Art museums, galleries, auction houses, and fairs offer a bracing array of media, sensibilities, materials, and visions. They grant visitors tickets to Ai Weiwei’s China, Jacob Lawrence’s America, Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexico, and Canaletto’s Venice. Patrons can savor searing works like Picasso’s Guernica or striking paintings like Jasper Johns’ Flag. Kirkus Indie recently reviewed three nonfiction books about the art world.
A Mind in Motion: The Art of Charles H. Forrester mixes essays withphotographs ofsculptures, drawings, and paintings. The coffee-table book features a biographical sketch and commentary about Forrester’s work, including the abstract sculpture The Voyage and the concrete monolith The Equestrian. Our reviewer calls the volume, edited by the artist’s daughter, Winifred Forrester, “a captivating examination of a creative mind in constant motion.”
In The Black Market, Charles Moore delivers a variety of tips on collecting African American art. The author’s credentials include an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in museum studies from Harvard. He discusses Black artists, provides profiles of collectors, and looks at museums, fairs, auctions, and art schools. Moore highlights “economical…methods on which we can educate ourselves in the art world.” According to our critic, this guide is “an essential primer on collecting Black art that expertly blends the passion of an art student with the expertise of an insider.”
Linda Durham’s Still Moving relates her experiences running a gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. According to the author, her gallery “helped launch an innovative contemporary art market in Santa Fe” and “also opened doors of opportunity and recognition for the vital New Mexico art scene through our participation in top-tier international art fairs.” The sweeping memoir explores Durham’s childhood recollections, decision to close her gallery, and extensive travels. “A ranging, rich collage of memory and reflection,” our reviewer writes.
Myra Forsberg is an Indie editor.
