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Coffee Table Curator: September 2016

Francis Bacon: Late Paintings, Gagosian/Rizzoli, 100 USD


As a companion to the excellent 2015 exhibition at New York's Gagosian Gallery, this monograph provides a rare, extensive look at the work Francis Bacon created throughout the last two decades of his life before passing away in 1992. Over 150 colorful works are featured, and they all hold in common Bacon's prominent theme: reworking his subjects to strip them to their emotionally-charged bare essentials. Whether choosing to represent a human, an animal, or even something entirely abstract, never has the grotesque looked so refined.

 

Fendi Roma, Assouline, 195 USD


Picture this scene: You're strolling through an autumnal Rome, stopping in the Piazza Navona for drinks, all while decked out in the most colorful and vibrant Fendi outfit you can think of. Bellissimo. Founded in 1925 by Edoardo and Adele Fendi, this monograph outlines the vast history of the famed Italian fashion house by focusing on its inspirations, artistry, craftsmanship, and family ties. If you can take anything away from the photo-heavy book, it's that arguably no brand has appropriately captured the textures and spirit of Rome—whether through ready-to-wear collections, accessories, or shoes—quite as wonderfully as Fendi. Now, if only we had one of those peekaboo handbags...

 

 

Neville Jacobs, Rizzoli, 22.50 USD


While it may be silly to be jealous of a pooch's life, we give you full permission to fawn over Marc Jacobs' adorable bull terrier. Neville Jacobs, who has been Marc's faithful companion for many years, is the subject of this cute book that features hundreds of photographs taken throughout various stages in his woof-tastic life. Whether hanging out on private jets, strolling down the streets of Manhattan, going for a "run" sans leash, or smooching Karlie Kloss, you don't have to be a dog lover to find enjoyment in his canine adventures. (And for even more Neville, check out his Instagram here.)

 

 

Grace: The American Vogue Years, Phaidon, 175 USD


Few would balk at the opinion that the fiery-haired, cat-loving Grace Coddington—the creative director at large of American Vogue—is the most beloved figure in the fashion magazine industry. This beautiful slipcase monograph, which outlines Coddington's last fifteen years at Vogue (though she worked there since 1988), will certainly do nothing to dispel those thoughts. By featuring the most noteworthy of her editorial shoots with various famed photographers (a brief sampling: Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, and Craig McDean), it solidifies that Coddington's genius and creative mind will have a lasting effect in fashion for many, many years to come.

 

 

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Theaters, Damiani/Matsumoto Editions, 60 USD


A theater isn't merely a place to screen films in, and Hiroshi Sugimoto knows it. The Japanese photographer has been photographing the interiors of theaters for over four decades, using a large format camera and the natural projection of the film to light his images. By choosing to shoot an entire movie in one frame, he creates luminous images that call attention to the passage of time and the specificity of each location (many of his images feature historic, classic theaters of the 1920s and 1930s). This volume features over 100 of Sugimoto's photos, many of which have never been previously published.

 

 Judy Tuwaletstiwa: Glass, Radius Books, 60 USD


The roots of Judy Tuwaletstiwa's gorgeous "Glass" series—which plays with the raw effects of fire and sand—trace back to the artist's love of sand from her youth growing up in Los Angeles and on a Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona. "Fire, a primal element, meets a primal material created by the forces of the earth, creating endless possibility," Tuwaletstiwa tells us. "I fire glass powders at low temperatures to keep them as close as possible to the sand that is their source. The texture of the low-fired glass reflects light back to us as do rocks, sand, trunks of trees." This volume explores Tuwaletstiwa's extensive glass work on canvas and paper over the past four years, and to add even more uniqueness, each cover is hand-tipped on an original piece of glass. "I hope the viewer enters the work and the work enters the viewer," she continues. "When I work, I am part of a dialogue larger than my vision ... a dialogue the materials create. When the viewer experiences the piece, I hope another dialogue ensues, one beyond language."