10 books you need to know about contemporary art
A contemporary art book is your gateway to exploring different artistic movements, influential artists, and iconic masterpieces that have defined this era of artistic diversity.
If you're eager to revisit or explore the realm of modern art, you've come to the right spot! Delve into the captivating reasons why reading contemporary art books is essential for art buyers, along with our must-reads.
Why should art enthusiasts read about contemporary art ?
Are you someone who enjoys acquiring art? If so, immersing yourself in books on contemporary art can be highly rewarding! They offer inspiration, knowledge, and strategic insights, serving as valuable resources that will enhance your collection.
1- Documentation and research
Contemporary art books provide detailed information on artistic movements, exhibitions, artists, and artworks. Therefore, as a buyer, this will help you to better understand and appreciate the art world.
2- Inspiration
Presenting a wide variety of works, contemporary art books are a source of inspiration for investing in your own collection or even honing your artistic skills.
Présentant une grande diversité d'œuvres, les livres d'art contemporain sont une source d'inspiration pour investir dans vos propres collections et même pour pratiquer votre art.
3- Discovering New Artists and Trends
Contemporary art books allow buyers to discover new budding artists, new trends, and contemporary artistic movements.
They can even serve as a compass for investing in artworks that will increase in value over time.
4- Collection
Are you an art collector? Contemporary art books can also be the subject of a collection, especially limited editions, books autographed by artists, or those that discuss specific topics sought after by buyers.
5- Investment
Some contemporary art books can increase in value over time. This is especially true for publications dedicated to noteworthy artworks or famous artists. Therefore, it can be a wise investment.
Our Must-Read Selection
As highlighted, there are numerous compelling reasons to dive into contemporary art literature. Yet, which ones deserve your attention? What constitutes the cream of the crop in contemporary art literature? To assist you in selecting wisely, we've curated a list of the top 20 must-reads.
1- "Art Contemporain" by Céline Delavaux and Christian Demilly
According to the back cover of this book, “Contemporary art serves as a sprawling laboratory for images and concepts!”, and the common thread among numerous artists shaping today's art is their desire to “astonish, engage, entertain, stir, and challenge audiences”. Through this book, readers learn to keenly observe, dissect, and appreciate the diverse range of artistic expressions spanning the 20th and 21st centuries.
|
|
2- What is Contemporary Art ? by Jacky KleinThis engaging book immerses readers in the world of contemporary art, igniting curiosity and offering a fresh perspective. Get ready to interact with the artworks presented, deepening your understanding of the emotions they evoke. Plus, find short artist bios and a handy glossary at the end of the book. According to the back cover, this book "aims to define contemporary art and invites readers to explore the works of over seventy artists from around the world, spanning from the 1960s to the present day, including painting, installations, sculpture, photography, and performance." Each double-page spread highlights two or three artworks, focusing on the idea, materials, or technique which showcases the "unique" aspect of their artistic approach.Ce livre d’art contemporain est parfait pour étudier le sujet, stimuler la curiosité et découvrir le monde sous un nouvel angle.
|
|
3- "Art contemporain : Le Guide" by Elisabeth Couturier
In this book, Couturier takes readers on a journey through time, exploring how past masterpieces often inspire today's artists. The backcover summary challenges the notion that contemporary artists shun the past, instead revealing how they draw inspiration from it: "Contrary to popular belief, contemporary artists willingly draw inspiration from past masterpieces. With this book, Elisabeth Couturier embarks on an exhilarating journey through art history, identifying in current works echoes, nods, and quotations made in relation to ancient masters. Today's artists continue to weave the red thread that connects creators from one generation to the next, resulting in unprecedented and astonishing visual encounters."À travers ce livre d’art contemporain, Élisabeth Couturier traverse les époques et remonte le cours de l’histoire de l’art, afin de démontrer que les chefs-d’œuvre du passé peuvent parfois inspirer l’artiste contemporain.
|
|
4- "Tout sur l'Art" by Stephen Farthing
This contemporary art book meticulously explores 85 key movements and epochs in art history, offering insights into over 1,600 works and deciphering 160 essential masterpieces. Packed with useful features such as enlarged details, artist biographies, and chronological markers, this book provides essential tools for art enthusiasts. On the back cover, questions like "What's the hidden meaning behind the Nasca Lines?", "Why did Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' cause such a stir?" or What is the significance of 19th-century Japanese paintings? invite readers to delve deeper into art's mysteries. With contributions from forty-one art historians, critics, experts, and artists, this unique publication aims to enhance our understanding of the evolution of art across different eras and continents.”
