Events Posted Mar 04, 2022

Richard Misrach: Notations Book Signing 3/19, 4:00-6:00 PM

PLEASE JOIN US SATURDAY, MARCH 19th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM FOR A BOOK SIGNING 

RICHARD MISRACH: NOTATIONS

If you cannot attend, you may order signed copy of the book to be picked up at the store or shipped to you after the event: please place your order here.  Since 2006, coinciding with his shift away from analog film to working exclusively with a digital camera, Richard Misrach has been exploring the aesthetic possibilities of the negative image. His latest body of work, debuted in this deluxe, oversize (16.75 by 13 inches), landscape-format volume, comprises dazzling, sublime photographs of landscapes and natural scenes—in negative, but using color with great dexterity and nuance.

Inspired by Ansel Adams’ comparison of the photographic negative to a musical score, and John Cage’s 1969 book, Notations, which compiles music scores as art, Misrach here envisages the photographic image as a score-like negative, teetering on abstraction, that invites a diversity of interpretations. The result is a series of immense beauty unlike any previous Misrach publication. Published by Radius Books; text by Darius Himes.

Richard Misrach  is one of the most influential photographers working today. For the past five decades, he has used visually stunning, large-scale color vistas to address human intervention in the natural world. He lives and works in Berkeley, California.

Events Posted Nov 22, 2021

BOOK SIGNING SATURDAY 12/11/21 > TODD HIDO | OUTSKIRTS + MARINA LUZ : A LIBRARY OF MISREMEMBERED BOOKS

Please join us on Saturday, December 11th, 4:00-6:00 PM for a double book signing:

TODD HIDO | OUTSKIRTS (REMASTERED, 2021)

MARINA LUZ: A LIBRARY OF MISREMEMBERED BOOKS

 

We are thrilled to have Todd Hido and Marina Luz join us on Saturday 12/11/21 to launch their new books. You can pre-order SIGNED COPIES of each here!

 

 

Events Posted Nov 22, 2021

BOOK SIGNING SATURDAY 12/4/21 > LESLIE WILLIAMSON - STILL LIVES: INSIDE THE HOMES OF ARTISTS, GREAT AND UNSUNG

Still Lives: In the Homes of Artists, Great and Unsung, the latest and greatest from Leslie Williamson (Handcrafted Modern, Modern Originals, Interior Portraits)  will have its Los Angeles launch on Saturday, December 4th at Arcana -- please join us to celebrate this fabulous new book!

If you can't make it but would like to have a book signed by Ms. Williamson, you can order one here or email or phone us (310-458-1499).

 

 

Events Posted Sep 14, 2021

9/15/21 - Show & Tell with Jason E.C. Wright / Burnt Sienna Research Society!

Tomorrow, Wednesday 9/15/21, please tune in to Instagram (@arcanabookss) at 5:00pm for the latest and greatest Show & Tell with Jason EC Wright of @BurntSiennaResearchSociety !
 
Gather up your art books, design books, coffee table books or rare magazines and come nerd out with Jason!
 
Here’s how it works: Jason will be live @arcanabooks sharing some of his favorites with you. Raise your hand to share and he will tap you in. Enjoy the hour, meet some interesting people, and support your local bookstore. There’s nothing like a little book fun in the middle of the week. If there's something in the discussion that piques your interest and we have it in stock, we'll even give you a 10% discount for mentioning that you participated!
 
Jason E.C. Wright is the Founder of Burnt Sienna Research Society, a critical-thinking research consultancy for design histories, intangible culture, and reference materials. Jason is Indiana born and raised, who now considers Los Angeles home. He is an accomplished designer, researcher, writer, with 20+ years as a retail and fashion professional, who takes his love of books seriously, serving as librarian-in-residence at home in Treehouse Hollywood.
 
Thanks to Frances Anderton & Angela Anthony / @HelmsBakeryDistrict.

 

Events Posted Aug 10, 2021

Book Show & Tell with Burnt Sienna Research Society

Tomorrow, Wednesday 8/11/21, please tune in to Instagram (@arcanabookss) at 5:00pm for the latest and greatest Show & Tell with Jason EC Wright of @BurntSiennaResearchSociety !
 
Gather up your art books, design books, coffee table books or rare magazines and come nerd out with Jason!
 
Here’s how it works: Jason will be live @arcanabooks sharing some of his favorites with you. Raise your hand to share and he will tap you in. Chat about your most influential book or bookshop. Enjoy the hour, meet some interesting people, and support your local bookstore. There’s nothing like a little book fun in the middle of the week. If there's something in the discussion that piques your interest and we have it in stock, we'll even give you a 10% discount for mentioning that you participated!
 
