COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF THE WEEK: CINDY SHERMAN

This week’s Coffee Table Book, Cindy Sherman: The Complete Untitled Film Stills, is a series of Cindy Sherman photographs taken between 1977-1980. A retrospective is currently on view at MoMA and the museum published its own book to complement the show, and her first groundbreaking series is where it’s at. Untitled Film Stills features Cindy’s first major series of black and white images taken in her early twenties and “is widely seen as one of the most original and influential achievements in recent art.” Ms. Sherman reinvented Photography and the self-portrait, and this book is where it all started.

Cindy Sherman: The Complete Untitled Film Stills

Can’t make it to the retrospective? Check out the MoMA interactive exhibition online!

COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF THE WEEK: FLEA MARKET STYLE

Flea market shopping can be daunting, especially when you’re shopping for the home. Enter Flea Market Style, the ultimate guide to the world of junk.

Flea Market Style

If you find yourself craving an old world look, this book provides excellent inspiration to get you started. From expert insight on how to spot valuable objects to tips on arranging vintage with modern, this gorgeously photographed book is a true inspiration to those who want their home to tell a story.

COFFEE TABLE OF THE WEEK: TOKYO NOBODY

This week’s coffee table book, Tokyo Nobody, is a collection of Tokyo photographs by Masataka Nakano. If you’re a fan of Tokyo architecture or you’ve ever wondered what a city would look like devoid of people, this book is for you.

Tokyo Nobody

“For 11 years, photographer Masataka Nakano has kept watch for the most impossible of scenes: central Tokyo street scenes inhabited by nobody. These aren’t manipulated composites but rather the result of a dedicated opportunist. There’s something very eerie about these desolate moments and their startling absence of congestion, usually so integral to the portrayal of this environment.” (review from Multilink Magazine)

COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF THE WEEK: PRIMATE PORTRAITS

This week’s pick, Like Us: Primate Portraits, is an outstanding collection of black and white portraits of primates acting casual in suburban households.

Like Us: Primate Portraits

Taken in the late 80′s/early 90′s, the interiors are a hilarious backdrop for this curious subject. The photos are as interesting as they are gorgeous, and printed at 4×6, framing a bunch of them might not be a bad idea.

To read about Robin Schwartz’s most recent work, Amelia’s World, check out her gallery on Flavorwire.

COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF THE WEEK: I LIKE YOU, BY AMY SEDARIS

Amy Sedaris’s  I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence has been out since 2006, but remains one of the most hilarious guides you’re likely to cross paths with.

I Like You

Sedaris is popular for her role as Jerri Blank in Strangers With Candy and is sister to the also-hilarious author David Sedaris, but did you know that she also cooks, crafts and entertains up a storm? From sending invites to making centerpieces to entertaining old people, Sedaris covers all the bases and sprinkles in lots of practical tid-bits, like second uses for pantyhose (bath sachets!). The recipes are equally entertaining (and real) and run the gamut from Telly Savalas Chicken to Lil’ Smoky Cheeseball (great for parties). Every hostess should have a copy and it makes an equally great gift.