"Taking its name from a line in the Wallace Stevens' poem "The Gray Room," Alec Soth's latest book is a lyrical exploration of the limitations of photographic representation. While these large-format color photographs are made all over the world, they aren't about any particular place or population. By a process of intimate and often extended engagement, Soth's portraits and images of his subject's surroundings involve an enquiry into the extent to which a photographic likeness can depict more than the outer surface of an individual, and perhaps even plumb the depths of something unknowable about both the sitter and the photographer"--The publisher.

This book offers a unique opportunity to discover Yamamoto's philosophy as a man as well as a fashion designer, illustrating points in his life by means of story, verse and his own sketches. It includes a philosophical essay, exploring the 'Japanese elements in Yohji Yamamoto'.

Showcasing twenty-five years of iconic art, fashion, and design content from renowned New York–based publication Visionaire. A publishing experiment that began in 1991, Visionaire has taken the shape of everything from a leather-bound portfolio to 12-inch vinyl records to a collection of dolls. With intimate reflections by contributors, a prized collection of nearly 450 images selected from sixty-five issues produced by an astounding cast of artists, photographers, and designers, this book delivers a rich panorama of two decades of media and fashion revolution from the perspective of independent publishing. Original commentary by cofounders Cecilia Dean and James Kaliardos provides unprecedented access to a pivotal New York scene and the creative life behind Visionaire as it shaped the fashion zeitgeist, propelling emerging voices and exceptional content while challenging the limits of print media. This volume is an essential piece of contemporary fashion and media history that traces the shape of things to come. Visionaire contributors include photographers Bruce Weber, Inez & Vinoodh, Mario Sorrenti, Mert and Marcus, Steven Klein, and Steven Meisel; artists Alex Katz, John Baldessari, KAWS, Marina Abramovic, and Yoko Ono; designers Karl Lagerfeld, Rei Kawakubo, and Riccardo Tisci; pop icons Bjork, David Bowie, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus; and many more. Art and fashion connoisseurs and anyone interested in media, design, and culture will find this landmark volume indispensable.

Lavishly illustrated with over 400 sketches, concept renderings and photographs, this book features Pharrell William's prolific body of work in his unique graphic language, including apparel from his Ice Cream/Billionaire Boys Club clothing Line (which he developed with *A Bathing Ape® founder NIGO®), his jewellery and accessories designs for Louis Vuitton, his furniture designs for Domeau & Pérès, as well as other product design, limited-edition toys; graphic designs, skate graphics and collaborations with Moncler, Marc Jacobs, the artist KAWS, and with architects Zaha Hadid and Masamichi Katayama/Wonderwall. This comprehensive book also explores Pharrell William's musical career in depth, from his role as producer for the Neptunes to the band N.E.R.D, and his collaborations with friends Kanye West, Jay-Z, Snoop Dog and other hip-hop royalty. One of the few artists to successfully weave together his varying talents and interests, Pharrell's unique body of work uses elements of music, fashion, street art and product design to create an industry, with one segment both supporting and inspiring the others. Critical essays lend context and position Pharrell's work within contemporary visual and material culture. With sections examining his design work, his music career, his collaborations and his inspirations, this volume gives readers insight into the synergetic process which has brought the artist such success.

California Condors, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein, Japanese horror films, and Gordon Matta-Clark have served as some of the various influences that make up the daring world of Rodarte.In only five years, Rodarte has upended the fashion scene, bringing Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte, to the forefront of the discussion about contemporary design and visual culture.This is the first publication to examine the fashion design work and conceptual world of Rodarte and is created in collaboration with two of the art world's most sought-after and highly acclaimed photographers, Catherine Opie and Alec Soth.Each photographer, in collaboration with Kate and Laura Mulleavy, has developed an entirely new body of work specifically for the book, examining various facets of Rodarte's creative spectrum.Kate and Laura, who live and work between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, California, have consistently brought their love of nature, film, art, and science to bear in their unconventional and exquisitely crafted collections for Rodarte.An additional 16-pages inlay with John Kelsey's essay is inserted in the book. Designed by Patrick Li of Li Inc.

How arbitrary are the marks, analog and digital, used to express language, and where do they begin to muck it all up? This first book from Tauba Auerbach, Yes and Not Yes features over 20 new paintings and drawings that spring from those questions. They offer an excellent if roundabout answer: while letters are largely arbitrary, they are rich with abstract beauty and conceptual depth. In razor-sharp execution--which reveals her training as a sign painter--Auerbach's works on panel and paper update the abstract conceptual tradition, while retaining its intellectual rigor. Uppercase Insides and Numeral Insides recall Russian Suprematism, and, upon further contemplation, turn out to be just what their titles call them. Works based on signal flags and the Ugaritic Alphabet--an extinct language from Syria, 1300 B.C.--confirm that puzzlement is part of the desired effect here. Where direct exchange between sign and meaning is impossible, the beauty of the symbol comes to the fore.

After completing the shooting of Sleeping by the Mississippi in 2002, Alec Soth traveled to Bogot�, Colombia to adopt a baby girl. While the courts processed paperwork, he and his wife spent two months in the capital city waiting to take their new baby home. "The baby's birth mother gave the new parents a book filled with letters, pictures and poems. I hope that the hardness of the world will not hurt your sensitivity," she wrote, "When I think about you I hope that your life is full of beautiful things." With these words as a mission statement, Soth began making his own book for his daughter. Soth writes, "In photographing the city of her birth, I hope I've described some of the beauty in this hard place." Beauty makes itself known through ramshackle architecture, the companionship of animals, and the perseverance of the human spirit. Yet, in Dog Days, Bogot�, Soth's photographs transcend the simple description of beauty and poetically roam through a cast of strays, tough souls, and hints of hope. Alec Soth, born in 1969, is a photographer born and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the recipient of several major fellowships from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations and was awarded the 2003 Santa Fe Prize for Photography. His work is represented in major public and private collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Soth's photographs have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the 2004 Whitney and S�o Paulo Biennials. His monographs Sleeping by the Mississippi and NIAGARA were published by Steidl. Soth is an associate photographer with Magnum Photos

Sun Ra was a controversial and prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano player, poet and philosopher known for his cosmic philosophy, musical compositions and performances. 1972 was a pivotal year for Sun Ra, he had signed a multi-album deal, recorded what would be his most well-known song, Space is the Place and was hard at work scripting and acting in a hilarious auto-biopic movie by the same name. This is a collection of unseen on set and backstage photos as well as pictures of murals created by band member Aye Aton.

An exploration of the dynamic and innovative architecture and interiors commissioned by Louis Vuitton. A prescient advocate of contemporary interiors and architecture, Louis Vuitton continues to encourage innovation and playfulness in the designs of their retail spaces without losing sight of the essence of luxury central to its identity. This process of designing places to display high-style objects has created a new venue for cutting-edge architecture and transformed city streetscapes. This exploration of Louis Vuitton's international stores, as well as industrial sites and unrealized projects, includes interviews with some of today's most talented architects and designers who discuss the beautiful and complex structures they have produced in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. This book examines the physical aspects of these buildings as well as the ideas that went into their composition. Acting as both a backdrop for luxurious retail goods and the physical manifestation of the brand, these spaces are a genre unto themselves that invite exploration. With luxurious finishes and unexpected textures, these fantastic buildings represent the intersection of fashion and interior design. The book includes interviews with Jun Aoki, Peter Marino, Christian de Portzamparc, David McNulty, and Christian Reyne.

An amateur photographer's astonishing collection of images showcase the oftenunexpected psyche of a developing American suburb in the 1950s and 1960s.