Artists & Art History: Because Context Is Everything
Series on Art World Books
Podcast Links: Apple | Boomplay | Deezer | iheart Radio | Listen Notes | Pandora | Pocket Casts | Podbean | Podcast Addict | Podchaser | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube
Sure, market insights are vital, but let’s not forget the heart of it all: artists. Knowing their history (and struggles) helps you see beyond flashy price tags.
From Old Masters to modern pioneers, these books offer a crash course in creativity and context, bringing you face-to-face with the passionate people who’ve shaped art’s evolution.
5. How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz
For the Artist: Jerry Saltz, the famed New York magazine art critic, weaves wit and wisdom for anyone itching to make art (or simply wanting more creative spark).
He also talks about how he started his career when he couldn't get published.
Bookshop.org Link: How to Be an Artist
6. 33 Artists in 3 Acts by Sarah Thornton
Artists as a Collective: Another Thornton gem focusing on marquee names like Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, and Ai Weiwei.
No agenda, just raw conversations about money, ambition, and the “why” of creation.
She writes, "What I was interested in understanding was what relationship the artists themselves had to money and to art as investments."
Bookshop.org Link: 33 Artists in 3 Acts
7. What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art by Will Gompertz
Modern to Contemporary: Gompertz (BBC’s former art director) whisks you through history’s rebels and visionaries, explaining how seemingly “ugly” or radical movements shaped today’s mainstream.
Bookshop.org Link: What Are You Looking At?
8. The Story of Contemporary Art by Tony Godfrey
How We Got to Now: Godfrey unravels today’s hyper-connected art scene with 40+ years of research behind him, including being a curator at Tate Modern for over ten years while running Tate Britain.
It's ideal if you’re curious why Warhol, Basquiat, or Koons still command headlines (and big price tags).
Bookshop.org Link: The Story of Contemporary Art
9. How Photography Became Contemporary Art by Andy Grundberg
The New Medium: From Pop to digital, Grundberg maps photography’s shift from “documentation” to “blue-chip collectible.”
Bookshop.org Link: How Photography Became Contemporary Art
10. The Photograph as Contemporary Art by Charlotte Cotton
Our Image-Driven World: Cotton unpacks how selfies, social media, and mass culture redefined the power of photography.
She examines how ‘the camera’ has come to shape individual and collective identities, sometimes in ways we might not expect.
If you’re on Instagram, this read might just make you see your feed differently.
Bookshop.org Link: The Photograph as Contemporary Art
The Book List
You can view this reading list on Bookshop.org here.
Did you miss the first post in this series? No worries, you can read it here:
Next Up
In the next series post, I’ll cover The Science & Art of Collecting Art, everything from legal, curatorial, and behind-the-scenes secrets.
Don’t want to miss it? Subscribe to my Substack below.