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Favorite coffee table books
Ok, the first thread I've attempted to start, here goes: I love coffee table books. I'd imagine a lot of us do. Collecting them is expensive and difficult, as so many of them go into print briefly and disappear, and can only be found with great difficulty on the 2nd hand market, so I've never been a serious collector, but I love having them around, and I love looking at what is often a collection of some of the more personal work of photographers and artists who's work I've loved and followed over the years. So with that, in full "High Fidelity" mode, I'll list some of my favorite coffee table books, right off the top of my head (I'm in Europe away from my collection), in no particular order. For the time being, I'll limit them solely to those that are photography-based. "Helmut Newton: Work" As comprehensive an overview of Newton as you can find. If you can only afford to buy one, start with this one. "Front Row Backstage" by Mario Testino A humorous, affectionate look through the eyes of a true lover of fashion and a true master of fashion photography at what is usually a hidden (and chaotic) world of the fashion week shows, documentary-style. I really could've listed several of his books, but I'll limit myself to just this one. "Go-Sees" by Juergen Teller Just a year's worth of polaroids of agency girls sent on go-sees to Teller's studio. "Uncommon Places" by Stephan Shore Remarkable how one can see such beauty in such ordinariness. "Terryworld" by Terry Richardson Enough said. "Sofasexy: or How to Make a Piece of Furniture Into an Object of Desire" by Rankin Love the concept, love the humor, love the sexy attitude... I just love it. "U2 and I" by Anton Corbijn Portraiture and celebrity portraiture at the highest level. "Yosemite and the Range of Light" by Ansel Adams Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous... "Digital Diaries" by Natasha Merritt With the publication of this book Ms. Merritt pretty much announced herself as the first poetess of this emerging (and often horrible) genre. All websters should check this out. It's pretty much the first "meisterwerk" of the web genre. "Cyclops" by Albert Watson A beautiful volume of beautifully reproduced imagery, quality is really first class, and the work is really damn beautiful. "Jonvelle(s)" by Jean-Paul Jonvelle The affection with which he viewed his models is positively heart-warming. These aren't "nudes" so much as portraits and moments of girls viewed through the eyes of one who loved them. "Couples" by Ellen von Unwerth This one makes me smirk, smile, and giggle all the way through. "The Ballad of Sexual Dependency" by Nan Goldin Beautiful, haunting, beautiful. My favorite of her work. "The Lady is a Tramp" by David Bailey One longtime London fashion shooter fills a book with nothing but his wife. The result is wonderful. "Sex" by Steven Meisel and Madonna Years after the hype is over, this was actually at moments one hell of an exhilerating photographic ride. And the design work of Fabien Baron, well, this was Baron at his best. That should suffice for now. I've probably forgotten a few favorites, and I'm sure that a lot of you (espcially those that have preferences other than fashion) have many more to share. Dec 02 05 02:53 pm Link Akira - Katsuhiro Otomo The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller the Big Fat Kill - Frank Miller Sexy Robot - Hajime Sorayama Sin City - Frank Miller Batman Year One - Frank Miller - Mazzuchelli Batman Hush - Jim Lee - Joeph Loeb Anything from Todd McFarlane! The Art of Star Wars Episodes I - III The Age of the Spiritual Machines (great read - I read it a few years back - the technological predictions are dead on so far! I still thumb through it...) Various men's magazines... Surfer Mag. Transworld Snowboarding Game developer Magazine My coffee table books have long since spilled over to my couch and ottoman.. ha ha! Man I hear ya on the expensive part... I'm at the point now where I just include 200 bucks per month as my book budget... the internet os a great reference point - but nothing compares to having a book infront of you!! Dec 02 05 03:00 pm Link Marko likes U2? My favourite band. Yow! Dunno, bought Sumo autographed copy. Won't fit on my coffee table, but good thing it came with a stand. I buy things that appreciate over time. Taschen told me I can sell my Sumo for $5,000 which is almost double the price I paid. The shipping of the book was a killer I remember, where I almost didn't buy it. I collect Visionaire and ones that aren't sealed are on my coffee table. Toys and the Tom Ford (lightbox) issues are on my table right now. Two of my favourite. Sure better than collecting clothes, which deappreciate the moment you buy them and worse than cars. Dec 02 05 03:11 pm Link Kuree, it's really embarrassing because some people think of me as some sort of