New York Drawings by Adrian Tomine

I received a few new books in the mail yesterday. My excitement could not be contained. Instead of re-reading the Odyssey for a free online course I am taking I dove right into one of these new books. New York Drawings is a collection work from Adrian Tomine, most of which originally appeared in the New Yorker over the last decade. I bought this book thinking I would be disappointed. I had seen some of Tomine's New Yorker covers before - I have a copy of the great Amazon delivery one somewhere - but most of my exposure to his work had been through two of his graphic novels (Shortcomings and Summer Blonde). The main thought running through my mind as I opened the book was will Tomine's themes of loneliness and alienation blend well with his love of awkward moments in a single panel?

My worries were for nothing! This collection is amazing. I want to leave it on my coffee table so everyone can marvel over the images as I have. Some of my favorites - The Lost Girl and Meditation - are not available online to show you and I am to lazy to scan them myself, but trust me they are so beautifully simple.

Tomine manages to condense complexity to one page over and over. Take the cover above. Has one image ever so subtly mocked our entire conception of reality? We are obsessed with seeing what is real on T.V. and experiencing simulated realities. Yet, the image mocks this whole concept. It seems to call for the people watching the movie to take down the screen and stare at the real existence behind it.

The image below is equally stunning and simple. Two strangers on trains heading separate directions make eye contact as they read the same book. The loneliness and sense of lost opportunity that this image conveys needs time to be properly absorbed. Perhaps this is love for Tomine - two strangers destined to be heading separate ways.

There are also a few short comic strips in here that showcase the wit and dialogue of Tomine - which is almost always great. However, if you really want to have more experiences with Tomine's comic work I would suggest picking up Shortcomings, Summer Blonde, or Optic Nerve #12 - they are all pretty amazing.

If you are looking for a coffee table book, love drawings, are a fan of Tomine, or just want something different check this book out. If you happen to see it somewhere take a few moments to browse through it. This book is worth a first and second look.