Exploring the Best Books on Contemporary Art
The market for art books has been on the rise in recent years. The worldwide sales of art books in 2023 stood at around $1,3 billion, with the observed annual growth rate being 8% through 2028. Books on contemporary art are useful and must-have literature. We use them to learn more and see different options.
The majority of the books focus on modern art, increasing our insight into the contemporary culture, society and politics of art. The winners of the 2023 Art Book Awards include such books as "Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?" in the "Best Art Education Book" category, proving their usefulness in art education.
Such literature offers a keen insight into the artist, his life, and what drives him or her to produce the pieces of work. It is evident that they strongly discuss the consequences of the events taking place in the world relating to art and the changes that are reflected in how an art movement is developed.
The art books of contemporary artists play a valuable role as a mediator between the idea of the artist and the impression received by the viewers. They explain certain ideas as simplified concepts, increasing their intelligibility and appreciation. Through them, readers receive beyond doubt the reflection and, at the same time, satire of the world through art, as well as discover the vast approaches and strategies behind modern creation.
In this article, we have gathered the best and most meaningful books about contemporary art that will improve your knowledge.
The majority of the books focus on modern art, increasing our insight into the contemporary culture, society and politics of art. The winners of the 2023 Art Book Awards include such books as "Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?" in the "Best Art Education Book" category, proving their usefulness in art education.
Such literature offers a keen insight into the artist, his life, and what drives him or her to produce the pieces of work. It is evident that they strongly discuss the consequences of the events taking place in the world relating to art and the changes that are reflected in how an art movement is developed.
The art books of contemporary artists play a valuable role as a mediator between the idea of the artist and the impression received by the viewers. They explain certain ideas as simplified concepts, increasing their intelligibility and appreciation. Through them, readers receive beyond doubt the reflection and, at the same time, satire of the world through art, as well as discover the vast approaches and strategies behind modern creation.
In this article, we have gathered the best and most meaningful books about contemporary art that will improve your knowledge.
books on contemporary art
August 16, 2024
Daryna Markova
contributor DOM Art Residence
Why Should You Read About Contemporary Art?
"Beauty will save the world." – Fyodor Dostoevsky
The great writer was clear about this. Beauty is revealed through artwork. It makes a person superior, spiritual, moral, and more virtuous. Even the people of ancient Greece used music and dance as a way of curing diseases.
Nowadays, the price of some paintings that were made several centuries ago reaches millions of dollars. Art penetrates a human’s soul when he/she is facing a real masterpiece. This, in a nutshell, is the role of art as a phenomenon. Not all people try to comprehend it, appreciate it, and learn it. Most of all, they are convinced that art is for the select or the highbrow. Grasping is similar to learning to read or write in that it takes time to get into the art's meaning.
Contemporary art can be difficult to define and describe as it is far from the standard norms in the current world. Without history, culture, and concepts, one cannot fully comprehend and appreciate them. In books, one can find the historical background and the ideas that formed modern art.
"Recalling my first impressions of Yayoi Kusama, I can mention that her creative works, such as installations or polka-dot motifs, seemed figurative and rather provocative. Reading "Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Net" by Sarah Suzuki made me aware of the psychological impacts that affected Kusama, her perception and execution of infinity and obsession, and how her life story influenced her pieces of art." Laura Thompson from NYIAD
Art books of the present can be very helpful sources for ideas. They demonstrate specifics of aesthetic approaches, new stakeholder methods, and various creative visions so the readers may challenge themselves and try to think unconventionally.
"When reading the book "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland, I was most enlightened regarding the authors’ views about how and why artists experience barriers in their craft and the need to take risks. Some of the concepts common in the literature helped me to venture into new territories and explore experiments in my art, which was for me a test and a fulfilling experience." Evelyn Brooks from the Art Institute of Chicago
The books of contemporary art may contain information about the technologies, methods and materials that were used in the works of artists at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. They can be very beneficial to anyone wishing to develop their work as an artist or discover novelties in a particular field of art.
In the book by Michael Schrage, "The Art of Interactive Design," I was enlightened on how technology and art are combined in interactive installations. In this book, the artists’ strategies for engaging spectators through technology are well described. I have turned these concepts into a multimedia project in which I implemented interactive elements that changed the audience’s perception of my creations.” Jasper Quinn from MIAD
The great writer was clear about this. Beauty is revealed through artwork. It makes a person superior, spiritual, moral, and more virtuous. Even the people of ancient Greece used music and dance as a way of curing diseases.
