Memorial Day signals the start of summer life. And with summer comes summer reading! How well I remember those lazy, hazy days of summers past, when "pleasure reading" took the place of textbooks. In case you are looking for ideas on what to read next, I thought I'd share a few thoughts. Art themed, granted, but these books are not just for artists.
I just picked up a copy of "Spring Cannot be Cancelled", hot off the press, about David Hockney's COVID spring in Normandy. Hockney used the lockdown at his farmhouse in Normandy as an opportunity for enhanced devotion to his work. The book comes highly recommended by a good friend, and reviews are very positive. The dust jacket flap calls it "an uplifting manifesto that affirms art's capacity to divert and inspire." I can tell just by thumbing through my copy that it is rich with art history, as well as personal reflections of Hockney. Can't wait to dig in!
"Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" is a classic that has been around for a while, but never grows stale. The authors discuss the fears and pitfalls that haunt artists of all types (musicians, photographers, painters, sculptors, etc). I just read it for the second time, and I think it contains life lessons that are broader than just the arts. Worth a read, especially if you are working in one of the "arts" fields.
I can also recommend from personal experience "The Man in the Red Coat" by Julian Barnes. Published just last year, it's a very current read. The book is an amusing and enlightening romp through Belle Époque Paris, in the company of Dr. Pozzi and his friends. Think Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Proust, Whistler and other characters of the day. Dr. Pozzi is the man pictured below, in Sargent's famous painting. Julian Barnes has a way with words, and his wit and insight make this heyday era in Paris spring to life. Enjoy!
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