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Animals and Objects in and Out of Water: Posters, 2006-2008
"[Animals and Objects In and Out of Water] provides a constant stream of visually appealing eye candy and subtly complex visual spectacle."—The Onion AV Club
The second book from the iconic Chicago underground poster artist.
Jay Ryan has been busy since the 2005 release of his book 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels (Akashic/Punk Planet Books), a collection of his favorite prints from the first decade of his work. Since the release of that book, he has honed his craftcontinuing without the use of computers, and screen-printing the work in his shop called the Bird Machine for bands such as the Melvins, the Shins, Modest Mouse, Andrew Bird, Shellac, My Morning Jacket, the Decemberists, Low, Built to Spill, Tortoise, and hundreds of others.
This book features 120 of Jay Ryan's favorite pieces of art from the last three years, including text about each of the prints, detail photos (shot at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago), and original drawings. With a foreword by Andrew Bird and an essay by best-selling novelist Joe Meno (Hairstyles of the Damned), this volume solidifies Jay's position as one of the most unique postermakers in a thriving and exciting field.
Critical praise for Jay Ryan's 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels:
“Jay Ryan's decade of rock-postering has produced some superb and arresting work...I cannot think of a better visual advertisement for underground rock: posters that are wild, articulate, and well made; posters with both a heart and a brain.”—PopMatters
“Not only a gorgeous catalog of the artist's many memorable posters, but a history of sorts of the Chicago underground rock scene in the last 15 years.”—Chicago Sun-Times
The second book from the iconic Chicago underground poster artist.
Jay Ryan has been busy since the 2005 release of his book 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels (Akashic/Punk Planet Books), a collection of his favorite prints from the first decade of his work. Since the release of that book, he has honed his craftcontinuing without the use of computers, and screen-printing the work in his shop called the Bird Machine for bands such as the Melvins, the Shins, Modest Mouse, Andrew Bird, Shellac, My Morning Jacket, the Decemberists, Low, Built to Spill, Tortoise, and hundreds of others.
This book features 120 of Jay Ryan's favorite pieces of art from the last three years, including text about each of the prints, detail photos (shot at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago), and original drawings. With a foreword by Andrew Bird and an essay by best-selling novelist Joe Meno (Hairstyles of the Damned), this volume solidifies Jay's position as one of the most unique postermakers in a thriving and exciting field.
Critical praise for Jay Ryan's 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels:
“Jay Ryan's decade of rock-postering has produced some superb and arresting work...I cannot think of a better visual advertisement for underground rock: posters that are wild, articulate, and well made; posters with both a heart and a brain.”—PopMatters
“Not only a gorgeous catalog of the artist's many memorable posters, but a history of sorts of the Chicago underground rock scene in the last 15 years.”—Chicago Sun-Times
- GenresNonfictionArt
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 2, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
So when do you know that you've really made it as a book critic? Why, when you start receiving free review copies of lush art books, that's when, chump! I just recently received my first, in fact, Akashic's Animals and Objects In and Out of Water, a late-'00s overview of Chicago-based graphic designer and indie-rock stalwart Jay Ryan; and I was already a big fan of Ryan's work (it's hard to live in Chicago and not be, frankly -- his work is everywhere), so this book turned out to be an extra-big pleasure in my case. Featuring beautiful reprints of over 120 of his best designs, all of them from 2005 to '08, and a series of essays from artists he's done work for (including our old pal Joe Meno), this is a perfect gift for any creative hipster in your life; and with it coming out as an oversized paperback, it's one that everyone can afford too.
Out of 10: 9.0
(IMPORTANT UPDATE AND DISCLOSURE: Since writing this review, I've learned that my cousin Nathan Keay was part of the production team for this book. Rest assured that this didn't influence my opinion, in that I wrote my review before finding this out.)
