Release Date: 20/09/15
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
Comics grow up The humanized super hero. On December 15, 1978, the dreams of generations of American children finally came true. "You'll believe a man can fly," read the posters and billboards for the blockbuster film Superman. With an undeniable mass appeal, it cemented the role of the super hero as America's most enduring archetype, and the comic book as one of the country's most significant native art forms. That art form, however, was already moving in a new direction. Influenced by the emergence of underground comics and shifting political tides, DC's line of comics was increasingly aimed at adults, and sold in comic book shops, rather than on newsstands. Socially relevant subjects such as drug addiction, racism, and women's rights had entered the mainstream, and comics weren't just for kids anymore. The Bronze Age of DC Comics includes an original interview with Green Lantern/Green Arrow writer Denny O'Neil. About the series: Taschen's series on DC Comics explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award-winning XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, this new series hits the shelf at a reader-friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and more than 1,000 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans.
REVIEW:
Having loved the previous books by Paul about the history of DC comics, I’ve been waiting to see what this third instalment would bring, as it tackles the comics that I remember from my childhood as well as character development for the modern audience. It’s wonderfully researched, packed full of top notch illustrations and all round is very informative as well as being an ultimate item for the graphic novel or comic aficionado within your own home.
All round, I can’t recommend this series enough and apart from making three very weighty tomes, they’ll be books that are looked at time and again just to gain some extra nuggets for use at the various conventions as well as to see how favourite DC heroes have changed over the years. Magic and a great gift for the Christmas period.
Release Date: 30/03/14
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
The Birth of Newsstand Pin-up. This is the definitive annotated and illustrated history of pin-up magazines - 1900-1969. Open your notebooks, sharpen your pencils, and get ready for a history lesson like none you've ever experienced. You're about to learn everything you could ever want to know about the world history of men's magazines - not magazines about sports, not fashion, not hunting or fishing or how to build a birdhouse in ten easy steps, but those titillating periodicals embracing the subject dearest to all heterosexual men's hearts and other body parts: the undraped female form. Editor Dian Hanson traces the fascinating development of the genre from 1900 to 1969 in three compact, informative volumes. In Volume 1 you'll learn about the first magazines that appeared around 1900 in France, Germany, and the U.S., and follow the development of the genre through the First and Second World Wars. Covered are men's magazines masquerading as movie magazines, humor magazines, art magazines, nudist magazines, and "spicy" fiction. Volume 2 documents the proliferation of pin-up magazines following World War II, most notably a little item called Playboy that debuted in December 1953 and spawned dozens of imitators. This volume also charts the emergence of English men's magazines, fetish magazines, and the top five covergirls of the 1950s. Volume 3 begins with an explosion of new American pin-up magazines following the loosening of U.S. obscenity laws, and continues with French titles in decline, England going pervy; nudists going hippy, and Germany going pervy, hippy and political.
REVIEW:
Whilst I know that Dian has published with Taschen before, this was my first look at the authors work and the chance to get to see an area that I fell in love with since seeing images on the war planes of the Second World War. I love pin up and I’m a huge fan of Bettie Page so the chance to get behind the history of the pin-up as well as to see how its developed alongside the opportunity to see why it grips the audience so, I couldn’t wait to embark on what I felt would be quite a comprehensive history.
The books were definitely interesting and whilst at times it felt a little clipped, I did get a better idea of the genre as a whole. I loved the way that the author drew the audience in and of course with the top notch set of pictures accompanying it rather proved the various points of view. All round a series that I had quite a bit of fun reading and one that I’ll be referencing from time to time in the future. Great stuff.