Nowadays, the price of some paintings that were made several centuries ago reaches millions of dollars. Art penetrates a human’s soul when he/she is facing a real masterpiece. This, in a nutshell, is the role of art as a phenomenon. Not all people try to comprehend it, appreciate it, and learn it. Most of all, they are convinced that art is for the select or the highbrow. Grasping is similar to learning to read or write in that it takes time to get into the art's meaning.
- Learn More About Art
Contemporary art can be difficult to define and describe as it is far from the standard norms in the current world. Without history, culture, and concepts, one cannot fully comprehend and appreciate them. In books, one can find the historical background and the ideas that formed modern art.
"Recalling my first impressions of Yayoi Kusama, I can mention that her creative works, such as installations or polka-dot motifs, seemed figurative and rather provocative. Reading "Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Net" by Sarah Suzuki made me aware of the psychological impacts that affected Kusama, her perception and execution of infinity and obsession, and how her life story influenced her pieces of art." Laura Thompson from NYIAD
- Inspire Creativity
Art books of the present can be very helpful sources for ideas. They demonstrate specifics of aesthetic approaches, new stakeholder methods, and various creative visions so the readers may challenge themselves and try to think unconventionally.
"When reading the book "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland, I was most enlightened regarding the authors’ views about how and why artists experience barriers in their craft and the need to take risks. Some of the concepts common in the literature helped me to venture into new territories and explore experiments in my art, which was for me a test and a fulfilling experience." Evelyn Brooks from the Art Institute of Chicago
- Teach New Techniques and Ideas
The books of contemporary art may contain information about the technologies, methods and materials that were used in the works of artists at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. They can be very beneficial to anyone wishing to develop their work as an artist or discover novelties in a particular field of art.
In the book by Michael Schrage, "The Art of Interactive Design," I was enlightened on how technology and art are combined in interactive installations. In this book, the artists’ strategies for engaging spectators through technology are well described. I have turned these concepts into a multimedia project in which I implemented interactive elements that changed the audience’s perception of my creations.” Jasper Quinn from MIAD
Top Picks: Must-Read Books on Contemporary Art
For more in-depth learning about contemporary art, here’s a list of art books that you may refer to to increase your overall knowledge and creativity as well as learn new tricks.
Everything You Know About Art is Wrong,
by Matt Brown
"Everything You Know About Art is Wrong" by Matt Brown was published in 2013. Brown mixes jokes with real perspective, which, in his view, can help decode art and its mysterious mechanisms to make them easy to comprehend. A combination of excellent examples and light-spirited irony can inspire readers to rethink many basic concepts concerning art and its purpose in our existence.
The Guardian appreciated Brown’s book for its style. The author was described as a provocateur. The review took note of how Brown creates awareness and inspiration for readers to question and even debate the nature of art.
The Guardian appreciated Brown’s book for its style. The author was described as a provocateur. The review took note of how Brown creates awareness and inspiration for readers to question and even debate the nature of art.
Censored Art Today,
by Gareth Harris
Gareth Harris’s "Censored Art Today" (2016) reviews freedom of expression in the art world and the different forms of censorship used in it. Specifically, the book explores the ways and reasons behind the limitations that are placed on some artworks and the consequences of these measures.
Harris explains censorship by focusing on pieces that have been censored and the social, political and cultural contexts. In the book, contemporary challenges of art, such as censorship and violations of social taboos, are well brought out, enriching the readers’ knowledge of issues facing artists.
Art Review appreciated the work due to the author’s analysis of various forms of contemporary art censorship. The review revealed that comprehension of the pressure on artists is the strength inherent in Harris’s investigation strategy and highlighted that the book gave a good and unbiased view of the topic that could be sensitive.
Harris explains censorship by focusing on pieces that have been censored and the social, political and cultural contexts. In the book, contemporary challenges of art, such as censorship and violations of social taboos, are well brought out, enriching the readers’ knowledge of issues facing artists.
Art Review appreciated the work due to the author’s analysis of various forms of contemporary art censorship. The review revealed that comprehension of the pressure on artists is the strength inherent in Harris’s investigation strategy and highlighted that the book gave a good and unbiased view of the topic that could be sensitive.
