Desserts
Desserts, a book by german artist Antje Peters, straightforwardly presents 15 photographs of pre-manufactured desserts to be found in supermarkets plus an image of an apple (an allusion to one of the symbols for consumer culture). Imagery from 1970s-90s cookbooks inspired Antje Peters’ post-cookbook approach, with a sharp eye for detail and composition.
The usually functional and illustrative features of photographs in cookbooks give way to a detached product photography style, with a particular focus on shiny surfaces and vivid colors – like advertisement photography but devoid of slogans and logos. Don’t expect recipes here nor any kind of instruction on how to prepare or devour the delicacies. Desserts or elements thereof are shown as ‘objects’ to be admired, like this book itself, whi! ch is anything but a cookbook.
Desserts
36 pages, 4 colours offset print, 21 × 30 cm
First edition limited to 200 copies
Trannie-Jokes ETC.
A book by swedish artist Samuel Nyholm whose main characters are Herakleitos, Grazyna, Smith. The book also includes Lola in a man’s world, a story about the unemployed lesbian feminist Lola, trying to get a job. Cornel Windlin wrote:
“Two tits, one cock ⎯ and nowhere to go. A gender-bending rollercoaster ride to hell … and back! Probably the best book in the world. Refreshes the parts other books cannot reach. And when we say parts, ⎯ we mean private parts!”
The book also includes a poem written by Karl Holmqvist for Sany.
44 pages, 20.5 × 27 cm
First edition of 100, 2012
Two colors Litho cover, black Risographic print
Reproduction
A book by american photographer Amanda Marsalis.
“I shot these photos with the end of my polaroid stock. So there is even something more fragile in them since even now I could not take these photos again. It is gone. The time came and went. [...]
Reproduction for me is three things: The purpose of a flower, the way the book is being printed, and a woman’s fertility/sexuality. Myself being the woman. I feel in a tradition of classic photographers shooting still lives as an exercise in image making and self examination.”
102 pages, 24 × 32 cm
First edition of 100, 2012
Blue and Red Risographic print
(Sold Out)
Three Hundred Sixty
Artist’s book by german Ignacio Uriarte. Three Hundred Sixty is a collection of 49 drawings of the size of an LP vinyl record sleeve, where an inner and outer square perform a 180 degree clockwise spin each, adding up to 360 degree. The filling is made monochromatically with a document proof blue pen, placing this way the work in the context of office work.
Three Hundred and Sixty is the result of Ignacio Uriarte’s personal reflection on the everyday office routine combined with clear references to the conceptual and minimal art practices from the late 60’s and 70’s.
98 Pages, 29 × 29 cm, First Edition of 100, 2012
Blue Risograph print, silkscreen cover
Drawings From my Previous Life
Artist’s book by Mai Ueda. Drawings From My Previous Life is a collection of Mai Ueda’s closest friends watercolor portraits that the artist created during the last decade, when she was part of the so called Neen art movement.
“Neen did represent for me a new and different approach to the contemporary art world and practice. It is surprising to see how you can produce poetry and beauty with the use of technology and the Internet devices”.
The book includes portraits of Greek architect Andreas Angelidakis as he is taking a bath in Christian Mollerʼs Jacuzzi in West Hollywood, just wearing black sunglasses; Dutch artist Rafaël Rozendaal that is instead portrayed swimming and floating in a red lifebuoy in a pool in Rio de Janeiro; artist Mai Ueda herself in a sweet friendly hug with Neen’s founder Miltos Manetas or as she is having fun dressed up with her favorite Yohji Yamamoto white jacket. Portraits of artists and friends Angelo Plessas, Nora Lowinsky, Mike Calvert and Serge Becker are also included in the book.
44 pages, 19 × 28 cm, First edition of 100, 2012
Silkscreen cover, blue and red Risographic print
Vodun
Vodun is a twentyfour pages black and white book comprising the ten drawings and poems that French artist Claire Duport expressly created for Automatic Books. The book explores the universe of Voodoo, without pretending to create a scientific inventory of facts and figures, aiming at offering a personal and intimate interpretation of nowadays’ fears instead.
