Reading on the road.
And with the blink of an eye, summer is over.
Kind of.
The feeling is similar to the day after Christmas Day as a child. You spend all year looking forward to that one moment and realise that it has sped by. But hey, it’s that fleeting sensation that also makes it special, right? Or at least that’s the consolation I keep telling myself.
For me, summer meant early mornings, swimming, surfing in the evenings, and all of that mixed in with driving. A lot of driving. Over 6000 km in August alone took me from the Netherlands, to the Basque Country, and all the way to Finisterre…and eventually back. Exploring beaches, cities and small villages that seem to have been frozen in a time capsule, and just enjoying every second of it.
Basically, summer was spent doing all the stuff I don’t have that much time to do during the rest of the year. I’m not sure I mentioned this already, but books are another (healthy) obsession of mine… so throughout the summer, I picked up a few new books along my journey, and enjoyed them during wave-less/rainy afternoons…
It was also an Olympic summer, so my wife and I also made some time to watch a few disciplines like swimming and skateboarding. And skateboarding was a definite highlight.
Watching athletes defy gravity on the world stirred up a nostalgic feeling in me, especially if I think back to growing up in the 90’s and what skateboarding meant to us (kids) back then… which brings me to my first book.
’93 til: a photographic journey of skateboarding in the 90’s.
What. A. Book. Beautiful. This book is a masterpiece. In the skateboarding world, some of the older skaters consider the 90’s the golden era of skateboarding. Even some of the younger ones look at the 90’s like an era in which the culture was pushed forward in a different, yet beautiful way.
The book is a series of quotes and texts from world renowned skaters around the globe wedged between beautiful shots of skaters by the photographer Pete Thompson. Pete compiled pictures ranging from the late 80’s to 2004. A two-decade period in which he was shooting for SLAP and Transworld Skate magazines. The 250 page book has some never-before seen imagery Pete had in boxes that cover beautiful action pictures you’d expect in the publications mentioned, but also portraits of skaters, some amazing candid moments… simply amazing.
This book captures the rebellious attitude skateboarding hit during skateboarding’s formative years in a time before Instagram, a time in which skaters were figuring it all out.
The next book was an unexpected find:
TTT:Tattoo
This was an impulse buy. I admit it. I judged a book by its cover (the book was shrink wrapped) and decided to pick it up. And I hit gold, not a real surprise, as I picked this up at Le Grand Jeu in Paris, and that bookstore is so carefully curated, you simply can’t miss.
In 2022 I spent close to 50 hours on a bed getting some work done on my arm until I completed a full-colored sleeve. As a graffiti writer/urban enthusiast (not sure how to describe myself) I have been fascinated by tattoos for a long time. It’s bold, its therapeutic, and it’s a beautiful art form.
This book captures the works of 300 top-talented tattoo artists and analyses the evolution of styles over time and the nuances across the globe.
Even if you’re not into tattoo’s, this book, from a pure artistry standpoint is stunning. The work in the book is beautiful, and when you think of the tools used to accomplish such pieces, its fascinating.
L’Habitat: Los Angeles, Tokyo Paris, Barcelona, London
This is one I had picked up during Paris Fashion week - and an absolute gem of a zine. L’Habitat is a publication done for the exhibition that took place in the city of light, yet captures the energy around the world in skateboarding. Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Barcelona and Paris serve as backdrops/home to the photographers that came together to share their work capturing memories, impossible tricks, and life on a skateboard.
The photographers involved are: Alex Papke capturing LA, Nobuo Iseki, Azusa Apache, Laurence Keefe, and Naoya Morohashi representing Tokyo, Tann Gavin, Margaux Saingolet and Marius Chant capturing Paris, Cristian Bravo covering Barcelona, and Sirus F. Gahan for London.
The boogazine itsself cannot be found, as it was given away at the event, but it is a very intimate -almost voyeuristic- view into the lives of the above mentioned photographers that beautifully capture the essence of the skateboarding movement in present day. A great one to have read after 93’ til infinity - as the contrast of skateboarding then versus now is made even more apparent, but the essence remains the same.
And the last one for today:
Fragmens of Los Angeles, 1969-1989
This book is exactly what the title claims: fragments of the crazy city LA is through the lens of Italian photographer Gusmano Cesaretti. With Gusmano’s eyes focused on East LA due to it’s raw, tough character, this book is not for the faint of heart.
The book is a compilation of many origins. Divided in chapters like “Bikers”, “Folsom Prison”, “Muscle Beach”, and “Street Writers” this book captures some movements in their infancy and ultimately turns into a documentary. One notable excerpt from the book: Ceraretti masterfully captures the origins of low-riders, through Clique Car Club.
The book is fantastic. As raw an unapologetic as the city itself, the book, in terms of photography reminds me of Robert Frank. Honest. Brutally simple, yet iconic.
So now, as we head back to normal, and the routine becomes the routine, remember to sit back, enjoy every moment… summer is right around the corner.
