Book Review: 2create: Art Collaborations in New York City by Yoav Litvin

2create: Art Collaborations in New York City by Yoav Litvin is a book that showcases the work of nine pairs of New York City's finest graffiti and street artists, delving deep into their backgrounds, techniques, and collaborative processes. Each duo consists of artists with unique styles who come together to create a larger-than-life work of street art in a neighborhood in New York, the birthplace of modern graffiti. Witness the immense creative potential of collaborations that have produced stunning examples of classic graffiti, collage work, screen printing, and murals. Each chapter provides access to a mysterious underworld, leading readers to secretive meetings of creative minds out of which ephemeral, yet nonetheless remarkable, works are born and later transferred onto walls, rooftops, trucks, and subway platforms.

2create: Art Collaborations in New York City is a wonderful book offering the insights, artistic processes, and motivation for a variety of artists. I liked reading about the diverse artists and how they work alone, and in collaborations. The process of collaborating is  as varied and interesting as the artwork that it produces. The combination of inspiration and work styles made the read very interesting. As a crafter that lives in the region of the artists interview, and the state at least one was born in, I felt a connection to some of the artist and saw some of my own inspirations and thoughts in their words. I really enjoyed reading about all these artists. It really shows that art is universal, no matter how differently it is approached and how the artists and admirers come to it.

2create: Art Collaborations in New York City is a great read for artists and art enthusiasts alike. I found the interviews and photographs to be inspiring and informative. The variety of styles, processes, and canvases was well balanced and made for a nice read. 

Book Review: Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees by Beth Moon

Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees by Beth Moon is a collection of photographs taken of grand, isolated trees with the backdrop of night skies. Staking out some of the world’s last dark places, photographer Beth Moon uses a digital camera to reveal constellations, nebulae, and the Milky Way, in rich hues that are often too faint to be seen by the naked eye. As in her acclaimed first volume, Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time, these magnificent images encounter great arboreal specimens, including baobabs, olive trees, and redwoods, in such places as South Africa, England, and California.

Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees is a wonderful collection of photographs. The trees are isolated and out where light pollution cannot touch the night sky. This means that behind ancient trees we get to witness the expanse of space, with stars and all the glory to be seen in the night sky. The images and essays combine to offer anyone that picks up the book plenty to enjoy, and to contemplate about life, nature, and the environment. The book also includes an artist’s statement, in which Beth Moon describes the experience of shooting at night in these remote places, and an essay by Jana Grcevich, postdoctoral fellow of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, which provides the perspective of a scientist racing to study the stars in a world growing increasingly brighter. Clark Strand, the author of Waking Up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age, takes a different tack, illuminating the inherent spirituality of trees.

Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees would make a lovely addition to a art book collection, or a gift for those that love art and nature. The photographs are delightful and inspiring.

Early Book Review: You Had One Job by Beverly L. Jenkins

You Had One Job by Beverly L. Jenkins is a collection off funny photographs illustrating epic fails. It is currently scheduled for release on July 12 2016. If someone hangs a stop sign upside down or paints crooked lines on a highway, count on someone else to snap a photo and post it online.  You Had One Job! is a collection of hilarious pictures features job-related disasters and general ineptitudes. All of these new, never-before-seen images are accompanied by witty captions. 

You Had One Job is fun to flip through, and a great book to make you feel better about any mistakes you might have made on the job. My only issue with the book is that the internet and social media in particular is already flush with similar pictures. While these are new, they are not unexpected or amazingly more amusing than those I have already seen via blogs and Facebook. It is a fun, silly book- and worth a look or addition to a collection of coffee table books if you have one. However, there is nothing terribly new to notable here, mainly do to the sheer number of mistakes and pictures already out in the world. 

Early Book Review: Seven Continents by Mohan Bhasker

Seven Continents is a collection of photography by Mohan Bhasker which is currently scheduled for publication on January 28 2016. Mohan Bhasker is a physician and landscape photographer that has traveled a round-the-world to some of Earth's most exquisite sites. This book collects over 220 photographs that Mohan has taken over a fifteen years, along with the information about the journeys and conditions that he experienced while traveling to take the pictures. Some of the locations include a Laos jungle, Antarctica's icebergs, Nepal's Himalayan mountain range, and Brazil's scorching sand dunes. 

Seven Continents is an interesting collection of photographs from all seven continents taken over a period of fifteen years. The images and stories behind them are wonderful and show the beauty of each landscape and in many cases the animals that inhabit them. I liked the concept and the execution, however found that no images really captivated me as unique. so many images are available for viewing through so many forms of media that it really takes a lot to stand out these days. None of these pictures really struck me as overly original or capturing something new. They are all lovely images, capturing the differences and overall beauty that can be found in the world, but none left me awestruck or needing to add the book to my permanent collection.

Seven Continents is a lovely coffee table book or addition to a photography or travel buff's collection. I enjoyed looking at the photographs, and found some very beautiful, but did not find the book to be a must see or must have.

Early Book Review: Briefly Seen, New York Street Life by Harvey Stein

Briefly Seen, New York Street Life by Harvey Stein is a photography collection that is currently scheduled for release on November 28 2015. Harvey Stein documents the experience of walking down the street in the areas of Midtown and Downtown Manhattan. There are 172 beautiful black-and-white photographs that have been taken over 41 years, from 1974 through 2014. The photographs are intimate and personal. They document the close encounter between the photographer and his subjects while showing the mutuality between people. The black-and-white images enhance the sense of the past. To heighten the feeling of movement, anxiety, and vigor, blur, grain, low-angle flash, skewed perspectives, tight cropping, and wide-angle views are employed.

Briefly Seen, New York Street Life is a unique collection of photographs the come together to capture the unique feel and experience that can only be found in New York City. Stein has taken these photographs over more than four decades and show the personality of the city streets and the people that inhabit them. The focus on the people, and the blurred lines and motion around them do a remarkable job of the energy and emotion inherent in the city. I loved the contrast between the faces in focus and the activity evident in the blurred motion surrounding them.

Briefly Seen, New York Street Life is a wonderful book to pursue and enjoy. The images capture the life of the city streets and the people that anyone might pass by without normally noticing them. Perhaps taking a look at the book will make us all take a few extra moments to notice those we share the streets with. 

Early Book Review: Graffiti Murals Exploring the Impacts of Street Art by Patrick Verel

Graffiti Murals Exploring the Impacts of Street Art by Patrick Verel is a non fiction book that is to be released on August 28 2015. This visually appealing book includes six case studies conducted in New York City, Trenton, and Jersey City. It explores how graffiti murals are created and what role they play in a city where buffing illegal graffiti is a lucrative business. The author interviewed people affected on a daily basis by the murals at sites around the metropolitan area, as well as property owners who have allowed muralists to paint their property in hopes the graffiti murals would serve as a deterrent to vandalism, and provide a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to buffing. An analysis informed by cultural Marxism and supported by street photography suggests a radical departure from traditional New York City policy: instead of spending money exclusively on the elimination of illegal graffiti, resources should also be devoted to the creation of graffiti murals. In the end, graffiti removal teams and mural promoters are pursuing the same goal: making the city a more visually appealing place.

Graffiti Murals Exploring the Impacts of Street Art is a very interesting study of graffiti, both legal and illegal. The interviews and impressions from a variety of people gives readers a good understanding of the role all graffiti can play in cities, and for individuals. The balance between decoration and vandalism can be extremely fine, but the policies and public sentiment do not always agree. I will admit that while the text was informative and well written, it was the collection of photographs included that initially caught my eye, and had me eager to see what else the book held. The artistic talent that is evident in some of that artwork is simply astounding. Regardless of if you appreciate sanctioned, or unsanctioned, graffiti and murals you will be amazed at some of the color and craftsmanship of the works displayed by a variety of artists.

Graffiti Murals Exploring the Impacts of Street Art had me hook with the image on the cover and the research that went into crafting this book. honestly, while the information was intriguing and well organized, I think the book is worth the time and money to just look at the included photographs.