[PW] Yamantaka Eye - Nanoo

[andrea herman]

On 4/30/07, Sydney Thompson <sydneythompson at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello. I'm hoping someone can help me locate a rare book of art called
> Nanoo, by the singer Yamantaka Eye. I have been unable to find it online,
> except on ebay. The book was published in Japan in 1996.
>
> Thank you,
> Sydney Thompson

I didn't know that the singer of the Boredoms was an artist too! I
don't have a definite answer to your question, as the tools I as a
public librarian use to find rare books such as Worldcat
(http://www.worldcat.org/) and Bookfinder (http://www.bookfinder.com/)
are not much help for rare foreign art books, though I did search them
just in case (no luck). I also don't read Japanese, which would
probably be necessary for a thorough web search.

However, I am someone who is interested in modern art and Japanese
culture, and this is my guess as to where such a book would be in the
US:

1) In a museum store, behind the counter, with a big price tag on it.

2) In a store that imports Japanese books, behind the counter, with a
big price tag on it.

3) In  a museum library, not to be taken out, probably with special
permission required to view it.

For #1, you would have to call or email likely museums such as MOMA,
PS. 1, SFMOMA, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Walker Art Center,
etc.

For #2, the two I can think of off the bat as possibilities are:
     Zakka   	
    (212) 431-3961
    147 Grand St
    New York, NY

     Kinokuniya Book Stores-America   	
    (415) 567-7625
    1581 Webster St # 165
    San Francisco, CA
     http://www.sfjapantown.org/shop.html

Maybe they would have leads as to whom to contact even if they didn't
have the book itself.

_Giant Robot_, a magazine that focuses on Asian culture, often
features such items, but their stores probably wouldn't have something
from 1996. You could contact them, though, or post in their forums:

http://www.giantrobot.com/

Here is the Boredom's Myspace page, if you want to try to contact Eye directly:

http://www.myspace.com/boredoms

If you are willing to just look at the book, here is a directory of
art libraries:

http://artlibrary.vassar.edu/ifla-idal/

I did check the MOMA library's catalog, no luck. Unfortunately, most
museum libraries don't have web-accessible catalogs as far as I know
(any art librarians out there, feel free to contradict me).

--Andrea Herman
  St. Paul Public Library

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