Downy Bird Art Kingdom

Downy Bird Art Kingdom falls firmly within the art book sub genre of "the Group Show book". What you get are 96 color pages featuring the work of 21 contemporary west coast artists. Each artist gets a 50-or-so word write-up from editor Matthew Bowers to go with 4 pages of images, both whole works and details. This book is the first of several future volumes.

In an opening essay by the editor, Downy Bird proclaims itself to be a look at the generation of artists following the "post-postmodern, neo-graffiti, Mission School, low-brow surrealism movements" of the 1990s. It also presents itself as a survey of these artists before art writers and art historians simplify and consolidate this movement into "tidy, exclusive piles" (like, say, neo-graffiti and low-brow surrealism).

Almost all the artwork is strictly from the "illustration as art" school of thought. You can call it Hipster art of Juxtapoz art or Postmodern Mixed-Media or whatever... If you find yourself checking fecalface.com more than once a week, you will love this book. As far as I know, the artists are all from only 3 cities: Oakland, San Francisco, and Portland. While this hardly makes the book a diverse survey, it still gives a solid look into the work of 21 emerging artists that are (almost) all worthy of getting familiar with.

With that in mind, Downy Bird benefits from the strengths and is hurt by the liabilities of all group shows (printed or otherwise): with so much work, you are bound to connect with something - yet - the overall show risks being dragged down by a few weak links. This book shows some real bright spots coming up from the emerging art horizon. Most notable are Catherine Ryan, Ferris Plock, and photographer Katy Zaugg. It also features several artists that help to emphasize the talent of those bright spots by means of comparison (if you get my drift).

All in all, Downy Bird is a great guide into an ever-emerging arts community. When I take into account the prospect of many future volumes, I can see a valuable document of young, contemporary, Bay Area (and Portland) artists. Kind of like New American Paintings, but with more focus. The printing quality (from Endeavor Printing) is very good, and the size (7.5"x7.5") and thickness (96 pages) are perfect for an ongoing series. The price, $20, is a bargain.

You can order Downy Bird Art Kingdom from downybird.com (which also features a complete list of artists with links) or get it direct from us here at the Rowan Morrison fine arts bookstore by hitting the button: