Art Books recommendations + reading list

From art history, to art business to art fiction

Happy Tuesday! Anyone who knows me knows I am an avid reader. In today’s letter, I want to focus on books, specifically art-related books.

I’ve decided to split my list into categories: Art Business, Art History a Theory, Art Fiction, and, as a bonus, what is next up on my reading list (including some exciting new releases).

Art Business

In this section, I want to mention books by two authors, Magnus Reach, and Edward Winkleman. Every time someone asks me about my MA from Sotheby’s Institute, I tell them that with a 20k price point for a course, they are purely buying the brand name. I learned more by reading Winkleman’s ‘Selling Contemporary Art: How to Navigate the evolving market’ and ‘ How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery.’ These two books are like art business textbooks but with practical information. I actually studied them thoroughly before setting up Artistellar. To the business of how to set up and run a successful gallery, I would also add ‘ Management of Art Galleries’ by Magnus Rech. It’s a bit different type of book; it’s mostly based on data and Rech’s research and case studies. He builds a very compelling case of why so many galleries are not successful and what’s wrong with the entire business model. I cannot recommend this read enough for anyone opening/ running a gallery or just simply interested in the business ecosystem of galleries.

Art Collecting

Magnus Rech has also written several other books ( artists might specifically be interested in ‘How to Become a Successful Artist’). But the one that I wanted to talk about is ‘How to Collect Art,’ which I’ve just finished reading. As someone working in the art world but also collecting, I would not normally reach out for a book that teaches about it. But since I found ‘Management of Art Galleries’ so great I was curious to read what he has to say about Art Collecting. The book definitely takes a similar data and facts-driven approach. It doesn’t glamorize art collecting nor makes it elitist. It’s rational and factional with tips and advice. However, there were tiny bits and pieces that I would not entirely agree with. But overall, it is aimed at beginners. So, for someone starting or looking into art collecting, it’s definitely an essential read.

Art History and Theory

This section is the hardest to pick from. There are so many great books! So I’ve decided to choose one classic: ‘ Ways of Seeing’ by John Berger. I think this is a must for anyone who is not completely culturally and artistically ignorant. John Berger delves into the intricacies of visual culture, challenging traditional notions of art appreciation and understanding. He invites readers to reconsider how they perceive and interpret art, arguing that our ways of seeing are deeply influenced by cultural, social, and historical contexts. One of the key themes in the book is the idea that art is not simply a reflection of reality but rather a construction that is shaped by cultural biases and interpretations

Art Fiction

I still don’t understand how there are so few novels set in the art world. I guess the events of the art world are so colorful that there is a need for imagination. But once in a while, I come across a book that is somehow related to art, like ‘The Cloisters’ by Katy Hays. This novel is set in The Met Cloisters in NYC and evolves around a mysterious deck of tarot cards. Although tarot cards wouldn’t be directly classified as art objects but more as collectibles or artifacts, the book here and then talks about the the art world. It is mostly academic and museum-oriented, but I enjoyed that a lot. There is also the usual art elitism and a lot of mystery, and from a literary point of view, it’s still satisfactory.

What’s on my art reading list:

• Eileen Ager: A Look at My Life / in collaboration with Andrew Lambirth

• British Women Artists, From suffrage to the sixties / by Carolyn Trant

• Get The Picture / by Bianca Bosker

I will report on these later !

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