The Beautiful Flower is the World: Jerry Hsu's beautiful book of curated cellphone photos
The book is beautiful in all aspects of the word. Physically, it feels very solid, well made and the quality is superb. Inside, you get pages of the Jerry Hsu’s curated diary of curiosities. It is a book filled with archives of cellphone and some film photos that takes you into the world of Hsu.
“Have fun and don’t take it too seriously” is the overall message that I got from the book. I had fun reading and rereading it. The photos are funny, yes, but it is also serious and thought provoking at times. But then again, the way you enjoy a book is like how you enjoy your life. Enjoy it and have fun with it and you will see the beauty in it.
Author and photographer Jerry Hsu is also a California-based legendary pro-skateboarder. The Beautiful Flower is the World is his second book released with Anthology Editions.
The book’s title is from a photo of a t-shirt Hsu found and documented which pretty much sums up the poetic, ironic and fun photos explored within the book.
Jerry Hsu by Ray Potes
Via the book’s press release: Hsu began his blog NAZI GOLD in 2009 as a curated “feed” of cell phone photos, in addition to his work with traditional and film practices. The blog showcased Hsu’s unique razor sharp wit and fascination with life’s absurdities through unplanned snapshots of friends, strangers, skate culture, roadside curiosities, juxtapositions and anything else that he deemed shareable.
What I love about this book is how it explores and presents so many things at the same time while being relatable. What is shareable? What is acceptable? What is considered art? It explores the power of cellphones not just as a tool for communication but also a tool for instant documentation and sharing of whatever we deem shareable. How do you transcend the limitations of a cellphone camera? What is high and low art? Art imitates life and vice versa.
Overall, the book will make you realize that amidst all the seemingly mundane, absurd and chaotic world that we live in- life is indeed beautiful.
Book is now available everywhere and is published by Anthology Editions.