I found yet another mention of the new Peter Beard book which has me drooling even more over his unusual artwork. (The borders on the photo in this article are amazing.) It seemed like a good time to point out the many affordable books out there for artsy types, particularly those who enjoy collages. Keep in mind that none of these are really coffee table books, and most are much much more.
The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon. Dan Eldon was a reuters photographer who was killed in Somalia in 1993 shortly after the UN bombed General Aidad's suspected headquarters (they were way off about the building that was destroyed, a lot of people were killed and when Eldon and four other photographers raced to the scene to get some shots they ended up being stoned by the crowd. Only one of them managed to survive.) He is an inspiration for many reasons, not the least of which was the amazing way in which he lived his life. (He was actually only 22 when he died.) This book is a celebration of Dan's art, and the illustrated photo journals he kept all his life. The style is very reminiscent of Beard, but with a younger, more cynical sensibility. The photos of his sister and friends are beautiful but the collages he created with them, and everything else he found and added, make the book beyond anything like a standard photography title. You have to see it to believe it. Start here, and see some of his final work.
Chip Kidd: Book One. Kidd is a book designer with Knopf and if you know anything about book covers, then you know he is one of the best. I fell for this book the first time I saw a few interior shots online. It's complete candy for book lovers - you will not be able to resist it. It includes not only Kidd's thoughts on designing, a zillion pictures of books he has designed and designs he admires, thoughts from author's on Kidd's work on their books but also Kidd's comments on how a lot of the final designs came about. It's gorgeous to look at and fascinating to read.
Kabuki: Metamorphosis by David Mack. I first became aware of Mack's work when he was doing the covers for Daredevil and Alias. He has a collage style that blends drawings, photos, words, clippings - all sorts of things to create an image. His Kabuki series is a whole new world that is told in comic format with artwork that no one in the industry is doing like him. Metamorphosis is a great place to jump into the Kabuki world and from there you can pick up issues of his new ongoing series. For artists, Mack's work is a must, but for all fans of a good story, you should know the work of this talented author and illustrator.
The Illustrator's Notebook by Mohieddin Ellabbad. I wrote about Ellabbad's work a couple of months ago and I'm still thinking about it. I love the way he combines images from so many different cultures into his final pieces, and his explanations for each piece are quite insightful. This hardcover book is definitely a peek inside a working illustrator's mind - a look at the sources of his creativity. More westerners should know about him and the beautiful work he does.
Chip Kidd designed an issue of Zoetrope this fall that included throughout the book art of Thomas Allen. I first saw Allen's work in a past issue of VQR and have been looking for more ever since. I love how he cuts and places his book covers and illustrations - how he makes the illustrations come alive as part of the story, rather than remain flat and dead once the cover is turned. You have not - trust me - seen anything like Allen's work and you should. I hope he has a book of his own out soon, it would certainly be one that I could not resist.
Dreams Through the Glass by Linda Fargo. Fargo has been the window designer for Bergdorf Goodman for the past several years and this book is a celebration of many of her designs. What you have here are big glossy color photos of store windows along with Fargo's explanation of what they were going for, how they accomplished it and any trouble along the way. I'm not a big window shopper - or window appreciator I guess - but I have returned to this book for inspiration on so many other things so many times. It's amazing what Fargo and her teams accomplish by going far outside the fashion design box. It's an Alice in Wonderland kind of book and utterly gorgeous.
The Ninth Letter is a semiannual literary magazine put out by the University of Illinois. It is a unique combination of both arts and letters and attracts the work of Robert Olen Butler, Steve Almond, Dave Eggers, etc as well as top notch student graphic designers and artists. Whether you read it or look at it, there will be something in each issue to captivate you. They are layering the art more and more lately and stretching the boundaries of what is a literary magazine. All I know is that I can't put it down - I wish I had learned this much when I was in college.
