Non-Format is a London based design studio that has garnered a reputation for creating stunning design and illustration work. Much of which has been in the music industry for sleeve design and magazine design such as The Wire. They have a simple and clear aesthetic where the house style seems to be striking visual ideas that penetrates through the average.

In addition to their best project work for clients from the music, fashion and advertising industries as well as for culture and the arts, Non-Format also contains original work that was created exclusively for the book.

Format: 24 x 28 cm
Features: 192 pages, full colour, hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-185-3

Links: Love Song, Non-Format

“Area 2″, Published by Phaidon Press, distributed by Bookwise International.

Hardback
250 x 290 mm, 9 7/8 x 11 3/8 in
448 pp
1500 colour illustrations
ISBN 0714848557

Links: Area_2, Phaidon.com

This pictorial travel diary shows skating as a catalyst for stylistic experimentation, which transcends boundaries, language barriers, cultural differences and physical distance. (UP)RISING SONZ! represents the full spectrum of generations that have influenced skate style, fashion, and street attitude, one of the main sources for the creative essence of Japanese city youth. Featuring multi-disciplinary artists with a strong do-it-yourself ethic, these skaters-turned-artists now boast legions of fans and their influence reaches the worlds of fashion, literature, film, and art.

(UP)Rising Sonz!
By Scott Kinsey and Mark Felt
Booth-Clibborn Editions (with distribution by Abrams)
304 pages, full-color illustrations throughout
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-86154-330-1

Link: uprisingsonz.com

From streetwalls to T-shirts, sneakers, and toys, the works of these artists are instantly recognizable and are defining today’s aesthetic. The book is organized into three sections: graphic arts, folk art, and psychedelia, and includes introductory bios and interviews with such artist as Shepard Fairey, Geoff McFetridge, Ryan McGinness, Swoon, and Jeremy Blake.

The book is a reflection of the art and artists featured in Tokion magazine over the past years. If a theme is to be derived from the artist included, it would have to be described as home-grown, do-it-yourself and those that bubble from the underground.

Revisionaries: A Decade of Art in Tokion
Abrams Image
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9437-9
Price: US $29.95 / CAN $35.95
176 Pages, 9 ¼ x 8 ½; 150 full-color illustrations
Hardcover

Link: HNA Books

Imagine picking up all the books no your bookshelf and arranging them, not in alphabetical order, but by the colour of the cover or dust jacket. This is just how Kelvin arranges a collection of graphic works within it’s own covers.

The book is not designed for the seeker of informative within the content, but rather for the visual treat which becomes apparent when gathering like colours together, and the random discoveries that unfold.

It’s a good book to pick up to see how a refinement of primary and secondary colours can be used to emphasize an idea or how colour, itself, can communicate a specific emotion.

The book contains a vast array of visual styles from typography to poster illustration to photography through to interior design. So regardless of colour, it is a very nice book to have in the resource pile to pull out for some random graphic design inspiration.

It’s interesting how a colour theme can influence the message as much as the graphic elements within the piece. In this book colour is the lead character rather than just part of the cast.

Editors: R. Klanten, B. Brumnjak
Format: 24 x 28 cm
Binding: 320 pages, special colour print, hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-196-9

Link: die-gestalten.de

Well yes, NeoGeo is different, very different. I guess that’s why it’s labeled “A new edge to abstraction”.

Within the covers of NeoGeo can be found bold and striking use of colour and shapes on packaging, posters, interiors, brochures and more. This book is a showcase of how the basic building blocks of art and design can be used to eye popping dramatic effect. At best this book pushes the boundaries of modern abstraction with a contemporary edge coupled with intrigue. But, at times, some of the works are a mess of primitive shapes clumped together destined to age quickly as a fad.

The highlights of the book are definitely the works from Mario Hugo and others that seem to have a mysterious origin of deep thought and process. The low lights are the works that feel like a mere modern distortion of techno flyers from the 90s

There are a number of works that miss the mark and shouldn’t have been included in this bound collection, which is disappointing mainly because of the equal amount of great works included that visually define exactly what this new era of abstraction is about.

If you like lines, squares, triangles and circles coming together to make patterns in their rawest form, then you’ll like this book. If you like natural organic styles of design, this book ‘aint for you. It’s weird and wonderful all at the same time.

NeoGeo – A New Edge to Abstraction
Editors: R. Klanten, S. Ehmann, B. Meyer

Binding: 192 pages, full color, softcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-194-5

See more at publisher Die Gestalten Verlag’s website

“Furnish presents furniture and rooms that are redefining our current understanding of furnishings and interior design. The book documents and puts into context recent work by designers, artists and architects who are creating and using furniture in pioneering ways. The experimental objects and spaces documented in Furnish are not only a sure indicator of the trends that will be influencing interiors for the next few years, but they also serve as innovative examples of interdisciplinary design work that are inspiring for anyone working creatively.”

Price: € 39,90 / $ 55,00 / £ 29,99
Format: 22,7 x 28,1 cm
Binding: 272 pages, full colour, hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-176-1

Link: die-gestalten.de

The next in the DIY zine promo is Eulogy for Marissa Cooper. Explained as “an unconventional exploration of the grieving process. A personal relationship between two individuals unfolds to reveal that there was really only one person to begin with.”

It basically shows a long haired lout holding people and, at times things, in his arms. To me, he is sharing fun experiences with others that seems far more poignant than typing away at a blog. In the end, he is holding up a person most important indeed.

Eulogy for Marissa Cooper
by Nathan Nedorostek
54 page artist book. First edition of 400

Farewell Books is launched! The first release is MÃ¥rten Lange’s Woodland, a 44-page booklet about the chaotic beauty of nature, the beautiful nature
of chaos and, possibly, the natural chaos of beauty.

The laser printing doesn’t quite do justice to the detail that may have been found in the delicate woodland photography, but I do encourage and promote the DIY zine spirit, and always love getting lovingly crafted works in the mail.

Woodland
by MÃ¥rten Lange

15 x 20 cm
44 pages
40 images

Black and white
Laser printed
Perfect bound

ISBN 978-91-976888-0-2
Published in 2007

Dot Dot Dash! is brought to you by the editors of Pictoplasma and Pictoplasma 2. Expanding on the widely popular subject of contemporary character design, and focusing on their transformation to Designer Toys, Action Figures and Character Art.

Vinyl figures, plush dolls, designer toys and action figures have been gaining momentum in design, art and popular culture over the past years. For me it is definitely the new generation of characters based in the urban world with inspiration taken from popular music and street art that has had me become a selective collector. Far from happy meal figures, they are not intended for child’s play, but do appeal to the inner child. Many figures are created by world famous artists and many of them are produced independently in limited editions and have become highly sought after collectibles. This is also why many of them have a premium price tag which keeps my personal collection to a handful rather than a room full. It’s probably just as well, I don’t think my wife appreciates shelves full of the mini characters as much as I do, which is why a book full of them is just the ticket.

Jim Crawford the co-founder of Strange Co, one of the largest distributor of designer toys has contributed to the making of this book.

edited by R. Klanten, M. Huebner
296 pages, 24 x 30 cm
ISBN: 978-3-89955-161-7

full colour, hardcover

See more at publisher Die Gestalten Verlag website
Dot Dot Dash (Amazon)