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Coffee Table Curator, October 2014

Ruven Afanador: Angel Gitano: The Men of Flamenco, Rizzoli, 95USD

Noted portrait photographer Afanador has taken to the streets of Andalusian, Spain to photograph male flamenco dancers in their natural habitat. Often overlooked in favor of their female counterparts, the men in these black-and-white photos are nothing short of striking and full of bravado—they either don their birthday suits or the most beautifully elaborate costumes—displaying their sensual yet delightfully gritty dancing talents. The result is a memorable hybrid of documentary and fashion photography, all the while celebrating men's gypsy flamenco culture. ¡Arriba!

Andy Warhol: The Complete Commissioned Magazine Work, Prestel, 150USD

We'd be remiss if we didn't include this catalogue raisonné featuring the magazine work of our founding father. Including an array of cover art, editorial illustrations and advertisements, the volume contains Warhol's work spanning over 400 magazines between the years of 1948-1987. Whether shooting renowned celebrities for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, or creating tiny, kitschy drawings for Time and Vanity Fair, seeing his work so strikingly illustrated is further evidence that the "king of Pop Art" was always one step ahead of the crowd with his conceptual and imaginative artistic perspectives.

 

 

When Art Meets Design, Assouline, 75USD

American painter, sculptor, and printmaker Hunt Slonem owns two historically important plantations in Louisiana—"Albania" and "Lakeside"—which he stunningly restored and decorated at his leisure. While the exteriors of the plantations are gorgeous, it's the interiors that make them undoubtedly extra special. Pairing vintage furniture with contemporary art (by the likes of Alex Katz and Andy Warhol), Slonem created vibrantly beautiful spaces that seamlessly juxtapose antiques and artworks. It's enough to make any art aficionado green with envy.

 

 

Anthony Caro, Phaidon, 125USD

When Caro died in 2013, he left behind the legacy of being one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, and almost certainly the greatest British sculptor of his generation. This wonderfully designed volume commemorates his life through a comprehensive survey of his work, which was characterized by his signature modernistic and abstract aesthetic. Between starting out as the assistant to Henry Moore in the 1950s to his final years in the 2010s, Caro's usage of metalwork and industrial objects in sculpture made him a revolutionary, and his masterworks are analyzed in great detail in the volume.

 

 

Cabins, Taschen, 69.99USD

Despite what horror movies seem to think, cabins have long served as charming and picturesque retreats for people wanting a little refuge and relaxation from the strains of modern life. This new monograph highlights exemplary and minimalistic cabins across the world that flawlessly combine usage, innovation, and marginal environmental footprints into their respective geographic locations. Some of the featured architectural delights include cabin-studio hybrids on the English seaside and hut-esque living spaces in southwest India. Less Cabin In The Woods, more Walden.

 

 

 

Laura Letinsky: Ill Form & Void Full, Radius Books, 55USD

What we may see as banal items left on a dining room table—lipstick-smeared wine glasses, half- eaten desserts, crumpled up and lightly stained tablecloths—the Chicago-based Letinsky sees as art waiting to be captured. For her newest series, the photographer utilizes a basic white tabletop to capture these various "aftermath of eating" scenes, and the resulting images are anything but predicable—an odd, artificial yet self-reflexive response naturally ensues. You can't help but be entranced by Letinsky's virtuoso representation of space and time.