An Octet of Objects, Opportunities, and Oscillations

Sports, sounds, spines, and silk, bound by design.

New to this? Catch up on previous installments and playlists.

Kick Off. Starting with a plug. I’m thrilled to be part of the team organizing and promoting the contest to design the official Los Angeles Host City poster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Want more than the prestige? We’re also giving the winner $20,000. If you’re an artist, designer, or illustrator (18+; LA County resident) and want to enter, visit losangelesfwc26.com for next steps. Please also share this with any friends or colleagues you think should register to enter.

Trucks Given. Rolling with the sport theme—and Los Angeles-based artists—Geoff McFetridge’s skatepark motif “Figures Libres” scarf for Hermès is 👌🏼.

Rollei With It. I’m fortunate to call Jonathan Becker a mentor from my decade in New York City. I always valued my time hanging with him on his studio’s orange LC3 and hearing his society war stories—in particular his tales of portraits, parties, and Paris with Brassaï are the stuff of legend. (Not to mention my mother is eternally grateful for the shot he miraculously captured the time I briefly encountered Mick Jagger.) While his book of collected works for Vanity Fair is spectacular, it’s now very hard to find, and his work was long overdue for a proper retrospective. Phaidon have delivered with over 200 plates in a new monograph, Jonathan Becker: Lost Time, and they currently have signed copies available if you order from the source.

Below left: Taylor Mead and Ultra Violet, Elaine’s kitchen, New York, 1976. Below right: Andy Warhol and Elaine Kaufman, Elaine’s kitchen, New York, 1976.

And on the topic of photo books, in last week’s Books Issue I mentioned Mary Gaudin’s seminal—and also long sold-out—2014 book, Down the long driveway, you’ll see it. As chance would have it, I got an email today notifying me that a second pressing has been issued in an edition of 500 copies. You can order one, here.

Feeling Zine. My days perched behind my booth at the NY and LA Printed Matter Art Book Fairs might be behind me (though hopefully not), but I still relish being on the other side of the table. This weekend sees the return of the LA’s Acid-Free book market, with 50+ local independent publishers setting up shop at Marta.

You can get the tote, above, here.