Cut It Out: Lou Beach [Hardcover]

Lou Beach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006

A delightful overview of this award-winning illustrator’s art. Over the last 30 years his work has been featured in major magazines as well as on countless record and cd packages, book covers and advertisements. A much-admired pop icon of Los Angeles’s wild era of illustration in the 1970s and 80s, Lou Beach has remained a vital force in today’s competitive world of popular art, creating imagery for clients as diverse as WSJ, NYT, The Utne Reader, MCA Records, Random House, McGraw-Hill and Houghton-Mifflin among others. A tour of this self-taught collagist’s mind reveals a delight in visual puns and a direct link to such greats of the medium as Hannah Hoch, George Heartfield, Max Ernst, Romare Beardon and Tadanori Yokoo as well as influences from popular culture. His collages have also landed on record covers for Weather Report [Grammy nomination],The Carpenters, The Neville Brothers, Dave Alvin, Dr. John, Ethel Merman and Blink 182.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lou Beach was born in Gottingen, Germany in 1947, and his name is actually the phonetic pronounciation of his real last name, Lubicz. His Polish parents were unwilling guests of the Nazis--his father a prisoner-of-war, his mother a slave laborer. In the 1970’s, he began his career as a record cover illustrator. He is happily married, with two children, and lives in an old California home with two dogs and three cats.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Last Gasp (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867196408
• ISBN-13: 978-0867196405
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LOU BEACH is an award-winning illustrator and gallery artist, well known for his record covers and magazine work. A book of his artwork, "CUT IT OUT" was published in 2006. A book of his short fiction, "420 CHARACTERS" will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Fall 2011. A collaboration with author J.Robert Lennon, "THE GREAT ZOMBINI" is available on Kindle. To read excerpts from "420 CHARACTERS" and to hear them being read by Jeff Bridges, Ian McShane and Dave Alvin, visit www.420characters.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BRUSH WITH GENIUS! CHECK OUT THIS BOOK!, March 5, 2006

By 

Mana Olshaunski "Mana" (LA, Baby!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cut It Out: Lou Beach (Hardcover)

I came across this book purely by accident while doing research on the history of graphic design in advertising. I was surprised, amused and disturbed by the visions of this seasoned L.A. artist. What a joyful romp, to be suddenly faced with this uniquely creative volume of work that Lou Beach has spawned from his vivid imagination and obviously fevered brain is like finding gold dust in baby powder. This is pure bliss. His images speak volumes to both the casual and professional observer, sometimes in whispers, but often times with jolting and disturbing verve. He is a great innovator, a bulldog with a brush, a monkey with a pen an oracle with a crayola, you get the picture... So, don't walk away from this guy, experience his vision and live to enjoy it. You won't be able to put this book down and if you do, you certainly won't be able to forget it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beach Report, June 25, 2006

By 

Gary Johns (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cut It Out: Lou Beach (Hardcover)

He's no Kurt Schwitters, but who is? I've admired Lou's work for a long time. I'm glad to see him in print. I bought the book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cut it out, April 12, 2008

By 

Daniel Horowitz "papi chulo" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cut It Out: Lou Beach (Hardcover)

I was very impressed by Lou Beach's work on his website. However I found the book to be a mediocre representation of the breadth of great art that he has been responsible for.