Release Date: 22/10/13
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
This is a cornerstone of modern fantasy...An exciting new compilation of Hans Christian Andersen's world-famous fairy tales. The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen presents the most famous Andersen stories, including classics such as The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Little Match Girl, and The Snow Queen, in a highly esteemed 1942 translation by Jean Hersholt with illustrations by outstanding artists of their eras. The book contains a sparkling and unexpected selection of beautiful artwork from the 1900s to the 1980s by legends of fantasy - the deeply influential Kay Nielsen and beloved Arthur Rackham, the distinctive talents of Swedish light Einar Nerman and Ukranian avant-gardist Georgy Narbut, the revered Czech visionary Josef Palecek, the eccentric Tom Seidmann-Freud (niece of Sigmund Freud), and the groundbreaking film animator Lotte Reiniger, as well as exciting discoveries. It also features historic and contemporary silhouettes throughout the book, which enrich the presentation of Andersen's tales in a one-of-a-kind format and make this a fresh addition to children's libraries as well as adult art book collections. In addition to the tales and illustrations, the book also contains an introduction to Andersen's legacy, brief historical introductions to each fairy tale, and extended artists' biographies in the appendix. For adults and children alike, this lovingly researched and designed edition shares the eternal magic of Andersen's tales, celebrating these tender, heartfelt stories that have entered both our collective imagination and literary cannon. It brings together the most famous Hans Christian Andersen tales in a one-of-a-kind design. It features illustrations by famous artists from Austria, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, the Ukraine, and the United States in a unique format pairing one tale with one artist. It includes a highly-esteemed translation by Jean Hersholt accessible to readers of all ages. It contains dozens of all-new silhouettes specially commissioned for the book and well as vintage gems by fine artists. Following 22 fairy tales are featured in the book: The Princess and the Pea, The Nightingale, The Swineherd, The Old Man is Always Right, The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Darning Needle, Twelve by Mail, The Brave Tin Soldier, The Snow Queen, The Flea and the Professor, Thumbelina, The Sweethearts, Ole Lukoie, Five Peas in a Pod, The Ugly Duckling, Little Ida's Flowers, The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep, The Flying Trunk, The Little Match Girl, The Tinderbox, and The Pen and Inkstand.
REVIEW:
Having loved the Brother Grimm Fairy Tales that had been lovingly retranslated and illustrated last year, I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on one for Hans Christian Anderson, after all, with classic tales like The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid and my own favourite, the Ugly Duckling, I really wanted to have something that was not only beautiful to flick through but would enchant my nephews and niece when I sat down to read to them.
What Taschen has done with this is bring artwork from around the world, is bring a wonderful translation to the fore and give it not only a modern voice but also, by choosing a translation by a Hollywood/Radio Star, allowed the stories to be played out in full in a modern voice in, what I feel, is a manner for tales around the fireplace or to help wrap a child up in bed.
It’s beautiful, has a huge amount of stories within and knowing how much pleasure the Grimm title brought, this will certainly prove itself more than worth the money for such a book that will be lovingly passed down. Thank you Taschen.
Release Date: 10/02/13
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
In June of 1938, Action Comics debuted with a new kind of comic book character on its cover: A costumed man with two identities, who possessed extraordinary strength and powers, a man able to protect the public when ordinary measures would not do. He was not the first super hero, but the Man of Steel would become the prototype for all super heroes thereafter. Superman's story, and those of Batman, Wonder Woman, and hundreds of other DC Comics characters are all told in "The Golden Age of DC Comics". The single most comprehensive book on the subject, this volume traces the company's first decades, from its pulp origins up to the comic book burnings of the McCarthy '50s in over 400 pages bursting with comics, art, comics, photographs, and more comics. Plus an exclusive interview with legendary Sgt. Rock/Hawkman artist Joe Kubert! TASCHEN's series on "DC Comics" explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award - winning XL book, "75 Years of DC Comics", this new series hits the shelf at a reader friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and over 500 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced using the latest technology to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans.
REVIEW:
The early days of DC and their creation of much loved characters comes to the fore in a solid title that not only brings wonderful artwork to the fore but profiles and interviews with those behind the scenes. The book is informative and whilst I’m not as up on a lot of the characters within as perhaps I should be, I got to see a lot of the original costumes that occasionally make an appearance in today’s spin offs.
