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Bringley brings emotional depth to his experiences, struggling to heal from his brother’s death and immersing himself in the museum’s beauty. Despite minor quibbles, this audio should find a welcome home in most audio collections.
Heavily illustrated with images of the paintings, pictured both in full and in magnified detail, this catalogue is a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. One of the most comprehensive studies of Vermeer in years, worthy of any art history collection.
Some of the heavily theoretical art-historical language might be impenetrable to lay readers, but Skov also describes incendiary punk artworks in vivid detail and with an eye for humor. The book is equally for scholars and for punk kids in cities with DIY music scenes.
Overall, Beard’s life reads like the adventure it was. Recommended for both general interest readers and photography enthusiasts.
This beautiful art book serves as a most welcome companion to Beatles scholarship and 1960s culture in general.
An appealing read for anyone interested in moviemaking, and an essential for aspiring costumers. Carter’s contributions to Black cinema make this a worthy inclusion in any library collection.
This is a very comprehensive book with beautiful, copious illustrations. Although academic in tone, it is accessible to general readers interested in the history of fashion and lace and includes a helpful glossary that explains technical terminology.
A glossary and further reading for field guides and species accounts will satisfy the scientific reader, and artists are well served by the beautifully presented artworks and Hashimoto’s tips and personal insights. Consider also for displays on nature-related travel destinations.
Breathtaking images, accompanied by Bell’s scientific notes and comments on artistic techniques, make this an attractive choice for art, photography, and science collections.
Some may wish all 100 objects were included among the color plates, but readers will glean an understanding of ancient Egyptian life, its influences, and its ongoing legacy.
Some of the pictures detract from the overall value of the images, but this is still an essential purchase for all libraries that support an active fine arts program.
This global review of collage in today’s art world will serve both as a launching pad for exploration and as inspiration for creatives.
PREMIUM
On the Verge of Domestication
Art served with an arched eyebrow, a marginal title of some interest to art teachers and students.
The precise, descriptive, and objective prose contrasts with the AIA Guide to New York City’s frequently arch comments. For all readers interested in New York’s built environment.
An introduction to an influential period and a diverse group of artists whose works continue to be uncovered, and whose history reverberates today.
This hydra of a book, one head assessing Picasso’s art, the other looking at how he negotiated his position in France in politically tense times, is strongly recommended to all Picasso enthusiasts.
Architectural history scholars and advanced students of Latin America will benefit from this work, but the exhibition catalogues Condemned To Be Modern and Access for All: São Paulo’s Architectural Infrastructures will serve most readers better.
For all architectural history students and urban designers, who might read Hilary Ballon’s complementary The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1911–2011 alongside the guidebook.
This is a welcome new voice to the generally staid conventions of art history. A lively, engaging examination of a serious and under-addressed topic.
A must for collections supporting fashion, design, theater, or costuming. The insightful, well-researched annotations highlight the historical and cultural context of each garment, including the associated fashion trend, global textile history, designer, and garment construction. The photography, with close-up insets of unique patterns and decoration, is well done.
PREMIUM
Film Noir Portraits
Fans of the genre will delight, as will photographers and graphic designers who value the style of the era.
Highly recommended for its exhaustive and authoritative treatment of the subject. Scholarly, but accessible to general readers.
An excellent and accessible brief introduction that is a personal glimpse into the life of Evans and his circle.
PREMIUM
The Only Woman
This smart and exceptional project observes photography observing power relations, and is highly recommended.
An important purchase for collections supporting women’s studies, photography, fashion design, theater, and museum studies.
Some entries are more successful than others in fleshing out who Taylor Mac is and what Mac is trying to accomplish. Nonetheless, this eclectic, no-holds-barred exposition represents an important addition to theater and gender studies.
An enchanting view into a collection of images rarely seen, and a process crucial to creating our contemporary image world.
Providing a window into the many accomplishments of Asian artists over the centuries, this illuminating and useful resource is an important purchase for larger public libraries and academic institutions.
PREMIUM
A Cultural History of Furniture
This precisely researched and well-written reference work would benefit many art-focused libraries, but not necessarily casual collections.
Quilters contemplating the leap from practical quilting to art quilting would find this book of interest. Recommended for libraries with strong fine arts, quilting, and general craft collections.
Recommended for those who love Matisse or are interested in the work of one of the major artists of the 20th century.
