Book of the Day Posted Jan 24, 2025

Book of the Day: Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art

Long-spoken of and profoundly admired by those in-the-know, the Los Angeles–based artist Teddy Sandoval (1949–95) now finally has his first (albeit posthumous; ain't that just the way it goes sometimes) monograph. A radically queer and Chicanx powerhouse who worked as variously as possible in many media, Sandoval brought joy, smarts, anger, and sexiness to the thick breadth of his work. This timely tome, Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art, is obviously our book of the day. (Inventory Press/Vincent Price Art Museum/Williams College Museum of Art/Independent Curators International, 2024)
Book of the Day Posted Jan 05, 2025

Book of the Day: Race Stories

From the publisher: "Edited by Marvin Heiferman, Race Stories: Essays on the Power of Images examines the transformational role photography plays in shaping ideas and attitudes about race and how photographic images have been instrumental in both perpetuating and combating racial stereotypes. Written between 2012 and 2019 and first presented as a monthly feature on the New York Times 'Lens' blog, Berger’s incisive essays help readers see a bigger picture about race through storytelling. By directing attention to the most revealing aspects of images, Berger makes complex issues comprehensible, vivid, and engaging. The essays illuminate a range of images, issues, and events: the modern civil rights movement; African American–, Latinx–, Asian American–, and Native American photography; and pivotal moments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when race, photography, and visual culture intersected. They also examine the full spectrum of photographic imaging: from amateur to professional pictures, from snapshots to fine art, from mugshots to celebrated icons of photojournalism." Book of the day! (Aperture, 2024)
Book of the Day Posted Jan 04, 2025

Book of the Day: Flashpoint!

"Flashpoint!, an anthology focusing on protest photography in print, presents a global selection of photobooks, zines, posters, pamphlets, independent journals and alternative newspapers that address protest and resistance from the 1950s to the present" All Power to the Book of the Day! (10x10 Photobooks, 2024)
Book of the Day Posted Jan 03, 2025

Book of the Day: Forever Changes - The Authorized Biography of Arthur Lee

Arthur Lee, the archetypal mercurial genius and the driving force behind the legendary L.A. band Love, is throughly profiled in this wonderful biography named Forever Changes after the group’s timelessly excellent 1967 album. Don’t be “Alone Again Or,” “Old Man”! Pick up “The Red Telephone” or “The Daily Planet” and grab this tome today or else it’ll be a real “Bummer in the Summer.” Oof, sorry. Anyway, book of the day! (Jawbone Press, 2024)

Book of the Day Posted Jan 02, 2025

Book of the Day: Seana Gavin's "Spiralled"

​Who among us hasn’t dreamed of packing it all in, buying a disused caravan, and traveling the UK and Europe hitting illegal raves in muddy fields and squalid squats? Just us? Well, the legendary Spiral Tribe collective made this fantasy a reality starting in the early ‘90s, and photographer / artist Seana Gavin was there documenting the reality of her life deep in the mix. Spiralled is her book of these photos, and you can almost hear the repetitive beats and smell the clouds of spliff smoke. We wish we could be there right now. Anyway, book of the day and big up the Spiral massive! (IDEA, 2024)
Book of the Day Posted Nov 20, 2024

Book of the Day: Yoshitomo Nara - Guggenheim Bilbao

From the distributor, D.A.P.: "This definitive monograph spans 40 years, from 1984 to the present day, in the career of the iconic artist, shedding light on Yoshitomo Nara’s conceptual process through paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and installations that reflect his empathetic vision of the world around him. Published in conjunction with the epochal exhibition at Museo Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain, this eponymous monograph divides Nara’s oeuvre into three chronological periods, beginning with his first artworks created in Japan in the 1980s, in which recurring elements of his personal history appear, such as his family’s house and childlike figures, developed under the influence of artists such as Takeshi Motai. The volume then highlights the artist’s fruitful stay in Germany, where Nara reacted to the isolation imposed by the language barrier while he studied and discovered German Expressionism with A.R. Penck at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and introduced in his production the central characters that would soon be recognized as part of his signature language. Finally, the monograph closes by exploring the work Nara produced after his return to Japan in 2000, presenting an essential selection of his late paintings, drawings, installations and sculptures."
Book of the Day Posted Oct 30, 2024

Book of the Day: Rocky Morton's "While I'm Away"

Our book of the day is While I'm Away, the handsome new monograph of paintings by Rocky Morton, which accompanies his imminently opening exhibition at Shatto Gallery. To let the gallery tell it: “Known primarily for his work in filmmaking, Rocky Morton makes a striking return to his roots in painting, exploring the depths of human experience through his unique artistic lens. Drawing from his deep fascination with science and the essence of humanity, Morton’s latest works stand apart, in their inspiration and innovative creation process. Employing a fresh approach, Morton uses a leaf blower to propel strings of paint—mixed with a unique elastic ingredient—across the canvas. This technique results in delicate, thread-like patterns, reminiscent of mycelium, the fungal networks that connect all living plants and trees, bringing a touch of nature’s unpredictability into his art.” The book is available now at Arcana. The exhibition opens on Saturday, November 2nd at Shatto, 3130 Wilshire Boulevard, #104, Los Angeles, California.

Book of the Day Posted Oct 20, 2024

Book of the Day: Hardtack by Rahim Fortune

From the publisher: "In the follow-up to his breakout monograph I can't stand to see you cry, Rahim Fortune borrows from the language of vernacular and archival photography to interrogate the historical relationship of his community to photography; rooted in the landscape, Fortune often uses sites of historical and cultural interest as a guide but not a subject, implying the deep ties that bind modern Black communities resiliently to their regions, in the face of both adversity and joy. A significant theme in Hardtack is Fortune’s striking portraits of coming-of-age traditions. Inside, young bull-riders, praise dancers, and pageant queens inherit and gracefully embrace these forms of community ritual. Fortune's dignifying eye pays tribute to these cultural performances' rigour, discipline and creative flair, alongside the intergenerational conversation between young people and elders handing down these traditions. Collecting together nearly a decade of work, Hardtack continues Fortune’s weaving of documentary and personal history, marking a sincere expression of love and passion to a region that has nourished the artist personally and creatively, while also marking an important contribution to photographing the American South."
Book of the Day Posted Oct 18, 2024

Book of the Day: Mark of the Beast Volume 2 by Brandy Flower

In the second volume of his Mark of the Beast series of books, the artist Brandy Flower incisively lampoons well-known logos of corporations large and small. With a mind for revolutionary politics and conspiracy-theory playfulness, Flower's first volume was a popular item here at Arcana. This new installment promises to find more new fans. 
Book of the Day Posted Oct 10, 2024

Book of the Day: Peter Hujar's Portraits in Life and Death

From the gallery: "Peter Hujar (1934–1987) produced only one book during his lifetime, the landmark publication Portraits in Life and Death, published in 1976. This monograph combines 29 portraits of Hujar’s friends, photographed in 1974–75 specifically for the book, with eleven photographs of catacombs Hujar shot in Palermo, Italy, in 1963. The book juxtaposes the faces of such legendary figures as John Waters, Diana Vreeland, Edwin Denby, Divine, Fran Liebowitz, and Robert Wilson with images of decomposing human forms." A new, lovely edition of a formerly scarce landmark photo book!
more