powerHouse Books

Bodies of Subversion was the first history of women's tattoo art when it was first released in 1997, providing a fascinating excursion to a subculture that dates back to the 19th century and includes many never-before-seen photographs of tattooed women from the last century. This revised and expanded edition remains the only book to chronicle both the history of tattooos on women and female tatooists, containing all the information and images that made the original such a great success. Includes new chapters and 50 new photos.

As seen on «The Today Show»! «The Day After Tomorrow» takes readers on a journey to bear witness to the environmental destruction that is currently plaguing our planet; from a forest in West Virginia devastated by mountaintop removal mining, to a region in Florida left in ruins by the phosphate mining industry, J. Henry Fair presents hard evidence that our unchecked consumerism is leading the way...

A good street photographer must be possessed of many talents: an eye for detail, light, and composition; impeccable timing; a populist or humanitarian outlook; and a tireless ability to constantly shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot and never miss a moment. It is hard enough to find these qualities in trained photographers with the benefit of schooling and mentors and a community of fellow artists and aficionados supporting and rewarding their efforts. It is incredibly rare to find it in someone with no formal training and no network of peers. Yet Vivian Maier is all of these things, a professional nanny, who from the 1950s until the 1990s took over 100,000 photographs worldwide — from France to New York City to Chicago and dozens of other countries — and yet showed the results to no one. The photos are amazing both for the breadth of the work and for the high quality of the humorous, moving, beautiful, and raw images of all facets of city life in America’s post-war golden age. It wasn’t until local historian John Maloof purchased a box of Maier’s negatives from a Chicago auction house and began collecting and championing her marvelous work just a few years ago that any of it saw the light of day. Presented here for the first time in print, Vivian Maier: Street Photographer collects the best of her incredible, unseen body of work.

В редких и потрясающих фотографиях альбома отражена удивительная жизнь американского актера Стива МакКуина. Самые известные кинокартины, в которых он снялся: «Большой побег», «Афера Томаса Крауна», «Детектив Буллитт», «Вздымающийся ад». Он также был заядлым авто — и мотогонщиком. В 1999 году Американская ассоциация мотоциклистов посмертно пополнила свой Зал славы его именем. Она благодарна ему за то, что он помог избавиться мотоспорту от порочного образа. Вряд ли вы найдете более полный фотоальбом о Стиве МакКуине, об этой легенде и иконе Америки.

High Glitz is a close-up and intimate look at America's child beauty pageants, and in turn our society's obsession with youth, beauty, fame, and fortune. Susan Anderson's vibrant portraits of pageant contestants twist notions of sexuality and identity, with a new perspective on this uniquely American subculture. High Glitz is a subgenre of child beauty pageants characterized by couture glitz costumes and a broad array of cosmetic preparations including, among other tricks of the trade: glamour makeup, elaborate hairstyles, and flippers (false front teeth veneers). Anderson's stunning visuals are complimented by a High Glitz Style Guide, defining and providing examples of the following categories: Beauty/Formal Wear, Western Wear, Sportswear, and Swimwear, with a special section on hairstyles such as the Barbie and the Up-do. Each year as many as 100,000 children under the age of 12 participate in U.S. child beauty pageants, and it has recently become a billion-dollar industry. Parents invest thousands of dollars on costumes and private coaches to give their children a competitive edge, Countless hours are spent by professional hair and makeup artists on each child in preparation for the competition. The girls are spray-tanned, made-up, and groomed to a glossy perfection. Anderson captures the results of this time-consuming transformation process in exquisite detail. In seeing how our society's values of beauty, glamour, and celebrity are reflected in the hopes and dreams of thousands of young girls, we come to see that these pageants are a reflection of American culture itself.

“Kevin Landers may be the best artist you’ve never heard of. For 17 years, the New York photographer has been scouring the Lower East Side, locating beauty and humor in the humblest spots…” —Time Out New York In a remarkable debut from a rapidly rising photographer, Kevin Landers intimately connects us with the quotidian objects and moments that make up the topography of New York City. Jackpot is a 17-year retrospective of his candid and unvarnished encounters with entities and artifacts that capture the grittiness, incongruity, and simplicity of a metropolis that harbors relics of all proportions. “…the images function as a kind of survey of New York during an era in which downtown transformed itself from an immigrant and artist district to one with Whole Foods on major cross-streets and luxury high-rises on unlikely avenues like the Bowery. Mr.Landers ignores the new arrivals and focuses on the old guard….And while [the images] owe plenty to color photography pioneers like William Eggleston and Stephen Shore—saturated prints, lingering on the odd, quirky object—they are grounded in a locale and moment of their own.” —The New York Times “A survey of the color photographs that Landers made between 1990 and 2007 showcases a slacker sensibility too amused and blasé to be seriously cynical. Like a grungier Martin Parr or Tony Feher with a camera, Landers makes pictures of people and products that tease Pop mercilessly. Studio still-lifes of panhandlers’ cups, three-card-monte cardboard totems, and plastic bags snagged on broken branches rescue their subjects as found sculpture….Call it photography of the absurd, but nobody does it better.” —The New Yorker

