Documenting 10 years of New York's Alleged Gallery, this book gives the inside look behind one of the biggest outlets and launching pads for the skate/graf/ punk/beautiful losers new school of artwork. Alleged opened in 1992, and the list of exhibiting artists...
expand review is a literal who's who of that world: Mark Gonzales, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Chris Johanson, Ed Templeton, Thomas Campbell, Terry Richardson, Espo, Reas, etc etc. While this book does feature plenty of artwork on it's own, it's more about what happened around the art- what the scene was like, who the people were, what was happening at the time. They accomplish this with tons of documentary photos of the gallery & people around it, plus extensive interviews with many of the participants. No page numbers, but it's at least a couple hundred. -mgmnt
This books offers a look at the entire career of skater slash designer slash artist Andy Howell. The book is presented in a very personal way, there's a good amount of text and the layout borrows styles of old skate zines...
expand review and skate mags. The story begins with his youth days in Virginia Beach, his early influences, and his rise to pro skater. These stories are illuminated by quotes, vintage photos, old skate products, and skate mag excerpts. If you grew up in the same period, this stuff is quite incredible. For the designers, the book really picks up with the chapter on New Deal skateboard company. Howell provided the visual direction for this super-influential company (recognized as one of the forces that shifted skate graphics to more of an urban direction). The book proceeds into a lengthy section on Howell's paintings. And just when you think it should end, you've only gone halfway through the book. The book gets deeper into Andy's drawings, early urban skating in nyc, starting new companies, and much more. This book is much more than a design book, it's more like an well illustrated manual on the DIY life. And if that's not enough, the book comes with 2 accompanying DVDs. Hardcover, over 300 pages. -the mgmnt
The definitive book on Banksy's work. This guy is now an official art superstar- I went to that show he did in Los Angeles a couple months back and shit was bonkers. 300 yard lines to get in, Brangelina buying up nearly...
expand review everything on the opening night, a painted live elephant, huge newspaper coverage, the whole deal. I mean this guy is MAJOR now. And while he's released three small picture books, this is the only true compendium of his work in print. It chronicles all his major works & mediums, from the beginning monkey stencils up to his full blown "street sculptures", brand burning and political work, peppered with writing, advice, explanations and such. I personally don't get off much on his fame or images, but I'm continually impressed with the scope and impact of his projects. Wherever you stand on his work, this shit is thought provoking, powerful and out there for people to experience- which is the most important thing. 210 pages, full color, soft cover. Recommended. -the mgmnt
Show book from Twist's 1999 solo exhibition at Deitch Gallery. Damn, shoulda woulda, I went to this show and those Twist bottles were right there for the taking. I think they did it on purpose, cause a lot of the bottles were...
expand review gone by the end of the show (just like the Street Market show). What was I thinking, was I afraid that those Vassar interns were gonna throw down? Karma's a bitch though. Anyway, excuse my soliloquy of the fawn, the pages here document the show in color, also injecting the usual Twist black and white photo randomness. Lots of illustration work and a section of blank pages for your own input. Approx 150 pages (1/3 blank). 9.5" x 11.5". -mgmnt
Great collection of work from SF grafitti legend turned gallery star Barry McGee. This book was published for his Things Are Getting Better Exhibit at the Museum Het Domein Sittard in the Netherlands and features plenty of his paintings, drawings, and photos....
expand review Not a lot of his early graf work as TWIST in here, but more of his later gallery work like his infamous hobo characters, Q-bert style cube patterns, collabos with friends (Paper Rad's dog drawings are awesome and Os Gemeos graf letters are just sick) plus plenty of interesting (and random!) personal photos. I actually got a chance to catch his huge show over at Deitch Projects a few years ago and was lucky enough to see the fine details of his work in person, but for those who can't catch a show, the bright color photos in this book are pretty damn good too. Softcover edition. -snackmaster
This book was made in conjunction with the massive art survey of the same name, currently showing in San Francisco's Yerba Buena center. If you caught Tokion's genre-defining "Disobedients" issue, Beautiful Losers is like a continuation of that thought line, the summation...
