This Thursday from 6 to 9 pm, Mark Batty Publisher presents prints from The Noir A to Z. In The Noir A to Z, photographer Julian Hibbard offers an abecedary unlike any other. Drawing on his professional work shooting black & white and color photographs for everything from CD and book covers to high-end fashion, Hibbard has paired a word with one of his photographs for all twenty-six letters in the alphabet. The resulting board book contains images that evoke the shadowy, sexy and voyeuristic noir aesthetic. Refreshments will be served.

Prints from The Noir A to Z
Thursday, November 3, 6-9pm
MBP Minigallery
68 Jay Street, Suite 410
Brooklyn

Last night, coming home to Brooklyn on the contact high that was a 2011 Portishead concert, I found out that Steve Jobs passed away. It was expected to happen soon, according to most online media/gossip outlets, yet I still found it difficult to hear and let sink in. I never met the man, but I certainly remember sitting in a studio apartment in Pittsburgh playing Portishead MP3s on my G4, bought used because I couldn’t afford it otherwise (the bane and critique of Apple user and non-user alike). It’s on this machine that I taught myself how to create an entire book (or magazine, as was the goal at the time) out of nothing in Quark. How to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and eventually InDesign. Then OSX came along and blew my mind. And here I am, design director at an illustrated publisher, still creating something out of nothing on an Apple product.

When the first generation iPod came out, my roommate at the time, Drew, received it as a gift from his father. It was this boxy thing, never really used, that spent most of its life at the bottom of one of his desk drawers. I didn’t know much about it, but then I borrowed it and used it on a few daily subway commutes—people leaned in, looked over my shoulder or sat next to me to get a good look. This wasn’t your typical portable CD player or some faded Walkman. This was the next big thing, an attention-getting game-changer, and if I had a penny in my pocket or even the slightest clue I would’ve invested all in Apple stock.

The face and leader of a true American institution, Steve is now celebrated as an icon around the globe. While his impact on the music and publishing industries is still a vicious debate—one that really hits home for me and many of my closest friends—we can’t deny his own fierce championing of the home computer as a device not just for business but for the artist, the poet, the animator, the musician. He saw these personal devices as interactive elements meant to improve and simplify the means by which we communicate and express ourselves, and this alone makes him wholly unique as an entrepreneur and CEO.

—Christopher D Salyers, Design Director, MBP

The festival was a great chance to get some amazing book deals and at the MBP table The Hot Knives Vegetarian Cookbook: Salad Daze was one of the crowd favorites. I’m guessing reading and walking around works up quite an appetite because by the end of the day we had totally sold out of the book. Our chocolate truffles also disappeared pretty quickly. It’s safe to say that food and books make a good pair–except in libraries, of course.

DJ Spooky talked about climate change and The Book of Ice in a panel, and a few passersby commented on how impressed they were with his work. It’s always nice to get feedback directly from readers. Some other authors that stopped by were Garth Risk Hallberg, author of A Field Guide to the North American Family, Manami Okazaki, author of Kicks Japan, and Olga Ast, author of Infinite Instances.

In short, it was an awesome day.  But don’t be too disappointed if you couldn’t make it because this weekend we will be at the NY Art Book Fair at booth O06, Thursday night through Sunday, for all of your most urgent visual books needs. Check back for a full list of all the goodies we will be offering.

–Melissa Obando, Publicity Intern

Alright, The Hot Knives Vegetarian Cookbook: Salad Daze drops today, and it’s the perfect weather to stay home in the kitchen and get sloshed while making some hearty + delicious vegetarian grub. Authors and kitchen masters Alex Brown and Evan George showed up on KCRW’s Good Food to show you how and why to make your own condiments, including Sriracha and how to turn your $5 Trader Joe’s olive oil into the gourmet stuff.

You’re going to need a copy of Salad Daze right away, but check out a taste with some boozy recipes over on The World’s Best Ever. Rarebit on toast, anyone?