The book is written in a wonderful style with the author bringing a clear love of the subject matter to the fore but in such a way that its not an infodump but includes wonderful side anecdotes. Add to the mix a whole host of material that you may be unfamiliar with alongside the history and all round it’s a title that I really have loved reading through. Definitely something that’s going to be part of the pride of my graphic novel collection.
Release Date: 10/06/13
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
With super heroes nearly extinct at the start of the 1950s, DC Comics reignited the fire that would make them central to modern popular culture by infusing them with science fiction elements. To circumvent the limitations of the self-censoring Comics Code Authority, DC's writers and editors spun ever-more fantastic tales, bringing super heroes and Bob Hope alike into the realm of sci-fi. "DC Comics: The Silver Age" chronicles the transformation, with comics' first-ever "reboot" of Golden Age greats the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman; as well as the increasingly wacky shenanigans of Batman, who was transformed into the reluctant spokesman for the camp sensibility of the '60s with a hit TV series that immortalized the "Dark Knight" as a pop culture icon for generations to come. Plus a new exclusive interview with Deadman/Green Lantern/Batman artist Neal Adams! TASCHEN's series on "DC Comics" explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award-winning XL book, "75 Years of DC Comics", this new series hits the shelf at a reader friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and over 500 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced using the latest technology to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans.
REVIEW:
As a fan of comics, I’ve always had a lot of fun reading the latest exploits of a lot of the DC characters, and whilst I am, primarily a Marvel Guy, its great to get a book that details the world of DC from the mid fifties into the seventies which brings some of the more familiar characters to the modern reader.
The book has tons of wonderful illustrations, great depth of knowledge and alongside bringing the people behind the characters to the forefront really fired not only my own imagination but gave me something to sit back and enjoy on so many levels.
Add to the mix some characters you may not be quite as familiar with as you should be, a wonderful presentation style that will please the reader and entertain alongside giving the reader a solid historical background (and to be honest I’m taking the authors word for it here rather than knowing too much personally) all round made this a book that I’ll be reading quite a few times. I really can’t wait to dive into the Bronze Age that is more my own personal history. Cracking.
Release Date: 25/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Fuzzy bunnies, big-eyed girls, meat, magic and mystery Mark Ryden's carnival of kitsch. Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, "Pop Surrealism", dragging a host of followers in his wake. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation. Ryden's vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliche and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. Complex in its arcane and idiosyncratic subject matter, Ryden's work can leave no viewer unmoved. This sweeping retrospective book brings Ryden's work to the world, with nearly two decade's worth of paintings and works on paper, broadening the horizons of his uncanny universe.
REVIEW:
I love artwork that makes you question and think about the image, so when we had the opportunity to view this title by mark Ryden, it was something we couldn’t leave alone as he merges the world of very doll looking characters with bizarre, macabre twists with his own musings that bring a wonderful sense of humour and whimsy to the viewer’s mind.
It’s cleverly done, it has a great flow about it and for me, it was a book that kept me wanting to see more to figure out what he was going to come up with next to titillate my imagination. Finally add to this a title that’s backed up with the artists own musings about the creations. The details are stunning and to be honest I’m still noticing new things each time I go through it that I’d missed on previous reads. Its quirky, it’s fun and above all else its insightful to delve into the mind of an artist. All round a great item and one that I’ll have a lot of fun with time and again.