expand review of many years of gallery shows, art projects, and publications that have been related in spirit. It features just about every "big" name that is associated with that movement- Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Mike Mills, Mark Gonzales, Tobin Yelland, Margaret Kilgallen, Spike Jonze, Espo, Geoff McFetridge, Kaws, Ed Templeton, Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korine, Phil Frost, Ryan McGinness, and many others. Yeah, that sounds like they're casting the net a bit wide, but this mass of information and artwork is presented in such a thoughtful manner that it comes together without a hitch. In addition to showcasing the artwork, the book consists of informative articles that give us the background on how this loosely related conglomeration of people and styles came to be. This consists of an impressive collection of images + stories that speak about the social scene, past gallery shows, collectives, and the influences of the preceding generation (things like Dogtown and skate photographer Craig Stacyk, and the early 80s NYC scene); thankfully devoid of art school interpretations of what it all "means." The result is the most comprehensive piece we've seen thus far, and if you're gonna buy one book in this genre all year, this should be it. Softcover, about 275 pages. -the mgmnt
LAB EXCLUSIVO: Each copy of purchased from the Lab is signed by CLAW MONEY herself. Get it while supplies last.
CLAW MONEY pretty much runs things. Not only is she one of the few female graf queens (her infamous CLAW icon has...
expand review appeared on walls in the East Village to LA to Amsterdam and Milan since the early '90s), she also designs her own clothing line (with lots of her CLAW icons of course), her own jewelry and accessory line, works as a fashion editor, a brand consultant, and still has time to put out a book. Bombshell is an up close and personal look at CLAW's life and crimes, as told through tons of photos, letters, sketches, designs and testimonials from her (in)famous friends. It's clear she's having a super-fun time being CLAW MONEY - rarely have I seen so many fashionable self portraits in a graff monologue (or party pics for that matter). All I gotta say is... Damn girl, don't hurt 'em! 128 pages, hardcover. -snackmaster
Cody Hudson's first book focuses on his personal art with images from his studio, gallery shows, and lots of Strugglism doodles. Around 50 pages, measures 7" x 7". If you have a store and would like to carry this book, please email...
expand review struggle@turntablelab.com. -mgmnt
At 18, Corita Kent (1918-1986) entered the Roman Catholic order of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Angeles, where she taught art and eventually ran the art department. After more than 30 years, at the end of the 1960s,...
expand review she left the order to devote herself to making her own work. Over a 35-year career she made watercolors, posters, books and banners--and most of all, serigraphs--in an accessible and dynamic style that appropriated techniques from advertising, consumerism and graffiti. The earliest of it, which she began showing in 1951, borrowed phrases and depicted images from the Bible; by the 1960s, she was using song lyrics and publicity slogans as raw material. Eschewing convention, she produced cheap, readily available multiples, including a postage stamp. Her work was popular but largely neglected by the art establishment--though it was always embraced by such design luminaries as Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller and Saul Bass. More recently, she has been increasingly recognized as one of the most innovative and unusual Pop artists of the 1960s, battling the political and religious establishments, revolutionizing graphic design and making some of the most striking--and joyful--American art of her era, all while living and practicing as a Catholic nun. This first study of her work, organized by Julie Ault on the twentieth anniversary of Kent's death, with essays by Ault and Daniel Berrigan, is the first to examine this important American outsider artist's life and career, and contains more than 90 illustrations, many of which are reproduced for the first time, in vibrant, and occasionally Day-Glo, color. Softcover, 128 pages. 9.75 x 11.25 in. -the mgmnt
The music graphics book was born in the mid-nineties and died in early 2000 with over-saturation and lowered standards as a cause of death. Enough water has passed and people have learned from their mistakes. This is an excellent reintroduction to...
expand review the modern music graphics book. It's executed near perfectly with relevent examples (many records we've had at the Lab, but even more that we haven't), clean design, and Japanese-style attention to mega-detail (it's organized by designer, painstakingly documented, and each designer has an interview). It is so effective that the book creates an illusion that these are classic record covers from 10 years ago, when they really are from yesterday. Softcover, 318 pages, 7.5" x 9.5" x .75". Recommended.
