Barry McGee [Hardcover]

Lucy Flint-Gohlke (Editor), Barry McGee (Author), Raphaela Platow (Contributor), Joseph Ketner (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009

In 2004, San Francisco street artist Barry McGee created a large-scale installation for The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. This artist's book is the only record of the project, which was dismantled at the end of the exhibition. McGee's graffiti markings first appeared under the tag name Twist in San Francisco in the 1980s. A formally trained artist, McGee draws on a variety of influences, ranging from Mexican muralist painting, San Francisco Beat poetry and pivotal artistic forefathers such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Philip Guston. Interwoven with his large-scale graphics and comic-strip works are found materials such as empty bottles, discarded syringes, old sheet metal and other fragments from the street, remade into sculptural installations. The artist's sad-eyed characters, painted as large-scale figures on the walls or as miniature versions on his found objects, voice the burden of deep existential uncertainty in a culture organized around economic and ethnic inequality. Limited stock available.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in San Francisco in 1966, Barry McGee took the tag name "Twist" when he started drawing in the streets in the mid-80s. Some of the more conventional locations where his work has been exhibited include the 2001 Venice Biennale; the Drawing Center, New York; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 90 pages
• Publisher: The Rose Art Museum; First Edition edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962054585
• ISBN-13: 978-0962054587
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,816,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Collection, December 25, 2010

By 

W. Rosen "chickendog" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barry McGee (Hardcover)

Like many of Barry McGee's previous publications his latest book is a mish-mash of sorts and incorporates a mixture of photographs and artworks. In one sense it makes sense since McGee's street art is considered essential to his work. But there are also snapshots mixed in and it feels a little disjointed. I like the reproductions of his traditional 2D artworks (canvases, works on paper) and wish there were more of it in the book. Hopefully some day someone will publish a book just on his gallery work. The book is ok, not great. If you're a McGee fan you'll know what to expect. For those new to his art try and look through it first before deciding to purchase.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNTOUCHABLE BOOK, August 13, 2004

By 

wEt pAinT 976 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barry Mcgee (Paperback)

BY A MILE the best book to date that show cases Barry Mcgee's work. The book is SUPER thick, Pictures are in color, quality of the pictures is incredible. Barry Mcgee raises the bar when it comes to putting out a book. The book is worth every penny. I liked it so much I bought 2, one for me, and one for my girlfriend. CANT GO WRONG WITH THIS BOOK!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this works, May 30, 2004

By 

dexterfeng (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barry Mcgee (Paperback)

Yes this is the heaviest book of mcgee's thus far. weight wise, content wise. At least image wise that is. Beautiful, excessive, kinda small in size like a big fat sketch book. This might lend itself to the distacted variable ethos of the street, where the work has a short shelf life and an even shorter period in which to engage the viewer.
Yes, you should probably own this book, if you like McGee's work. With the scattershot approach and the distracted view already available prevalent and so expected in viewing public graff the scrap book approach and the cropped close quarters feel of this book might actually lend itself towards digesting the work and help the viewer gain a window necessary to digesting work of this nature with its variable perspective approach.
For the written content; the meat and potatoes is still in the "Regards" exhibition booklet from the Walker Art Center Exhibition. This is where Barry comes alive and speaks from the heart.
The Fondazione Prada book comes across more so as a sketch book and an extensive one at that.