We are experiencing a psychedelic renaissance not seen since the 1960s, but today psychedelics emphasize mental balance, creativity and positivity, and it could prove a powerful tool to help elevate people’s consciousness to work together to solve global problems. The psychedelic resurgence presented in these pages is just revving up. It has the potential to dramatically change how we perceive the world. Can happy things put one in a better mood? And if everyone is in a better mood, does the world become happier? If people believe it, and move toward it, then this hopeful fantasy could become our collective reality.

 
This colorful volume explores the contemporary psychedelic aesthetic unfolding in the cultural zeitgeist across fashion, art, design, architecture and lifestyle. Consider Yayoi Kusama’s bright polka-dotted fantasy worlds, Marni x No Vacancy Inn’s vibrant beach Africana, artist duo FriendsWithYou’s ecstatic rainbows and candy-colored kawaii creatures or Burning Man habitué Bjarke Ingels’s utopian optic architecture.
Author Julia Chaplin elaborates four distinct themes: Rainbow Utopists (rapper A$AP Rocky, designer Marco Ribeiro), Afrofuturists (musician George Clinton, rapper-designer Kid Cudi), Cosmic Technophiles (stage designer Es Devlin, artist Leo Villareal) and Spiritualizers (artists Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell), all dreaming and working toward a brighter world.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Title: Psychedelic Now
Author: Julia Chaplin
Page Count: 220 pages
100% Paper - Hardcover
Type: Hardback
Weight: 1.5kg

Julia Chaplin is a journalist, author, curator and adventurer. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and Travel + Leisure. She coined the term “gypset” and has written the books Gypset Style, Gypset Travel, Gypset Living, Tulum Gypset (Assouline, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2019) and The Boho Manifesto (Artisan, 2019). She founded the arts organization Proyecto Dracula, consults on hospitality and lectures on bohemian lifestyle and travel.

ABOUT ASSOULINE

Assouline is a globally renowned luxury publishing house celebrated for its exquisitely crafted coffee table books that blend art, culture, fashion, design, and travel. Founded in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, the brand has redefined the world of books, transforming them into collectible works of art. Each Assouline publication is a visual masterpiece, featuring striking imagery, premium materials, and compelling storytelling that transports readers into the worlds of haute couture, iconic destinations, and influential creatives. With a commitment to timeless elegance and intellectual sophistication, Assouline books are more than just reading material—they are statement pieces designed to inspire and enhance any space.

The respect for the product and the process of creation is evident in every facet – the traditional technique of hand-binding covers, the imagery that transports the reader to another place and time, the luxurious thickness of each page. Known worldwide for bringing luxury to the publishing industry, Assouline produces one-of-a-kind books on fashion, art, architecture, photography, design, and travel, weaving a story of L’Art de Vivre with every publication.