In Smog and Thunder: Historical Works from the Great War of the Californias

by Sandow Birk

What if the rivalry between San Francisco and Los Angeles erupted into civil war? Drawing on images and icons of contemporary culture as well as European and Latin American art history, Sandow Birks paintings reflect a meditation on cultural identity, nationality, and history. The book comes with a CD of songs from this imagined war and features 16 pages of new posters.

80 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was just great

[Sabra Kurth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning.

[Christian Lipski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A museum catalog of paintings recording the events of the great war between SF and LA. I am a sucker for alternate history. It's a little tongue in cheek, but it's also very allegorical, as most historical paintings were. There are legitimate reviews of the show at the end of the book, AND! a CD with an audioguide for the exhibit.

[Scott Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT. A must-read for anyone who has lived in Los Angeles or San Francisco. The battle between NorCal and SoCal treated literally, with Napoleonic-era war paintings depicting the heroes and battles. I think I need to say this again: brilliant.