On My Shelf: Art Books

I’m currently spending my summer working in the publications department of an art gallery here in New York, proofreading manuscripts, checking proofs, doing archival research, researching book designers, and learning about book production. Although I’ve been collecting art books for ages (mostly hand-me-downs and from free book piles out on the street), this moment of being so deeply immersed in art book publishing has had me revisiting my bookshelves with renewed fascination.

I plan to turn this into an ongoing series where I can take you through my latest finds, showing you books ranging from pocket-sized reads to coffee table books across all kinds of genres, mediums and styles. For now, I hope you enjoy this little bookshelf survey. Maybe you’ll find an interesting new read along the way.

Lairs: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains

When I first started my museum job nearly a year ago, I decided to treat myself by picking up the first design book that caught my eye. This book brings together architecture and film history to show how building designs can influence the way we see antagonists depicted on screen. Beyond the edgy black book design, you’ve got film stills, illustrations, and commentary from architects, production designers, and directors who take you behind the scenes as these different villainous set pieces are brought to life and historic buildings are transformed to fit fictionalized settings. You’ve got classics like James Bond and Hitchcock’s thrillers, as well as more contemporary sci-fi films like Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, and The Incredibles. It’s such a treasure trove of critique and history, turning buildings into stars of the show.

Women in Abstraction

In honor of the 2021 exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, Women in Abstraction brings together the work of over 100 female artists from the 19th century to today in a single monumental book. I was lucky to receive this as a Christmas gift last year, and I love how it’s become such an important resource for me. The book doesn’t just show you glossy pictures of these beautiful works, its…