Twenty-five crisp chapters on 25 separate artists allow Gompertz the room to explore both detail and concept in this well-organized labor of love. His first-person perspective places the historical artworks in the present while making all the artwork immediate and relevant. Effortless prose and laser focus on the communicative potential of art make this a worthwhile read for students, professionals, or interested observers.
PREMIUM
White: The History of a Color
Thorough research and abundant illustrations characterize this sixth and final volume in Pastoureau’s scholarly series primarily of interest to art and academic libraries.
This is an attractively illustrated global travelogue featuring a selective group of contemporary Black artists with a slim, interpretative look at theme and technique based on information culled mostly from websites and a few recent texts. A handy, colorful start for art students in particular, to explore how Black culture is being redefined through popular expression.
A fascinating glimpse beyond the surface of a person whose personal life has been thoroughly examined. It is incredible to see yet another facet of Zelda Fitzgerald’s infinite creativity and artistry.
A handsome addition to any fine art collection. It’s imaginative work with substantive themes of ecological advocacy and maritime history, all executed with a fine hand and a piratical sense of humor.
An account of unprecedented depth about a time quickly fading from memory, for aficionados of the avant-grade.
PREMIUM
The Story of Architecture
An engaging and readable account of the history of the western architectural canon.
PREMIUM
Great Women Painters
A richly rewarding overview capturing the range, depth, and accomplishments of women painters, many of whom continue to be overlooked and undervalued.
Beard’s lifetime of excess and negligence toward the maintenance of his body of work complicates his artistic legacy, which is made clear in this biography. Still, many readers will be intrigued.
This work will appeal to those interested in feminist, modern, and contemporary art, especially in the media noted above.
PREMIUM
Houses That Can Save the World
Some selections come from conceptual artists and fall well outside of realistic design applications, and this effort would have greater impact if limited to pragmatic solutions. Still, the original concept makes this a sound choice for most design collections.
Fun to browse, this is an excellent collection of vintage pictures for car enthusiasts and anyone else with an interest in mid-20th-century American culture and photography.
While this is best for those who have access to studio facilities, Dora’s guide is a clear and orderly introduction to pottery making that will benefit anyone interested in pursuing the craft.
While generously illustrated to elucidate the text, this is no coffee table book for casual readers. It’s a deeply researched, important contribution to the study of art history, with relevance to disciplines beyond the study of African art.
With interviews often meandering into the overly personal and with incidental-seeming uncaptioned photographs (their compelling views and dramatic cropping notwithstanding), this book would be more rewarding as a series of video tours.
Elevates an everyday item to the realm of high art. Knife collectors will appreciate the background information and details on styles and materials. The photographs will appeal to everyone with an interest in fine craftsmanship.
PREMIUM
Matisse: The Red Studio
A fascinating, well-documented study of Matisse’s artistic vision, and its introduction to popular audiences, via an iconic painting.
A sensitive biography that fleshes out the personal life of a private artist who was a product of his time. Fisher’s work complements and expands on previous Sargent biographies, including Stanley Olson’s comprehensive 1986 book John Singer Sargent: His Portrait.
PREMIUM
What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s Most Mysterious Portrait
A story of beauty, art, and history well told by Collinsworth (Behaving Badly: The New Morality in Politics, Sex, and Business) with a clear and pitch-perfect narration by Cassandra Campbell.
PREMIUM
Regenerative Fashion
This book will appeal to a broad array of readers. Fans of ethical fashion, as well as those interested in sustainability, regenerative farming, minimalism, fair trade, and climate change, will all find something to love.
This book is useful to anyone planning a renovation project to cull tips and ideas but with the caveat that its primary focus is on the design aesthetics. It does not contain information on a home’s functionality or infrastructure. An optional purchase for public libraries or where HGTV-related publications are in demand.
With the increased interest in calligraphy and hand lettering over the last few years, this is a welcome introductory instructional volume. Recommended for most public libraries.
Readers interested in Tibetan culture and Buddhist spiritual practices will find this book of interest.
This is a good recommendation for those who like to read about family dynasties, the mid-century modern New York art world, or people who have a lasting fifteen minutes of fame.
PREMIUM
Prime: Art’s Next Generation
All readers interested in contemporary art will enjoy discovering new favorites while browsing through this carefully curated selection of global art and media.
This visually striking guide honors the beautiful American landscape as it appears today. Recommended for fans of Audubon or for those interested in the natural world or art.
PREMIUM
Keith Haring Journals
Unlike The Andy Warhol Diaries, which is gossipy fun but rarely introspective, Haring’s journal is beautifully written, thoughtful, and filled with passionate opinions and very personal details.
