Steve Powers - Studio Gangster (Hardcover)

~ Steve Powers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I've seen Steve Powers work in highbrow galleries and at Coney Island, in books and on a raincoat. I think I saw some in a deli once. What can I say? He brings the cosmic Zen koan to the pawnshop, the Sermon on the Mount to the gas station and the Ten Commandments with better lettering. This is really beautiful stuff. --David Byrne

Product Description

Philadelphia native, Steve (ESPO) Powers arrived in New York in the early 90 s, immersing himself in the city s vibrant Graffiti scene and quickly developing a unique, conceptually driven style all his own. By the end of the decade he started his own studio practice and launched a distinguished career both as a fine artist and a commercial illustrator. With the publication of Steve Powers Is A Studio Gangster, Powers records 5 years of paintings that distill the complete range of human emotion into readily recalled and related memes. These visual archetypes are aptly described by Powers as a synthesis of word and image to create a new emotional revelation . This book is published on the occasion of his Fall 2007 exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art entitled. Powers is a 2008 Fulbright scholar and has shown at Deitch Projects, the 49th Bienalle, the Luggage Store and the Liverpool Biannual in 2004

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Gingko Press; 1st edition (December 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584232870
• ISBN-13: 978-1584232872
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #615,744 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Powers, January 5, 2008

By	Matthew A. Goias (New York City, District Of Finance) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Studio Gangster is an amazing book of artwork and words by Steve "ESPO" Powers. First published in the United States in 1951, this book has been a frequently challenged book for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst. Originally published for adults, the book has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world; it has also been translated into almost all of the world's major languages. Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of more than 65 million. Studio Gangster was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. The book's protagonist, Steve Powers, or ESPO, has become an icon for teenage rebellion and defiance. Written in the first person, Studio Gangster follows Power's experiences in New York City in the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a college preparatory school. If you don't buy this book you are fat and girls will not like you and God and your parents don't love you anymore.