annoying terminal case hipster taste nazi, but I flew all the way back home last month just to see them play in Oakland (wife bought me tickets months ago). I haven't missed a tour since the Joshua Tree. Oh, and as a fan base, I have to say we're getting REALLY old and REALLY un-hip. And one of the best photo exhibits I've ever seen was a collection of portraiture by Anton Corbijn in Dresden. His original prints are breathtaking. Which is kind of surprising for a celebrity shooter. Yeah, Sumo is out of my reach. I once saw a humongous copy of Newton's Big Nudes that was the size of the original prints. Also with a humongous stand. Less book and more scultpure. COuldn't afford it, didn't have a place for it. One day though I'd love to have one of those copies of that edition. Would love to collect Visionaire but I'm not rich enough. The Testino-curated sex issue definitely has me wanting one, though. I'd kill to be able to afford to get my hands on the Tom Ford one. Dec 02 05 03:16 pm Link Not sure of the title but there is a book on Tibetan painting and artwork. The size is 24 x 30 inches I believe and every page of art work which is most of them is great stuff that you could hang on your wall. Reminds me to pick one or three up before it goes out of print. Dec 02 05 04:12 pm Link Hotel LaChapelle and H.R.Giger's Necronomicons are some at the top of my list..... Dec 02 05 07:32 pm Link Bruno Bisang's "Photographs." No one hears of him, but he is master. Sincerely Yours, Tavuk Hantaviro Dec 02 05 07:40 pm Link Tavuk Hantaviro wrote: Yes, I know him, and his work is wonderful, though I haven't seen that book. Tavuk, I have a recommendation for you. "Four Inches," a book about heels. You just might enjoy it. If customs doesn't confiscate it, that is. Dec 02 05 07:55 pm Link Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote: If is available in Bulgaria, I'm all over it. ("All over it" is correct words, yes?) Shoes with heels...sigh... Dec 02 05 08:07 pm Link Tavuk Hantaviro wrote: I've got that book! Picked it up in a used bookstore in West Hollywood before a shoot. Classical work. Nice! Dec 02 05 08:17 pm Link I'll have to check out that book, Tavuk. I really love your work and love a good suggestion! Myself, I love makeup (obviously), photography, fashion and cooking. So here are some of my faves: Let There Be Fashion by Lynn Schnurberger The Chronicle of Western Fashion by Peacock/Abrams The Impossible Image by Various/Selected by the art director of British Vogue Fashion Images de Mode- All editions, some still needed Lots of Rankin here. Hair Style by Amy Fine Collins The Mane Thing by Kevin Mancuso The Pasta Cookbook by Williams Sonoma And all of the Kevin Aucoin books. So much fun. Dec 02 05 08:19 pm Link Tracey Masterson wrote: The Fashion Images de Mode books are great. I only have #2 and 3 unfortunately, I'll have to get a few of the others second hand. And a great marriage of beautiful food photography and great food period is "The French Laundry Cookbook." I live in NorCal and I've been promising to take my wife there for ages. It's a beautiful volume, gorgeous food photography and exquisitely printed. That one I keep in the art book case, not in the kitchen. Dec 02 05 08:32 pm Link The Best of Helmut Newton First edition. Patrick Demarchelier: Fashion Photography Had completely forgot about this book (it's well over 10 years old). I should prolly read it sometime, but for now, lookie tha pretty pictures, weeeeeee. The Portfolios of Ansel Adams Thanks for the book mom! Wishlist: The Beauty of Fetish Vol. 1, Steve Diet Goedde Great topic. I had forgotten about having a coffee table book. Seriously. Dec 02 05 08:34 pm Link Look for any of the many book of photos by Lucien Clergue. Dec 02 05 11:41 pm Link If You Give a Moose a Muffin  Dec 02 05 11:43 pm Link Oh yes, Motel Fetish by Chas Ray Krider, if you dont have it, you should! Dec 02 05 11:47 pm Link Is also "Vic Eating Cabbage: the Photography of Jim Riegel" ISBN 0-9544746-0-0. Very rare. Amazing strange work. Even Amazon.Com doesn't have. Strange, but it makes you think... Sincerely Yours, Tavuk Hantaviro Dec 02 05 11:58 pm Link Tavuk Hantaviro wrote: roflamo! I don't know why that is so funny to me. Dec 03 05 12:17 am Link Kuree wrote: Is not funny. Is serious thought-provoking art work. See at: http://adnax.com/books/books01.htm Dec 03 05 12:21 am Link Phoenix E wrote: I have an autographed version of "Necronomicons" Dec 03 05 12:45 am Link Something totally different: Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable Wold -- by Ellin Beltz -- Firefly Press. Tons of cool photos, understandable text. Dec 03 05 01:00 am Link "Bernard of Hollywood: The Ultimate Pin-up Book" by Susan Bernard "The Home Planet: Images of the Earth from Space" "National Geographic Photographs: Then and Now" "Femme Fatale" by Serge Normant "The Playmate Book" "A Century of Lingerie" "The Great American Pin-up" Just