Pepe Karmel, $85
Karmel, an art historian and NYU professor, structures Abstract Art around five themes: body, landscape, cosmology, architecture, and man-made signs and patterns. This new and accessible approach on the study of abstract art, a relatively new movement in art history, creates an enjoyable and educational journey through what could otherwise be a heavy lift.
Lynn MacRitchie, Craig Hartley, and Robert Kudielka; foreword by Bridget Riley, $60
Bridget Riley's exciting op-art paintings and prints have been featured on walls at hospitals and museums alike. This full-color, oversize catalogue raisonné is focused on Riley's entire inventory of print works, of which there are many. The real treat is a foreword by the artist, creating rich context and a chronicle of her nearly sixty-year career.
Edited by Tim Travis, $40
This is a compendium of the objects housed in the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the world's largest institution of applied and decorative arts and design. Part history lesson, part exploration in color theory, Color in Design is a visual feast for both design aficionados and color-lovers.
Katsushika Hokusai, $35
This three-volume set makes the old new again, with the now ubiquitous waves and Japanese illustrations of the 1800s by Katsushika Hokusai presented in a way that illustrates his influence on the manga comics of our time.
Dominic Bradbury, $50
Rare is the reference book that is suitable for both research and display. This beautiful chronicle is perfect for mid-mod enthusiasts, interior designers, and antique dealers. Mid-Century Modern Design includes commonplace objects like kitchenware and posters, architectural marvels, and rare items from one of the most beloved periods of post-war design.
Klaus Kemp; foreword by Dieter Rams, $60
In the days before you could carry a phone in your pocket, Dieter Rams designed a world of modern electronics. In addition to shavers, toothbrushes, and digital alarm clocks, Rams crafted furniture and shelving that are still made today. Not to be missed in this masterpiece of a book, the foreword by Rams discusses the future of design in the face of capitalism and disposable consumerism.
Antony Gormley and Martin Gayford, $60
This book serves as a reflection on quite possibly the oldest form of art: sculpture. Martin Gayford, noted art writer and critic, and Antony Gormley, an artist known for his own sculptural works, discuss sculpture from prehistoric relics to modern installations.