Art Books

More Used Art Books for Under $10

I received some positive feedback on a February post listing used art books for under $10. With the economy still on shaky ground (and most artists just as poor as ever…) here’s more books for recession 2009. These are listed from cheapest to most expensive at current Amazon used prices.

Thomas Kinkade: Heaven on Earth
A steal at 81 cents! This catalog is from Jeffrey Vallance’s 2004 survey of Kinkade. Good essays and examination of Kinkade’s work in the context of contemporary art.

Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder
Can’t go wrong with this one. A great read about LA’s Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century
Not the greatest book—more encyclopedic than anything else—but it’s worth a couple bucks.

Between Artists
Haven’t read this one personally, but it looks good. Artist’s conversations from the mid-90s.

Camera Lucida and A Lover’s Discourse by Roland Barthes
These should be in your library. Classics! and good reads too.

Robert Smithson
This expanded version of Smithson’s writings is a pretty good deal. Why not put it on your school book shelf so you can look like every other student?

Spiral Jetta: A Road Trip through the Land Art of the American West
At $9, this is approaching the almost-not-a-good-deal category. I’m curious to check this one out though—I’ve heard mixed reviews.

The Future of the Image by Jacques Ranciere
Only a few bucks cheaper than the new version, but this recent philosophic tract is a good deal either way. Plus it’s a looker!

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Used Art Books for Less Than $10: A Recession 2009 Special Investigation

{Likeness: Portraits Of Artists By Other Artists, available at Amazon for $0.24!}

Here at the Eco Art Blog, we’re big fans of used books. And though the NYTimes recently pointed to the online used book market as another nail in the retail bookstore coffin, you really can’t beat some of these prices.

Here’s a selection dirt-cheap used art books from third-party Amazon.com sellers. The criteria for this list was to find quality books for less than $10 with shipping.

Chris Burden: When Robots Ruled the Air from the Tate Museum. Prices start at $0.39 plus shipping.

Plato and Platypus Walk Into a Bar, $4.89 plus shipping (John Baldessari put this in a recent Artforum Top 10. I read it—it’s entertaining but basic)

Charles Ray, published by MOCA in 1998 along with his mid-career retrospective. A steal at $4.95 used. My guess is it’s cheap because there’s no photo on the book’s Amazon page.


Likeness, Portraits of Artists by Other Artists
. Two copies at $0.24.

Baja to Vancouver: The West Coast and Contemporary Art, from CCA Wattis. Starting at $3.45.

Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas. A great show at MOCA organized by Sam Durant. A little beyond above our $10 limit, but there’s one copy for $10.49.

Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh. A classic for just $0.01.

Contemporary Voices. Haven’t seen this MOMA catalog in person, but it might be ok. And it’s only $3.32.

Richard Serra/Dirk Reinartz: Te Tuhirangi Countour, get it from Seattle Goodwill for just $2.99.

This list could go on and on. There are definitely some cheap books out there to build your library or gift to your friends. Nothing says Depression 2009 like bargain art books!
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