Just published by Rizzoli is a new art book titled Palm Angels, featuring beautiful large-format photographs of skateboarders in Venice Beach and Manhattan Beach, California. Photographed by Francesco Ragazzi, the Italian art director of Moncler, Palm Angels celebrates the life and style of skateboard culture.
Palm Angels includes an introduction by Pharrell Williams (known in the skate community as “Skateboard P”), who has collaborated with Moncler on various limited edition fashions and accessories. Pharell has been instrumental in popularizing the skate look and propelled it to fashion capitals like Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
Less about tricks, it is the dramatic movements of these skaters that is the focal point of these stunning images. Says Ragazzi, “it was a picture I took one summer that made me go back to Los Angeles over and over again. It was a vision in my mind. Blond hair floating in the air, rays of light that capture bodies fighting over gravity. For some religions this is the portrayal of the Angels. For me, it was a beginning.”
In the spirit of the photography taken of the legendary Z-boys of Dogtown, Ragazzi’s images provide a firsthand glimpse into skateboarding in its modern form, still very much infused with effortless style. This gorgeous tome is sure to appeal both skateboarders and photographers alike.
Hardcover / 9” x 13” / 208 pages / 200 color and b/w illustrations US $55.00 / Can $55.00 / UK £35.00
Images courtesy of Rizzoli: © Francesco Ragazzi, Palm Angels, Rizzoli 2014
