ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

12 Art Books for Your Summer Holidays

publication · 2026-07-07

A selection of 12 art books perfect for summer reading covers a range of subjects, including Afro-Atlantic histories and occult art. Notable titles include "Afro-Atlantic Histories" (2021), edited by Adriano Pedrosa and Tomás Toledo; "L'Hotel" (1984) by Sophie Calle; "The Illustrated America Vol. 1: Old Glory" (2016) authored by Pascale Georgiev; and "J. C. Volkamer. The Book of Citrus Fruits" (2021) by Iris Lauterbach. Additional highlights are Liam Wong's "TO:KY:OO" (2019), "Art as Therapy" (2016) by Alain de Botton and John Armstrong, S. Elizabeth's "The Art of the Occult" (2020), Justine Kurland's "Girl Pictures" (2020), Nan Goldin's "The Other Side" (2019), Charlie Porter's "What Artists Wear" (2021), Ruth Millington's "Muse" (2022), and Berthe Weill's memoir "Pow! Right in the Eye!" (2022).

Key facts

  • Afro-Atlantic Histories (2021) includes 400 works by over 200 artists from the 16th to 21st centuries.
  • Sophie Calle's L'Hotel (1984) documents her secret photography of Venice hotel rooms in 1981.
  • The Illustrated America Vol. 1: Old Glory (2016) shows 50 alternative US flag designs from 1958-1959.
  • J. C. Volkamer. The Book of Citrus Fruits (2021) reproduces 256 copperplate engravings from 1708.
  • Liam Wong's TO:KY:OO (2019) is a cyberpunk-inspired photography monograph of Tokyo at night.
  • Art as Therapy (2016) by Alain de Botton and John Armstrong explores art's therapeutic benefits.
  • The Art of the Occult (2020) by S. Elizabeth covers themes like theosophy, kabbalah, and alchemy.
  • Justine Kurland's Girl Pictures (2020) features photographs of teenage girls from 1997 to 2002.
  • Nan Goldin's The Other Side (2019) is an expanded edition originally published in 1993.
  • What Artists Wear (2021) by Charlie Porter examines artists' clothing as expression.
  • Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures in Art History (2022) by Ruth Millington redefines the muse.
  • Pow! Right in the Eye! (2022) is the first English translation of Berthe Weill's memoir.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Delmonico Books
  • IDEA Books
  • Atelier Editions
  • Taschen
  • Thames & Hudson
  • Phaidon
  • Frances Lincoln
  • Aperture
  • Steidl
  • Penguin
  • Pegasus Books
  • The University of Chicago Press

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • United States
  • Nuremberg
  • Germany
  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • Boston
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Bangkok
  • Paris
  • France

Sources