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Recommendations based on Diane Arbus: Monographby Diane Arbus
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Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography
by Roland Barthes
An exploration of the nature of photography and its power to evoke emotion.
A graceful, contemplative volume, Camera Lucida was first published in 1979. Commenting on artists such as Avedon, Clifford, Mapplethorpe, and Nadar, Roland Barthes presents photography as being ... (Goodreads)
Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.
In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)
Ways of Seeing
by John Berger
A critical analysis of visual culture and how it shapes our perception of the world. It challenges traditional ways of seeing and encourages a new perspective.
John Berger’s Classic Text on Art John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC ... (Goodreads)
On Photography
by Susan Sontag
Examination of the implications of photography and its effects on society.
First published in 1973, this is a study of the force of photographic images which are continually inserted between experience and reality. Sontag develops further the concept of 'transparency'. When ... (Goodreads)
The Americans
by Robert Frank
A photographic journey through America in the 1950s, capturing the essence of American culture and society.
Introduction by Jack Kerouac. There is no question that Robert Frank's The Americans is the most famous and influential photography book ever published. It was 1959 when the book first came out: a ... (Goodreads)
Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents
by Nicholas Ganz
A comprehensive look at the global street art movement, featuring stunning photographs and interviews with prominent graffiti artists.
"Graffiti World is the ultimate graffiti book. Offering a unique insight into the very essence of graffiti and its creative explosion over the past thirty-five years, it takes us on an adventure ... (Goodreads)
Anatomy for the Artist
by Jenő Barcsay
Detailed illustrations and explanations of human anatomy for artists to improve their understanding and depiction of the human form.
It’s the classic in its field—a reference work of unparalleled importance for all professionals and students of art. This superb art manual is the best guide available on a subject that has ... (Goodreads)
Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo
by Hayden Herrera
The story of a passionate, revolutionary and pioneering Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo.
Hailed by readers and critics across the country, this engrossing biography of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality, an artist whose sensual vibrancy came ... (Goodreads)
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
by Betty Edwards
Exploring creativity through the science of art, unlocking the power of the right side of the brain.
When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty ... (Goodreads)
FRUiTS
by Shoichi Aoki
A photographic exploration of youth fashion in Japan, capturing the spirit of street style.
This extensive collection of portraits represents a unique documentation of the changing face of street fashion throughout the last decade. Colourful, fascinating and funny, this is the first time ... (Goodreads)
Gustav Klimt: 1862-1918
by Gilles Néret
A comprehensive overview of Klimt's life, work, and influence on the art world.
Cult of pleasure: Feminine sensuality by the Vienna Secession's greatest proponent Gustav Klimt's ornate, sensual, and decadent style made him not only the most prominent of the Vienna Secessionists ... (Goodreads)
The Power of Art
by Simon Schama
Exploration of the ways in which art has shaped the world, from antiquity to the present.
"Great art has dreadful manners," Simon Schama observes wryly at the start of his epic and explosive exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. "The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool ... (Goodreads)
M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work
by M.C. Escher
An exploration of the art of M.C. Escher, differing perspectives in visual illusions.
Presenting the structurally unthinkable as though it were a law of nature M.C. Escher was born in 1898 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands). He received his first drawing lessons during secondary school from ... (Goodreads)
Wall and Piece
by Banksy
An introduction to the subversive street art of Banksy, with visual commentary on modern life.
Banksy, Britain's now-legendary "guerilla" street artist, has painted the walls, streets, and bridges of towns and cities throughout the world. Not only did he smuggle his pieces into four of New ... (Goodreads)
Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature
by Andy Goldsworthy
Exploring nature through art, and the beauty of the environment.
Illustrates outdoor sculptures created with a range of natural materials, including snow, ice, leaves, rock, clay, stones, feathers, and twigs. ... (Goodreads)
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
by David Sedaris
A humorous collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on family relationships.
David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother’s wedding. He mops his sister’s floor. He gives directions ... (Goodreads)
Naked
by David Sedaris
Collection of humorous essays exploring the absurdities of everyday life.
Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked , Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, ... (Goodreads)
The 20th Century Art Book
by Phaidon Press
A comprehensive guide to the most influential artists of the 20th century, featuring their most iconic works and biographical information.
Covering the international nature of the modern art scene, this title encompasses established, iconic works of art and the classics of the future. It presents 500 artists in an alphabetical order, ... (Goodreads)
The Shock of the New
by Robert Hughes
A critical analysis of modern art and its evolution from the Industrial Revolution to the present day.
A beautifully illustrated hundred-year history of modern art, from cubism to pop and avant-garde. More than 250 color photos. ... (Goodreads)
The Lives of the Artists
by Giorgio Vasari
A collection of biographies of Italian Renaissance artists, revealing their lives, works, and techniques.
Packed with facts, attributions, and entertaining anecdotes about his contemporaries, Giorgio Vasari's collection of biographical accounts also presents a highly influential theory of the development ... (Goodreads)
It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
by Lynsey Addario
A photojournalist's gripping account of her time spent in war-torn countries, capturing stories of courage and resilience.
War photographer Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theater of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life. ... (Goodreads)
It Chooses You
by Miranda July
A collection of stories and interviews about the author's experience buying items from people who advertised them in the PennySaver classifieds.
In the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the ... (Goodreads)
The Story of Art
by E.H. Gombrich
Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric to modern times.
The Story of Art, one of the most famous and popular books on art ever written, has been a world bestseller for over four decades. Attracted by the simplicity and clarity of his writing, readers of ... (Goodreads)
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
by Jon Ronson
Exploration of the psychiatric industry, examining the definition and diagnosis of psychopathy.
In this madcap journey, a bestselling journalist investigates psychopaths and the industry of doctors, scientists, and everyone else who studies them. The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey ... (Goodreads)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames
by David Sedaris
Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.
It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)
The Letters of Vincent van Gogh
by Vincent van Gogh
Collection of letters written by Vincent van Gogh, revealing his artistic struggles, personal life, and mental health battles.
A new selection of post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gough's letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh put a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this ... (Goodreads)
Vincent Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings
by Rainer Metzger
A comprehensive collection of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, showcasing his unique style and artistic evolution.
Van Gogh, who took up a variety of professions before becoming an artist, was a solitary, despairing and self-destructive man. This richly illustrated and expert study follows the artist from the ... (Goodreads)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by John Berendt
A journalist's exploration of a mysterious murder in Savannah, Georgia.
A sublime and seductive reading experience. This portrait of a beguiling Southern city was a best-seller (though a flop as a movie). ~ Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, ... (Goodreads)
The Art Book
by Phaidon Press
A comprehensive guide to 500 of the world's greatest works of art.
An A to Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times, it debunks art historical classifications by throwing together brilliant examples of all periods, schools, visions ... (Goodreads)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron Ralston
A harrowing true story of one man's fight for survival after being trapped in a canyon.
A brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life which will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. One ... (Goodreads)