-the mgmnt
It's a visual overload! Panic Room is one of those art books that keeps on giving (I've looked through it several times and keep finding something new). With over 90 contemporary artists (whose work primarily consists of drawing), this Deitch Projects book...
expand review is a great way to see the scope of cutting-edge hand styles from all over the world. Trip out on an eclectic mish mash of comic culture, graffiti, fantasy, and psychedelia from the likes of Marc Bell, Paper Rad, Barry McGee, assume astro vivid focus, Tauba Auerbach, Bjorn Copeland, Verne Dawson, Jo Jackson, Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Ted Mineo, Ben Peterson, Cameron Jamie, Clare Rojas, David Shrigley, Kelley Walker and many more. Just take a look at the inside shots and you'll see how inspiring and entertaining this compilation of work is. 11" x 11", 160 pages, softcover. Recommended. -snackmaster
We've been trying to get a hold of this book for a while. It was breifly available stateside a couple years ago, and we had to go trans-national to get these copies. Skater-artist Ed Templeton has become a mini-celebrity for his low...
expand review budget style of art and candid photography. This book focuses on the latter with a striking collection of shots of friends, injuries, nudes (lots of his wife, i'd hit it), teenage life (including parts of his award winning teenage smokers series), sex, and more bugged perspectives. If you ever read skate mags, and were curious about Ed Templeton's shit, this is a direct in. I normally hate artsy-fartsy shit, but this is gripping. 100 pages, color and black & white. -mgmnt
Evan Hecox's work seems to be everywhere these days (Chocolate skateboards, Nike, Arkitip to name a few). You'd expect a following of biters, but those people can't imitate the eye and pure skill. I believe this is Hecox first proper book (we...
expand review previously had a mini-book from Arkitip) and it's like putting on a real nice pair of shades. His flattened style really brings out the moment when it shouldn't. It's easy to get lost in this. Hardcover, 160 pages. Recommended. -mgmnt
With books like Writing and The Art of Rebellion, the quality of Graf books have skyrocketed. Gone are the days of crappy layouts and 50% opacity backgrounds, these books approach the subject like a textbook, allowing the graf to speak clearly and...
expand review making larger points (ie. graf as typography, graf as rebellion). Fadings takes it in another direction, making the connection between street graf and the art/commercial world. The examples are quite expansive, ranging from typefaces, catalogs, video games, logotypes, paintings and much more. Well executed from start to finish, with a strong list of european contributors. Although this may seem like a very obvious subject, the book makes some excellent connections, and serves as a great look book and resource. Hardcover, over 200 pages. -mgmnt
A beautiful production put together by the Art & Revolution and Sweet Mother Recordings. The book smartly displays the work of 9 super influential artist/designers/graf writers: Perks, Reas, Espo, Rostarr, Bill McMullen, Space Invader, Zevs, Delta, Shawn Wolfe. Plus an introduction by...
expand review Shepard Fairey. Full color. Hard bound. 80 pages. Very recommended. -the mgmnt
Bay area graf writer, tattoo artist, and zinester gets his first proper monograph. The viewer gets blasted with all aspects of Giant's work, and it's quite interesting how his graf style carries through the different disciplines. His super clean style that blew...
expand review up graf mags back in the day has fully evolved into a free-form tattoo illustration style spawned across walls, flesh, skateboards, and brown zine paper. But don't forget about those throw-ups, some of the best in the game. Approx 150 pages. -mgmnt
The second release from these guys ups the chewability factor to ridiculous levels. If you're unfamiliar with the Gum phenomenon, they basically play right into the minds of the people who are into this "street art/design" thing by spending as much time...
