Books

Booksreview

A masterclass in activism: What artists today can learn from ACT UP’s response to the Aids crisis

A new book by Sarah Schulman describes how the radically democratic and fast acting group grabbed the public’s attention and held politicians and institutions accountable

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In Pictures | Kara Walker's private archive of works on paper published in new book

The publication is released ahead of an exhibition of the US artist's works at the Kunstmuseum Basel this summer

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In Pictures | Gio Ponti’s greatest designs, from chairs to churches

A new book looks at the life and work of the Italian architect and designer, famed for his Pirelli Tower and Superleggera chairs

An expert’s guide to Barbara Hepworth: five must-read books on the British sculptor

All you ever wanted to know about Hepworth, from a pictorial autobiography to a collection of her poems, notes and transcripts—selected by the curator and biographer Eleanor Clayton

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Sackler family: three takeaways from a new book about the dynasty’s rise and fall

The publication claims Nan Goldin may have been tailed by investigators and reveals how the Met lost out to the Smithsonian thanks to a lack of flattery from its director

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Q&A | How a new John Craxton biography began its life in a Soho bar following a funeral

The writer Ian Collins says that after his chance meeting with the British artist his “life changed forever”

David Hockney follows in Van Gogh’s footsteps, painting fleeting spring blossom

Martin Gayford’s book pays tribute to Britain’s greatest living artist before an exhibition at London’s Royal Academy

a blog by Martin Bailey
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Will the real Isabel Rawsthorne please stand up?

A new biography by Carol Jacobi explores the artist’s role in bringing the Paris scene to London and considers how frequent name changes and reinventions muddied her legacy

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Q&A | Guy Kennaway on how his comic novel was inspired by the art world taking itself too seriously

The Accidental Collector features a wealthy heiress, jet-setting dealers and a Swiss-owned mega gallery in Somerset… sound familiar?

An expert’s guide to David Hockney: five must-read books on the British artist

All you ever wanted to know about Hockney, from the best biography to the artist's “radical” investigations into art history—selected by the critic (and longtime friend) Martin Gayford

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Extract | The day Anthony van Dyck received ‘wise advice from the words of a blind woman’—the 17th-century artist Sofonisba Anguissola

New book by Jennifer Higgie gives astute insights into brilliant women artists shut out of art history

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Extract | How Sandro Botticelli brought Dante’s Divine Comedy to life

New book by Martin Kemp considers the impact of poet’s vision of divine light on artists such as Michelangelo and Titian

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A Roman Raphael: how scholars view the Old Master at 500

A survey of books published on the artist's quincentenary shows that attention has shifted to his Roman period and tapestry designs

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Q&A | Why Alice Neel’s work has ‘extraordinary currency’ today

As a biography on the US painter is republished, its author Phoebe Hoban tells us why Neel’s work is more relevant than ever

An expert’s guide to Yayoi Kusama: six must-read books on the Japanese artist

All you ever wanted to know about Kusama, from a detailed study of her Infinity Mirror Room to illustrations for Alice in Wonderland—selected by the Gropius Bau director Stephanie Rosenthal

Basking in the reflected glory of the River Thames

The Thames is the inspiration for a number of new projects that celebrate the power of this mighty river and its ability to fuel imaginations

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In Pictures | Rothko Chapel’s 50th anniversary celebrated in new publication

The Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko created 14 paintings for the chapel but did not live to see it completed

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Calling all (digital) bookworms: virtual art book fair gives publishers a lifeline during the pandemic

Printed Matter's online venture offers new, rare and out of print publications alongside panels, trailers and prints

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The magical and divine in ancient stones revealed in a game-changing new book

A revolutionary study based on Enlightenment theories explains what coloured marbles meant, from Egypt to the 17th century

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No great women artists? How Linda Nochlin tore apart the art historical narrative 50 years ago

The feminist writer’s renowned essay ‘Why have there been no great women artists?’ challenged the myth of male genius and called for a new way of thinking

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Q&A | Keith Haring ‘had so much drive, was so good at promoting himself’ and artists can learn from him today

The British fashion writer Simon Doonan speaks about his new book on the artist and describes his first encounter with Haring via a t-shirt

A brush with… eight artists tell us about the books and poems that inspire their work

Artists including Rachel Whiteread, Ragnar Kjartansson and Roni Horn share texts ranging from 19th-century poetry to postmodern fiction on The Art Newspaper’s podcast

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Q&A | Philip Guston’s daughter Musa Mayer on her new book and the uproar surrounding the artist’s postponed show

Although Guston's paintings of Klansmen “remain controversial today” they are also “deeply relevant”, she says

Treats for Van Gogh fans in 2021: exhibitions, museum openings and books

We look ahead at the events to enjoy this year—assuming coronavirus doesn't scupper them

a blog by Martin Bailey
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The Nazi art dealer who supplied Hermann Göring and operated in a shadowy art underworld after the war

A new book by Jonathan Petropoulos explores Bruno Lohse’s devotion to Hitler’s number two

What was the best art book you read in 2020? The Art Newspaper team reveals its favourite publications

From the catalogue for a controversial Guston show to a four-volume tome on Leonardo Da Vinci—and some lighter reads too