Jason E.C. Wright is the Founder of http://www.burntsienna.org/, a critical-thinking research consultancy for design histories, intangible culture, and reference materials. Jason is Indiana born and raised, who now considers Los Angeles home. He is an accomplished designer, researcher, writer, with 20+ years as a retail and fashion professional, who takes his love of books seriously, serving as librarian-in-residence at home in Treehouse Hollywood.
 
Thanks to Frances Anderton & Angela Anthony / @HelmsBakeryDistrict.

 

Events Posted Jun 28, 2021

Show & Tell with Jason E.C. Wright / Burnt Sienna Research Society!

Clear your schedule and tune into @arcanabooks Instagram this Wednesday (6/30), 5:00 PST we are delighted to host another monthly Instagram “Show & Tell” moderated by Jason E.C. Wright of @burntsiennaresearchsociety! You are in for a real treat so gather up your art books, design books, coffee table books or rare magazines and come nerd out with Jason!
 
Watch live for a special discount code to get 10% off any book that is discussed in this week's show & tell. If we have it in stock you can get a discount by visiting/writing/calling the shop!
 
 
Here’s how it works: Jason will be live @arcanabooks sharing some of his favorites with you. Raise your hand to share and he will tap you in. Chat about your most influential book or bookshop. Enjoy the hour, meet some interesting people, and support your local bookstore. There’s nothing like a little book fun in the middle of the week.
 
Jason E.C. Wright is the Founder of Burntsienna Research Society, a critical-thinking research consultancy for design histories, intangible culture, and reference materials. Jason is Indiana born and raised, who now considers Los Angeles home. He is an accomplished designer, researcher, writer, with 20+ years as a retail and fashion professional, who takes his love of books seriously, serving as librarian-in-residence at home in Treehouse Hollywood.
 
* You can watch the 5/26 show and tell through our instagram post here.
 
Thanks to Frances Anderton & Angela Anthony / Helms Bakery District.
Events Posted Jun 16, 2021

Stephen Shore LIVE with Mack Books USA SCREENING 6/17 !

MACK BOOKS pressents a live discussion on Thursday, June 17th 3:00 PDT with STEPHEN SHORE!
Order signed copies of STEEL TOWN and TRANSPARENCIES while supplies last here
Stephen Shore joins architect and author Jack Self to discuss Steel Town, Shore’s revelatory document of the American Rust Belt in 1977. They discuss the turbulent historical moment the project depicts as well as the history of Shore’s own process and photography’s capacity for illuminating our past, present, and future.
The conversation will be broadcast four times for UK, European, Asian and Australian, and US audiences, with relevant subtitles:

Monday 14 June: UK Screening, 18:00 BST London⁠
In partnership with @villagebooksdulwich @thephotographersgallery

Tuesday 15 June: Europe Screening with French subtitles, 18:00 CEST Paris⁠
In partnership with with @librairieartazart @ofrparis @lanouvellechambreclaire @l.ascenseur_vegetal @leplacartphoto @librairiequaidesbrumes @librairiesanstitre #lerevelateurphoceen @kominekbooks @micamera_milan @dispara.cultura @fragmentphotobooks @tronsmobok ⁠ 

Wednesday 16 June: Asia & Australia Screening with Japanese subtitles, 18:00 JST Tokyo / 19:00 AEST Sydney / 14:30 IST Delhi⁠
In partnership with @perimeterbooks

 
Thursday 17 June: USA Screening, 18:00 EDT New York / 15:00 PDT Los Angeles⁠
In partnership with @arcanabooks

Follow this link for more info and global screening times, and to sign up for reminders for all screenings.
 
A limited number of signed copies of both Steel Town and Transparencies are available on our website here!
 

 

 

 

Events Posted May 15, 2021

Show & Tell with Jason E.C. Wright!

Starting on Wednesday 5/26 at 5:00 PST we are delighted to host a monthly Instagram “Show & Tell” moderated by Jason E.C. Wright of @burntsiennaresearchsociety! You are in for a real treat so gather up your art books, design books, coffee table books or rare magazines and come nerd out with Jason.
 
Here’s how it works: Jason will be live @arcanabooks sharing some of his favorites with you. Raise your hand to share and he will tap you in. Chat about your most influential book or bookshop. Enjoy the hour, meet some interesting people, and support your local bookstore. There’s nothing like a little book fun in the middle of the week.
 
Jason E.C. Wright is the Founder of Burntsienna Reseach Society, a critical-thinking research consultancy for design histories, intangible culture, and reference materials. Jason is Indiana born and raised, who now considers Los Angeles home. He is an accomplished designer, researcher, writer, with 20+ years as a retail and fashion professional, who takes his love of books seriously, serving as librarian-in-residence at home in Treehouse Hollywood.
 
