Whitehot Magazine
"The Best Art In The World"
By NOAH BECKER June, 2023
There's a great lecture on Youtube by the genius American painter Kerry James Marshall where he speaks on the importance of art books. Marshall points out that most of what he has experienced in art, was something he saw in books. That's an interesting conversation in our overly digital age where the hard-copy book is a dying form. That being said, I get a ton of art books mailed to me for a potential review in Whitehot Magazine.
The book I would also enjoy reading is the new book by Jerry Saltz, maybe a copy will show up here? Fingers crossed...
As hard-copy publishers go, I've always had a collection of Phaidon art books. Their book on Jeff Wall was in my collection for many years, as was Phaidon's volume on Dan Graham. Those were soft-covers, at least the books I owned at that time. This delightful volume on Michael Raedecker is a solid hardcover art book...
The production values set this volume apart from ordinary art books. That aspect is important because practically everything in publishing has been done. I'm interested in this approach to book design. Care has been taken to leave negative space on certain pages and the essays do not overwhelm seeing art in a book. A healthy number of detail shots also zero-in on Raedeckers' use of thread in his paintings.
If you are building a collection of noteable art books I would highly suggest picking up a copy of this one. WM
*To potentially have your book reviewed send us an email and a hard-copy to Whitehot Magazine.
Noah Becker is an artist and the publisher and founding editor of Whitehot Magazine. He shows his paintings internationally at museums and galleries. Becker also plays jazz saxophone. Becker's writing has appeared in The Guardian, VICE, Garage, Art in America, Interview Magazine, Canadian Art and the Huffington Post. He has written texts for major artist monographs published by Rizzoli and Hatje Cantz. Becker directed the New York art documentary New York is Now (2010). Becker's new album of original music "Mode For Noah" was released in 2023.
Links:
Noah Becker on Instagram
Noah Becker Paintings
Noah Becker Music
Email: noah@whitehotmagazine.com