Everything That Creeps (Hardcover)

~ Elizabeth McGrath (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The first collected work of the LA underground art world’s favorite wunderkind, Elizabeth McGrath. 112 pages of full-color photos and detail shots reveal the exquisitely complex details of her sweetly twisted creatures, giving a glimpse of what the City of Misfit Toys might have become had it been saved by Satan rather than Santa. Upon first viewing, McGrath’s colorful, mummified creatures are gothic oddities, but their undeniable artistry immediately draws one in, revealing their touching curiosities, transforming their grotesqueness into tortured beauty.

About the Author

Elizabeth McGrath has spent nearly a decade as a stylist and art director for fashion and film. She sings for the band Ms. Derringer. McGrath's work has appeared in numerous books, including Pop Surrealism: The Rise of Underground Art (Last Gasp), Vicious, Delicious, and Ambitious: 20th Century Women Artists (Schiffer), 100 Artist See Satan (Last Gasp), Weirdo Deluxe (Chronicle) and Ox-Op. Paper, The Face, Anthem, Juxtapoz, Cessna, and The Lowdown have embraced her. She has been featured in numerous international group shows and a solo show at La Luz de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Last Gasp; illustrated edition edition (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867196386
• ISBN-13: 978-0867196382
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #471,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning!, January 7, 2006

By	Shannon Okey "knitgrrl.com" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everything about this book is stunning, from the die-cut cover to the book design to (of course) the works by McGrath. She's got the technical skill of Mark Ryden, the soul of Robert Williams, the detail-orientedness of Joe Coleman and the heart of a wayward Catholic girl, all of which make her one of my favorite artists.

(I think there'd have to be a cage match to decide who I like better, Cynthia von Buhler or Liz McGrath, so I'm going to relegate them to their respective coasts and call it a tie).

For some reason, I never really got into all the other artists grouped with the "lowbrow"/Juxtapoz magazine style, with the exception of those named above. However, there's this instinctual need to really scour a McGrath piece with your eyes...right down to the finest detail (again, a quality shared by Ryden, Williams & Coleman). It makes them both compelling and surprisingly intimate, despite their often gruesome subject matter.

As you turn each page of this book for the first time, it takes all your willpower to keep from flipping through it all at once! I can tell already that I'll be spending a lot of time studying each work individually, as they deserve. Hands down, the best birthday present I received this year. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, January 10, 2006

By	Rocco (Amerikuh) - See all my reviews

It seems that every artist out there has a book these days, and it's easy to let them just pass you by unnoticed. However, there is NO way of ignoring "Everything That Creeps". From it's unique design and Awsome cover to the amazingly detailed and wonderfully imaginative artwork inside, this is more than a book - it's a treasure.
Liz McGrath is one of the most innovative and original artists out there, and it's great to be able to see every detail of her twisted sculptures. After looking at this book, you'll never be the same...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars creeps glorious creeps, November 15, 2006

By	D. H. Rogoff "firewood consultant" (in a van down by the river) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of those books that I stumbled upon while store-browsing and passed up, and kicked myself later for not snatching it up immediately. My shelf was lonely until it arrived in the mail. That's how cool this book is.

For the uninitiated this is a collection of photographs of mutated animal/insect sculptures and dioramas, little creatures dressed up like sailors and prostitutes, stuff of that ilk (they have a very Grand Guignol feel). They're crafted beautifully and, true to the book's title, creepily, but adorably so. Fans of the Nightmare Before Christmas characters and asthetic will probably love this stuff.

McGrath's work is downright amazing, I just wish this book were a little thicker.