Category Archives: Art

Ex-Libris

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

As a book seller and collector, I have always been ambivalent when it comes to bookplates. The artistry and clever design cannot be denied, however the glued in place bookplates permanently damage and deface the book.  

Posted in Art, Books | Tagged , | 1 Comment

How Bookstores Will Re-Open

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

Posted in Art, Books, Bookstore Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

NYC’s Tiniest Tourist Attraction

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

At the corner of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue South in the West Village, in front of the iconic Village Cigars store, lies this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mosaic embedded in the sidewalk. The  triangle’s enigmatic message: “Property of the Hess Estate Which Has … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, History, Tourism, USA | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Banksy and Bob

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

By now, you have likely seen photos of Banksy ‘s latest work painted on the wall of a historic British prison. The elusive street artist officially owned the piece by posting some footage of Bob Ross narration from The Joy … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

I Love Big Books

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I wish we had an amazing institution like the fantastic Karabuk University’s library, in Karabuk, Turkey. Designed to look like a row of giant books on a shelf; it’s obvious from a distance what the building has to offer. Renowned … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, Europe, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Kafka on the Shore (and t-shirts)

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

When I think of the celebrated Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami  fashion does not come to mind. However, it seems that the author is much more interested in style than his novels such as 1Q84 and Norwegian Wood suggest. Murakami recently collaborated with … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How Kafkaesque

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Reach Out

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

This new mural by the award winning young Dutch artist JDL (aka Judith de Leeuw) in Amsterdam’s grand Central Station is appropriately titled Closer in Distance. The tryptic  mural reads like stills in an animation, with two hand gradually getting closer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Vintage is better

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I recently ran across a treasure trove of vintage Japanese travel posters from the early 20th century. As you know, I’m a little bit obsessed with travel related advertising, but I think that early travel posters managed to do a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, History, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

stealing the sun

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

A few years ago I had the opportunity to do some traveling in British Columbia and Alaska. While I was there I became intrigued by the art, culture, and mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the region, including the Tlingt … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Canada, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments