“Art books are really unique because they are art objects unto themselves,” says Annie Dugan. “How our hands and our eyes interact with these objects is as wonderful as the content itself.” Dugan has three art book recommendations from the past year.
Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography focuses on works by indigenous artists. The book is an accompaniment to the exhibition of the same name at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. If you can’t make it to Texas, visit virtually at the website for the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. "It really is a fabulous look at how contemporary indigenous artists are telling stories through light."
The Threads of Power from the Textile Museum in St. Gallen, Switzerland is a look at 40 years of lace. “How do you create this material that is… on the edge of usefulness,” says Dugan. “The cover of the book alone is worth it.”
Women Holding Things (2021) by Maira Kalmen was so well received that the artist create a larger series of painting this year. The book is a "look at what people hold: memories, troubles, work, friendship, family, children, food," says Dugan. "I think it's a book anyone can relate to."
