Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic takes a break from exhibitions to recommend his top art books to read this Winter. Each comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you.
The History of Art in One Sentence: 500 Years of Art (But Funny) by Verity Babbs, published by Bloomsbury
This is art history made easy, so everything from the Renaissance to Op Art is explained in short, snappy sentences. Verity is a comedian whom I’ve seen live, and she’s just as funny in this book. This book makes art history much less boring and much more accessible.
Survival Notes: Life Lessons from Contemporary Artists by Lydia R. Figes, published by Thames & Hudson
This book is filled with great advice for artists from the author and leading artists, including Tracey Emin and Anish Kapoor. It covers whether art school is right for artists, how gallery representation works, and how to engage with politics in art, in an easy-to-digest format.
Dark Fairy Tales: Weird, Wicked Stories from Around the World by Viktor Wynd, illustrated by Luciana Nedelea and published by Prestel Contemporary
Explorer Viktor Wynd recalls the dark, often racy fairy tales he’s picked up on his travels from Wales to New Guinea. It’s great to have them embellished with his own stories and little asides as he tells these tales, passed down orally over generations.
Art Fraud: 50 Fakes That Fooled the Art World by Susie Hodge, published by Quarto
I didn’t know about most of these art frauds, and most of them are from the last 100 years. Susie Hodge does a great job of covering each in a few pages, so we get to know about the audacity, the confusion and the eventual reveal … though some of these trails may take many more years to uncover.
The Words That Bind Us: A Light Projection Artwork by Nicola Anthony
If you haven’t managed to catch Nicola Anthony’s projected artwork at Durham Cathedral, here’s the book for you. To commemorate 800 years since the issuing of the Magna Carta, she has created a contemporary response that weaves through the cathedral’s spaces. She has gathered modern-day responses to the values of the Magna Carta from diverse communities, and in this book we learn about the origins of the project and how it came to be.
Jyll Bradley: Running and Returning, published by Kulturalis
Jyll Bradley is best known for her large-scale outdoor installations that utilise light and colour. However, her solo show at the Box Gallery in Plymouth revealed a more intimate, personal side of her and her upbringing. This book was published to align with that exhibition. It charts her career and includes essays by notable curators, including Fatos Ustek and Nicoletta Lambertucci, responding to her work.
William Morris: Pattern & Design, published by Thames & Hudson
William Morris’ designs have achieved iconic status and are featured on merchandise worldwide. This beautiful book contains over 400 of his patterns and designs, preceded by a succinct summary of the man and his many achievements. It’s a great introduction to Morris and his designs.
All images courtesy the author and publisher. Survival notes image is of Shirin Neshat in her studio. Photo by David Regan. Courtesy the artist and Gladstone. Nicola Anthony image copyright the artist and courtesy Durham Cathedral. Jyll Bradley photo: Thierry Bal.