|
|
5- "Art Moderne et Contemporain" by Amy Dempsey
This book defines 68 major groups in Western modern art. The author, Amy Dempsey, decrypts modern and contemporary art by mapping out movements, schools, and styles. It's somewhat of a practical guide presenting a list of collections, media, attributes, and key artists, including an artist index and a glossary of modern art terms.
|
|
6- Short History of Modern and Contemporary Art by Susie Hodge
This book is "a condensed guide to modern and contemporary art." Susie Hodge narrates the development of art from the late 19th century onwards, explaining in an accessible and didactic tone the when, the how and why of this evolution.
Here's the summary of this contemporary art book: "From Claude Monet to Louise Bourgeois, encompassing cubism and conceptual art, this volume explores, through 50 masterpieces, the themes, movements, and techniques that have shaped the history of modern and contemporary art."
|
|
7- "Panorama de l'Art Contemporain" by Gérard Denizeau
With this beautifully illustrated book, explore the most striking works, iconic artists, and various movements of contemporary art... and challenge your preconceptions! Here's a summary : "From successful exhibitions, heated controversies, to record-breaking artwork sales, contemporary art never ceases to surprise and question us. How do we define a contemporary artwork? What criteria can determine its aesthetic value? Are contemporary artists visionary geniuses or mercantile provocateurs? Can we still talk about styles when each artist produces a work of art that is unique ? From abstract expressionism to video art, passing through pop art, outsider art, narrative figuration, geometric abstraction, etc., discover how, since 1945, contemporary art has fascinated and provoked as much acceptance as rejection."
|
|
8- "L'art moderne contemporain" by Serge Lemoine
This book will help you better understand modern and contemporary art. Here's a short summary: "The art of the 20th century deserves once again a new dedicated work. So much has been created during these hundred years, so much invented, so much disrupted, but also so much debate, misunderstanding, incomprehension, and controversy have been provoked that it is good to revisit the achievements of this century in the artistic domain, as history has largely fulfilled its duty. It's important to grasp modern and contemporary art to truly understand it. The key is spotting the big trends within it—some clash, some mesh, and all evolve over time. Plus, recognizing the influential artists of the century, like Picasso, Matisse, Léger, Mondrian, Malevitch, De Chirico, Pollock, Warhol, helps paint the full picture.”
|
|
9- "Histoire Matérielle & immatérielle de l'art moderne & contemporain" by Florence de Mèredieu
“Material and Immaterial History of Modern and Contemporary Art” by Florence de Mèredieu is a classic ! On the back cover of this contemporary art book, you'll find the following summary: "This fourth revised and expanded edition has established itself as one of the essential references in the history of modern and contemporary art (from 1874 to the present day) which takes into account the current forms of art: painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video art, digital art, performance, etc. The artistic creations of the last 150 years is analyzed here from the perspective of the most diverse and incongruous techniques and materials, ranging from material to immaterial, between transparency and opacity, gravity and weightlessness, formal and informal, natural and artificial.
An index, a bibliography, a synoptic chronology, and a renewed set of illustrations complete this volume."
|
|
10- "L'Art Contemporain" by Eloi Rousseau
With stunning visuals and large-scale reproductions, this book presents the creations of approximately sixty artists, seeking to explore their self-questioning, daring innovations, and material experiments. As outlined in the summary, this contemporary art volume provides meticulous and well-documented analyses to tackle the intriguing question: "Why does contemporary art consistently spark debate, controversy, or awe with every single artwork or installation? It disrupts, unsettles, and evokes emotions... but what's the reason behind it all?"
|
|
And because we're generous, and they're just as interesting, here are a few more!
"L'art contemporain exposé aux rejets"(Contemporary Art in the crossfire) by Nathalie Heinich
In this book, Nathalie Heinich explores the public's reactions to contemporary art. Beyond controversies, she emphasizes the diversity of argumentative frameworks used. The concept of beauty is rarely mentioned, while meaning, heritage, and morality are usually highlighted. On the back cover of this work, you can read the following summary: "The debate over the value of contemporary art continues to pit its supporters, mostly art professionals, against opponents who often champion the 'common sense' judgments of the general public.
