Admire the visual artistry in these books from contributors to Alta Journal. Featured in a special guide of 83 books in our Fall 2021 issue, this category includes works by Adam Fisher, Owen Philipps, and Gary Kamiya and Paul Madonna, with a spotlight on artist Anita Kunz.
YVES BÉHAR: DESIGNING IDEAS, BY YVES BÉHAR AND ADAM FISHER
Together with Adam Fisher, industrial designer Yves Béhar outlines his career and offers an intimate glimpse of his firm, Fuseproject. Showcasing photographs of Béhar’s studio and prototype sketches of his many projects, Yves Béhar: Designing Ideas details more than 60 works that have come to define his influence and legacy. Through an analysis of Béhar’s production process, we come to understand his relationship to social obligation, entrepreneurship, and creative innovation. Thames & Hudson, July 2021, 420 pages, $85 hardcover
SPIRITS OF SAN FRANCISCO: VOYAGES THROUGH THE UNKNOWN CITY, BY GARY KAMIYA, ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL MADONNA
Alongside artist Paul Madonna, Gary Kamiya pens an homage to San Francisco and the many landscapes and communities the city contains. Kamiya highlights critical moments in San Francisco’s history—the good and the bad—up to the present day. (He wrote the book’s preface during the COVID-19 pandemic.) Spirits of San Francisco is full of appreciation for the city by the bay. Bloomsbury Publishing, October 2020, 224 pages, $28 hardcover
101 ART DESTINATIONS IN THE U.S.: WHERE ART LIVES COAST TO COAST, BY OWEN PHILLIPS
From prehistoric cave drawings in Utah to abstract masterpieces in Los Angeles museums, 101 Art Destinations in the U.S. includes photographs of must-see artworks across the country as well as explanations of their historical, cultural, and aesthetic significance. For those eager to travel, Owen Phillips suggests routes and offers tips on how to make the best of the in-person experiences. Equal parts travel guide and art compendium, this book is meant to change the way you interact with art. Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books, March 2021, 272 pages, $14.98 hardcover
Bound Together 2021
Stories: Death and the Female Body
Fiction: Science Fiction
Biography and Memoir: How Octavia E. Butler Wrote