expand review (& $) on the packaging as they do on the contents. Itís a nice system. So while this issue includes work from and interviews with such names as Espo, Dalek, Chris Yormick, Ray Bradbury, Nonconceptual, Interpol, Tim "Love" Lee, Cornelius, and others, the real star and fun is in the packaging. It's a big candy box which includes a 184 page hard bound book/magazine, a 44 page comic-type "activity" book with the music features, 9 pop trading cards, a View-Master reel, 1 pack of gummi Pumas, and 3 gumballs! The box even includes a little press-in gumball dispenser on the bottom. Too cool, too fun. -mgmnt
Brooklyn-based Maya Hayuk has been a bright spot in the NY art scene over the years. Whether it's rolling with the Barnstormers or designing Prefuse covers, Hayuk seems to dodge the trendy while doing her own thang. You may be familiar with...
expand review her signature detailed drawings of hairy couples fornicating (represented here), but you also get a heavy dose of her vibrant color / pattern work. And like NYC itself, the book is interspersed with beautiful randomness like a bunny-man drawings, photoshop blowouts, cultish nature symbols, and various photos. Hardcover, approximately 90 full color pages. -the mgmnt
Just sat down and rapped with Doug and Jason at Morning Breath Inc. and saw that they have this huge Surfboard in there with a clean-as-hell painting of a snake and roses on it by Mike Giant. When I asked him...
expand review when he did that, they replied with, "yeah, he just came one day and busted that out." That's kinda Mike in a nutshell. His perfect lined sharpie and ink pieces has befuddled artists and connoisseurs for years. They may look like a painstakingly done illustrator file, but don't be fooled, they're all handrawn (no computah here, son!). "Muerte" marks a new page in the Mike Giant saga, featuring almost 50 of his works from his show in Paris. Some may look at it as his continuing love for tattoo art and LA / SF gang culture, but there's a genuine consistency to these images. Life, mortality, sacrifice, blood, tears, love, and humanity are deep in every page, and the result is quite powerful when compiled all together. Recommended. -C'mish
Firstly, how badass is the cover image: Mies chillaxing in a fine tailored suit avec cigar and perfectly slouched in his own creation? This (bigger than the average) pocketbook begins with Mies Van Der Rohe's 1950 poem(?) entitled Architecture and Poetry. Deep...
expand review stuff for back then, it's like OMD first album on paper. Then the book goes into three very indepth Q+A sessions from the 50/60s. The question range from standard architecture question, to ones about philosophy and his peers. Interspersed amongst the words, you get images of the man himself as well as examples of his work. The book is well designed and easy to digest, bite size intellectualism at its best. 94 pages, recommended. -the mgmnt
Optical Art is so underrated. Trevor Jackson ruled it for a couple years with his record sleeves, but really, it's more fundamental than fad. The introduction quote applied to this subject is genius: "Thus art is not an object, it is an...
expand review experience" - Josef Albers. Focusing on the height of Op Art (60s and early 70s), this book quickly establishes itself as a visual and informational force. This ain't no visual tricks book! It rightfully documents the style as an art movement and culls some of the finest examples (painting and sculptures) I've ever experienced. Super informational and visually stunning. Softcover, 300+ pages. 11" x 9.5". -the mgmnt
Os (freakin) Gemeos! These Brazilian artists have fascinated us since they became cult graf heroes in the pages 12oz. Prophet in the mid-nineties. Since then, they've blown up to Barry McGee levels working with Deitch, hip europeans, that company with the swoosh...
expand review logo, and other wealthy institutions. However, like McGee, you'll always be reminded of their awesomeness by a spontaneous street sighting or some ridiculous mural in Coney Island. I could be wrong, but this might be the first official monograph of their work, published on occasion of their first museum show in the Netherlands. The book is divided into sections: public work juxtaposed with street portraits, sketchbook pages, and installation images. Full color, square-bound softcover, approximately 170 pages. Limited to 2500 copies. -the mgmnt
If you need some grown man business in your book collection, check out this hardcover facsimile of Picasso's sketchbook from the early 70s. Starting at the exterior, this book features a cloth bound cover embossed with Picasso's own handwriting. On the interior,...
