It’s no secret that we have a penchant for the carefully-curated coffee table book, and are constantly on the lookout for an elegant, intriguing tome to add to our ever-expanding collections. Really, we should be investing in more coffee tables. Nevertheless, here is our top five from the current new releases.
Zaha Hadid: The Complete Works
by Zaha Hadid
The life and work of Zaha Hadid, whose revolutionary architecture took in everything from Olympic venues to an astounding world-class airport, fills this aspirational coffee table collection of photographs, in-depth texts and a variety of Hadid’s very own drawings. Each page in the beautifully updated monograph is worthy of study and admiration.
Woodblock Wonders
by Andreas Marks
The weird and wonderful Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon with no Western equivalent. Sex workers in shop windows are placed alongside samurai swordsmen, kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, and set against breathtaking landscapes. This XXL edition allows us a glimpse into the marvels of this little-known art, by showcasing 200 of the most beguiling prints — ranging from the 17th Century ukiyo-e Japanese art movement, through to present-day oeuvres.
Peter Saul: Crime and Punishment
by Peter Saul
Painter Peter Saul is one of America’s most bold and brilliant painters. His tongue-in-cheek, colour-drenched, political pop art is known and admired the world over. The soon-to-be-released Crime and Punishment, a glorious coffee table book that reproduces sixty-five of the satirical works recently featured in his acclaimed exhibition at The New Museum, cries out for multiple coffees and many hours to pore over its exquisite pages. The book also includes work from a number of other artists, and accompanying text from Saul himself.
Window To The World
by David Hockney
Window to the World invites the browser into the creative mind of one of Britain’s most influential artists, English painter David Hockney. Impressively, each page showcases a creation crafted by Hockney using only an iPhone or an iPad. While this fascinates, the true allure of the book lies within the content: 120 Hockney drawings, each one inspired by the view from a favourite window of his Yorkshire retreat. Along with his prodigious talent on display here, this tome offers a beautiful depiction of England’s contrasting seasons.
Before Easter After
By Patti Smith and Lynn Goldsmith
For anyone who longs to learn about the artistic life and original works of legendary Godmother of Punk Patti Smith (that is: everyone, surely?), then Before Easter After will bring some serious coffee table delight. The slipcased book, with its hundreds of previously unseen photographs all taken by longtime friend, and famed rock and roll photographer, Lynn Goldsmith, includes text by Smith. As always, her writing is rich with the trademark Patti Smith originality and word mastery.
