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Futura Book

Futura was a book from 2000, focusing on graffiti artist Futura, and co-presented by Mo' Wax. The blurb states: "This artist turned creative guru's first publication is a sketchbook, photo-album and confessional that revisit's a career - from igniting the mid 1980s New York graffiti and hip-hop movements to redefining 1990s sleeve art at London's Mo Wax label. Designed by Ben Drury with Andrew Holmes."[1]

Futura
AuthorBen Drury (editor), Liz Farrelly (editor)
LanguageEnglish
PublisherBooth-Clibborn
Publication date
2000
Pages176

Originally this was intended to be a releases similar to their Dolce Visualis project with Mike Mills, this time featuring Futura's artworks, but the project grew until it became a book.[2]

A launch for the book was held in March 2001 in London.[3] There are at least three editions of the book. Each has the same ISBN (ISBN 10: 1861541341 ISBN 13: 9781861541345) with the main difference being the reprint has a black cover.

The original was published by Booth-Clibborn in October 2000,[4] and the reprint was published in 2001.

In 2001 Houston Gallery had 15 copies of the limited edition version in cardboard case for sale for $125 each. They described it as follows, "Limited Edition of 100 copies Futura book signed by Futura w/paint splatters on inside cover. Comes in special folding cardboard box designed by Ben Drury for Mo'Wax. Available only at Houston, Hideout, Recon, Nowhere, and Mo'Wax online"[5]

Editions

  • Special limited edition of 100 in cardboard case. Customised with spray and signed. With grey cover
  • Book with grey cover
  • Reprint with black cover

Blurb

Blurb from Amazon[6]

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

Images


External Link

Photos of the book

Photos of the boxed version

Ben Drury website

References

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