Art & Photography

Mary Gabriel set out to illuminate the lives and legacies of five female American artists who changed history while being overlooked by it, and through these women brings viscerally to life a New York–centered world of the last century. The relationships, famous names, wars, social movements, and above all, the art in Ninth Street Women will leave you inspired, looking up paintings, and holding onto the names Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, and Mary Gabriel. - Jocelyn

In An American Odyssey, Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College, delves into the life of artist Romare Bearden, a muralist and collagist whose large-scale public works came to symbolize the black experience during the Civil Rights era. I have always loved Bearden’s work and am fascinated to learn more about his art and life, including his collaborations with choreographer Alvin Ailey and how being a social worker (for nearly three decades) impacted his work. - S.B.

I first discovered Rainey’s loose, floral watercolor style through social media. I’m always on the lookout for a good how-to watercolor book and hers is a favorite. You start off learning the materials and the medium and then move into color theory, value pigmentation, shapes, strokes and techniques such as wet on wet. A great book for a beginner or intermediate artist! - Rechelle

With tips on form, style, and craft, this artist’s manual gives you skills and wisdom that are hard to find elsewhere. After using many different books as references for my own lettering work, I found this guide to be incredible with info for the beginner as well as great advice for those wanting to pursue lettering more seriously in the professional world. Check this one out! - Grace

I love nonfiction writing that teaches through objects. Color melds history, science, travel writing, economics, and color theory in a meandering exploration of the world through the pigments that dazzle our eyes at every moment. Finlay has a talent for ferreting out stories and painting pictures with her words. This is a great read for fueling your curiosity! - Clara

This new collection of photographer Annie Leibovitz’s most memorable portraits of artists, performers, thinkers, athletes, politicians, and more, is the third book in her celebrated series. Included are images of a wide range of notable subjects, including Barack and Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joan Didion, Misty Copeland, and Queen Elizabeth II. “Whether she’s photographing the famous and powerful, or simply the woman next door, Annie always captures something unexpected and deeply personal.” —Oprah Winfrey

This collection presents 50 large-scale works from Rothko’s color field period (1949–1970) alongside essays by his son, Christopher Rothko, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art curator of painting and sculpture Janet Bishop. Filled with illuminating details about Rothko’s life, influences, and legacy, this essential volume brings the renowned artist’s luminous work to light for both longtime Rothko fans and those discovering his work for the very first time. - Rico

Andy Goldsworthy is one of my favorite artists. His pieces, which he makes with natural materials and builds onsite using his own two hands and little else, are intricate feats that defy imagination. He works with a patience and vision that I cannot fathom, and it shows in the placement of every twig, every stone, every leaf. This stunning book showcases his largest projects from around the world. It’ll take your breath away. - Flannery

I cannot remember the last time I loved an art book this much. So much is portrayed through Dave Eggers’s (yes, that Dave Eggers) loose, loving strokes, and his captions are perfectly paired with their animal. I can’t stop flipping through the pages. From a side-eyeing Boston terrier dispensing love advice, to the musings of a tortoise, these are animals I want to be friends with, or at least whose conversations I want to eavesdrop on. - Rachel

Are you ready to show your art to the world? This book is for writers, painters, and candlestick makers- and any type of artist who just can’t seem to propel their career beyond the status of garage bands genius. Popular blogger and social media ninja Austin Kleon knows what it takes to be a self-promoting artist. This book inspired me to start a blog and send my work to publishers. - Jason