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The Mind's Eye

The Art of Omni

Edited by Rick Schwartz / Introduction by Ben Bova
Published by powerHouse Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Omni was a jewel among popular science magazines of its era (1978-1998). Science Digest, Science News, Scientific America, and Discover may have all been selling well to armchair scientists, but Omni masterfully blended cutting edge science news and science fiction, flashy graphic design, a touch of sex, and the images of a generation of artists completely free and unburdened by the disciplines of the masters. Created by the legendary Bob Guccione, better known for founding Penthouse than perhaps any of the other facets of his inspired career in business, art, and literature, Guccione handpicked the artists and illustrators that contributed to the Omni legacy-they in turn created works ignited by passion and intellect, two of Guccione's principal ideals.

The Mind's Eye: The Art of Omni is the very first publication to celebrate in stunning detail the exceptional science fiction imagery of this era in an oversized format. The Mind's Eye contains 185 images from contributing Omni artists including John Berkey, Chris Moore, H.R. Giger, Rafal Olbinski, Ralle, Tsuneo Sanda, Hajime Sorayama, Robert McCall, and Colin Hay among many more, along with quotes from artists, contributors, writers, and critics.

Omni lived in a time well before the digital revolution. The images you see on these pages have taken years to track down and brought the editors in touch with many esteemed artists, amazing photographers and dusty storage lockers. Their quest is far from over; you'll notice an almost decade-long gap in the material, the contents of which were either lost or destroyed. Efforts to search throughout the universe for any images will continue and will be shared with the world at the all-things-Omni website, omnireboot.com. Stay tuned...

Collected in book form for the first time ever, the striking art from this extraordinary magazine will delight fans who remember seeing the work years ago and newcomers interested in the unique aesthetic of this genre's biggest artists.

"Omni was a magazine about the future. From 1978 to 1998 Omni blew minds byregularly featuring extensive Q&As with some of the top scientists of the 20thcentury-E.O. Wilson, Francis Crick, Jonas Salk-tales of the paranormal, and some ofthe most important science fiction to ever see magazine publication: William Gibson'sgenre-defining stories 'Burning Chrome' and 'Johnny Mnemonic,' Orson Scott Card's 'Unaccompanied Sonata,' novellas by Harlan Ellison and George R. R. Martin, 'Thanksgiving,' a postapocalyptic tale by Joyce Carol Oates-even William S. Burroughsgraced its pages." -Vice magazine, Motherboard

"Omni is not a science magazine. It is a magazine about the future...Omni was suigeneris. Although there were plenty of science magazines over the years...Omni wasthe first magazine to slant all its pieces toward the future. It was fun to read andgorgeous to look at." -Ben Bova, six-time Hugo award winner

About The Author

Jeremy Frommer, Wall Street financier and the mind's eye media industry investor, has been collecting art and pop culture memorabilia for over 20 years. In 2009, he retired from the financial services industry, where he was senior managing director and global head of The Royal Bank of Canada's Global Prime Services division. Soon thereafter, Frommer and his business partner, producer Rick Schwartz, began acquiring a number of intellectual properties and media assets. In early 2012, they formed Jerrick Ventures. Jerrick Ventures acquired the assets of Omni magazine, including its vast art collection. Rick Schwartz is an award-winning film producer and financier based in New York. Throughout his career, he has worked on a wide range of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films including The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Machete, and Black Swan. Schwartz has been involved with movies that have cumulatively grossed over one billion dollars in worldwide box office sales and earned 31 Academy Award nominations. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild, as well as a published writer whose work has appeared in such outlets as The Times of London, The Huffington Post, The Washington Times, and Grantland.

Product Details

  • Publisher: powerHouse Books (May 13, 2014)
  • Length: 180 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781576877302

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