Great Women Painters
"Great Women Painters" is a series devoted to prominent women painters. Published in 2019, this book provides readers with various profiles of female artists, starting from historical periods up to the present. With case studies and magnificent representations of their productions, it unveils the distinctive patterns and climates of their triumphs and setbacks.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, the book "Great Women Painters" is a fact-based review of female painters over time. The book offers art history and gender studies enthusiasts both historical analysis and an interesting narrative.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, the book "Great Women Painters" is a fact-based review of female painters over time. The book offers art history and gender studies enthusiasts both historical analysis and an interesting narrative.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows,
by Ai Weiwei
This memoir "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows" is an autobiography of this well-known artist and Chinese dissident. In this volume, Ai Weiwei looks at aspects of his life as an artist. He gives the audience a glimpse of his family background and life under a dictatorship.
The idea of socio-political contexts that surround his writing "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows" (2021) is identified with the help of the memoir and the principles such as freedom, endurance, and the capabilities of art as the means to respond to oppression.
The New York Times described the book laudingly as speaking in "raw and passionate ways".
The idea of socio-political contexts that surround his writing "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows" (2021) is identified with the help of the memoir and the principles such as freedom, endurance, and the capabilities of art as the means to respond to oppression.
The New York Times described the book laudingly as speaking in "raw and passionate ways".
Nonconformers: A New History of Self-Taught Artists, by Lisa Slominski
"Nonconformers: A New History of Self-Taught Artists" (2023) is a book that explores the achievements of independent artists who have been creating masterpieces outside the frameworks of traditional schools.
The book offers readers a new look at those "outsider" artists and tells stories about the approaches used by these people. Concentrating on the detailed biographical descriptions and historical backgrounds of the artists, Slominski sheds light on how they subvert conventional art practices and embrace distinctive and, often, ethically non-traditional perspectives.
In its review, Bookforum noted that while self-taught artists have been discussed in art history before, Lisa offered a different viewpoint that made it stand out. Slominski has done a great job of making society rediscover artists who have little to no representation.
The book offers readers a new look at those "outsider" artists and tells stories about the approaches used by these people. Concentrating on the detailed biographical descriptions and historical backgrounds of the artists, Slominski sheds light on how they subvert conventional art practices and embrace distinctive and, often, ethically non-traditional perspectives.
In its review, Bookforum noted that while self-taught artists have been discussed in art history before, Lisa offered a different viewpoint that made it stand out. Slominski has done a great job of making society rediscover artists who have little to no representation.
Art Is Life,
by Jerry Saltz
"Art Is Life: Icons and Iconoclasts, Visionaries and Vigilantes, and Flashes of Hope in the Night, by Jerry Saltz" (2023), is an exhilarating collection of essays that provides a spirited take on contemporary art today. In this book, Saltz, a leading art critic, profiles and critiques personalities, movements, and trends in modernist art.
His writing combines research and the author’s own experience to help his readers embrace the work of both established and upcoming artists. At the same time, the necessarily critical approach that Saltz takes allows him to convey the spirit of modern art and reveal its relevance to the present day.
Artforum complimented the breadth of the author's ability to consider contemporary art in its multifaceted role and relevance.
His writing combines research and the author’s own experience to help his readers embrace the work of both established and upcoming artists. At the same time, the necessarily critical approach that Saltz takes allows him to convey the spirit of modern art and reveal its relevance to the present day.
Artforum complimented the breadth of the author's ability to consider contemporary art in its multifaceted role and relevance.
A Concise History of Modern Painting, by Herbert Read
Herbert Read’s "A Concise History of Modern Painting" was first published in 1964. The book provides a brief yet effective outline of the overall history of painting. In this book, the main artists, their creations, and the main streams of development that formed modern painting are described in simple but informative manners.
This book focuses on the developments in the practices and forms of painting and analyzes the effects of such movements as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. He gives cardinal facts about masters of post-impressionism and other styles of masters such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Wassily Kandinsky, among others.
The reader receives comprehensible information about how artists evolved their techniques and what the background in society was to establish their views of modern art.
The New York Review of Books praised "A Concise History of Modern Painting" by Herbert Read because the author attempted to be concise and to the point about the movements in modern painting. The review pointed out the effectiveness of instructing Read’s mode of generating a clear and systematic account of art, from impressionism to abstract expressionism. The book received many compliments for its scholarly approach and for being easy to read.
