From the distributor: "After the publication of his photobook Paris du Nuit (1933), Hungarian French photographer Brassaï (1899–1984) became inextricably linked with the City of Light. Yet his influence spread far beyond the French borders: from his collaboration with Edward Steichen to his 1957 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Curated by the photographer’s nephew, Philippe Ribeyrolles, The Eye of Paris revives Brassai’s body of work, offering a full overview of his evolution. Arranged thematically, it journeys through different views of the city as well as different facets of Brassaï’s oeuvre. “Paris by Day” and “Paris by Night” contain his most iconic photographs, from Paris landmarks to ordinary street scenes. One chapter focuses on graffiti, which he documented not only in Paris but across Europe. Another section explores Brassaï’s relationship with other Paris-based artists, including Colette, Matisse, Picasso, Leonor Fini and Germaine Richier. Peppered throughout with Brassaï’s sculptures and sketches, The Eye of Paris is a comprehensive look at the artist and the city he called home."

From the publisher: "Rammellzee was an enigmatic yet key figure in the nexus of creative forces that defined New York City’s heady downtown scene in the late 1970s and 1980s. In the first major monograph on the multi-hyphenate artist, his inspired vision and wildly diverse artistic output are considered in depth. The oversize volume presents a treasure trove of material, providing extraordinary insight into his creative genius: a comprehensive selection of artworks (his iconic resin frescoes, paintings, sculpture, and performance paraphernalia), never-before-seen documentation of his graffiti work and performances, archival material, and ephemera. Gathered here for the first time, these materials tell this complex artist’s origin story and details his artistic evolution, cementing Rammellzee’s place in the art historical canon.

Maxwell Wolf, lead curator of the much-lauded retrospective in 2018 on which this book is largely based, and co-editor Jeff Mao convene a historic gathering of the key actors of the time to tell Rammellzee’s extraordinary story in their own words in an extensive oral history. From graffiti writers, artists, musicians, and actors to filmmakers, photographers, gallerists, and family, those close to the late artist—including Toxic, Futura, Lee Quiñones, Charlie Ahearn, Jim Jarmusch, and Henry Chalfant—provide critical context about his life and work. This richly layered volume is a must-have for the legions of Rammellzee fans, as well as enthusiasts of contemporary underground art and culture, “old” New York, graffiti, and the history of hip-hop."

From the publisher: "HR Giger (1940–2014) is one of the outstanding figures in Swiss art and design history, celebrated around the world for his design of the fantastic creatures and eerie environments that terrified moviegoers in Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction film Alien. Yet, very little is known about Giger’s childhood and youth in his native town of Chur. A trove of photographs, drawings by the young boy Hansruedi, and early artworks that already reveal the future of HR Giger’s artistic force, recently unearthed in the Giger family’s former holiday home in the Grisons, now offer intimate insights into his early years until the early 1960s.

Richly illustrated with more than 230 images from that collection, HR Giger: The Early Years tells, for the first time, the story of those two decades before Giger decided to move to Zurich and train as an architect and designer in 1962. Supplemented by brief texts as well as by statements from his schoolmates, friends, and others, these images form a lively picture of that period: family episodes; the Mickey Mouse adaptations Giger created at the age of ten; his growing love of jazz music, photography, and weapons; the trips around Europe he took together with his friends; and the youth culture of Chur of the 1950s and 1960s that shaped him. The volume will appeal to any fan of the extraordinary art and the fascinating personality of HR Giger."

From the publisher: "Alien worlds, alter-egos, and Pleasure Domes--Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation explores the overlooked importance of science-fiction fandom and the occult to U.S. queer history. Science fiction and occult communities helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ movement by providing a place for individuals to meet, imagine, and create a life less restricted by societal norms. Focusing on Los Angeles from the late 1930s through the 1950s, this reader follows the lives of artists, writers, publishers, early sci-fi enthusiasts, and progressive communities, from Kenneth Anger, Lisa Ben, and Jack Parsons to the L.A. Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) and Ordo Templi Orientis at the Agape Lodge (O.T.O.). Spanning sci-fi fandom, aerospace, queer history, and the occult, Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation reveals how visionary artists, filmmakers, scientists, science-fiction writers and fans worked together to build a world of their own making. Featuring copious illustrations of salacious pulps, ritual paintings, and archival materials, authors Joseph Hawkins, Joan Lubin, Alexis Bard Johnson, Ben Miller, Judith Noble, Kelly Filreis, and Susan Aberth tell the interconnected stories behind the underground communities of early Los Angeles."

