Futura (Hardcover)

~ Futura (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Futura is more than an artist; he is a living legend. Over three decades he has been bringing the visual language of hip-hop and the street to a worldwide audience-first through his New York graffiti from the 1970s, then through his 1990s cover art for London-based record label MoWax, and recently through comics, animation, photography, multimedia and clothing. Now he has produced his first book. Think sketchbook, confessional, photo album and archive-not just an overview but an extension of his work. He tells his enthralling story in his own words-some handwritten-while the flow of images, chosen both from his massive archive and work-in-progress, show he has developed his highly personal language of values and storytelling in many media. Be prepared to be gripped by Futura's story, moved by his ideals and inspired by his art. And count yourself lucky that you can now buy an original!

Futura is one of the most respected members of the global street-art community. Central to the mid-1980s New York graffiti art movement, he re-emerged in Paris in the 1990s and since then has toured exhibitions across Europe, Japan, Australia and the US. He created the cover art for the 1998 gold-selling album UNKLE, has designed for street fashion-labels, and has run his own web-site and workshops for inner-city kids.

Futura is cover artist for award-winning label MoWax and clothing designer for GFS, Agnes B., Project Dragon and The Bathing Ape

He has exhibited in London, Tokyo, Paris, New York, Los Angeles

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Booth-Clibborn (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861541341
• ISBN-13: 978-1861541345
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #981,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A legendary book befitting a legendary artist, December 9, 2000

By	Joey Monsoon (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Futuristik coffee table tactiks, December 9, 2000

By	J. Mcfee "shocked and amazed" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Definitive Underground Graf-Designer.", January 8, 2002

By	L. Haugen "Shadow Twin's Mama" (Marin County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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."