Brooklyn Book Festival this Sunday 10am-6pm: come to Borough Hall and check us out at booth #123 with our friends at Purgatory Pie Press. We’ll have some sweet deals and some special super author guests.

But this Friday, to get yourself pumped for the fest, Garth Risk Hallberg, author of  A Field Guide to the North American Family, will be moderating  Hot Authors–a panel and launch party for Canteen Magazine’s new issue at 3rd Ward. Should be pretty steamy.

And on Sunday at the BBF, Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky, author of The Book of Ice, will be on the mainstage at 2pm talking about sustainability and the changing environment with Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

Then next week gets crazy: Paul Miller will be opening Climate Week NYC with Andrew Revkin and talking with Donavan Hohn at McNally Jackson, Simone Lueck will be showing off Cuba TV at Clic gallery, and Olga Ast and Infinite Instances contributors will be celebrating at the Robert Miller gallery. And stay tuned for info about the NY Art Book Fair the first weekend of October.

Come out!

Otis Frizzell sprays away.

This is a new one: police recruitment via graffiti?

Clearly, things are a lot different down under. A New Zealand ad campaign features stenciled police officers and their good-doings on the streets of Auckland, with a suggestive “this could be you!” type message. Don’t be fooled, graffiti is not legal in New Zealand. Perhaps this is why the campaign has generated so much hype.

Street artist Otis Frizzell was approached by the police to carry out their idea. He admits to NewsWire, he found it “unusual that the police were approaching him to start with.” It’s all a little confusing, but hopefully the force finds what it is they are looking for.

Obamabraham.

This bomb collection of artwork not only caters to our tastes (all things street art, pop culture, breakfast cereal, pareidolia), we’re a fan of the subject matter too. Especially the recurring unicorn theme. Check out this list and fall in love. We enjoy drawing connections between current events and our backlist, so here are a few we thought of while checkin’ out the art:

Cereal: Snap, Crackle, Pop Culture – If you find it awesome that someone thought to create Obama’s face using only cereal, we have a feeling you’d get a kick out of Ed Daly’s obsession with America’s favorite breakfast.

Kicks Japan – So maybe there are no Air Jordans, but there is so much more to be excited about to be found with the turn of a colorful page of this book: one that gives dutiful attention to Japan’s sneaker addiction.

Bay Area Graffiti – An old classic we’ve face-lifted and will be re-releasing in paperback form come fall. It is chock full of impressive examples of some of this country’s—not just San Francisco’s—most talented street artists.

Madonna of the Toast – Love the face of Obama in a coffee mug? Check out this witty compilation of pareidolia cases, and find out who’s hiding in a cinnamon bun. Seriously!

The LA release party is this Saturday, August 6, 6-9pm. Simone made an awesome video invite:

You’re Invited from Simone Lueck on Vimeo.

Unfortunately, we’ll be stuck in Brooklyn, hiding out at the office 24/7 to take advantage of the air conditioning. But West Coasters should get to Kopeikin Gallery early for the cocktails and Cuban food truck delights.

We won’t be too bummed this weekend–lucky us, Simone is going to make a stop in New York this fall. Hopefully, she’ll bring mojitos.

Silver Circles

Graffiti is always at the forefront of controversy, and as with many other controversial subjects, extreme passion comes from both sides of the argument. A documentary explores the relationship between street artists and those who buff their work, entitled Vigilante Vigilante. What seems to start out as an anti-graffiti movement soon becomes exactly what they attempt to snuff out with their silver spray paint; soon becoming yet another breed of vandals. These self-appointed vigilantes take it upon themselves—and in turn, break the law themselves—in order to cover up the work of graffiti artists. They develop their own style, persona, territory, tag, even…leaving the question: what separates them from the graffiti artists? Many of the vigilantes featured in the film have been arrested, and some bear conflicting feelings about their pursuit. Vigilante explores the complex and contradictory underworld of graffiti artists from the unique perspective of their counterparts, and sheds light on how, when, and why they do what they do.

For more, check out the film’s official website and the official trailer.