Customer Reviews

Futura

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I finally got my hands on this book yesterday, and I can't stop looking at it. Futura 2000 is an icon in the world of graffiti and its metamorphosis into the realm of graphic design and "fine art". It's rare that an artist's work is so innovative that as it evolves over years and years it continues to re-inspire its audience at each point along the way. When I was 15, Futura's graffiti changed the way I understood public art, now 15 years later his current work inspires me to keep pushing my own artwork into new experimental forms. This book, which is a sort of visual biography is designed and constructed so beautifully. The hard cover looks like a writer's piecebook from the old days, the interior includes everything from hand written notes, fold-out pages, stickers, etc. to custom cut out scrapbook-like overlaps. I would urge anyone interested in graffiti, skate-style graphics, and even Mo'Wax album covers to get this book, you will not be disappointed. Also, if you own the LoDown Book of Graphic Design, or the Scrawl book of Dirty Graphics & Strange Characters, this book is a required addition to your library. Much gratitude goes out to Futura for assembling this collection of his visionary artwork.

First of all, this is a beautiful book. In its design, content and construction. Printed on a variety of papers and bound within a hard cover it even feels good. Inside there are special cut pages that look like documents unveiling the early years of Futura, fold out pages with large colour spreads and pages with excellent stickers (would you dare defile your book?, its very tempting). The content features some nice design and layout by Ben Drury, utilising Futura's various photos, sketches, designs, canvas work, commissions, web graphics and paintings. It is a book about the man himself and works as an overview of everything he has accomplished so far. It works very well as an art book, but not necessarily as a book of his art. The only thing that stopped me from giving this book 5 / 5 was the amount of artwork not shown from the superb history of his work. It was probably intended as a promotional tool for things to come, but really just left me wanting a proper retrospective of his work so far, his early graffiti paintings, gallery shows and private commissions. As a big fan of Futura 2000, and having followed his work for years I was a little disappointed not to see all that work finally together in one book. Maybe that is for the next book, when everyone has had a little more time to realise just what they are missing and demand to see more. I sure hope so. Meanwhile, we are still able to own a very good book that will impress our friends.

This book is so wonderful. It really captures the variances over the years in Futura2000's work. The most special, a personal side to the private man in the shadows of so many of the Greatest Designs (Mo'Wax, Bathing Ape, BSF, as well as his website! etc.) of the 1990's. I find this much more fulfilling than that of say, "Scrawl" an odd book that Many of the Artists contained, (i.e. Dj Shadow and Phil Frost) have claimed to have not known their words nor their artwork were to be printed. That has left "Scrawl" to feel quite the "exploited" book of artists rather than the Futura book, which Futura himself is quite proud. Futura2000 reveals his thoroughly detailed eye and hands on project through the collective pieces of his work and personal notes and background to his book "Futura." (You'll respect it right down to the paper and binding choices.) This one's the real gem of all the books put out around this 1990's; "Who's Who, Definitive Underground Graf-Designer."

If you know his website, you're familiar with his ways of putting things. However, in general: words / design is stuff you want to be able to touch, have within reach, own - isn't it? I would say the book is a perfect complement to all the web pages, consisting of lots of older not yet seen work for us who weren't there, some best-of's that's also on the web, plus I feel he's allowed himself to be more autobiographical & within reach than perhaps he is with his online thoughts. Futura makes us interested in the tiniest of details.

If you are into fasion, graphic design, or graffiti then you best check this out. I got it at the RECON store in NYC and got a copy that was personally signed!! Anyways, the layout alone is amazing and it's full of stories about being a graffiti artist and includes stickers. You'll never get bored of it...

I returned this book right after I received it. The pieces are sparse, and don't reflect what Futura is known for -- the graf history that he's a part of. If you want a real book worth your money, check out 'Dondi White'. It is filled with pieces that Dondi did along with the sketches that preceeded them. It also contains artwork he has done for the gallery setting and is a much better designed book in general. In all fairness, 'FUTURA' does try to get innovative with some of the paper-cutting techniques and material, but that kind of experimentation should be done at the artists' own time and not at the expense of the consumer. I give it one star above horrible.

Futura... the book.

Let's just say... I've been seduced.

It's AMaZinG!

Futura... The Book.

Let's just say... I've been seduced.

It's AmAZinG!

dont sleep on this book or else youll wake to a nice marsh tag on yo fore head fo' sho'

YO word dood this $hit is wicked fresh keep this on yo most dope $hit must get needs some tube sox and oilbar collection action figure lovers and planet of the apes enthusiasts alike will dig this swine..