Let's Talk 'Coffee Table' Books

& 21 very cool art books that you should buy...

When we had our first show (Down The Street: Collection One) in our apartment, we received so many kind questions and comments about our coffee table book collection (best compliment ever!). And while I don’t want to sound overly academic or obnoxious, I’ve always had mixed feelings about the term ‘coffee table book’. It kind of makes it sound like the books' sole purpose is to hold my daily iced latte—decor first, content last…? Of course, they can (and should) be a chic addition to a room’s design (and yes, a good spot to sometimes place a coffee cup…), but there’s something rather bleak about a book that’s never actually been opened.

(and if you want to skip ahead, all the books mentioned are linked here!)

—Tina Chow in her New York apartment, 1988—

Before the ~digital age~, exhibition catalogs from galleries and museums were often the only lasting record of an artist’s work after the show ended. Thus print media holds a special place in art history (and in my heart!), and there’s still so much you can’t find online. These books exist to be seen and lived with, in my opinion —display them open, flip through them, read them….have them actually present in your space.

The best part is you really don’t have to spend a fortune. Flea markets, thrift stores, your grandparents’ shelves, yard sales, eBay, Etsy… they’re everywhere. Collecting vintage books is also one of the most meaningful ways to remember your travels; I have books from so many placed I’ve visited, each tied to a different moment in my life, reflecting whatever I was experiencing at the time. Books are such an easy way to infuse your space with personal style, taste, and expression— the best interiors don’t have to come with a huge cost.

‘Coffee table’ books also make the best gifts. There is nothing better than picking out the perfect one for a friend or unwrapping a book someone picked out with you in mind (& that no one else will have).

—what I want my house to look like—

Anyway, without further ado, here are a few favorites I’ve found—mostly vintage or secondhand. These are just 21 of hundreds of thousands out there that are amazing…happy hunting!

All of these books and more are linked here!

1. Cy Twombly Prints by Thomas Segal Gallery, 2007

   

2. Mies van der Rohe Architecture and Design in Stuttgart, Barcelona, 1998

3. Louise Bourgeois - Spiral, 2019

4. Photographs from the Collection of Sam Wagstaff, 1978

   

5. Girl Pictures by Justine Kurland, 2020

6. Joan Mitchell - Paintings 1956-1958 - Robert Miller Gallery Exhibit Book, 1996

7. Carmen Winant: Arrangements, 2022

8. Cy Twombly : Photographs III 1951 - 2010 by Hubertus Von Amelunxen, 2011

9. Poppy Jones by Zolo Press, 2024

10. Ruth Asawa: A Retrospective View, SFMOMA, 1973

11. This antique-looking book on Auguste Rodin…

    

12. The Unseen Cindy Sherman: Early Transformations 1975-1976

    

13. Cy Twombly - Photographs - Lyrical Variations, 2016

14. Women of Abstract Expressionism, 1997

    

15. One of these two books on Hilma af Klint…

    

    

16. The Drawings of Jasper Johns by the National Gallery of Art, 1990

    

17. The Violence of Handwriting Across a Page - Louise Bourgeois x Jenny Holzer, 2022

    

18. John Cocteau - this mixed bag of books, movies, & poetry

    

19. Women: Annie Leibovitz & Susan Sontag, 1990s

20. Frida Kahlo: Portraits of An Icon, 2002

21. Vintage Georgia O'Keefe book, c. 1970s

Thank you so much for reading along — this was so much fun to put together!

Side note: If you’re in New York, one of my favorite places to browse for books, local zines, etc., is Printed Matter in Chelsea. If you haven’t been, you’re missing out!

Cheers,

Jamie