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  1. Guerrilla Girls: The Art of Behaving Badly

    by Guerrilla Girls ISBN 9781452175812, 1452175810 Hardcover | 192 pages 11.4 in H | 8.9 in W Guerrilla Girls: The Art of Behaving Badly is the first book to catalog the entire career of the Guerrilla Girls from 1985 to present. The Guerrilla girls are a collective of political feminist artists who expose discrimination and corruption in art, film, politics, and pop culture all around the world. This book explores all their provocative street campaigns, unforgettable media appearances, and large-scale exhibitions. Each copy comes with a punch-out gorilla mask that invites readers to step up and join the movement themselves. Captions by the Guerrilla Girls themselves contextualize the visuals. Explores their well-researched, intersectional takedown of the patriarchy

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    $30.00
  2. Japanese Woodblock Prints

    by Andreas Marks ISBN 9783836587532, 383658753X Hardcover | 512 pages 8.9 in H | 6.5 in W | 1.4 in T The Japanese woodblock print showcased breathtaking landscapes, blush-inducing erotica, ghosts and demons that torment the living, and made sumo wrestlers and kabuki actors into rock stars. This condensed edition reveals the most exceptional prints from 1680–1938, drawing from the finest impressions of museums and private collections worldwide. From Edouard Manet’s portrait of naturalist writer Émile Zola sitting among his Japanese art finds to Van Gogh’s meticulous copies of the Hiroshige prints he devotedly collected, 19th-century pioneers of European modernism made no secret of their love of Japanese art. In all its sensuality, freedom, and effervescence, the woodblock print is single-handedly credited with the wave of japonaiserie that first enthralled France and, later, all of Europe—but often remains misunderstood as an “exotic” artifact that helped inspire Western creativity. The fact is that the Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon of which there exists no Western equivalent. Some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art—including, as Karl Marx put it, that “all that is solid melts into air”—were invented in Japan in the 1700s and expressed like never before in the designs of such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century. This volume, derived from the original XXL monograph, lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan. From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We discover the four pillars of the woodblock print—beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions—alongside depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, or enticing courtesans—rock stars who populated the “floating world” and whose fan bases fueled the frenzied production of woodblock prints. We delve into the horrifying and the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living—stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day. We witness how, in their incredible breadth, from everyday scenes to erotica, the martial to the mythological, these works are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators and how, with tremendous ingenuity and tongue-in-cheek wit, publishers and artists alike fought to circumvent government censorship. As part of our 40th anniversary series, this edition compiles the finest extant impressions from museums and private collections across the globe in a lightweight, accessible format, offering extensive descriptions to guide us through this frantic period in Japanese art history.

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    $30.00
  3. 100 Manga Artists

    by Taschen ISBN 9783836526470, 3836526476 Hardcover | 576 pages 7.9 in H | 6 in W | 1.6 in T Discover the latest and the greatest of Japan’s manga scene. This revised and updated edition features classic maestros like Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy) and Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira) as well as the most exciting newcomers such as Hajime Isayama and, of course, their fictional superstars. Since the original TASCHEN edition of Manga Design, Japan’s comic phenomenon has produced yet more captivating characters and a whole host of hot new talents. This revised and updated edition delivers the lowdown on the latest and the greatest makers and shapers of the manga scene. Through an A–Z directory, we discover the superstars—both human and fictional—of what is now a vast global industry, inspiring advertisers, filmmakers, creative professionals, millions of avid fans, not to mention an entire cosplay lifestyle, in which manga devotees in elaborate costume meet to celebrate the existence of their characters at huge conventions from Los Angeles to Leipzig. From classic maestros—like Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy) and Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira)—to newcomers such as Hajime Isayama, each entry includes biographical and bibliographical information, descriptions of main characters, and, of course, plenty of examples of the artist’s finest manga spreads and covers.

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    $25.00
  4. 125th Street: Photography in Harlem

    by Antonella Pelizzari, Arden Sherman ISBN 9783777437347, 3777437344 Hardcover | 172 pages 72 color plates, 65 halftones 10.3 in H | 8.2 in W | 0.8 in T An unprecedented study of Harlem’s 125th Street photography and cultural identity. Harlem’s 125th Street is a marker of twentieth-century urban experience, a thoroughfare that encapsulates powerful stories of business and consumption, real estate and gentrification, glamour and entertainment, and political uprising. This book explores the constant mutation of this street life through the works of a large roster of photographers and performance artists. The photographs in this book represent narratives of resilience and stories of survival against a rapid and sweeping movement of history across 125th Street, where buildings and communities are periodically destroyed and built anew. The works shape a sense of belonging and identity that goes against the stereotyping and mystification of this neighborhood. It contributes to the writing of a new history of photography that is collective and collaborative. Among the artists featured are Dawoud Bey, Khalik Allah, Kwame Brathwaite, Jamel Shabazz, Hiram Maristany, Ming Smith, Ruben Natal San Miguel, Isaac Diggs & Edward Hillel, Lorraine O’Grady, and William Pope.