Release Date: 15/05/12
SYNOPSIS:
Behind closed doors. Lustful places, luscious women. A number of years ago I began to see distinctive layouts in "Hustler's Leg World" that got me nervous. The photographs were that good. Whoever it was had style and made the women his women. Krider women. Women I began to desire on a monthly basis. In the world of professional golf there is an expression "the world's greatest golfer not to win a major tournament." Chas Ray Krider was the world's greatest erotic photographer not to have a book. Thanks to TASCHEN we now have over 160 Krider images to pore over. To salivate over. Like a good film noir, he takes us to lustful places. Is it a crime scene or a sea of lust? These beautiful, languid women wait for whom? For me. For you. They play the "waiting game" beautifully. An ass in the air, a pair of crossed legs in nylons, all bathed in warm tones. A still life unstuck in time. So this is what goes on behind closed doors? Oh, I almost forgot. Alongside these many Midwest femme fatales is Dita, raven-haired icon. Not since Betty Page has a woman fleshed out so correctly a vintage girdle and bra ensemble. Enjoy. He takes you places where you only vaguely think you have been. Eric Kroll, editor and pupil.
REVIEW:
As a fan of Pin Up Art I’m always interested in the perception of the form in the 50’s. As such this book by Chas Kryder seemed to be right up my street especially with Dita Von Tease appearing within. Sadly for me this book feels more like one man’s personal choices of photographs for his own gratification rather than the fun images of fetish wear of the fifties represented by models like Bettie Page.
Unfortunately for me, the images within felt cheap, tacky and with the photographers choice of cheap nasty charity “vintage” lingerie that was taken in what felt like a seedy motel room without the benefit of being staged. Add to this, models that look bored with the poses and look like they’re having as much fun as someone getting smacked in the face with a wet fish which all round left this title feeling fairly flat.
Finally the photographers writing and use of language felt over stuffed with ego fluffing that when read made me feel that this was more about power alongside personal preferences rather than exploring the fetish world of the fifties with a fun attitude. All in for me this was a great disappointment.
Release Date: 25/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Fuzzy bunnies, big-eyed girls, meat, magic and mystery Mark Ryden's carnival of kitsch. Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, "Pop Surrealism", dragging a host of followers in his wake. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation. Ryden's vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliche and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. Complex in its arcane and idiosyncratic subject matter, Ryden's work can leave no viewer unmoved. This sweeping retrospective book brings Ryden's work to the world, with nearly two decade's worth of paintings and works on paper, broadening the horizons of his uncanny universe.
REVIEW:
I love artwork that makes you question and think about the image, so when we had the opportunity to view this title by mark Ryden, it was something we couldn’t leave alone as he merges the world of very doll looking characters with bizarre, macabre twists with his own musings that bring a wonderful sense of humour and whimsy to the viewer’s mind.
It’s cleverly done, it has a great flow about it and for me, it was a book that kept me wanting to see more to figure out what he was going to come up with next to titillate my imagination. Finally add to this a title that’s backed up with the artists own musings about the creations and overall it’s a book that whilst overpriced currently, will make a cracking addition to your own personal library when the mass market print arrives probably next year.
Release Date: 29/05/02
SYNOPSIS:
This illustrated text tells the story of the American pin-up as a genre as utterly American as the paintings of Edward Hopper. It describes the genre's origins and development, showcasing the most important artists.
REVIEW:
This title rereleased by Taschen, takes the reader on a journey to discover the best of the pin up genre by the originators and some of the best still out there. It’s got artwork by greats like Vargas, Elvgren as well as Al Moore carefully selected by the books authors Charles Martignett and Louis Meisel to give the reader a title to love.