This book focuses on the developments in the practices and forms of painting and analyzes the effects of such movements as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. He gives cardinal facts about masters of post-impressionism and other styles of masters such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Wassily Kandinsky, among others.
The reader receives comprehensible information about how artists evolved their techniques and what the background in society was to establish their views of modern art.
The New York Review of Books praised "A Concise History of Modern Painting" by Herbert Read because the author attempted to be concise and to the point about the movements in modern painting. The review pointed out the effectiveness of instructing Read’s mode of generating a clear and systematic account of art, from impressionism to abstract expressionism. The book received many compliments for its scholarly approach and for being easy to read.
Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art? by Kyung An and Jessica Cerasi
"Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?" (2021) is a practical guide for all those who float in doubt while approaching the field of contemporary art. The book adopts an alphabetical structure by defining terms and the most important concepts and artists simply.
An and Cerasi emphasized demystifying art jargon and studying important themes, which helps the readers have a good baseline about the miscellaneous environment of contemporary art.
The Art Newspaper applauded "Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?" as accessible and simple, even in explaining such a vast and rich concept of contemporary art, and for being a practical manual for novices and art professionals.
An and Cerasi emphasized demystifying art jargon and studying important themes, which helps the readers have a good baseline about the miscellaneous environment of contemporary art.
The Art Newspaper applauded "Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?" as accessible and simple, even in explaining such a vast and rich concept of contemporary art, and for being a practical manual for novices and art professionals.
The Short Story of Modern Art,
by Susie Hodge
"The Short Story of Modern Art" (2021) simplifies explaining major art movements and artists, from impressionism to postmodernism and their contributions. By organizing ideas in the right manner, readers can easily follow the development of modern art. This book explains the main ideas and artists who have shaped contemporary art.
The Guardian recommended the book "The Short Story of Modern Art" by Susie Hodge due to its rather simple style. The review described how Hodge accomplishes the goal of offering an accessible narrative about the continuous growth of contemporary art. As a positive aspect of the work, it nicely divides thematically the main movements of the era and key artists were mentioned.
The Guardian recommended the book "The Short Story of Modern Art" by Susie Hodge due to its rather simple style. The review described how Hodge accomplishes the goal of offering an accessible narrative about the continuous growth of contemporary art. As a positive aspect of the work, it nicely divides thematically the main movements of the era and key artists were mentioned.
A Brief History of New Music,
by Hans Ulrich Obrist
"A Brief History of New Music" (2020) by Hans Ulrich Obrist conveys the history of contemporary music and its symbiosis with the fine arts. Reading this publication, the reader receives brief but profound knowledge of how the newcomers evolved, what important trends appeared, and which composers played an important role.
From the given choice, the subject is presented by Obrist, a well-known curator and critic whose approach links musical changes to general cultural and artistic transformations. This book is informative in tracing the effect of contemporary music on modern art and its continued dynamism.
Kirkus Reviews has recommended the book "A Brief History of New Music" for its clear vision of contemporary music. Obrist’s work provides a good and useful approach to distilling a broad spectrum of musical cultures and developments into manageable and informative accounts.
From the given choice, the subject is presented by Obrist, a well-known curator and critic whose approach links musical changes to general cultural and artistic transformations. This book is informative in tracing the effect of contemporary music on modern art and its continued dynamism.
Kirkus Reviews has recommended the book "A Brief History of New Music" for its clear vision of contemporary music. Obrist’s work provides a good and useful approach to distilling a broad spectrum of musical cultures and developments into manageable and informative accounts.
Final thoughts
Reading books about art is significant in contemporary society as it enlightens one on the mode of creating artworks, opens up one’s horizons of perception, and encourages tolerance and critical thinking. It enables one to grasp various trends in culture and social life and predict possible further shifts in the sphere of art.
Books about art in conditions of the shortening of space and the considerable rates of technological progress contribute to the understanding of changes and the establishment of a connection with traditions that preserve the continuity of people’s development; they provide the ground for further creative and cognitive evolution.
Books about art in conditions of the shortening of space and the considerable rates of technological progress contribute to the understanding of changes and the establishment of a connection with traditions that preserve the continuity of people’s development; they provide the ground for further creative and cognitive evolution.