"While 2025 might be drawing to a close, the art books we read this year will stay with us for a long time to come. And not just the monographs or catalogs you might be thinking of - we also consumed biographies, academic titles, memoirs, zine re-issues, art novels, and more. My personal favorite was Imani Perry's Black in Blues; it doesn't necessarily fit the mold of an "art book," per se, and that's precisely what makes it such a rich addition to any artist"
"Under Beauford Delaney's tutelage, James Baldwin began to see the world through new eyes - those of an artist. "He taught me how to see, and how to trust what I saw," said Baldwin. This collection of scholarly essays illuminates one of Baldwin's most valuable relationships, tracking the deep impact Delaney's artistry had on his literary life. Their connection as queer, Black men was meaningful and lifelong, and Speculative Light tackled the topic with tenderness and rigor in equal measure."
The year's art books range across monographs, catalogs, biographies, academic titles, memoirs, zine reissues, and art novels. Imani Perry's Black in Blues blurs genre boundaries, offering musical and cultural insight relevant to artists and art lovers. Notable releases include Hew Locke's catalog and Tamara Lanier's account of reclaiming daguerreotypes of enslaved ancestors Renty and Delia. Speculative Light examines Beauford Delaney's influence on James Baldwin, emphasizing Delaney's impact on Baldwin's perception and the significance of their queer Black relationship. Nordic women artists gain visibility, with works like Seeing Silence on Helene Schjerfbeck. New categories facilitate discovery and browsing.
Read at Hyperallergic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]