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    $35.00
  5. A Book of Fifty Drawings

    by Aubrey Beardsley, Alice Insley ISBN 9781849766951, 1849766959 Hardcover | 128 pages 6 in H | 4.5 in W | 0.9 in T Elegant “near-facsimile” edition of Beardsley’s best-known works Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898) lived a desperately short life and his career spanned just seven years. Nonetheless, his output as a draftsman and illustrator was prolific. Beardsley’s subversive illustrations became synonymous with decadence: He delighted in the erotic, shocking audiences with his bizarre sense of humor and fascination with the grotesque. His work was deemed too scandalous by many publishers of the period, but found a suitably unseemly home with the notorious Leonard Charles Smithers (1861–1907). This book, published by Smithers in 1897, is as much a historic document as it is a beautiful introduction to Beardsley’s art.

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    $14.99
  6. A History of Art in 21 Cats

    by Nia Gould Hardcover | 96 pages 9.3 in H | 7.2 in W | 0.5 in T ISBN 9781524851491 Art history gets a fun feline makeover with 21 purr-fectly cultured cats in the styles of ancient and modern masters. Become litter-ate in the basics of important art movements through a host of beautifully illustrated cats, each one inspired by a specific period in art hiss-tory: Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Ancient Egyptian (of course), and many more. From Claude Meow-net to Jackson Paw-llock, these creative cats will introduce you to key themes and artists you won't soon fur-get. Purr-haps even inspiring you to make your own version!

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    $14.99
  7. A Photographic Journey through the James River Park System

    by Bill Draper Hardcover Pages: 96 ISBN: 978-1-951565-92-3 This special collection is a testament to photographer Bill Draper’s appreciation of Richmond’s most distinctive urban oasis, the James River Park System. These diverse views of the Park and the Richmond skyline were captured on and off the beaten path in all four seasons, from vantage points that are not always seen by the everyday Park visitor. As these photos reveal, Bill’s appreciation for the Park’s beauty is a year-round passion. He can be found taking photos from sunup to sundown on both the hottest days of summer and the iciest days of winter. Bill says the secret to his success lies in covering between four and ten miles at a time, sometimes taking seventy-five to one hundred photos a day, hoping for a winning shot. Along with nature lovers and Richmond devotees, we invite you to celebrate the unmatched beauty of one of the most beloved river park systems in the nation.

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    $38.95
  8. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Cat: The Life and Times of Artistic Felines

    by Nia Gould
    Hardcover
    Pages: 120
    Size: 6 X 8

    A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Cat is a book of more than 20 influential artists reimagined as artistic felines.

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    $16.95
  9. All the Beauty in the World

    by Patrick Bringley ISBN 9781982163303, 1982163305 Hardcover | 240 pages 9 in H | 6 in W | 0.9 in T A fascinating, revelatory portrait of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its treasures by a former New Yorker staffer who spent a decade as a museum guard. Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer and he found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life. So he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew. To his surprise and the reader’s delight, this temporary refuge becomes Bringley’s home away from home for a decade. We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care. Bringley enters the museum as a ghost, silent and almost invisible, but soon finds his voice and his tribe: the artworks and their creators and the lively subculture of museum guards—a gorgeous mosaic of artists, musicians, blue-collar stalwarts, immigrants, cutups, and dreamers. As his bonds with his colleagues and the art grow, he comes to understand how fortunate he is to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembles the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually, gratefully returns. In the tradition of classic workplace memoirs like Lab Girl and Working Stiff, All The Beauty in the World is a surprising, inspiring portrait of a great museum, its hidden treasures, and the people who make it tick, by one of its most intimate observers.

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    $27.99
  10. Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful

    by Jonathan Frederick Walz, Seth Feman, Tiffany E. Barber, Rebecca Bush, Aruna D'Souza, Jacqueline Francis, Kimberli Gant, Ross Gay, Grey Gundaker, Michael D. Harris ISBN 9780300258936, 0300258933 Hardcover | 336 pages 222 color + 85 b-w illus. 11.8 in H | 9.5 in W A sweeping retrospective of Alma W. Thomas’s wide-reaching artistic practice that sheds new light on her singular search for beauty Achieving fame in 1972 as the first Black woman to mount a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Alma W. Thomas (1891–1978) is known for her large abstract paintings filled with irregular patterns of bright colors. This insightful reassessment of Thomas’s life and work reveals her complex and deliberate artistic existence before, during, and after the years of commercial and critical success, and describes how her innovative palette and loose application of paint grew out of a long study of color theory. Essays trace Thomas’s journey from semirural Georgia to international recognition and situate her work within the context of the Washington Color School and creative communities connected to Howard University. Featuring rarely seen theatrical designs, sculpture, family photographs, watercolors, and marionettes, this volume demonstrates how Thomas’s pursuit of beauty extended to every facet of her life—from her exuberant abstractions to the conscientious construction of her own persona through community service, teaching, and gardening.

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    $65.00

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