From the astonishment at the wrapping of the Pont Neuf by Christo in 1985 to the vehement controversy surrounding the Buren columns in 1986, and the legal battles faced by Pinoncelli over Duchamp's urinal in Nîmes and other colorful affairs."
|
|
Ernst Gombrich's : The Story of ArtThis volume stands as a beacon among art books, beloved and renowned. It traverses the entirety of artistic expression, from ancient cave drawings to modern marvels.
The enduring appeal of this book lies in its author's choice of a clear and accessible prose. For over five decades, it has served as a trusted guide, offering “clarity amidst the complexity of names, dates, and styles that often obscure more specialized books.”
|
|
"Le grand livre de l'art contemporain" by Charlotte Bonham-Carter and David Hodge
Unlock the secrets to understanding and embracing the diverse movements of contemporary art and their impact with this book. Featuring over 1,000 artworks, it introduces 200 iconic artists of the global art scene. Here's a summary: "Contemporary art is essentially multifaceted, defying definition due to its endless possibilities.
This exquisite book, authored by two experts in the field, introduces 200 iconic artists who have shaped the global art scene from the post-war era to the present day, including Francis Bacon, Jeff Koons, Lucian Freud, Louise Bourgeois, and Jean-Michel Basquiat." |
|
"Dictionnaire des arts plastiques modernes et contemporains" by Jean-Pierre Delarge
This work by Jean-Pierre Delarge brings together over 14,000 artists from all corners of the world, ranging from the most famous to the lesser-known. It also contains approximately 400 entries, covering historical events, major collections, locations, journals, techniques, groups, or movements that have shaped contemporary art from the early 20th century to the present day.
|
|
"The Art Museum" by Collectif
The Art Museum is the most stunning collection of artworks ever assembled between two covers. This virtual art museum showcases 992 oversized pages with nearly 2,700 works of art. After a decade of labor, this one-of-a-kind volume was crafted by an international team of experts spanning all realms of art, gathering significant works as if curated for display in the ideal museum for art enthusiasts.
With intelligent and in-depth text, explanatory labels for each artwork, a comprehensive glossary, and detailed location maps, this book is accessible to all, from casual art enthusiasts to seasoned collectors.
|
|
"L'art contemporain - histoire et géopgraphie" by Catherine Millet
This book illustrates that contemporary art serves as a domain of freedom, particularly ripe for introspection and creative breakthroughs, particularly during periods when the philosophical underpinnings and guiding ideologies of our society are undergoing turmoil.
Here's a summary : "Incongruous objects, eccentric gestures, but also photographs, videos, and paintings of traditional style – these are what constitute contemporary art. Sometimes, these artworks elicit astonishment or provoke shock. They also spark curiosity to the extent that one might feel a bit overwhelmed by them. Consequently, for those embarking on their journey into the realm of art, the author offers guiding principles and various paths for contemplation. At what point did "modern" art become "contemporary"? What drove artists to redefine the connection between their artworks and the audience? And when the boundaries with fashion, architecture, or even ritual objects become blurred, can this art still be defined as such ?”
|
|
"L'art en théorie et en action" by Nelson Goodman
Nelson Goodman stands as one of the foremost contemporary philosophers of aesthetics. Embracing an analytical philosophy perspective, he reframes aesthetic experience not as superior or distinct from other experiences, but as integrated within common experiences. In this book, which goes against the predominant currents of classical aesthetics, the author emphasizes the role of intellect in aesthetic experience, enriching it by integrating a fundamental dimension: that of action, practice, and teaching.
|
|
"A Short History Of Art" by Anthony F. Janson
This book has been a longstanding staple in Western art education, thanks to its periodic updates that enrich its content with new perspectives and discoveries. Focused primarily on visual arts, including architecture to some extent, the book excludes performing arts to concentrate on geometric, visual, and philosophical concepts essential to understanding art. The book is structured into four main sections: ancient world, Middle Ages, Renaissance to Rococo, and the modern world.
Text is accompanied by color reproductions and black-and-white images highlighting specific details, with two-thirds of the 600 illustrations presented in color. Appreciated for its engaging and informative content, this book strikes a balance between artistic, philosophical, and historical aspects. It includes maps, timelines, a glossary, reading suggestions, and an index, making it particularly useful for students and researchers. |
|
Article published by Idoia Oliden