The explosion of rap music and the street culture from which it sprang have had an indelible influence on our lifestyle today. We see it in our language, fashion, advertising, role models, and most notably, our contemporary art. Beyond Bling: Voices of Hip-Hop in Art examines this phenomenon as seen through the art of ten of the most exciting, innovative and diverse contemporary artists working in the 21st Century. Featuring a painting of an African-American male as the new art historical icon by Kehinde Wiley, a sequined, baroque image of the African-American woman by Mickalene Thomas, the Asian-influenced graffiti art of Gajin Fujita, and neighborhood women from a mural featured in New York's Times Square by Sofia Maldonado, among many other outstanding works, this fascinating book highlights how the new art of this Century reflects the influence of hip-hop culture and its undeniable mark on society at large. Contents: Matthew McLendon - Come as You Are; Interview with Michael Anderson; Interview with Vince Fraser; Interview with Gajin Fujita; Interview with Luis Gispert; Interview with Sofia Maldonado; Interview with Mickalene Thomas. AUTHOR: Matthew McLendon is the Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. 75 colour illustrations

"Published in conjunction with the exhibition Beyond Bling: Jewelry from the Lois Boardman Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California (October 2, 2016 -February 5, 2017)"--

How has domestic life been reorganised to accommodate the new U.S. imperial ambitions? What are the consequences of empire for the people living here "at home"? This new collection of essays answers these questions by exploring the cultural, political, and economic shifts that are now under way in the United States. Encouraging a radical rethinking of what the country is today, this book highlights the connection of U.S. imperial strategies to the production of insecurity, uncertainty, and deepening inequality at home. Rethinking America also explores the instabilities and contradictions of the new imperialism from the unique vantage point of the newly emerging U.S. "homeland." Comprised of work from leading figures in the field of U.S. ethnography, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the changes taking place in the United States in the early years of the twenty-first century.

There’s a fine line between the living and the dead, and Marshall is determined to cross it in this gut-wrenching debut novel. Ever since the car accident that killed his identical twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by the secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends and set things right. He must find a thin space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side. But when a new girl moves into the neighborhood, into the exact same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets. As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—March must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

In Jamaican dancehalls competition for the video camera's light is stiff, so much so that dancers sometimes bleach their skin to enhance their visibility. In the Bahamas, tuxedoed students roll into prom in tricked-out sedans, staging grand red-carpet entrances that are designed to ensure they are seen being photographed. Throughout the United States and Jamaica friends pose in front of hand-painted backgrounds of Tupac, flashy cars, or brand-name products popularized in hip-hop culture in countless makeshift roadside photography studios. And visual artists such as Kehinde Wiley remix the aesthetic of Western artists with hip-hop culture in their portraiture. In Shine, Krista Thompson examines these and other photographic practices in the Caribbean and United States, arguing that performing for the camera is more important than the final image itself. For the members of these African diasporic communities, seeking out the camera's light—whether from a cell phone, Polaroid, or video camera—provides a means with which to represent themselves in the public sphere. The resulting images, Thompson argues, become their own forms of memory, modernity, value, and social status that allow for cultural formation within and between African diasporic communities.

Why the luxury market's fate rests in Chinese wallets The media has negatively focused on the Chinese political administration clamping down on gifting. Observers have come to doubt the strength of Chinese consumption as the key driver for luxury. The Bling Dynasty illustrates how doubts about Chinese consumption are ill-founded and Chinese luxury demand is on the cusp of becoming dominant. This book contains the research and expert views companies need to understand and address the new challenges posed by this dominance. Each chapter brings a different perspective, covering complex aspects of luxury consumption, with illustrations and real-world examples that support the research. Readers will gain insights through interviews with brand executives, retailers, experts, and consumers. As an economic heavyweight, China is fast realizing its role in the luxury market. Chinese consumers should be accounting for more than a third of the global luxury market today, and half, if not more, in ten year's time. The Bling Dynasty runs counter to the conventional wisdom that expanding sectors become more global. Luxury is actually becoming over-dependent on Chinese sales. Readers will: Understand how Western brands developed in Asia and the challenges they are met with, notably ubiquity Learn why Chinese are purchasing luxury items abroad and what it means for the future of the sector Gain insights on why there are no Chinese luxury brands challenging Western models Realize that Chinese consumers are becoming similar to their American peers and that luxury competition goes way beyond pre-conceptions China's big spenders are increasingly mobile and this is affecting key markets. The Bling Dynasty provides new research and a comprehensive look at the booming business of luxury and the Chinese wallet.

"Information about gems, rocks, and other shiny objects on the planet, for children"--