Last weekend, photographer David Brandon Geeting went to the second annual LA Art Book Fair. The event was held at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary, drawing zinesters of every persuasion from all around the world to buy printed matter from more than 250 international presses, booksellers, artists, and enthusiasts. Special features included a Queer Zines exhibition co-curated by art collector Philip Aarons and artist and healer AA Bronson, as well as a series of lectures organized by David Senior, bibliographer of MoMA’s library.
Geeting’s pictures speak for themselves, but we pressed him for details anyway.
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VICE: What was the mood like at the LA Book Fair?
David Brandon Geeting: The mood was pretty chill. Is that a mood?
How was it different from the NY Art Book Fair?
The NYABF gives me so much anxiety. When you arrive, you first have to pass a giant stair load of really cool people drinking $8 beers, flicking cigarette butts, and staring into your soul. When you finally get inside, there’s no room to move around. There are so many floors that you never really get to see everything you want to see. The LAABF made way more sense to me. There was no one to impress on the way in because everyone was too busy ordering from the taco truck, or watching whatever avant-garde noise shit was going on on the stage out front. Inside, the ceilings are way taller, the rooms are much more spacious, and there is only one floor—plus a small balcony—of stuff to browse through.
What are some of your favorite books you saw for sale?
Peter Sutherland’s new zine was tight. Each one came with a custom-stickered cover that he made specially for whoever was buying. Everything at the Zen Mafia booth was badass; I was not familiar with them before this thing. The Gottlund Verlag zone was also sick. He had a tiny art show hung on the wall above his table of books (which are consistently perfect and gorgeous), and that pushed his vibe a step above the other booths. I have to shout out the 8-Ball Zine booth, and also the Pau Wau booths. Those are the homies.
What did you buy?
Tacos.
Sum up the experience in one sentence.
Cool times, see you next year.
