Shag: The Art of Josh Agle [Hardcover]

Colin Berry (Author), Josh Agle (Author), Billy Shire (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2005

This is the first major monograph of one of today's most popular and widely regarded artists, Josh Aglemore commonly known as Shag. His trademark style is spotted on everything from cocktail napkins and cigarette lighters to his brand identity work for the new Pink Panther film. But Shag is the first opportunity to appreciate the mastery of expression in this artist's primary outputhis paintings. Gathered together here are nearly 200 wry and colorful scenes of signature retro decadence. Wasp-waisted women in Capri pants and turtlenecked, eye-patched men of mystery host parties where deathly specters cavort with cranky wolves, regal bulls, and blas Adams and Eves sipping martinis. A Shag painting often takes place in the middle of a story whose conclusion could be hilarious, catastrophic, or both, creating a world of endless hinted narratives. Lowbrow gallerist Billy Shire and art critic Colin Berry offer keen essays that situate Shag in the artistic and cultural setting that has spurred him beyond the more predictable work of his contemporariescreating a book that is simultaneously a fantasy playground of crisp lines and sharp colors, and a serious look at one of our most up-and-coming painters.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Josh Agle, better known as Shag (a contraction of the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last), has had successful solo exhibitions in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia. He lives and paints in a mid-century mo

Colin Berry's art and culture criticism has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle , Wired, Time Out , Print , Surface , Entertainment Weekly , and other publications. He lives in Northern California.

Billy Shire is the founder and proprietor of La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, and so dubbed "the Peggy Guggenheim of Lowbrow" by JUXTAPOZ magazine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (August 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081185096X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811850964
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 12.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, September 26, 2005

By 

Thorsten Hasenkamm (Paderborn, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shag: The Art of Josh Agle (Hardcover)

The is the 2nd "Art of SHAG"-book. This book contains about 200 JoSH AGle-paintings. If you liked the LAST GASP-book "BOTTOMLESS COCKTAIL/The Art of SHAG" you'll definitely like this one. One crit: This book has 224 pages, so what I'd have liked to have included in a book this thick would be more info on him and sketches by the artist (e.g. like in a JUXTAPOZ-issue where his way of working was displayed. Anyway, nice book, of course a must-have for any SHAG-fan...

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shag, The Art Of Josh Agle, February 23, 2006

By 

Andie Lynn "modern style girl" (Chicago,IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shag: The Art of Josh Agle (Hardcover)

I think this book is a great collection of Josh Agle's retro modern artwork. I also enjoyed the foreword by Billy Shire and essay by Colin Berry, in regards to information on the artist himself. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves bright retro style artwork that doesn't take itself too seriously.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars lava lamps tiki and fabulous art!, September 24, 2005

By 

Susan "Suzi" (Tasmania, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shag: The Art of Josh Agle (Hardcover)

WOW! Sit back and luxuriate in this fabulous book. At last, a hard back with most of Josh Agle's wonderful works....pages and pages of hedonistic indulgence!! Separated by chapters with names like Jet Setting, Tiki, Mythology, Astrology and Adam & Eve and more. I say "most" of Shag's works as unfortunately, one of my favourites, "Neptune's Girfriend" was omitted. Having said that, the book is a wonderful celebration of his work, so sit back, mix a martini, put Martin Denny on the stereo and get lost in this book..