off the top of my head. M Dec 03 05 08:47 am Link Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote: Marko, do you have Terryworld on your coffee table? Dec 03 05 09:16 am Link ericphotonyc wrote: Yes, although I haven't actually seen my own copy yet LOL. Bought it and had it shipped home while in Europe. I saw it in a European bookstore twice, never bought it, always wanted it. I'd gotten the Terry Richardson Stern magazine special edition to tide me over in the meantime. It, too, has that magical picture of Kate Moss laughing at a naked Richardson, and of course the infamous sheep picture outtake from the Sisley "Farming" campaign. Dec 03 05 09:26 am Link Tulsa was out of print for a long time. I believe copies were selling for $1500 +. It was (relatively) recently reissued. Also check out Pierre Molinier. He committed suicide in 1976. His daughter then found his remarkable self-portraits. He created them for himself. The work was shown and published post-humously. Remarkable, remarkable work. Larry Sultan - "The Valley" and "Pictures from Home" Nan Golden - "The Ballad of Sexual Dependency" Cindy Sherman - "The Complete Untitled Film Stills" Hiroshi Sugimoto If you ever have some time to kill and are near Times Square, got to the book store at the International Center of Photography. Dec 03 05 10:20 am Link Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote: Good calls. Oh yes, Motel Fetish by Chas Ray Krider, if you dont have it, you should! Good call. Cindy Sherman - "The Complete Untitled Film Stills" Yep. Dec 03 05 10:56 am Link "Beautiful" by Marc Baptiste "Half Past Autumn" & "A Star for Noon" by Gordan Parks Dec 03 05 11:04 am Link "The Valley" is definitely on my list. Right up there with the updated Pirelli calendar volume and most especially Paolo Roversi's "Studio" which very quickly went out of print. Dec 04 05 05:44 am Link great thread! (there's actually been a lot of great ones lately!) I love Vanity Fair's Hollywood - great images from the beginning til now... Dolce and Gabbana's Hollywood (o.k. - maybe that's not the right title...but it's a gray silver cover...) I have a beautiful Patrick DeMarchelier book that I don't know the title of.... and I'd love to get the Phaidon book called 'samples' (I think) it's a white cloth cover very cooly done and it was in the store for $180 (that's a bit steep for me) Julia Dec 04 05 07:32 am Link did anyone buy the book of of Helmut Newtons work that was larger than most coffee tables???...i think it was well over a grand. Dec 04 05 08:39 am Link BCG wrote: You're probably talking about "Big Nudes" and it came with a stand. I've seen it twice (once in Berlin at his museum, and once somewhere else in the States, but I don't remember where, it was a long time ago). The book was nearly the size of his actual gallery prints of the show, and the show was called "Big Nudes" for a reason. Dec 04 05 08:50 am Link BCG wrote: It's #2,127,440 in Books on Amazon. The smaller version is a significantly better seller (#76,365). Dec 04 05 09:06 am Link Terryworld! 3 Roy Stuart's books, (missing the third) Andy Goldsworthy, an artist who works with nature. Some of the hard-to-find and rare books can be found at http://www.alibris.com Dec 04 05 09:10 am Link i wonder how many units they sold of the big version?!?...did he steal he idea from Kramer on Seinfeld?!? Dec 04 05 09:10 am Link dang, Marko, good call on a thread...i actually juss boxed up a bunch of my books to move, but, lemme think.... Cyclops/ Albert Watson Spectrum Annuals...basically a yearly collection of editorial/science fiction/ comic book/ fantasy illustration... the Art of James Christensen Stars by Kruger Mythology/ Alex Ross an Alphonse Mucha collection the Art of Coop.... hmmm, obviously short on photographic collections, but i'm googling a lot of the stuff i'm seeing above me:) Dec 04 05 11:22 am Link H. Robert Holmes wrote: There's a 4th Roy Stuart book now titled "The Fourth Body," also published by Taschen. Dec 05 05 03:38 am Link Well, I am a big Helmut Newton fan and I am also a big Tony Ward and Ellen Von Unwerth fan as well. There have been a lot of good ones lately. I just got my copy of Pam an American Icon and it is nice. The book is huge but not quit as big as Sumo and you can tell that a lot of time was put into the making of it by looking at the pages. I also have the new Helmut Newton Playboy book that I think is really well put together. Maybe one day I can get a copy of Sumo if I can fit it through the door. Dec 05 05 04:27 am Link Greg Gorman...JUST BETWEEN US. 2002. What do you think??? Dec 05 05 03:50 pm Link Keith Haring's anthology (BIG RED BOOK) Joe Coleman's Book of Joe Mutter Museum's Book JK Potter's Neuerotic pretty much any outsider art stuff...the more obscure and strange the better Dec 05 05 04:22 pm Link vellum japan vogue noise ten magazine international fashion and beauty my favs..  Dec 05 05 05:43 pm Link |
