Sculpture Today is a hefty tome on contemporary sculpture over the past fifty years by Judith Collins. The chapters are arranged thematically and a lot is said about inspiration in the form of the body, light, colour, nature and architecture. Over 500 illustrations highlight the variety of materials and techniques used in this genre of contemporary art that engages by occupying actual space. It is this use of space that allows sculpture to be so diverse in its many forms and to escape set boundaries.

Hardcover, 464 pages. Phaidon, 2007. $44.07 at Amazon.

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Shortcomings is a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine that explores race and relationships in the San Francisco area. Ben is an Asian-American movie-house slacker whose girlfriend, Miko, is much more of an activist. Ben has to deal with the disintegration of this relationship while handling his own shortcomings. His best friend is a lesbian named Alice who provides sharp banter. Told in three chapters, Ben’s story is terrifically illustrated. The artwork keeps the pages turning.

Hardcover, 104 pages. Drawn & Quarterly, 2007. $13.57 at Amazon.

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Things I have learned in my life so far by Stefan Sagmeister started as a list in his diary and then developed into a series of installations and projects that publicly exhibited these ideas. The “things” are simple ideas that are based on good old-fashioned common sense and experience, but at the same time, are concepts we are likely to forget or overlook. Some statements include “Worrying solves nothing” and “Trying to look good limits my life.” Obvious? Sure, but we all need reminders and this book is full of eye candy to help absorb the message. The format of this book is unusual in that is comprised of a series of booklets in a slipcase. Interchangeable covers included.

Paperback, 248 pages. Abrams, 2008. $26.40 at Amazon.

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Hand Job: A Catalog of Type by Michael Perry is a collection of work by 50 typographers who draw by hand, an art that has been surfacing from the underground. The handmade lettering, an inspiration to any artist, is a refreshing change from the computer-generated fonts of the day. Examples of work by each typographer fill 2 to 6 pages, from a variety of sources. Plus, who can resist the title?

Paperback, 256 pages. Princeton Architectural Press, 2007. $23.10 at Amazon.

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The Devil’s Playground is a huge compilation of work by Nan Goldin, curated by the photographer into sections dotted with text, lyrics and poetry by a variety of personalities such as Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave. The work is typical Goldin: raw, up-close and very personal. Relationships, birth, illness, addiction and the sheer physicality of life are the themes of photographs where the body is always very much present. This brick of a book is a compelling collection for any fan of Goldin’s work.

Paperback, 504 pages. Phaidon, 2008. $32.97 at Amazon.

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Squiggles is the latest giant colouring book by Taro Gomi, BUT, this is no ordinarily colouring book on flimsy newsprint. This thick book of about-to-happen art has lovely pages that will take just about any medium. The simplicity of the pictures cries out for embellishment, so the book turns into an art journal of sorts, and it includes instructions and suggestions for drawings as well. Squiggles is the type of book that is perfect for a meditative project or an activity where the adult and child sit side by side, each with his or her own book, engrossed in creativity for hours. It also makes a terrific interactive coffee table book if you leave out a box of markers, pencils and crayons beside it.

Paperback, 204 pages. Chronicle, 2007. $13.59 at Amazon.

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Face Food: The Visual Creativity of Japanese Bento Boxes by Christopher D. Salyers is a tidy little book that presents a very tidy hobby: the preparation of intricate bento boxes for children’s lunches. The author interviews a variety of Japanese mothers and fathers who have to factor in a couple of extra hours to the morning schedule in order to design and prepare beautiful lunches for their children. They start to do it to get the children to eat well, then both sides get hooked. A good-looking bento box that makes use of pop culture symbols as well as manga and anime references will also up the child’s popularity. The book is a fascinating look at a hobby that combines nutrition and craft and shows how love turns food into art.

Hardcover, 80 pages. Mark Batty, 2008. $10.36 at Amazon.

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The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman is a compilation of this wonderful illustrator’s series of columns for the New York Times. For one year, Kalman did a colourful column every month, bringing her brand of musing and observation to an appreciative public. This is the type of book one could keep as a diary that one did not have to write; one could spend ample time just getting right into the images and staying a while. This is the type of book that is bought in multiples, as gifts for others and for oneself. It is like a box of candy that lasts forever. There is quick taste after the jump.

Hardcover, 336 pages. Penguin Press, 2007. $19.77 at Amazon.

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Cityscape is an enormous wooden sculptural structure in an urban area of Brussels that was designed by artist, architect and designer Arne Quinze. This piece of public art was built in 20 days out of over 60 kilometres of wood and 240,000 nails to bring together a neighbourhood that had lost its sense of community. In discussing this project Quinze explains his vision: to create dialogue and draw the residents out of their homes and together on the main square, he had to build something that would provide a focal point. Cityscape: The Book is a catalogue (with essays by Max Borka) of this work that combines art, design and urban planning, including the work in progress along with the finished product.

Hardcover, 144 pages. Die Gestalten Verlag, 2008. $36.50 at Amazon.

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Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip - Book Two by Tove Jansson is the second volume of the original Moomin comic strip and contains 4 more stories made up of the many strips. Once again, this volume is a beautifully produced book that is as suitable for a coffee table or guest bedroom as it is for children of all ages. Jansson mixes humour, melancholy, and a healthy dash of magic to create a world worth escaping to. This volume covers hibernation, insomnia and a winter carnival; Mymble , her mother and a rash of children; jealousies; and identity. And Little My occupies a prominent place on the colourful cover.

Hardcover, 88 pages. Drawn & Quarterly, 2007. $13.57 at Amazon.

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The recent paperback edition of Jill Greenberg’s Monkey Portraits is a selection of 76 very expressive simians. Greenberg has been a celebrity photographer for many years and when she turns her lens to animals, she is just as adept at capturing their essence. The monkeys’ eyes convey so much personality that it is quite easy to see them as distant relations. In fact, this book, besides being an excellent gift, even (or especially!) for kids, is fun to bring out during family events for compare and contrast purposes.

Paperback, 128 pages. Little, Brown and Company, 2007. $12.23 at Amazon.

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