Virgil Abloh: Parts of Speech

From street fashion to high culture, the work of Virgil Abloh, a celebrated young multihyphenate artist, is showcased in this lavishly illustrated book. Virgil Abloh's story is both quintessentially and subversively American. Born to Ghanaian parents in Rockford, Illinois, he launched his career as a member of Kanye West's creative team in 2002. Ever since, his diverse professional and artistic endeavors have spanned work at Fendi, art directing musical albums, launching a sports-inspired fashion label, developing a multi-platform brand, starting a furniture collection, launching a collaborative exhibition with Takashi Murakami, publishing a song, and forming a partnership with Nike. Most recently he was named artistic director at Louis Vuitton and performed at Lollapalooza. This multi-faceted and vibrant book accompanies the first retrospective of his work, which is being presented in his hometown of Chicago in 2019. Images of his creations in the world of fashion, furniture, graphic arts, architecture, and collaborations with other artists are accompanied by essays that view his work through the lens of the African diaspora and explore his remarkable fluidity between high and low culture. At the core of this book is Abloh's deep interest in empowering young people, an optimistic stance that reflects his generous energy and willingness to turn the status quo on its head.

“"When Virgil Abloh breathes, his CO2 is practically up on eBay the next day -- so we imagine his new book, Figures of Speech... won't be long for this world." - New York Magazine "Figures of Speech is packed with 1,932 images and a number of essays which discuss race, contemporary art history, streetwear and more. Altogether, the Prestel-produced book spans 496 pages and features a fittingly minimalist hardback cover."- HypeBeast "...the object that is really worth coveting is the book. More than a simple catalog it's a 500 page User's Manual to his career." - Core77 " Designer and creative director Virgil Abloh has a new coffee table book you'll want to make space for in your living room. A particularly cool addition to your coffee table or bookshelf..." - AIROWS”

"The show's hefty, excellent catalog embraces this spirit, deploying a titillating level of detail."-The New York Times "When Virgil Abloh breathes, his CO2 is practically up on eBay the next day -- so we imagine his new book, Figures of Speech... won't be long for this world." -New York Magazine

"Figures of Speech is packed with 1,932 images and a number of essays which discuss race, contemporary art history, streetwear and more. Altogether, the Prestel-produced book spans 496 pages and features a fittingly minimalist hardback cover."-HypeBeast

"...the object that is really worth coveting is the book. More than a simple catalog it's a 500 page User's Manual to his career." -Core77

"Expect it to fly off the shelves like freshly baked cookies" --Buro

"Designer and creative director Virgil Abloh has a new coffee table book you'll want to make space for in your living room. A particularly cool addition to your coffee table or bookshelf..." -AIROWS

MICHAEL DARLING is James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Previously, Darling was the Jon and Mary Shirley Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Seattle Art Museum; he was also an associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

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