Dr. SeussJuice

in regard to clothing, t-shirts are my favorite item… right up there with pearl snaps. cuz there’s nothin like the way you feel when you’re sporting the t-shirt and jeans look.  if you’re like me, this book may also be for you!  from Amazon:

Ripped is the first book to document the shirts of the post-punk and indie period, after the submission of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll to mass popularity and before the onset of ironic consumerism. Carefully selected from the archives of vintage fashion collector Cesar Padilla, the 200 T-shirts in this book are classic examples of rare and extremely limited shirts created by and for the very bands who embodied the true essence of the DIY and indie movements—from The Ramones to Sonic Youth, John Cale, Talking Heads, Madonna, X, Pil, The Germs, and many others. Each shirt has been photographed in all its gritty, sweat-stained glory just as it was found—on the street, in a thrift store, or inherited from a friend.

The Washington Ballet teamed up with photographer Cade Martin to create some very beautiful photographs.  the pictures were gathered and placed in Wonderland, a commemorative book highlighting the great works presented by the company.  the DC area ballet company certainly has impressive moves!

ooh, this looks great!  available for purchase from Amazon. Cool Hunting has a great interview with author Sean Cliver and also had this to say about the book:

At a whopping 368 full-color pages, the hardcover indeed makes for something of a biblical account, cataloging an astonishing breadth of 20th Century skateboard graphics. Peppered with quotes from former pros and accounts from obsessive collectors, Disposable also ventures into new territory, charting the nostalgia-fueled craze of collecting that brings many to the brink of bankruptcy.

this looks GREAT!  if Jim Carey in Man on the Moon was any indication of how interesting Andy Kaufman’s humor is… this book should be right on point.  from Amazon:

Famous for his role as Latka Gravas on television’s Taxi and for his appearances on Saturday Night Live and his own variety show, the legendary eccentric performer Andy Kaufman provoked a national outrage in 1977 by taunting the women of America and challenging them to wrestle him live on television. Taking on an aggressive and ridiculous personality based upon the characters invented by professional wrestlers, he offered a $1,000 reward to any woman who could pin him.

Thousands of fired-up females (and a few males) responded to the call, and Kaufman received a torrent of impassioned challenges, hate mail, and love letters from would-be wrestling contenders.

These fascinating and sometimes bizarre handwritten letters, photographs, and illustrations from would-be contenders are here assembled into an astonishing Rorschach of the late ‘70s liberated female psyche.

Kaufman’s girlfriend at the time of his death, Lynne Margulies, provides an introduction. Bob Zmuda, Kaufman’s cohort and longtime friend, writes the foreword.

awwww yeah!  the RZA’s Tao of Wu just landed at my feet!  can’t wait to crack this one open and get reading!! check out the review on CNN (although i can already tell they’ve done the book no justice!).  or read the review in my store!  if you’re a fan of The Wu-Tang Manual, you should definintely snag this one!

Deniele Tamagni brilliantly photographed The Gentleman of Bocongo, an aptly named book that portrays the use of fashion as a rebelious statement.  Le SAPE (Society of Ambianceurs and Persons of Elegance) has been around since the 1950s Congo and thrives today, both in Africa and in the club scene of Paris. like their style!

Joseph Hoflehner is quite the talented photographer.  with a portfolio that boasts work from a wide array of locations, he has something to offer every art enthusiast. his most recent ambition is the release of Jet Airliner, a collection of photos of commercial airplanes. check his site for more photos or take a peek at the book on Amazon!

Made For Skate: The Illustrated History of Skateboard Footwear.  yes!  this quote says it all!:

“There used to be a time when you could spot fellow skateboarders by looking at their shoes. You knew it right away – the telltale ollie holes on the sides, the worn down soles, the frazzled laces. You made eye contact and exchanged a knowing nod or a quick what’s up. A little Fight Club moment at the corner store.”

Peter Dean Rickards is the photographer for The Afflicted Yard.  they’ve made this collection of photography available for viewing in its entirety online, for free… a great collection of the rough, rugged and raw nature of Jamaica.  a bit about The Afflicted Yard:

We are Jamaicans living within and without cultural control.

We are at once proud nationalists and harsh critics of our country of origin.

A country known for its extremes.

A place packed with originality and creative energy that continues to flourish despite the current socio-political state that has removed the personal pride of many.

An island filled with beauty unsurpassed and ugliness that would make a rat puke.

This is the Afflicted Yard. A place of extremes where you will see life as we see it.

when Jonathan Singer was diagnosed with Parkinsons, he stopped performing surgery and started taking photos…. breathtakingly beautiful photos of plants. from Audobon Magazing:

Singer began by photographing the flowers he found most compositionally interesting. Then, a few years ago, he bought three orchids at a New Jersey nursery, shot them at home, and returned the next day, images in hand. Marc Hachadourian, the New York Botanical Garden’s curator of Glasshouse Collections, happened to see them. Captivated, he hunted down exotic orchids for Singer, who shot them using his unique rapid-fire approach—taking two or three minutes to set up before snapping one picture per plant. After building up his portfolio, Singer showed it to John Kress, a scientist and curator of botany at the Smithsonian. In an unprecedented move, Kress gave Singer access to the institution’s research greenhouse, home to some of the world’s rarest plants.