American Denim: A New Folk Art

New York: Harry N Abrams, 1975. Hardcover. VG+/VG (light rubbing to lower board edges, corners & spine edge. light foxing to pastedowns & endpapers. dustjacket has edge scuffing & light toning; scratches; price sticker to flap). blue & white denim color boards w/ stamped silver printing. 157 pgs w/ color illustrations. white, glossy illustrated dustjacket. A charming, historically-important, and well-produced book from 1975 that highlights the work of about 50 denim artists. The concept is simple: these men and women took denim garments and changed them. There's a wide range of techniques here: applique, embroidery and other needlepoint techniques, distressing, integration of other fabrics, painting, studding. The intentions of the artists here are varied. Some of them are coming straight out of the hippie. Interspersed are black and white photos of famous people looking famous in denim (the usual suspects like Peter Fonda and Olivia Newton-John are here as well as Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra wearing a truly horrendous bell-bottomed number.) Interspersed through the book is the essay by Peter Beagle which is a free-flowing and personal reflection on the spirit of the time, the fashionable past, crafting, the history of the Levi brand, life in a post-1960's realities, and how he really, really liked fur when he was a kid. Really.--WorldCat.