eyeone | seeking heaven

I collab'd with 1:AM Gallery on this limited-edition Bike Power churt. It is available exclusively at 1:AM (but they can probably be convinced to ship one out.)

You can hit 'em up though their website here.

The Ulysses Guide to the L.A. River
By Ulysses L. Zemanova et. al.
uglarbook.com

I'm nearly two years late in reviewing this book, but I've read it so many times that I figured I should post about it here. The Los Angeles River is a playground and a warfield for many forms of life, human and otherwise, and this book presents an in-depth look into this hectic waterway that crosses our entire city.

The first volume of the UGLAR Book concerns itself with two aspects of what the River comprises: biology and art. In the biology section, the struggle of the cycle of life is thoroughly explored with ample documentation of life and death in this biosphere. If you've ever wonder where those red welts across your midsection came from after a visit to the River, the book offers many not-too-appealing possible sources. Surprising and expected species are captured in their natural/artificial environment, a testament to the ambivalent relationship between nature and "civilization."

The art section presents a substantial collection of images of what Dondi would come to call The Battle Above Ground: graffiti. The author(s) also follow the River from beginning to end, catching the art of almost a century that has been plastered and gone over on all available surfaces of the River. From early hobo and cholo writing to 21st century L.A. lettering, the book has it covered. (Props for the excellent coverage of the 2 yard!) Adding to this historical perspective is a great selection of River-themed art by Michael Alvarez, Chaz Bojorquez, Chris Brand, Zes, SinerLTS, Rob Sato, Evan Skrederstu, Steve Martinez, Eric Skotnes, and many more.

From the book's website: "The culture of Los Angeles flows -- both figurative and quite literally -- through its central vein: The River. This book is borne from a fascination and love that precedes the attention that has shifted back to this flow. Fathered by the late Ulysses Zemanova and further nurtured by its co-authors/editors, The Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River (UGLAR) moves beyond the overexposed culture of graffiti and misunderstood world of scientific discovery. UGLAR wishes to bring to light the authors' interest, if only to spawn more within its readers.

Idle Idol: The Japanese Mascot
By Edward & John Harrison
idleidol.net | markbattypublisher.com

I've literally been running to my P.O. Box, day in and day out, waiting with mad anxiety for this book to arrive. I gotta say, it was well worth the wait! Mark Batty Publisher has done it again. In Idle Idol, authors Edward and John Harrison take on the almost impossible task of documenting the myriad of 3-dimensional characters that populate the visual landscape in Japan.

International favorites like Anpanman, Doraemon, Astro Boy, Kamen Rider, and Hello Kitty get equal play along others less known outside of Japan such as Kyuta, Pipo-Kun, Sato-Chan, and Satoko-Chan. Thanks to this book, I now know some of the stories behind many of the characters I've been gawking at (and documenting) since I was a wee lad.

From the book's introduction: "In Japan, characters adorn everything from the sides of trucks to packaging; they appear in posters, signs and are used by police, pharmacies, restaurants and many more businesses and institutions. It's no wonder these mascots are used in the real world to lure customers into shops, promote products and provide a friendly face when communicating to the public."

The Small Stakes
Music Posters by Jason Munn
thesmallstakes.com

I received my copy of The Small Stakes book a few weeks back. I highly recommend you snatch one up for yourself. The book presents a comprehensive selection of Jason Munn's sharp design work for tons of bands you've probably heard of. Below are some of my favorites.

L.A. Woman
Photography by Estevan Oriol
www.dragolab.com

The homies at S.A. Studios kicked down a copy of L.A. Woman, a book of photographs by Estevan Oriol depicting all types of females in the City of Angels. From crackheads to porn stars, cops and the chola down the street, both familiar and unfamiliar archetypes fill these pages. The book presents a vision that is part illusion and part reality, just like L.A. Check it...

Available at The Last Laugh.

D.I.Y. Album Art: Paper Bags and Office Supplies
Written by J. Namdev Hardisty
www.markbattypublisher.com

The good folks over at Mark Batty Publisher recently sent me a copy D.I.Y. Album Art, a book that compiles an impressive collection of graphics culled from hardcore records from the 1990s. The book resonates with me personally, as the "do it yourself" approach to making things happen was one of the most important lessons I learned through my involvement in L.A.'s hardcore scene of that era. Also quite apparent is the lasting impact that hardcore visuals have had on my own work. (On the collector geek tip, I was stoked to see that I have a bunch of the records featured in the book, w00t!) x Go x!

From the press release: "In the early 1990s a renewed spirit of co-operation and do-it-yourself initiative took hold of the North American punk and hardcore scenes. The new DIY approach didn’t stop at booking your own tours and self-releasing records, now it involved putting together the very packaging for those records. Hand-gluing sleeves, silk-screening manila envelopes and raiding thrift stores for LP jackets that could be re-used became the norm. From there it was only a matter of time before anything could be used as a record cover: aluminum foil, burlap, vintage wallpaper, cereal boxes, tar paper."

More on the book here.