7 books to help you discuss artists' work competently

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From avant-garde to postmodernism, from paintings to street art, from cartoons to cinema, from Mexico to Japan.

1. “The Universe of Hayao Miyazaki. Paintings of the great animator in detail”, Gael Burton

Gael Breton is a Miyazaki fan and a connoisseur of Japanese culture. In the book, the writer tells about the life of an animator and analyzes in detail his famous works. What themes run through all the cartoons of the cult director and why? How did the death of his mother affect his work? And if Miyazaki's fans learn about little-known details and hidden meanings in the master's works, then people who have not watched the animator's films will get acquainted with one of the main people of cinema.

2. “Mysterious Van Gogh. Art, madness and genius of the Dutch artist ", Costantino D'Orazio

The Dutch artist is often called insane. And it seems that there are reasons for this: observation in a psychiatric hospital, a cut off ear, suicide … But suddenly such a point of view is a mistake? Italian art critic Costantino D'Orazio doubts Van Gogh's madness and offers to look at his personality and work from a new perspective.

For this, the writer studies Van Gogh's unpublished letters and the memoirs of his nephew. Following the latter, she goes to the artist's places in Brabant, Paris and Arles. Her book will help you imagine how the Dutchman worked, what kind of people his friends and family were. You may even question the image of the mad genius.

3. “Mark Rothko. The miracle of painting. Biography of the Great Artist ", Francesco Mattezzi and Giovanni Scardelli

Italian illustrators Francesco Mattezzi and Giovanni Scardelli told Rothko's story in a captivating comic strip format. In a graphic novel, the difficult fate of the artist and his work are intertwined. Why did the Rothko family emigrate from the Russian Empire? For what purpose did Rothko refuse to put his paintings in frames? Why is intuition more important than reason? The creators of the comics provide their own answers to these questions.

4. “Gustav Klimt. Absolute beauty ", Otto Gabos

The graphic biography of the Austrian artist stands out not only for bright watercolor illustrations, but also for special attention to the personality of Klimt and his psychology. The text blocks of the book will tell about the first successes and failures, about the scandals surrounding the painter, about his secret love affairs, a fatal illness and, of course, paintings.

5. "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee," Abraham Riesman

The list of heroes of the Marvel universe is second only to the characters of Disney cartoons in popularity. True believers will tell you what little is known about their controversial creator - Stan Lee.

Journalist Abraham Risman sifted through hundreds of archival documents and personal records of the artist, conducted one hundred and fifty interviews with his colleagues and friends. Based on the facts, the author presents to the reader his version of what kind of person the mysterious Stan Lee was. You will learn how Lee lived before world fame and at what cost he achieved fame.

6. “BANKSY. Threat level is acceptable. If not, you will soon find out”, Patrick Potter

We do not know who is hiding under the Banksy alias. But we can look at his work. Street-art artist collected in a large album. It contains the most famous graffiti: from Jerusalem's Flower Thrower to Flying Buyer in London, from Bristol's Lenin-Punk to Zebra Washing in Timbuktu. And Patrick Potter's comments will help to understand the implications and political statements of the artist and understand why the artist's works are sold for millions at iconic auctions.

7. “Frida Kahlo. Visual biography of the great artist ", Sophie Collins

British writer Sophie Collins told about the life and work of Frida Kahlo using diagrams and memorable illustrations. The entire biography of the artist is conveyed through infographics: here is the family tree, and favorite animals, and chronology. The book examines in detail the relationship between Kahlo and Rivera, the influence of world events on Frida's work and even her connection with Leon Trotsky.