen's excellent picks - we're happy to be in such good company! from a woman of such amazing taste (Bird Brooklyn is THE BEST)- here.

4. Arcana: Books on the Arts “It’s an art book mecca,” Ms. Mankins says of this sunny, open bookstore in Culver City. Arcana has a deep inventory of new, rare and out-of-print books and catalogs on cinema, photography, architecture … well, everything including the kitchen sink. The proprietors, Lee and Whitney Kaplan, have been in the business for 35 years and can help locate obscure titles (a Joseph Kosuth, say) with pre-internet zeal. Book signings, receptions and discussions regularly fill up the space, often featuring young photographers and creative types. “They’re really supportive,” Ms. Mankins says. 

Book of the Day > Frank Zappa: The Hot Rats Book. Published by Backbeat Books. "Hot Rats, the second solo album by Frank Zappa, is considered by his fans and critics alike to be a groundbreaking, important record, as well as one of his most innovative efforts of all time. The first recording project after the dissolution of the original Mothers of Invention, Zappa composed, arranged, and produced all of the music on Hot Rats while playing electric guitar on all tracks. The album contains the song "Peaches en Regalia," widely recognized as a modern jazz-fusion standard. This entire groundbreaking and historical record—including using new sixteen-multitrack recording and overdub technics for the first time ever—was captured in photos by Bill Gubbins, who shot the recording sessions and live performances of the record immediately following its release. Most of these images have never before been published in book form, appearing here for the first time. The "Hot Rats" Book: A Fifty-Year Retrospective of Frank Zappa’s "Hot Rats": also contains essays by author Bill Gubbins; Ian Underwood, who was involved in working with Zappa on the recording sessions; Steve Vai; David Fricke; and Matt Groening."

This Thursday (1/23, 6:30-8:30 pm) the Helms Bakery is hosting a great event at the Helms Design Center (8746 Washington, ½ block west of Arcana) – please come! “On Thursday, January 23rd, from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Helms Bakery District and the Cal Poly LA Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design will host a reception, presentation, discussion, and book launch for "Re-Imagining the Avant-Garde: Revisiting the Architecture of the 1960s and 1970s“ with Matthew Butcher, Andrew Kovacs, Mimi Zeiger, and Jimenez Lai.” Details here. Books will be available for purchase but if you can't attend but would like a signed copy of Re-Imagining the Avant-Garde, we can hook you up! Call (310-458-1499) or write. See you then!

Book of the Day > Radical: Italian Design 1965-1985. Published by Yale University Press. “An essential new look at the design philosophy that interrogated modern living against the turbulent political landscape of 1960s Italy. In the mid-1960s, reacting to contemporary social and political upheaval, young Italian architects and designers began developing a new style that openly challenged Modernism. Known as “Radical design,” this movement probed possibilities for visually transforming the urban environment. Radical design’s proponents also applied it to items such as furniture and lighting, utilizing alternative materials and an innovative formal vocabulary. Radical: Italian Design 1965–1985 surveys the work of these pioneering designers through nearly 70 objects and architectural models—including rare prototypes and limited-production pieces. Cindi Strauss insightfully explores the aesthetic inspiration and changing cultural mores that informed the movement, and her research is complemented by an essay from Germano Celant, the acclaimed author and curator who coined the term “Radical design.” Importantly, the book includes seven interviews with Radical designers and architects, offering fresh insights into the individuals who were at the vanguard of this groundbreaking movement.”