Books & Art: The Book of Skulls by Faye Dowling

"The skull is one of the most recognizable symbols of today's contemporary visual culture. Since its 1970's renaissance in the iconic album designs of bands such as the Grateful Dead, the skull has found its way into the visual vocabulary of urban life, adorning T-Shirts, badges and rock memorabilia as the ultimate symbol of anarchy and rebellion. Repurposed and recast by artists, illustrators and designers, it has become one of the most iconic cultural symbols of our time. In response to this cultural phenomenon, The Book of Skulls presents a cool visual guide to the skull, charting its rebirth through music and street fashion to become today's ultimate anti-establishment icon. From Black Sabbath to Cypress Hill, skater punk graffiti to Gothic tattoos, from high-couture to Hello Kitty and Dali to Damien Hirst, this book is the ultimate collection of cool and iconic skull motifs. Drawing together artwork from music, fashion, street art and graphic design The Book of Skulls is a celebration of one of today's most iconic cultural symbols."

Last year, my sister gave me The Book of Skulls by Faye Dowling and I then spent a happy few hours pawing through the gorgeous artwork and interesting bits of information included within the book. As you may have guessed from the title, its focus is art and design pieces, all of which incorporate skulls in one way or another.

This collection is not only beautiful, but is peppered with historical contexts and insights into popular culture over the years as well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes macabre art or - obviously - skulls, as it a quirky, semi-humorous take on what is usually a dark subject matter.

More pictures after the cut below↓