DC Blabac Art of Skateboarding Photography Book

Arms Against Fury examines the dramatic struggle of the Afghan people through the lens of Magnum photographers, dating back to co-founder George Rodger’s documentation of the country’s role in World War II. Ever since, Magnum’s intrepid photographers have crisscrossed the country’s striking landscape from the Central Asian steppes to the parched southern desert by way of the Hindu Kush mountains surrounding Kabul and the adjacent Panjshir Valley. As early as the 1950s, Eve Arnold and Marc Riboud filed unprecedented stories from a legendary Shangri-La, showing a small kingdom struggling for statehood against the forces of underdevelopment and unfortunate geographic position during the Cold War. The ultimate overthrow of the monarchy and brutal liquidation of Afghanistan’s constitutional government in 1978 heralded the arrival of Soviet-style communism. Peasants in Nuristan rebelled immediately and initiated a jihad that was covered first by Raymond Depardon and then by Steve McCurry, and later by renowned photojournalist Abbas, who also focused on the progress of the mujahedin, who eventually faced a massive Red Army invasion and savage aerial bombardments. The victory against the Soviets also signaled the beginning of a civil war that began in 1992. Documented by Luc Delahaye, Christopher Steele-Perkins, Abbas, and Steve McCurry, Afghan militias destroyed large swathes of Kabul. The Taliban militia subdued warring factions in 1996 and proclaimed an Islamic emirate. Steele-Perkins was one of the few journalists to report from Afghanistan during this period of theocratic tyranny. In the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States, the hated Taliban were shaken from power by a loose alliance of mujahedin backed by American forces. Yet nothing seemed to remedy the miserable spectacle of a ruined country littered with ten million land mines and thousands of innocent victims of the hi-tech war on terror. The future of Afghanistan, as depicted by Abbas, Eve Arnold, Luc Delahaye, Thomas Dworzak, Alex Majoli, Steve McCurry, and Francesco Zizola, remains uncertain at best. Containing additional photographic work by Ian Berry, Elliott Erwitt, Stuart Franklin, Philip Jones Griffiths, Susan Meiselas, and Wayne Miller; commentary by the photographers; and several illustrated essays, Arms Against Fury will become an indispensable reference for documentary studies, social history, and critical photography.

“I find photography a most mysterious process—capturing that moment in time and space, elusive and fleeting, and crystallizing it. You have made a photograph. It is its own thing now. To me, that is thrilling.” —Jessica Lange Actress Jessica Lange’s career spans more than 30 years and 30 films; the winner of two Academy awards, the one-time waitress is one of the most acclaimed performers of both the screen and the stage, as well as one of the most recognizable faces. 50 Photographs, however, finds Lange on the other side of the camera. Originally drawn to the medium simply as a way to document the lives and growth of her children, Lange has now been photographing on and off for 15 years, approaching the art as an antidote to the constant fervor of Hollywood. It is a way of working, she says of her process, “that is the opposite of acting. Photography doesn’t depend on collaboration; it can be solitary and private.” A 2007 feature in Aperture, introduced by Mary Ellen Mark, gave the world its first taste of Lange’s visual work; now, 50 Photographs gathers her impressive portfolio, featuring images from Mexico, Africa, Romania, Russia, Finland, Italy, and France as well as the U.S., into her first-ever photography monograph. Alternately comforting and disquieting, Lange’s striking black-and-whites possess a kind of moody mystery that is appropriately cinematic.

At the height of the nonprofit world’s social swirl in New York, the city’s white-shoe charities scramble to give the gala parties that will tease a few more dollars out of their well-heeled patrons. With many nonprofits depending on their gala’s for earning up to 25 percent of their budget, the events themselves are quite a site to see, sometimes costing one half of the ticket price to produce. On any given night, New York’s upper crust might bounce between their pick of benefit soirées. The most sought-after events, however, are invitation only and can cost up to $10,000 per couple—and if you think that's expensive, just wait until you see what people wear! In Acts of Charity, Mark Peterson captures the culture of philanthropy and reveals the true personalities behind these seemingly selfless acts. Peterson accompanied society matriarchs—who don Chanel gowns, elbow-length gloves, and flawless coiffures—as they attended New York City benefit galas that are as elite as they are charitable. Providing the perfect entrée to high society, Peterson escorts us to the most exclusive evenings, introducing us to the characters who populate these posh parties. Acts of Charity is your invitation into this most exclusive world, and even includes the highlight of the spring social season—the Conservancy Ball for the New York Botanical Garden.

