DIVINE LOVE: THE NATURE OF THE NATION
by Sarah Drummond (Unicorn £25, 132 pp)
DIVINE LOVE: THE ART OF THE NATIVITY by Sarah Drummond (Unicorn £25, 132 pp)
This attractive volume, which shines light on a familiar scene while being strange, should be kept in every home this Christmas.
Knowledgeable, accessible and beautifully illustrated, this tour through images of Christ’s Nativity (pictured right) reveals historical truth, artistic interpretation and Christian meaning in a celebration of the great story. Is it possible that the ox or ass are always there? Is it possible that Jesus is left lying on the ground while he was working? Did the Magi originate from kings and astrologers, or were they just ordinary people? There’s still so much to learn — in a spirit of wonder.
A YEAR WITHOUT FIXING
A YEAR UNFOLDING by Angela Harding (Sphere £20, 192 pp)
by Angela Harding (Sphere £20, 192 pp)
It is an art that can be shared, and not just one-off. That’s why many people have seen Angela Harding’s stylish lino and silkscreen images of the natural world on greetings cards, book jackets and even tea towels, without knowing the name of the artist. This collection will undoubtedly gain more admirers.
Harding explains her family environment and the printing process. She then leads us through the seasons using well-loved poems that match each season.
Cloudy skies, ploughed fields and leafy hedges all contain birds, hedgehogs and other wildlife. This creates a stunning, unique vision of an ever-changing, peaceful, but beautiful, natural world to be treasured. Inspirational.
SPRING CAN’T BE CANCELLED by David Hockney and Martin Gayford (Thames & Hudson £25, 280 pp)
SPRING CANNOT BE CANCELLED
by David Hockney and Martin Gayford (Thames & Hudson £25, 280 pp)
In an age of ‘cancellation’, this is surely the most optimistic book title of the year — and Hockney’s palette is always vibrant with the glorious, acid promise of fresh new leaves.
If you love his work, this set of uplifting ‘conversations’ between artist and critic-friend will rekindle your passion; if you are indifferent to the Hockney style, you will surely find yourself converted.
Covid was the name of the artist who made Normandy his home before moving to Covid. He wanted peace, and to paint the seasons with all their colors, azures, and pinks. These paintings, along with other outstanding artworks from Van Gogh, Monet, and others are found here. Gayford discusses them with Hockney.
This feast is for eyes, soul and mind.
FRIDA KAHLO: COMPLETE PAINTINGS by Andrea Kettenmann, Luis-Martin Lozano and Marina Vazquez Ramos (Taschen £150, 624 pp)
FRIDA KAHLO: THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS
by Andrea Kettenmann, Luis-Martin Lozano and Marina Vazquez Ramos (Taschen £150, 624 pp)
This is one amazing book. This book is magnificent and heavy. It almost requires a coffee table. However, once it’s installed, it will provide years of enjoyment.
A stupendously lavish production, with fold-out pages, personal photographs, diary pages and (of course) all her work, there’s also copious biographical detail of one of the most famous women in 20th-century art.
Frida Kahlo, a Mexican genius was an innovator in feminist thought and political revolution. Her 50 astonishing self-portraits have acquired the kind of fame, familiarity and reverence that truly merits the overused term ‘iconic’.
Although it is costly, the Kahlo-bible will be a treasure trove for art-lover.
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