So when do you know that you've really made it as a book critic? Why, when you start receiving free review copies of lush art books, that's when, chump! I just recently received my first, in fact, Akashic's Animals and Objects In and Out of Water, a late-'00s overview of Chicago-based graphic designer and indie-rock stalwart Jay Ryan; and I was already a big fan of Ryan's work (it's hard to live in Chicago and not be, frankly -- his work is everywhere), so this book turned out to be an extra-big pleasure in my case. Featuring beautiful reprints of over 120 of his best designs, all of them from 2005 to '08, and a series of essays from artists he's done work for (including our old pal Joe Meno), this is a perfect gift for any creative hipster in your life; and with it coming out as an oversized paperback, it's one that everyone can afford too.
Out of 10: 9.0
(IMPORTANT UPDATE AND DISCLOSURE: Since writing this review, I've learned that my cousin Nathan Keay was part of the production team for this book. Rest assured that this didn't influence my opinion, in that I wrote my review before finding this out.)
April 19, 2012
Book Title: "Animals and Objects In and Out of Water”
Author: Jay Ryan, Joe Meno, Andrew Bird
Published By: Akashic Books
Age Recommended: 15+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
Review: Art has always been fascinating no matter what kind it is. If it’s cartoonish, a coveted oil painting, abstract, or anything at all. I have learned from being a mom that even extremely abstract crayon art from a five year old is still, art and just as interesting as something hung in a museum or art studio.
Jay Ryan’s art could be described as a lot of things. It is abstract, strange, creative, sometimes completely mental, and hard to understand. In this book however, much of this art by Jay Ryan is explained perfectly and you find yourself able to understand his world. I loved this book for its visual beauty as well as the bizarre and interesting look into his mind. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is an art lover and even those who aren’t huge fans. This man’s pictures are brilliant.
Author: Jay Ryan, Joe Meno, Andrew Bird
Published By: Akashic Books
Age Recommended: 15+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
Review: Art has always been fascinating no matter what kind it is. If it’s cartoonish, a coveted oil painting, abstract, or anything at all. I have learned from being a mom that even extremely abstract crayon art from a five year old is still, art and just as interesting as something hung in a museum or art studio.
Jay Ryan’s art could be described as a lot of things. It is abstract, strange, creative, sometimes completely mental, and hard to understand. In this book however, much of this art by Jay Ryan is explained perfectly and you find yourself able to understand his world. I loved this book for its visual beauty as well as the bizarre and interesting look into his mind. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is an art lover and even those who aren’t huge fans. This man’s pictures are brilliant.
December 30, 2014
Adorable yet subtle. Love these little creatures.
The contours of the faces of the sleeping animals are particularly lovely, (Sleeping Akiko, Deerhoof, Warm Bowl of Sleeping Birds) and I'm so glad someone else appreciates how beautiful manta rays are (Blue Planet - Rays). There is a wonderful slight melancholy, and very occasional horrorishness, that tempers possible twee. 'She Protects Us' could be an illustration of the heroic cat in the Neil Gaiman short story in Smoke and Mirrors.
More pictures here: http://thebirdmachine.com/collections... and here: http://postercabaret.com/catalogsearc...
The contours of the faces of the sleeping animals are particularly lovely, (Sleeping Akiko, Deerhoof, Warm Bowl of Sleeping Birds) and I'm so glad someone else appreciates how beautiful manta rays are (Blue Planet - Rays). There is a wonderful slight melancholy, and very occasional horrorishness, that tempers possible twee. 'She Protects Us' could be an illustration of the heroic cat in the Neil Gaiman short story in Smoke and Mirrors.
More pictures here: http://thebirdmachine.com/collections... and here: http://postercabaret.com/catalogsearc...
August 31, 2012
Jay Ryan's art never gets old. A fine example of pure Chicago wit in the form of posters for every concert you wish you'd been to. Excellent foreword by Andrew Bird (who really should write more) and a contribution by Joe Meno (who should maybe write a little less, I think).
Features a bonus print of "Bear Wearing Socks Running With Scissors" which makes this book worth any money you spend on it.
Features a bonus print of "Bear Wearing Socks Running With Scissors" which makes this book worth any money you spend on it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews