This book was be released by Mark Batty Publisher. It features images from the Xiu Xiu Polaroid Projects (see below) and a collection of writings by Jamie Stewart, Caralee McElroy, Ches Smith, Brendan Fowler (Barr), Owen Ashworth (Casiotone for the Painfully Alone), Mary Pearson (High Places), Freddy Ruppert (This Song is a Mess but so am I), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), and myself. Also included is a soundtrack CD featuring tour field-recordings and contributions by Xiu Xiu, Ches Smith, Mary Pearson, Jherek Bischoff (The Dead Science), Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, This Song is a Mess but so am I, The Parenthetical Girls, Barr, Grouper, and The Yellow Swans.
While on tour with Xiu Xiu I completed: Xiu Xiu Polaroid Project #1, Xiu Xiu Polaroid Project #2, and Xiu Xiu Polaroid Project #3. Each project consisted of fans bringing in polaroid film and self addressed stamped envelopes. I shot the polaroids on the tour (all in North America, the US and Canada) and mailed them back to the fans who had brought me the film. I think there exists around 2,000 images scattered around the continent right now. ANP Quarterly ran an essay on Project #2 (with an introduction by Brendan Fowler), and Mark Batty Publisher is publishing a book about the projects.
Click on the above link to learn about my series of picture disc 7 inches. Xiu Xiu did #1, and Jamie Stewart did #2 - Jamie's was old recordings that he re-discovered from 12 years ago - pre-Xiu Xiu stuff. These are still available. If you would like one, click on the link for more info.
Two Newsprint Publications_
Is That All There is to Fire?
This is a newsprint publication for an art exhibition I curated in Los Angeles in February 2007. Xiu Xiu had a sound piece in the show, and for the publication Jamie made a drawing based on the piece. 2000 of these were made. They were given away for free in the gallery. If you would like to purchase one please visit Mylinh Trieu Nguyen's website. For more information about the show go here.
Untitled Newsprint
The two images above are of a double-sided newsprint poster I made using polaroids from the Xiu Xiu Polaroid Projects. This was first sold across America on Xiu Xiu's 2007 Spring tour. It is an edition of 1000 and available for purchases at Ooga Booga in Los Angeles, Printed Matter in New York, Needles and Pens in San Francisco, and online here.
The Xiu Xiu Tour Photo Books _
These books are a series of photography collections from each Xiu Xiu tour I have been on. They are usually made after each tour, and then sold on the next one. Some are limited edition and some are open editions. The printing of the open editions are halted once a new book is released. They are made in different ways: hand sewn ink-jet prints, hand made hard bound ink jet prints, stapled ink jet prints, tape bound laser jet prints, staple bound color photo copy laser jet prints, loose 4 x 6 prints, 4 x 6 prints in a cheap plastic consumer photo album, digital PDFs, lulu.com published, etc...
A book on the Xiu Xiu Polaroid Projects is being released Mark Batty Publisher in the Fall.
Tour Book 5 hand-made edition:
Spring 2007 - 40 pages, laser print, tape bound, 7.5" x 7.5"
These are being sold at Ooga Booga in Los Angeles and Printed Matter in New York. I have only a few copies left. They are $25 for US orders or $30 for international orders. Email me: hikarusaru (at) gmail (dot) come
Tour Book 5 Lulu.com edition:
Spring 2007 - 24 pages, digital color printing, saddle-stiched, 8.5"x11"
Tour Book 5 was first released as a free PDF file designed by Mylinh Trieu Nguyen. At normal viewing it is the actual size of a small billboard. You can navigate through it using your computer screen like a magnifying glass. Download it here.
Tour Book 4 version B:
Fall/ Winter 2006, 28 pages, ink-jet, hard bound, 6.25" x 8.5"
An edition of 40 signed and numbered. Book designed and made by Miya Osaki. This is also Azuki 01. The pages are french-folded, and there is a secret letter inside.
This was an open edition that was sold until version B was released. I do not know how many were made. Probably around 50. Ooga Booga in Los Angeles still may have some.
Tour Book 3:
Winter 2005, 24 pages, ink-jet, thread bound, 4.25" x 5.5"
There also exists a cheaply produced (b/w and color photo copy, staple bound) version of Tour Book 3. I am ashamed that it exists based on its quality. I am proud that it exists based on the fact that it exists for the sake of existence.
Tour Book 2:
Summer/ Fall 2005, 28 pages (?), ink-jet, thread bound, 4.25" x 5.5"
I believe this was an edition of 30. I have a habit of not keeping things I make for myself. A video will be up if I can track down one of these books.
Note: On this tour we re-arranged a "United We Stand" marquee in Montana to make "United We Tan." We then ran across the street, and over peanut butter milk-shakes, we realized we could use the letters to form "Tits and Weed." There exists a cheaply color-photocopied book that was staple bound that contained documentation of this, as well as other political detournments. One image is of Xiu Xiu and The Dead Science dismantling an Iwo Jima float we found in Florida. Another is our re-arranged and reappraised support our troops magnets (some torn up and placed back on cars, some used as earrings). I would like to remake this book in the future, and have it include our most recent turning of a Hooters marquee in Mobile, Alabama into "George W is HIV to America."
Tour Book 1:
Spring 2005
These were 4x6 prints from a one-hour photo-store. Some were loose and wrapped in paper, others were bound in a cheap consumer plastic photo-album. There exists around 50. No documentation exists.