News Art: Manipulated Photographs from the Burns Archive presents the unexplored visual history of the melding of art, photography, and journalism. It is the first work to document the fascinating combination of art and photography necessary to achieve accurate copy or story emphasis in newspapers. These images from 1900–1960 illustrate the range of art enhancement—from simple outlining or airbrushing to complete overpainting. They are all individual creations, one-of-akind photographs. Even if other newspapers used a copy of the same photograph, as was often the case, the artistic preparation was unique. The subjects are as varied as our world: crime scenes, world events, social and business personalities, and human interest stories. All were important in their time and some stand as timeless icons. One of the characteristics of collecting art is the concept of owning an “original” work. These hand-painted news photographs offer collectors that opportunity in a photographic field that is still available and open to discovery. Connoisseurs of subjects such as crime, sports, and theatre can find powerful and unique images to expand the depth of their collections. News Art will serve as a guide to these fascinating photographs, providing curators and collectors a primary resource for comparison, identification, and rarity.

Ron Galella didn't invent the word paparazzo — Italian for a buzzing mosquito — but he certainly personalized it by redefining the relationship between the movie star and the photographer. Now in the business of catching public figures in private moments for more than three decades, the nation's most famous celebrity photojournalist presents the next chapter in his ongoing visual diary of fame, wealth, and success in America. In No Pictures, Galella's second powerHouse monograph and the follow-up to the 2006 smash hit Disco Years, confrontation takes the forefront. Just as famous today as Galella's images of a windblown, jeans-wearing Jacqueline Onassis is the legal battle that ensued; in a trial that lasted 26 days and made the cover of Life magazine, Onassis sued Galella and secured a restraining order against him. He has run afoul of Sean Penn, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, Sam Shepard, and countless other stars, not to mention Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell — who eventually banned him from the club — and legions of angry bodyguards. No Pictures chronicles these conflicts and Galella's relentless persistence in the face of it all, even when things got violent (as with Brando, who once landed a punch that broke the photographer's jaw and five of his teeth). Driven by a mad curiosity and a dogged insistence that the lives of celebrities are fair game for one and all, he has continued to take risks and make enemies in service of getting the perfect shot. The stars may shout No pictures! but Galella refuses to take no for an answer.

Featuring high-profile figures this is the definitive photography book of the world's most glamorous and beautiful society women. Photographed at their private residences, these women display inimitable elegance and grace set against the backdrop of stunning domestic spaces. Fashion photographer Roger Moenks captures these cosmopolitan figures of fashion and wealth in transcendent yet intimate images, accompanied by brief quotations and childhood photos of each.

From the godfather of paparazzi culture comes a deeper and more probing collection of work than ever before. In search of his Italian roots, he takes the reader on a journey combing his vast archive of images for icons of Italian descent. His tour begins in Rome with Fellini, via Rosellini, Brando, Bellucci and Loren. The appeal and power of his beautiful photography is complimented by extemporaneous quotes amassed during his travels and spoken by a sparkling cast. A celebration of Italy — it's cinema, music, art and fashion.

In 2005, the brilliant and controversial Nobuyoshi Araki, one of Japan's leading photographers, traveled to Europe for major exhibitions of his work at London's Barbican Centre and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Already celebrated for his unflinching portrayals of Tokyo in collections such as «Tokyo Still Life» and «Tokyo Lucky Hole,» the Japanese photographer embraced the opportunity to turn his lens onto London and Paris, two of Europe's most historic, dynamic, and culturally diverse capitals. Much more than a travelogue, «Dirty Pretty Things» is also an account of the emotional journey of the photographer and the two women he loves. Also included are excerpts from Araki's journal, in which he reflects on subjects as varied as travel and the nature of photography. Accompany Araki as he explores the people and streetscapes of these two great cities with insatiable curiosity. He strips his subjects bare, both literally and figuratively, in this searing investigation into the lives and bodies of the denizens of London and Paris. Informed by his legendary erotic Japanese photography, «Dirty Pretty Things» is the world's first chance to see everything from food to bathrooms seen through the eyes of the leading chronicler of Japanese urban life, both high and low.

The first official monograph on the queen of pop since the seminal and exposing publication of Sex in 1992. A dazzling landmark addition to Madonna`s inimitable career. With over 250 never-before-seen images taken by Guy Oseary, Madonna`s manager and CEO of Maverick Records, this is as up-close, personal and behind the scenes as her adoring fans are able to get. The striking imagery is enhanced with Madonna`s short, sassy interspersed quotes. Madonna Confessions is a matchless, must-have record of one of the highlights of her ever-lasting career.

The lifetime work of recently discovered street photographer Vivian Maier has captivated the world and spawned comparisons to photography's masters including Diane Arbus, Helen Levitt, Lisette Model, Walker Evans and Weegee. Now, for the first time, Vivian Maier: Self-Portrait will present the fullest and most intimate portrait of the artist herself with approximately 60 never-before-seen black-and-white and colour self-portraits culled from the extensive Maloof archive, the preeminent collector of the work of Vivian Maier.