expand review you'll notice that the pages are very similar to a high quality sketchbook. Then you'll start to notice things like marker bleeding through to the next 2 pages, and you'll ask yourself what's going on. Yes, this is a facsimile, so the detail is impeccable. You even see pencil rub wear on the opposite page and stray watercolor marks. The first two-thirds are filled with Picasso's signature drawings of voluptuous tang (I see the Reas link now). The last third includes analysis and thumbnails. Hardcover, 88 pages total. -the mgmnt
Banksy is the unstoppable juggernaut of the street art world right now, straight up. With his works gaining value exponentially by the minute (from actual pieces ripped out of walls to out of print books and even records with his art on...
expand review it) it kinda makes you wonder about the history of this heralded street artist that would prefer to be anonymous. Enter "Home Sweet Home" the first book on Banksy that really delves into his roots and art stemming from his hometown of Bristol. Definitely the most revealing account of Banksy's formative years, the book features over a hundred images of his Bristol art, as well as pictures of Banksy at work (many of which have never been published before). Author Steve Wright really did his homework on this one, tracing Banksy's roots way back to the rave/hiphop culture of the 90's and painting a full portrait of the mysterious artist. "Home Sweet Home" is essential reading for any Banksy fan or anyone that ever wondered about how Banksy came up. About 105 pages, hardcover. -snackmaster
LAB EXCLUSIVO: This batch of books is personally signed by Cody with a unique Struggle doodle. Each one is different!
Cody is the yeoman and yo man! design hero. His work is so accessible even though there's some complex art concepts weaved into...
expand review its dna. Not to blow him up, but his work reminds me of Milton Glaser in its appeal and feel. It's got that I grew up in America, ate burgers, and listened to Wu-Tang sensibility. Like if you tried enough, you could be like Cody, but you don't. This is his second book, published on the occasion of his Save My Life show at the Fifty24SF gallery in June 08. Hardcover, 6.25" x 8.5", approximately 100 pages. -the mgmnt
Murakami' s gets super heavy. Hot off the trail of his collaboration with Kanye West and the follow up to his personal Super Flat book, this Copyright Murakami book exposes the major works and practices of his pop art empire. ...
expand review The book itself was revealed at MOCA Los Angeles along with an exhibit of his most important works, new and old. Important, such as the larger than life scuplture of the lactating titty lady, the sculpture of the jizz king, the transformable nymph sculpture, jellyfish eyes painting, and eye frying murals of cartoon psychedlia... sounds silly right? Well, it is - kinda. MOCA analyzes every work with a scrutinous eye and academic detail. Just like Warhol's Campbell soup paintings and Jeff Koon's inflatable pool toys sculptures Murakami knows no boundary between commercial and fine art culture. I guess that's what makes him "one of post-war Japan's most important contemporary artists." Over 300 pages with detailed text, studio insights, theory, full color photography of his works with 3 page fold outs of his largest paintings. Get familiar. -Cmish
Murakami has always been like the "Wizard of OZ" in the world of pop art to me. "He has an exhibit in the MOMA, he's working with Louie Vitton, he just did Kanye West's album cover." But one thing's missing, who the...
expand review fuck is this guy? You hear rumors of how he doesn't even paint his own shit, how he actually is biting his own workers artwork, but do you really know the deal? Welcome SUPERFLAT. Until this book, I didn't know the guy was so deep. Superflat is a Murakami's manifesto dealing with two-dimensional world we live in(TV, Computers, Magazines, Media). It's art, japanese culture, pop, and erotic pop all explained through a juxtaposition of images and art that all contribute and inspire the idea of Superflat. More than that, it seems it's a satellite, allowing you to zoom away from pop culture, humanism, and post modernism as we know it to be explained with insight from a true pop master. I know I just got real deep, but this book is truly something more than just pictures. Recommended. -Cmish
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