* You can watch the 5/26 show and tell through our instagram post here.
Events Posted Apr 15, 2021

Personalized copies of Deanna Templeton's WHAT SHE SAID Available to pre-order!

Already a “Best of 2021” photobook, Deanna Templeton’s fantastic new MACK offering What She Said is now available! We had intended to have a real-life signing event for its launch, but as we’re all still playing it safe, Deanna will be specially personalizing copies with your choice of inscription (within reason of course) and a special rubber stamp created for the occasion. Order by April 24th, while supplies last! Order now on our website here.

What She Said takes its title from a song by The Smiths: “What she said was sad / But then, all the rejection she’s had / To pretend to be happy / Could only be idiocy. ”The work originates in portraits Deanna Templeton made on the streets of the US, Europe, Australia and Russia, in which she captured women in their adolescence: punks and outcasts whose ripped jeans and tights, tattoos, and hairstyles stand as testament to this transitional moment in their lives as they navigate the intensity of teenage life. Templeton grew up in an ostensibly different environment in 1980s youth, but she recognized in them something of the universality of female adolescence, as they struggled with similar disappointments and challenges she encountered as a young woman. The book combines these modern portraits with gig flyers and Templeton’s own teenage journal entries from the mid to late 80s, in which the familiar experience of growing up is laid bare in all its antagonism, humour and pathos.”

Events Posted Apr 03, 2021

APRIL 3rd THROUGH MAY 2nd - eb, “THE JERSEY GENIUS” EXHIBITS “MOTHER’S KITCHEN FLOOR COLLECTION”

For those who attended Arcana’s 2014 presentation of the artwork and inventions of reclusive outsider artist / folk engineer “eb, The Jersey Genius”, to say that it was a memorable event would be an understatement. Cited by an outreach member from the National Gallery of Scotland as “the best art exhibit he saw in Los Angeles” that year, the exhibition was filled with amazing folk art sculptures, wonderful inventions, and live demonstrations that explained exactly how eb believed the Egyptian pyramids were built. The highlight of the event was witnessing eb’s invention, The Boonsburg Egg, being used by a single person to easily roll one ton of bricks up an incline. For those who missed it, we offer this link to our original promo material, and this video of The Boonsburg Egg in action.

Arcana is honored that eb has given us the opportunity to offer tiles from his “Mother’s Kitchen Floor Collection.” Consisting of one dozen hand cut tiles crafted as a surprise to replace his mother’s aging kitchen floor, each VCT tile is a 12 x 12”, one of a kind piece of art depicting eb’s hand holding a disk shaped in the form of his invention mounted on board. The Boonsburg Egg, (which he believes not only explains how they built the pyramids of Egypt, but also Stonehenge, Coral Castle, and Easter Island.) On the reverse of the tiles eb has hand written excerpts from his theories, many of which challenge the teachings of modern day Egyptology.

Knowing that he rarely, if ever, parts with any of his creations, upon learning that these colorful tiles were just collecting dust in his workshop after his mother barred him from pulling up her old floor, we suggested allowing Arcana to offer a sampling of these to our customers. Amazingly, eb agreed, but under one condition – that in any announcement we made regarding his work, we would promise to include a few of his theories. With that, here are just two of the many amazing breakthroughs contained on the backs of these tiles:

#1 – King Tut’s headdress is not depicting a religious relic made of fine fabric and gold like experts claim - instead it is just a golden imitation of a function specific sun-blocking hat worn by Egyptian workers of the day, and is easily made using a single bent fan palm leaf.

#2 – Having discovered that the Ancient Egyptian’s used the same surveying tools that we still use today (including glass lenses, transits, water levels and tripods – all of which eb has found depicted on the hieroglyphs), eb rationalized that the ancient Egyptian surveyors might have also used the same hand signals to communicate over long distances as well. Below eb compares modern surveying hand signals with the unexplained stilted posturing found everywhere in ancient Egyptian art.

Besides being presented on the backs of the tiles, these theories, along with many others, are also included in eb’s hand-assembled “Nobel Prize Application” pamphlet, which goes even deeper into his groundbreaking findings. All twelve tiles from eb’s “Mother’s Kitchen Floor Collection” will be on display – and for sale - at Arcana from April 3rd through May 2nd, 2021. The tiles are priced at $112.35 each, and the “Nobel Prize Application” pamphlets $5.00 while supplies last.

We believe that it is a only matter of time until eb’s genius is finally recognized!

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