"In 1966, at the age of 28, photographer Joel Meyerowitz embarked on a journey that would take him to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Greece. In total, he drove 20,000 miles through 10 countries and ended up taking 25,000 photographs. This trip was a transcendental experience and formative in shaping Meyerowitz's instinctive and brilliant identity that he is known for today. Europa 1966–1967 compiles a selection of photographs taken by Meyerowitz on his yearlong trip through Europe, offering an exciting glimpse of the 'New Old World' that, having lately overcome the trauma of World War II, opened itself to modernity and progress. Meyerowitz witnessed societies in transition, stuck between dictatorship and economic blossoming. Yet he also documented unshakable cultural traditions, such as when he lived with a flamenco-performing family in Francoist Spain for six months. The strength and freshness of Meyerowitz’s gaze and the new codes that were captured in these pictures inspired the next generation of photographers."

"Fashion Army investigates the evolution of military attire into iconic fashion. French visual researcher Matthieu Nicol presents a catalogue of three hundred and fifty documentary images from the declassified US Army Natick Labs archive, tracing military style from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. These images showcase the meticulous development of clothing and gear designed for both the battlefield and everyday military life, highlighting the profound connection between fashion, power, and aesthetics. Through this ambiguous and compelling sequence, Fashion Army offers a nuanced account of style, innovation, and the far-reaching influence of military apparel on fashion and identity, ultimately interrogating the signifiers of violence embedded in such attire. Includes an essay by renowned fashion critic Angelo Flaccavento, reflecting on the interplay between military functionality and the fashion industry"

We have the latest entry in our friend Ed Templeton’s City Confessions book series here at Arcana now! And they’re signed! This time around, Ed turns his uncanny, sensitive, courageous, and witty eye on Paris and Parisians. Sacre bleu! It’s our livre du jour, bien sûr! (Super Labo, 2024) From the publisher: "In this third installment of his City Confessions series Ed Templeton presents 69 black and white analog photographs shot in the city of Paris over the last 23 years. Taking long circuitous walks through the city from Montmartre to the Panthéon, from Cimetière du Père-Lachaise to the Champs-Élysées, Templeton spends his days in the streets observing the denizens of the city, both the locals and the tourists as they go about their lives in this historic metropolis. Employing a cinéma vérité style to capture people in everyday situations, the photographs depict daily life in Paris with its ebbs and flows, taking the pulse of a city whose casual chic style is unmistakable."

Today's book of the day is This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance. From the publisher: "The American writer and activist James Baldwin (1924–87) considered himself a 'witness' as he challenged perspectives on America and its history through his work. He was often recognized for speaking out against injustice when other like-minded artists, collaborators and organizers were overshadowed or silenced. By bringing together artworks that feature James Baldwin alongside portraits of other key figures who had an impact on his life, This Morning, This Evening, So Soon situates Baldwin among a pantheon of culture bearers who were instrumental in shaping his life and legacy, particularly in relationship to his advocacy for gay rights. The book accompanies an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, Rhea L. Combs, in consultation with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Hilton Als. Well-known portraits by Beauford Delaney and Bernard Gotfryd are shown alongside paintings, photographs and films representing key figures in Baldwin’s circle. By viewing Baldwin in this context of community, readers will come to understand how Baldwin’s sexuality and faith, artistic curiosities and notions of masculinity—coupled with his involvement in the civil rights movement—helped shape his writing and long-lasting legacy. The book relies on portraiture to explore the interwoven lives of Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry (writer and activist), Barbara Jordan (lawyer, educator and politician), Bayard Rustin (leader in social movements), Lyle Ashton Harris (artist), Essex Hemphill (poet and activist), Marlon Riggs (filmmaker, poet and activist) and Nina Simone (singer-songwriter, pianist and activist), among others." (Delmonico-D.A.P., 2024)

"Donald Judd Furniture includes more than one hundred pieces of his furniture, spanning 1970 to 1991, designed for his living and working spaces at 101 Spring Street and in Presidio County, Texas. The publication introduces readers to Donald Judd’s furniture designs, initiated during the renovation of his home and studio at 101 Spring Street in New York, and as the result of the difficulty Judd later had in furnishing his home in Marfa, Texas. These furniture designs exemplify the directness of form and presence for which his artworks are celebrated, as well as offering a distinct and unadorned functionality. In this book they are presented through detailed drawings and breakdowns of materials, and color photography exploring their placement and function within these spaces. As well as surveying a central aspect of his work, Donald Judd Furniture details Judd’s understanding of functionality, form, and his deep interest in the possibilities of design in a world of mass-production." via MACK Books.

Ghost and Spirit is a new book about Mike Kelley, and… actually that’s all you might need to know. It’s a new book, copiously illustrated and with abundant essays, expertly covering the career of Mike Kelley. See you in the store soon! (Tate Modern, 2024)