By Kiersten Busch
Around the World in 200 Globes: Stories of the Twentieth Century by Willem Jan Neutelings. Luster Publishing, Antwerp, Belgium, October 2024, pp. 264, $55, hardcover.
The Dutch architect Willem Jan Neutelings (co-founder of Neutelings Riedijk Architects) is known as the architect of the MAS in Antwerp and the Gare Maritime in Brussels among others. Few people know, however, that Neutelings is also an avid collector who, over the years, has built up a very extensive and also very specific collection of hundreds of globes, made between 1900 and 2000.
In this book, he presents his collection to the public for the first time. He selected 200 globes, each telling a unique story about the time and place in which they were created. Some globes bear witness to technological innovations by the way they were made, some show how advanced people’s knowledge of space was at the time, some were intended as navigational aids. Neutelings’ collection includes globes in cast iron, steel, wood and even paper. Some look very old and fragile; others are very colorful and some even give off light. Each one is a beautiful and intriguing object that teaches us a lot about the ever-changing world view of mankind. This beautiful and skillfully crafted book is an ode to these stories, to the unique objects often produced by anonymous craftsmen and to the special dedication of collectors. 
BLK MKT VINTAGE: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories by Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, foreword by Spike Lee. Black Dog & Leventhal, New York City, October 2024, pp. 288, $40, hardcover.
Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart have spent years scouring piles, stacks, bookshelves and dilapidated boxes in search of themselves and their history, Black history. During this time, they have uncovered tens of thousands of items including vintage literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, décor, furniture and more. BLK MKT VINTAGE: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories lifts the curtain on Handy and Stewart’s work and partnership as they pick, collect, curate, design and reimagine futures for the objects of the past.
Calling to mind the scrapbook or family album, BLK MKT VINTAGE has a surprise on every page, whether that’s 1972 celluloid pins from Shirley Chisholm’s presidential campaign, early 1800s hand-drawn maps of the African continent or 1920s bound yearbooks from various HBCUs. The book also explores the various concepts that ground Handy and Stewart’s work; interviews with Black archivists, artists, memory workers and collectors; a look into their private collection of thousands of items they have discovered over the years, an explanation of the different players in the antiques and vintage world and tips and tricks on how to begin your own collection and curate physical spaces that reflect your identity and experience.
Featuring a foreword from film director and collector Spike Lee and brimming with more than 300 photographs of vintage pieces of ephemera, BLK MKT VINTAGE is a distinct, exceptional and vital showcase of Black culture, celebrating the contributions Black people have made to our American consciousness.
Clark Hulings and the Art of Work, by James D. Balestrieri. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. November 2024, pp. 167, $85, paperback.
This book is a backpack manifesto. It tells the story of a realist painter at a time when realism was not in vogue. If you know Clark Hulings (1922-2011), this book presents him anew, highlighting the beauty of his paintings and the thought and empathy behind them. If you’re new to Hulings, this book introduces you to a working artist whose subject was work — agricultural, village and market work — daily life in ancient places grappling with modernity in unique ways. For artists, this book invigorates your practice as it discusses the education and process of a painter whose effort and work ethic took him to the summit of realist technique. For the art historian, this book secures Hulings’s place in the continuum of European and American realism as portrait painter, illustrator and fine artist, and in light of key aspects of Modernism that he adapted to his art.
Modern Artisan: A World of Craft Tradition and Innovation by Isabelle Dupuy Chavanat. Rizzoli International Publications, New York City, September 3, 2024, pp. 360, $85, hardcover.
Taking readers on a tour of the world’s craft traditions, this beautifully illustrated volume is an homage to committed craftsmanship.
Every culture is rooted in an artisanal tradition that combines locally sourced materials, time-honored savoir faire and a desire to adorn and embellish objects from daily life. Here, 38 women and men — from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Italy, France, Mali, Mexico and beyond — open their workshops to share their heritage, skill and unique vision.
Dana Goodwin and Dennis Williams from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota hand-bead traditional Ojibwe clothing. Mexican textile artist Porfirio Gutiérrez selects yarn from a palette of some 200 shades dyed naturally in colors that his sister extracts from local plants; both honor and evolve the Zapotec traditions gleaned from their ancestors. London-based artist Anna Dickinson explores light and shadow through glass, by varying its transparency, opacity, color, reflection, thickness and weight. Other artisans use natural and sometimes surprising materials, including banana fiber, seaweed or household refuse, in this thoughtful contemplation on the important role of handicraft, of time and of nature in our contemporary societies.
Artisanal crafts — some nearly forgotten and lost forever — are having a renaissance thanks to a nascent consciousness for fair-trade practices, an urgent call to protect the planet and a renewed respect for the quality and durability of handmade objects. This beautifully produced and richly illustrated tome pays homage to natural materials, the hands that shape them and the ethos that guide their exceptional creators.
Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art, by Robert Schindler, Bernd Ebert and Anna C. Knaap, et al. MFA Publications, Boston. December 2024, pp. 248, $55, hardcover.
Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art is the first monograph in more than 70 years on the celebrated female Dutch painter.
