Art & Photography

Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom, the award-winning and world-renowned photographer/writer team, have brought their gorgeous work and editorial vision home to the Monterey Bay in this stunning collection that highlights the vibrant ecosystems of our area, from the waters to the redwoods. I have long admired Lanting’s wildlife and nature photography, so to have our own area, its inhabitants, and its changing dynamics so beautifully captured and honored, I cannot think of a better gift for Santa Cruzans everywhere. 
—MELINDA

In this book of obsessions, contemplations, and never-before-seen art, Shaun Tan takes us behind the scenes to teach us how the monsters are made. Fans of The Lost Thing, The Arrival, and his many other gorgeously detailed and award-winning books will rejoice at the opportunity to walk through Tan’s process in coming up with his famous creatures, in addition to his expansive discussion of the ideas they represent and the reason for their consistent popularity.

—YVES

Art critic Lacayo uses the last works of six great visual artists—including Louise Nevelson and Henri Matisse—to explore the themes of their lives and the historical moments they lived through. Lacayo’s book is for the artist, the art lover, the person for whom the details of the painter are just as important as the technique, and those who feel that the next best thing to viewing a masterpiece is getting to talk about it with someone who knows. 
—JOCELYN

This arresting and powerful book features photographs of groups of people where only one woman is included. From recognizable women in the worlds of publishing (Katharine Graham), art (Frida Kahlo), politics (Shirley Chisholm), and more, to unknown-to-me women such as Andrea Motley Crabtree, deep sea diver for the army, and Florence North, boxing promoter, each photo moved me and added to my appreciation for the determination, talents, and often bravery of these groundbreaking women.

—S.B.

Many aspire to the creative life, and even more find it fascinating. Here the brilliant interviewer and designer Debbie Millman shares some of her best interviews of some of the world’s most fantastically creative and influential people from her podcast Design Matters. Educational, poignant, funny, and inspiring, with creators who range from traditional designers to illustrators, musicians, directors, and more, this is a perfect gift for anyone with a creative spirit, shining a light in darker times.—Jocelyn

Don’t miss our event with Debbie Millman on November 18th, 2021.

For a man known globally for art and activism, Ai Weiwei’s memoir, in Allan H. Barr’s translation, is a surprisingly straightforward narrative, where art is a matter-of-fact occurrence, and the illustrated history of China is seemingly incidental. Starting with the life of his father, the poet Ai Qing, Ai Weiwei’s life is laid out, at times starkly heartbreaking, at times breathtakingly inspiring, but always fascinating, full of the thought, feeling, and movement of a singular life.—Jocelyn

In this small but powerful book, Tina Campt examines Black contemporary artists—from filmmakers to photographers to multi-media artists—who are dismantling the white gaze and insisting that we see the world “with, through, and alongside” Black artists. Not only did A Black Gaze challenge me to bear witness, but it inspired me to learn more about the artists, like cinematographer Arthur Jafa, who are featured within its pages.—S.B.

This comprehensive volume of female photography pioneers contains historical images and biographical snippets to chronicle the change in photography from traditional portraiture to nude forms, gender-flipping portraits, and still-lifes, all the way to abstraction and collage. Historians and photographers alike will be enchanted by the whimsy and skill of female explorers of the photographic landscape.  —Celeste 

Modern Quilting is a beautiful look at quilting as an art form and as a part of community building. Complete with easy-to-follow patterns and personal stories for each pattern, this is a great place for any quilter to begin exploring the fiber arts world. Experienced quilters will also find new ways to use old techniques. — Jae

Although written for graphic designers (of which I am one), I recommend Extra Bold for an even wider readership. This thought-provoking book is filled with essays, profiles, and images by a broad range of contributors who address the ways that design has, and more importantly, has not, practiced antiracism, feminism, inclusion, and nonbinary thinking. New voices who are focusing on the question “How do we engage people with all different points of view into this making process?” are especially powerful in this handbook. — S.B.