PREMIUM
Yoko Ono: An Artful Life
An affecting and affectionate portrait. For artists, historians of 20th-century art, Yoko Ono fans, and Beatles fans too.
Though Redman’s book covers a recondite topic, it contains many touchpoints of cultural history and is a timely, engaging read. A more comprehensive title is John Simmons’s 2016 volume Museums: A History.
Those interested in art history, art collecting, and the lives of artists will not be able to put this down.
PREMIUM
Julie Manet
With beautiful illustrations and an accessible writing style, this book is recommended for readers interested in 19th-century French art as well as women’s history.
As a collection of women architects’ biographies, this is a worthwhile book for architecture collections. As an effort to reframe women’s impact, contributions, and participation in the profession of architecture, it is essential for collections that cover architecture or design.
An in-depth look at creating natural tablescapes; recommended for enthusiasts of the outdoors or of entertaining.
PREMIUM
Wreath-Making for All Occasions
Crafters with an interest in both home décor and eco-friendly projects will find much to enjoy in this nicely assembled collection.
PREMIUM
What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s Most Mysterious Portrait
Art lovers and history buffs will enjoy this fast-paced, entertaining romp from the Renaissance to the present day, focusing on one painting by one of the world’s most famous, intriguing, and mysterious artists.
Like Bearden’s art, Gilmore’s biography pulses with energy and will resonate with readers of Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.
Recommended for readers interested in the cultural climate of the 20th century and artists outside the mainstream.
This carefully organized exposition is light on the sensational and, while not strictly scholarly, contains heady discussion on many facets of this captivating topic that apparently is here to stay. The discussion moves from academic to casual and vice versa in sometimes distracting ways, but those looking for a multidisciplinary approach may not mind the occasional large dose of philosophical fascination.
PREMIUM
The Ceramics Bible
An essential resource for arts and crafts collections; suitable for ceramicists at all levels of experience.
PREMIUM
Mickalene Thomas
This is an important and accessible work and will be relished by followers of contemporary art.
Revising the traditional view of fashion history as a parade of (mostly male) genius designers, Block highlights the stylish customers, along with enterprising female dressmakers and businesswomen, whose tastes shaped the look of the Gilded Age.
PREMIUM
Faith Ringgold: American People
Will appeal to those interested in artistic inclusivity and artistic expression, especially through textile art.
Ultimately inconclusive on the question of artistic independence from Europe, this interesting time capsule of the American pop art elite is a rewarding deep dive into primary sources, packed with felicitous biographical content.
PREMIUM
Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style
Album covers, advertising images, and portrait photographs of iconic Black cultural figures illustrate variations on cool Black Ivy style in this photo-filled homage.
PREMIUM
Patented: 1,000 Design Patents
A unique reference; will be useful to historians and designers and fascinating to browsers.
PREMIUM
Sandfuture
The subject matter might have narrow appeal, but general readers can gather inspiration or motivation from reading about Yamasaki’s and Beal’s rigorous work; in this way, this book recalls art historian Douglas Crimp’s Before Pictures, another mélange of memoir and theory.
More than simply an amusing look at the possible stories behind architectural drawings. Although it may take more than a cursory glance to recognize the fictional approach in the texts, this book encourages readers to visualize the larger and more nuanced context for a genre of drawing often seen as purely documentary.
This work is proof that a crafts book doesn’t have to be filled with Instagram-worthy photos or patterns and instructions to inspire and educate. It’s a snapshot (and an honest appraisal) of the current moment in the crafting world and a celebration of the creativity and ingenuity of BIPOC crafters. This has the potential to reach outside the crafting sphere and into the wider conversation about social justice. Highly recommended.
It’s easy to understand why Mikey and Diva Dan became YouTube sensations; their love of crochet shines throughout this book, and their delightful stories will charm readers. This lively, fun collection is a must for their fans, and is likely to bring additional crochet enthusiasts into their crowd.
The level of depth and detail that can be created in Sumi-e paintings is astonishing, and Koike’s book is a master class from a noted expert.
A beautifully designed, abundantly illustrated book that probes the dynamic intersection of art, popular and consumer cultures, and technology in the work of this important 21st-century artist.
PREMIUM
Gothic: An Illustrated History
A work of exceptional originality and fresh insight, with sparkling prose.
A perfect balance of text and illustration on a subject and symbol that continues to fuel the American imagination.
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