I discovered Jim Houser much like I discovered Richard Colman, through finding his monograph. I found Babel at Giant Robot on Shrader Street in San Francisco’s Haight district, which I peruse regularly for new books. I am constantly on the lookout for books of art work by emerging artists that are bold and graphic, and Babel stood out from the rest of the books on the table—and has held the test of time. I still refer to it after over two years as a constant source of inspiration. Houser’s work is all about the installation. It’s all about the collection of images and works of various shapes and sizes and mediums and their impact on the audience. Babel is filled with color photographs of Houser’s installations—along with his friends and family, and his late wife, who was also a brilliant artist with whom he collaborated before her death. Houser is a self-taught artist, and the graphic, flat, “unfinished” elements of his work reflect raw aesthetic sense that is pure genius.

Lisa wishes to thank Julia for allowing her to be part of Book by its Cover, which is one of her favorite blogs.

Thanks Lisa for taking the time to share a great week of books. I loved learning more about all these contemporary artists whose work is so inspiring! And maybe we’ll all have to take a trip to Japan to get that beautiful design book- a Book by its Cover class trip.

I discovered I Was Just Leaving this past April when I ducked into a small Williamsburg, Brooklyn bookstore to escape the cold and rain. In fact, it was then that I discovered Richard Colman’s work. Part darkness, part color, part grotesque, part magical, the work of Los Angeles based Richard Colman is mesmerizing. I was lucky to see his work in person this past weekend at a local gallery. It’s even more amazing in person. I Was Just Leaving is a brilliant collection of Colman’s work, mostly his extremely detailed, meticulous drawings and paintings, coupled with informal ink sketches and photos of the genius Colman and his friends. The book also includes an introduction by Camille Rose Garcia and a short biography of Colman, who, in his early thirties has taken the art world by storm.

Thankfully, the imagery in most Japanese design books is so stunning that it makes up for the fact that I can’t read a word of the text. And that’s just the case with Book Design of Graphic Designers in Japan. The book features book and book illustration design of famous designers of Japan, mostly from the mid century. It is fantastic inspiration, bright and bold with primary colors and a mixture of Asian influence and a mid-century design aesthetic. This book is hard to get a hold of. I got this book at Rare Device in Brooklyn but they are sold out, as is Your Work for Them. Might they restock? Who knows?

I love Thomas Campbell’s work more than words can say. So when I heard that a monograph of his work (and working life) was being published I pre-ordered a copy. While he’s been featured in many collections, Sing Ding Aling, is the first collection ever published about his work. I was so pleased with the result. The book is impeccably designed and succeeds brilliantly in highlighting his unique style as the focal point. The photography is gorgeous. You will find numerous photos of a recent installation depicting his work space and rare close-ups of many of his pieces. In addition, you’ll find a written introduction by Campbell himself and fantastic interview by curator Stijn Huijts, of the Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands where Campbell had a major install and where most of the book was shot. If you love Thomas Campbell’s work, you will love this book.

Dear New Girl or Whatever Your Name Is is a fantastic example of McSweeney’s genius. Inspired by real notes written and passed by teenagers, the book is both graphically beautiful and incredibly touching. “Dear new girl or whatever the heck your name is…I just want to tell you that you are a hypocritical girl…,” begins the note that is positioned on the very first page of the book. As a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, Trinie Dalton confiscated the notes passed among students and amassed hundreds of notes. The best were sent to twenty-four artists, who drew and painted their interpretations. As impressive as the notes are the images. Artists include the Clayton Brothers, Rachell Sumpter and Marcel Dzama, among others. The result is a book that speaks volumes about the fragile teenage psyche.