Book Reports

Oscar Howe dedicated his art practice to the Yanktonai Dakota. His painting embraces the traditions of his culture while exploring the modernist style of his time. The result is a beautiful, almost otherworldly body of work.

John Newsom’s paintings are larger than life, lush, and layered—in the most practical and metaphorical sense. Newsom builds his paintings by adding layer upon layer of paint and material, but also by adding layer upon layer of symbols and hidden meanings. The book, a catalog of the 2022 exhibition at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, extrapolates on the themes of his works through a series of insightful essays.

Photographer Vivian Maier spent her career as a governess in New York and Chicago. It was not until after her death in 2009 that her more than 150,000 photographs were discovered in a storage unit. The photos subsequently found their way to the internet and Maier received posthumous recognition from artists and critics. This particular book on Maier’s work is a greatest-hits collection—every page a compelling image barely scratching the surface of her oeuvre.

For centuries florals have been a source of inspiration in paintings, prints, and patterns. In modern times, flowers bring to mind Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe. Flora Photographica explores the last twenty years of work, including iconic visions from David LaChapelle and Martin Schoeller.

More compelling than some fictional courtroom dramas, the true story of a band of North Carolinian farmers going up against corporate animal agriculture has all the makings of a legal thriller and a payoff that is worthy of a Hollywood production. Spoiler alert: The plaintiffs received justice in a final judgment against Smithfield of $473.5 million.

Did the most famous artist in the world shoot himself? Was he shot by accident or on purpose? Unraveling a more than 130-year-old mystery, the author of Who Shot Van Gogh? asks us to examine an array of evidence, including anecdotes, factual information, myth-busting, and more.

There’s no one quite like Faye Toogood. She’s not a household name but her work is ubiquitous—the Roly Poly chair graces the interiors of homes and museums worldwide. This book chronicles her designs and collaborations with Birkenstock, Carhartt WIP, Comme des Garçons, Dover Street Market, and Hermès. She also makes an appearance in our inaugural ArtDesk 100.

Rudy de Harak brought an American sensibility to the exacting, rigid practices of European graphic design. At once organized and diligent, de Harak’s designs are imbued with personality and joy. The work of de Harak endures—he designed the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic logo. His protégé, Richard Poulin, creates a beautiful homage to this pillar in the pantheon of American design.

After a tragic fire that destroyed her parents’ estate, socialite Constance Villiers Stuart helped her mother rebuild the home and garden—sparking a love for landscape architecture and great gardens. She devoted her life to drawing, painting, and photographing these living artworks. Frequent ArtDesk contributor Mary Ann Prior weaves a historic account of Stuart’s life that’s evocative and charming.

Women, of course, are an integral part of photography as an art form, but it’s no surprise they’ve been overlooked by patrons and contemporaries. This book is a history lesson about the images and stories of 160 women photographers from all around the world.