Last Gasp Books » publishing

I Am Not of this Planet: The Art of Gary Edson Arlington

Colin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:02:02 +0000

“San Francisco was the capitol of comix culture in the ’60s and early ’70’s and Gary Arlington’s hole-in-the-wall shop was, for me, the capitol of San Francisco”

— Art Spiegelman

“Gary made a cultural contribution in San Francisco in the late ’60s through the ’70s, ’80s & ’90s that was more significant than he himself realizes, I’m sure.”

— Robert Crumb

“It seems that Gary Arlington was the best artist of us all.”

— Paul Mavrides

In the mid-sixties, Gary Arlington opened the SF Comic Book Company, the first comic book store in the USA.

It became a meeting place for underground cartoonists. Gary now spends his days making art.

I AM NOT OF THIS PLANET: THE ART OF GARY EDSON ARLINGTON

OPENING PARTY & book release: Thursday, August 11, 6-9pm

Mina Dresden Gallery

312 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

www.minadresden.com

(415) 863-8312

I AM NOT OF THIS PLANET

The Art Of Gary Edison Arlington

by Gary Arlington
$14.95
Softcover
127 Full color images
90 pages
9 x 6 inches
ISBN-13: 9780867197570
Publisher: Last Gasp

Spring / Summer 2011 Publishing Catalog

Colin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:05:33 +0000

Open publication – Free publishing – More art

Controversial Artist Toshio Saeki’s Peculiar Erotic Work

Colin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:46:59 +0000

One of Japan’s most infamous artists, Toshio Saeki, will soon have his work on display at San Francisco’s 111 Minna Gallery.

Called “the godfather of Japanese erotica,” Toshio Saeki has cultivated a unique and shocking style – blending traditional Japanese technique with his own twisted imagination.

Saeki’s artwork is a synthesis of depraved vision and incredible artistic ability.

“A famous writer once described my works as ‘obviously peculiar’ and I cannot completely deny that,” he said.

“I want to surprise people, make them happy, and if possible, even completely enchant the minds of those who see my work. To realize that, I will choose whatever method it takes, and will not limit myself.”

Saeki embraces the controversial nature of his work. He seeks to challenge social norms by placing the unconscious in plain view.

“In the modern world, where one rarely stops to think about the truth behind the moment, you might enjoy it if you take a peep at my mysterious and strange illusions,” he said.

“To those who frown at them, I want to place the drawings right in front of your face and ask if you really disapprove. I’m always thinking, how wonderful it would be to give shape to psychological pictures which everyone hides and holds deep within them.”

111 Minna Gallery and Last Gasp Present
Toshio Saeki
Opens Thursday, Sept. 4th at 5pm
Show runs November 4th – 27th
21+

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SAEKI’S TECHNIQUE

In a modern version of traditional Japanese woodcut printing, Saeki creates finished work in conjunction with a printing professional. The artist typically prepares only black and white originals. He does not apply color directly to these pieces, but instead uses overlays to enumerate the precise values of the colors he wants.

Saeki works with the terminology of the four-color printing process: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). For example, he indicates a woman’s skin tone should be reproduced with 10% magenta, while her nipples should be 60% magenta. Most of the men in Saeki’s artwork have a skin tone that is 30% magenta, 20% cyan, and 50% yellow.

He calls this method chinto printing – the picture is complete only after it has been printed. It is a modern version of the ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodcut prints or paintings produced between the 17th and 20th centuries. Ukiyo-e were works of collaboration between the eshi (artist) and the surishi (printer). Saeki is paying homage to this style, and considers himself an eshi.

ONIKAGE

A new book by the artist, which was just released by Last Gasp features a selection of Saeki’s previously unpublished works. The art is shown in a gorgeously large format. Throughout the book, paper vellum overlays re-create Saeki’s unique method for adding color to his black and white artwork. Both original black and white renderings and finished color artwork is shown. However, the reader is not allowed to see every image in all stages. Like the artist, the viewer must use his or her imagination to complete these peculiar pictures.

Preview Onikage by Toshio Saeki
56 pages, Hardcover, 11 ¾” x 14 ½”, Color and b&w images, paper vellum inserts
ISBN 978-0-86719-719-7, $39.95
Publication date: August 2010
Published by Last Gasp

BLABWORLD Book Signing

Colin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:50:16 +0000

BLABWORLD Book Signing
Sponsored by The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art (with SOFA Chicago)
Navy Pier Festival Hall

Friday, November 5th, 2011, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Contributing artists, CJ Pyle, Fred Stonehouse, Michael Noland, Travis Lampe, Kari Laine McCluskey, Larry Day, and BLABWORLD founder, editor, and designer, Monte Beauchamp will be available to sign copies of the premiere volume of BLABWORLD, a 10 x 10 inch, full-color, 128-page, periodic hardcover book of works by leading contemporary painters, print makers, illustrators, and sequential artists worldwide.

Attend the book signing and purchase books at the Intuit Store, Booth 1524i.

Get a FREE 3-Day pass to both fairs!

Last Gasp at APE – Oct 16 & 17

Colin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:49:09 +0000

Last Gasp at APE — Booth 320-323

This weekend (Oct 16-17) we’ll be at the Alternative Press Expo right here in our backyard.

The show is one of our very favorites, with an abundance of artists, small press, cartoonists, zine-makers, and creators of all types. If you have any kind of interest in the arts, you should definitely come check it out!

New Books Sept ’10

Colin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:53:31 +0000

Advances for several of our new books arrived: Hi-Fructose Collected Edition Vol. 2, Blab World No. 1, and Tokyo Underground 2. You can also see a preview of what Marion Peck’s upcoming book will look like!

More Photos