Whilst my own personal tastes for Pin-up is more along the lines of the cheeky cheesecake sense of fun, this book gives you a wonderful journey and a cracking way to get to know the artists who inspired a future generation such as Olivia DeBerardinis, Jennifer Janesko and Luis Royo. A cracking title all round and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Release Date: 04/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
This is a compendium of the Brothers Grimm's most beloved fairy tales, newly translated and accompanied by an array of vintage illustrations. This book brings together twenty-seven of the most beloved of the famous Grimms' fairy tales, including all the classics, such as "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty", and "Hansel and Gretel" in an all-new translation specially commissioned for this publication. Containing a painstakingly-researched selection of illustrations by some of the most famous illustrators from the 1820s to the 1950s-including golden age legend Kay Nielsen, bestselling author Gustaf Tenggren, British darlings Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham, and giants of nineteenth century German illustration Gustav Sus, Heinrich Leutemann, and Viktor Paul Mohn, as well as many new discoveries-this compilation also includes beautiful silhouettes culled from original publications from the 1870s and 1920s that run throughout the entire layout. Interlaced in the book are also dozens of entirely new silhouettes designed and created especially for this book. In addition to the tales, the book also includes an introduction to the Grimms' legacy, brief introductory texts for each tale, and extended artists' biographies in the appendix. For adults and children alike, this classic addition to any library brings to life the never-ending magic of the Grimms' fairy tales and their delightful illustrations. The following fairy tales are featured in the book: "The Frog Prince"; "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats"; "Little Brother and Little Sister"; "Rapunzel"; "Hansel and Gretel"; "The Fisherman and His Wife"; "The Brave Little Tailor"; "Cinderella"; "Mother Holle"; "Little Red Riding Hood"; "The Bremen Town Musicians"; "The Devil with Three Golden Hairs"; "The Shoemaker and the Elves"; "Tom Thumb's Travels"; "Sleeping Beauty"; "Snow White"; "Rumpelstiltskin"; "The Three Feathers"; "The Golden Goose"; "Jorinde and Joringel"; "The Goose Girl"; "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"; "The Star Coins"; "Snow White and Red Nose"; "The Hare and the Hedgehog"; "Puss n' Boots"; and, "The Golden Key".
REVIEW:
Many modern readers believe that the Brothers Grimm were all sweetness and light, usually as their tales have been bought and translated to the modern medium of film by companies like Disney, for those of us raised with the older material, you’ll more than be aware of the darker and, at times, quite scary tales that we were raised on that contained hidden morals and messages for the reader to learn.
This title by Taschen is a wonderful new translation of the original text (now celebrating its second centenary) by Matthew Price, picked up with artwork from some of the original stories alongside some modern masters to create a truly unique experience. Its dark, its foreboding but most of all it’s a book that children will love (after all who doesn’t like a scare just before lights out?) Add to this some insight into the stories for the adult reader and this is a book that will beloved for generations. An absolute cracker of a title that will appeal to the child in all of us and a book that I feel will make one of the most amazing gifts this Christmas. Magic.
Release Date: 25/10/11
SYNOPSIS:
They're not your girls next door. This title deals with fashion and fetish in a female fantasyland. Ellen von Unwerth was a supermodel before the term was invented, so she knows a thing or two about photographing beautiful women. Now one of the world's most original and successful fashion photographers, she pays homage to the world's most delectable females in Fraulein. This celebration of our era's sexiest female icons includes Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis, Britney Spears, Eva Mendes, Lindsay Lohan, Dita von Teese, Adriana Lima, Carla Bruni, Eva Green, Christina Aguilera, Monica Bellucci and dozens more. Switching effortlessly between color and immaculate black and white, von Unwerth's photography revels in sexual intrigue, femininity, romance, fetishism, kitsch humor, decadence and sheer joie de vivre. Whether nude or in lingerie and a dazzling smile, her subjects are never objectified. Some flaunt personal fantasies; others are guarded, suggesting that we have stumbled into a secret world. Fashion and fantasy were never so enchantingly combined. These images were shot over the last 15 years and many are previously unpublished.
REVIEW:
Whilst this is a reprint of the title released last year, this one comes in at a better price which will allow not only followers of fashion, but fans of photography to see how a master not only snaps people in candid moments but manages to set the scene with dressing. It’s evocative, it’s as beautiful as the people it portrays and there’s a photographic style to suit all with my personal favourite being the Art Deco styling’s of the models, especially when there’s an inner strength portrayed that comes out in the image.
It’s a coffee table book, it’s a title to inspire but above all else it is an item that will be viewed time and again as the reader can’t resist looking at the photographic medium by a true master of the lens. Great stuff and wonderful value for the sheer selection of shots within.