In the first half of the Eighteenth Century, Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) was celebrated across Europe for her sumptuous floral still life paintings. Admired for both its artistry and its meticulous depictions of flowers, fruit and insects, her work was largely overlooked in the centuries following her death. Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art, and the exhibition it accompanies, introduces today’s audiences to Ruysch’s achievements and explore the pioneering roles of women artists and scientists in the Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.
The Commonality of Humans Through Art edited by Stuart Handler, contributions by Dr Dahlia W. Zaidel, Wilfried van Damme, Barbara C. Sproul, Herbert M. Cole, Lark E. Mason, David H. Dye, John F. Scott, Todd J. Pesek, MD; Alex W. Barker and Robert B. Pickering. Paul Holberton Publishing, London, October 2024, pp. 575, $78, hardcover.
The Commonality of Humans Through Art, created and edited by Stuart Handler, is a trailblazing volume that delves into the captivating intersection of art and human behavior, revealing how tribal and ancient art has shaped and reflected our existence across millennia. This extraordinary book brings together 10 esteemed scholars to explore the impact of art on human life from birth to death, offering a fresh perspective on art history and cultural anthropology.
In a departure from traditional approaches, this book eschews geographical and chronological constraints in favor of thematic exploration. It presents an innovative framework where art is examined through the lens of universal human experiences — family, motherhood, conflict, sickness, healing, religion and death. Each thematic chapter, penned by a leading expert, illuminates the profound ways in which art captures and influences our social experiences across diverse cultures and epochs.
With 400 vibrant color photographs of tribal and ancient art objects sourced from world-renowned museums, The Commonality of Humans Through Art serves as a centralized exhibition of humanity’s artistic legacy. This stunning collection not only provides a feast for the eyes but also offers deep, thought-provoking insights into the interconnectedness of art and human behavior.
Says Stuart Handler — a prominent Chicago industrialist and an ancient art collector in his own right, “I’ve had the privilege of seeing thousands of photos of art that mankind has made throughout their existence. Selecting 400 images which represent the human experience was a sobering and astounding experience to see what the human brain has created to make sense out of life.”
The Commonality of Humans Through Art is more than just an academic reference book. It’s a visually stunning coffee table book that will captivate art enthusiasts and scholars alike. This remarkable volume is a testament to the enduring power of art to shape and mirror the human experience.
The History of the Christmas Figural Light Bulb, Expanded 3rd Edition by Craig McManus and Robert Iwamasa, with Patrick Fay. Channel Craig, Incorporated, Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., October 2024, pp. 323, $68, hardcover.
Figural Christmas light bulbs have adorned Christmas trees for more than 100 years. Many figural lights have survived to this day and can still be seen displayed at Christmas in numerous homes and collections. The History of the Christmas Figural Light Bulb, now in an expanded and revised third edition, chronicles the evolution and history of these magical lights from inception in the late 1800s through two World Wars and into the mid Twentieth Century. This book is both for the novice and the seasoned collector alike.
All aspects of Christmas figural light bulbs are discussed in more than 300 pages of educational material including manufacturers’ histories, stylistic differences between lights, categories of lights, plus advice on using, displaying and testing old figural lights. The book offers an in-depth look at thousands of figurals presented in colorful photographs shown in different groupings for comparison. The History of the Christmas Figural Light Bulb is a wealth of historical knowledge brought together by three seasoned Christmas lighting historians. Combining their knowledge of the subject with historic advertisements, catalogs and photographs from private collections, the authors illustrate the rich history of this fascinating category of Christmas collecting. This book is the resource for anyone interested in old Christmas lights and figural lights. If you do not already collect figural lights, you may well do so after reading this book!
The World of Atelier Vime: A Renaissance of Wicker and Style by Benoît Rauzy, Anthony Watson and Marie Godfrain. Rizzoli, New York City, October 2024, pp. 256, $75, hardcover.
Using natural materials — wicker, osier, rattan, rope — to create exquisite handwoven decorative objects, French lifestyle brand Atelier Vime has redefined luxury.
When Atelier Vime’s cofounders discovered that their Eighteenth Century hôtel particulier had previously been a basket-weaving workshop, they dedicated themselves to reviving the vanishing artisanal craft. They replanted willow shrubs, hired local artisans and designed a contemporary collection of decorative objects with their associate Raphaëlle Hanley. Karl Lagerfeld was an early admirer and, according to Architectural Digest, Atelier Vime swiftly became “the industry secret for designers.” Today, customers around the world — from private homeowners to notable designers including Pierre Yovanovich, Kelly Wearstler, Aerin Lauder, Jake Arnold, Virginia Tupker and Beata Heuman — flock to La Maison Vime at Vallabrègues in Provence to source Vime’s unique home furnishings that are handmade in France.
The duo behind Atelier Vime invites readers to discover their idyllic universe in their homes across France, where their unusual color palettes — from periwinkle blue to burnished ocher — offer a striking backdrop for their Medici column vase, woven screens, rope lamps and rattan furniture. Their personal collections include classical and modern art, antique textiles, Provençal ceramics and miniature baskets, which are combined with their contemporary creations to form the signature Vime style. Bringing the ancestral savoir faire of basketry into the Twenty-First Century, using materials and methods that are as sustainable as they are sumptuous, Atelier Vime celebrates an impeccable lifestyle rooted in the synergic relationship between luxurious design and nature.
