Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture

by Aaron Rose

The greatest cultural accomplishments in history have never been the result of the brainstorms of marketing men, corporate focus groups or any homogenized methods; they have always happened organically. More often than not, these manifestations have been the result of a few like-minded people coming together to create something new and original for no other purpose than a common love of doing it. In the 1990s, a loose-knit group of American artists and creators, many just out of their teens, began their careers in just such a way. Influenced by the popular underground youth subcultures of the day, such as skateboarding, graffiti, street fashion and independent music, artists like Shepard Fairey, Mark Gonzales, Spike Jonze, Margaret Kilgallen, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, Phil Frost, Chris Johanson, Harmony Korine and Ed Templeton began to create art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Many had no formal training and almost no conception of the inner workings of the art world. They learned their crafts through practice, trial and error, and good old-fashioned innovation. Not since the Beat Generation have we seen a group of creative individuals with such a unified aesthetic sense and varied cultural facets. The world of art has been greatly affected by their accomplishments as have the worlds of fashion, music, literature, film, and, ironically, athletics. Beautiful Losers is a retrospective celebration of this spirit, with hundreds of artworks by over two dozen artists, from precursors like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Larry Clark, to more recent adherents Ryan McGinness, KAWS and Geoff McFetridge. Work in all conceivable mediums is included, plus reproductions of reams of ephemera. The accompanying essays are contributed by a half-dozen writers who have championed these beautiful losers from the start. This paperback reprint includes more pages, more images, an exhibition checklist, installation shots from a variety of exhibitions and an interview with Beautiful Losers advocate Agnes B.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Street Art, Art Design, Design, Art and Photography, Creative

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The accompanying documentary movie to the Beautiful Losers exhibit is currently available to stream on Netflix and is quite good.

[Michael Duckworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that dives into the amazing world of the most beautiful side of the human race; arts. It is awesomely well written.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! This book has helped propel me the last month! Literally, back on a skateboard after being inspired here. Great art and cultural discourse smashed together really giving a big picture of what went down in the '90s and 00's regarding some of the greatest street and gallery art of our time. This book helped a philosophy i have regarding art, soul, life, and living gell in me mind. Just Wonderful... JOY indeed.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I aslo have the DVD! I think it would be biased to think that it sums up the underground art culture, but if you dig a little deeper, you can find that the dynamic portrayed in this book, in the movie in the differences of states, background and visions can give a pretty good idea as to how people make shit out of nothing. I cherish this book as I cherish most of my books, but it's got a little something more attached to it than filling up my shelf with beautiful works...

[Melissapughjensen Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a amazing book, that I went to the exibit at Yerba Buena Gardens Museum. AMAZInG!!!

[Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

scored off union square.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many of my favorite artists be up in herr.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

La mejor crónica que he leído jamás de la cultura "Do It Yourself".

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's great

[Jaafar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good one ...

[Joe Vigil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing art book here! I am going to purchase this one. Great for the coffee table or a den of dissident's.

[Seven Pesos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wherein a bunch of grown men whose vocabulary (I assume) includes a healthy sprinkling of the words "dope", "sick", "tight" write about the cultural significance of their dope, sick, and tight artwork. Corporate artists, perhaps in denial of their role in the industry, speak on the authenticity and street culture capital of their works and the works of their peers. This book is peak commodification of counter culture. Sponsored by Nike. No joke. Really, my biggest gripe is that I didn't like the vast majority of the artwork featured here. There's a certain rustic feel here which I don't like.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And should you ask the figures of any era about how they got there, you'll find that the freaks were looking for the beats, the hippies for the freaks, punk came in search of a revolution turned paisley and squalid, all those 1980s artists were just pissed off that they missed punk, skaters were frustrated surfers, street skaters were just bummed that they missed the heyday of all the skate parks...." (75).

[Onecard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could sit in a pub and tell you all the things that are written in this book but you wouldn't fucking listen. It's better for both of us if I spend my time hiding in the bushes waiting to spray little pictures on other people's property.

[Cynthia Cat Garnder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is completely amazing.
It's very well-edited.

[Upgnaiden nava · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girlfriend is more dificult that read this book.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intresting and got a few ideas from this book for some new designs of my own.

[Andy Soria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very very informative book that makes you appreciate the art on the streets