Studio Gangster

Yeah, we may have just mentioned the opening of the new TrickGo boutique, but I will mention it again because they were thoughtful enough to stock the newest book by Philly-born, New York-based street artist (can someone provide me with a word for this that doesn’t make me feel like a tool, please?), non-street artist, illustrator and graphic designer Steve Powers, who coordinated this summer’s A Love Letter for You mural series along the El in West Philly. You know, these ones:

Powers’ book is called Studio Gangster, and according to the solitary amazon.com customer review:

Studio Gangster is an amazing book of artwork and words by Steve “ESPO” Powers. First published in the United States in 1951, this book has been a frequently challenged book for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst. Originally published for adults, the book has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world; it has also been translated into almost all of the world’s major languages. Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of more than 65 million. Studio Gangster was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. The book’s protagonist, Steve Powers, or ESPO, has become an icon for teenage rebellion and defiance. Written in the first person, Studio Gangster follows Power’s experiences in New York City in the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a college preparatory school. If you don’t buy this book you are fat and girls will not like you and God and your parents don’t love you anymore.

Not really, obviously. In fact, Studio Gangster is comprised of:

5 years of paintings that distill the complete range of human emotion into readily recalled and related memes. These visual archetypes are aptly described by Powers as a synthesis of word and image to create a new emotional revelation.

So it’s stuff like this, which was extremely successful in its memetic aspirations in that I very specifically remember it making the design-blog rounds on Valentine’s Day last year:

You can find a map of all the A Love Letter for You murals at the project’s website; TrickGo is at 1135 Pine Street and is open Monday through Saturday, 11-7.