“I’ve always been very attracted by mysticism to understand how human beings try to give an answer to existential questions, seeking refuge into mystic and religious experiences. It reflects the pains and fears of contemporary culture and civilization. It’s fascinating to explore how religious beliefs and practices often become the powerful tools to overcome complex life issues”.
Not just a matter of cult, Voodoo has more an anthropological than a religious value to it that regards its specific cultural function within social organizations. Considered an art that heals, Voodoo plays a central role in everyday life, by questioning and exploring the entire mankind’s existence.
24 pages, 19 × 28 cm, Edition of 100, 2011
Black Risographic print, Silkscreen cover
Robot Poetry Reading
A book by Greek/Italian artist Angelo Plessas. Robot Poetry Reading is a compilation of poems taken from a website and a perfomance project called RobotPoetryReading.com. On this website users write poetry in collaboration with a “Robot”. The “Robot” in question is an open source software that “proposes” random popular words from different search engines. When poem is formed then the “Robot” publishes on the main page of the website. On this special publication the artist compiled a number of published poems from the website but also compiled a number of unpublished ones.
196 pages, 11 × 17 cm, First edition of 100, 2012
Black Risographic print
Earth Bound, Sky Bound
A book by english artist Daniel Eatock. Daniel Eatock says: “The photographs are not precious and special, they are just a set of snap shots that are unified by the horizontal line of the horizon. When I took the photographs I was happy and inspired in a cliche way, a took a snap shot of the view to mark the special moment. I did not take them as ‘beautiful photographs’ instead see them a amateur snap shots of ‘beautiful moments’. They have not been taken consciously in preparation for a project, unlike the other sets of photographs on my website. I only noticed them as a set by chance as I was sorting through my photo archive and wanted to unify them and work with them. Not highlighting any one picture or showing how beautiful they are but to deal with them in a semi rational way. Then I arrived at the idea of hiding the line of the horizon in the margins of a book. Hiding the point of interest.”
108 pages, 17 × 24 cm, First edition of 100, 2011
Blue Risographic print
(Sold Out)
Domain Names 2010—2001
A book by Dutch artist Rafaël Rozendaal. Domain Names 2010—2001 is a one hundred-and-twenty-two colors pages book, that gather together the whole amount of domain names that the visionary Dutch artist has registered over the course of the past ten years. Have a look at the video.
122 pages, 21 × 29.7 cm
Red, Blue and Green Risographic print
Edition of 150
Automatic Books is an independent publishing house based in Venice. It was born at the beginning of 2009 with a twofold purpose: to be an independent art publisher and a collaborative curatorial project.
From the selection of artists, to the choice of materials, each step of the production process is the result of a joint work between team members and the artist. In this sense, Automatic Books is a collaborative curatorial project, based on the idea that networking is a way to share common interests as well as a productive method to organise activities and production.
Automatic Books does not focus on a precise style and taste. It rather stresses on new and different ways to tell a story, working where aesthetics, criticism and narratives cross.
By buying, you support art, artists and the production of new titles.
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Mailing List
Find below a constantly updated list of Automatic Books’ stockists and feel free to e-mail us if you want to trade our books.
A plus A gallery, Venice, Italy
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Yvonne Lambert, Paris, France
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Granbase Inc., Tokyo, Japan
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Artbook / MoMA PS1, New York, USA
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A plus A, Gloria Maria Gallery, Galleria Gentili, Metricubi, Davide Bragagnolo, Rujana Rebernjak, Nicola Visentin, Denis at Veneta Duplicatori, Grafiche Leone and many more.
Lectures, Fairs and Exhibitions
The Book Affair, Zürcher Zine Sezession, One Year of Photocopies, One Day Publisher at Corraini, Instant Design at Triennale Design Museum
Publications
Pig Magazine, Vice, Lodown, Rolling Stones, Manystuff, Swiss Legacy, Its nice that and more
Credits and Copyright
Books are photographed with a scanner, website designed by Tankboys and developed with the preciuos help of Davide Bragagnolo
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