Cool Hunting

Kazuumi Takahashi: High Tide Wane Moon
Japanese artist Kazuumi Takahashi's beautiful first monograph, "High Tide Wane Moon", explores the relationship between the moon and the ocean. Having grown up near the sea as the son of a fisherman, the schedule of the tides influenced his daily activities, just as the moon influenced the tides. In this large-format book, Takahashi presents 25 double-page spreads, each with a photograph of the moon...

Mister Lonely
Nieves, a Swiss-based indie publisher, recently released "Mister Lonely," the third script from film director, producer, screenwriter and author, Harmony Korine. Released 10 years after the widely acclaimed Gummo (1997), his third feature film, "Mister Lonely," examines what happens when a Michael Jackson impersonator (played by Diego Luna) meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (Samantha Morton). Released in conjunction with the movie's release in the...

Edgar Martins: Topologies
"Topologies" is Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins' first book with significant distribution taking selections from each of his major series of large-format photographs. The images, which abstain from any digital manipulation, were taken in Portugal and Iceland and focus on what may be the world's least photographic scenes: barren landscapes with no conventional subjects. Instead, he opts for cold, isolated locations. But despite the lack...

Amy Stein: Domesticated
Amy Stein creates amazing dioramas that explore her own version of natural history in her photographic series called "Domesticated." The photographs in this series were inspired after meeting a number of taxidermists and becoming interested in the psychology behind venturing into the wild to kill an animal and then paying a considerable amount of money to reanimate it and make it a permanent fixture...

MoCP 2008 Fine Print Editons
by Laurice Parkin Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Photography recently announced the editions for their 2008 Fine Print Program. The program offers the opportunity to collect contemporary photographs by internationally recognized artists while supporting the Museum. Definitely a win-win for all involved. This year's diverse selections feature the work of KayLynn Deveney, Greta Pratt, Simon Roberts, New Catalogue and Jan Theun van Rees. From Deveney’s...

Second Place
A confluence of commercial fashion photography and fine art persuasions clearly informs Jody Fausett's new book, "Second Place," which is itself a subversive examination of suburban living. Set against the backdrop of shag carpeting, wood paneled walls, and drop ceilings, Fausett choreographs unsettling scenes where, for example, a young woman is doused with baby powder, a stuffed fawn lies perched on a sofa or...