Release Date: 25/10/10
BOOK BLURB:
Literally meaning pictures of the floating world , ukiyo-e refers to the famous Japanese woodblock print genre that originated in the 17th century and is practically synonymous with the Western world's visual characterization of Japan. Because they could be mass produced, ukiyo-e works were often used as designs for fans, New Year's greeting cards, single prints, and book illustrations, and traditionally they depicted city life, entertainment, beautiful women, kabuki actors, and landscapes. The influence of ukiyo-e in Europe and the USA, often referred to as Japonisme, can be seen in everything from impressionist painting to today's manga and anime illustration.Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the last great artists in the ukiyo-e tradition. Though he captured a variety of subjects, his greatest talent was in creating landscapes of his native Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and his final masterpiece was a series known as 100 Famous Views of Edo (1856-1858). This resplendent complete reprint pairs each of the 120 large-scale illustrations with a description, allowing readers to plunge themselves into Hiroshige's beautifully vibrant landscapes.
REVIEW:
Art work from the east has long since been coveted by western collectors and whilst some of the names aren’t that well known, there is one stands out from a great many. That of Hiroshige, a ukiyo-e artist born in 1797. Within this title is a whole set of beautiful artwork that has inspired artists such as Van Gogh as well as a large proportion of modern tattooist artists. This title is beautifully presented with a great selection of prints recreated from the original woodblocks held within the Ota Memorial Museum in Tokyo and backed with the authoritative voices of Lorenz Bichler as well as Melanie Trede who really brings the artwork to a modern audience.
All in a great title and one that will be treasured by any who have the chance to view this beautiful selection. I can guarantee that a great many pieces may well end up being tattooed in the near future which makes this a spellbinding coffee table title.
BOOK BLURB:
This title presents roadside Americana, fantasy, kitsch and joy on the American roadside. Before the advent of corporate communications and architectural uniformity, America's built environment was a free-form landscape of individual expression. Signs, artifacts and even buildings ranged from artisanal to eccentric, from deliciously kitsch to quasi-psychedelic. Photographer John Margolies spent decades documenting these eye-catching and endearingly idiosyncratic examples of roadside advertising and fantasy structures, a fast-fading form of Americana. This book brings together approximately 400 color photographs arranged into chapters by subject: Main Street signs, movie theaters, gas stations, fast food restaurants, motels, roadside attractions, miniature golf, and Atlantic coast resorts. In an age when online shopping and mega-malls have reconfigured American consumerism, Margolies' 30-year survey reminds us of a more innocent, unpredictable and colorful past.
REVIEW:
Whilst everyone is herded to the latest gadgets or must own products, one aspect that is starting to sadly fade is the expressionism of the individual and nowhere is it clearer than in this recently released title by Taschen where the dreams and quirkiness of the few are available for the masses. Here, in this title, author/photographer John Margolies has clocked up over 30 years and 100,000 miles visiting the architecturally unusual or even downright jaw dropping advertising of the American highways/byways alongside roadside attractions which enhanced not only the local community but became a curio for the masses from a sadly disappearing bygone era.
Whilst not every piece from the weird to the kitsch will inspire the reader, it's a fabulous collection of the Americana idiosyncrasies that made the country what it is today. Were these true national treasures to be lost to time and modern development, in my mind, it would be a sad loss to the identity as well as entrepreneurial skills of the generations gone before whose mind conceived of these true wonders of the modern world.
Yet again, a few may well be glad to see what some would term as monstrosities disappear completely from the mind and landscape but its these very things that helped form the identity as well as the dreams of those who now walk upon the same road as these, what I can only term as pioneers. Overall, this title is a great talking point, its quirky but above all its an inspirational graphical demonstration of the individual that deserves to be remembered by all. I truly hope that this title not only amuses but will also help in the preservation of these curio's, true treasures of modern architecture.
