Arty Nelson Nelson

Wes Lang is an artist whose work bridges the worlds of cutting-edge street culture and nostalgic Americana, invoking references as varied as Jean-Michel Basquiat and the Hell's Angels, Francis Bacon and the Grateful Dead. Oversized and with pull-out gatefold pages, the book is testament to the scope and richness of Lang's work, expansive in its iconography and deceptively intimate in its detail. From drawings made on hotel stationery during his residency at Chateau Marmont a decade ago, to richly layered oil paintings exhibited in Paris this year, Lang's work juxtaposes a textured, painterly style with a playful acceptance of the diversity of his own influences. Edited by the artist himself and with an exploratory essay by the critic Arty Nelson, the book draws on more than 25 years of work, from stark paintings on wood that formed the artist's first exhibition to new sculptures in bronze, unseen series of ink drawings, and images made iconic by his enigmatic commercial collaborations.