Enjoy these amazing arts and culture books

From The Sculptor’s Studio: Conversations with Twenty Seminal Artists
by Ina Cole (Laurence King, £45)

These are some of the things we learnt on reading this fascinating set of interviews with contemporary sculptors. Cornelia Parker – who once commandeered army personnel to blow up a shed for her Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View – takes a view on the undercurrent of volatility in her projects. ‘I do have an overdeveloped sense of the apocalypse,’ she admits. Phyllida Barlow, creator of monumental – and occasionally menacing – installations, accepts her work can be troublesome. ‘It’s expensive to transport, difficult to install and requires a large team,’ she comments. Yet she loves those elements, confiding how they bring her a ‘wonderful sense of drama’. Antony Gormley, pioneer of the casted body and so much more, concedes that: ‘All artists want to be loved, or certainly seen...’ 

He’s interesting, too, on psychological responses to his works and the places in which they sit. ‘I see the sculptures as diagnostic instruments,’ he tells interviewer Ina Cole, ‘for viewers to connect with the sedimented emotional layers within themselves, and for the site and its history.’ 

From what David Nash experienced when viewing works by Mark Rothko to Marc Quinn’s thinking behind his 2020 100 Heads – his response to the refugee crisis – this book is rammed with revelations on the theories behind the experimental, fresh and challenging approaches to the medium taken by these artists. 

They are some of the standout sculptors of our time and Cole is a probing interviewer. She is also UK contributing editor for Sculpture – a publication affiliated to the International Sculpture Center in the US – and has spent years visiting artists in their studios. The results are candid. Richly illustrated, each interview unpacks not just the stories behind seminal works, but gives us unexpected insight into the artists themselves. 

Bird: exploring the winged world 
by Phaidon editors (Phaidon, £39.95) 

Take flight with this visually captivating book that examines the avian world through illustration, photography and artwork. From the miniature (think of tiny hummingbirds) to the birds of frozen lands, here are ostriches, penguins and more captured by those with an eye for the truly beautiful. Spanning from ancient Egypt to now, this book is as much for art historians as birdwatchers. 

The Secrets of Art: uncovering the mysteries and messages of great works of art
by Debra N Mancoff (Frances Lincoln, £22) 

Art historian Debra N Mancoff takes us on a journey of intrigue through 45 works of art. From a lost masterpiece found in the Tower of London to works by masters such as Caravaggio, Picasso and Kahlo, this is no usual examination of great art. With unique access to archives, galleries and scientific analysis, Mancoff discovers secret symbols, ghostly images and hidden histories. 

Eileen Mayo, Stage 17, 1948

Eileen Mayo
by Sara Cooper (Eiderdown Books, £10.99)

Although well-known in her adopted homes of Australia and New Zealand, Eileen Mayo has never been quite as well recognised in her birthplace of Britain. Thankfully, the latest volume in Eiderdown Book’s Modern Women Artists series celebrates her career, from early days as a model for Laura Knight, to an esteemed maker of prints, paintings, books, tapestries and much more. This slim but beautifully illustrated volume showcases the artist’s ongoing preoccupation of the sea, and a deft understanding of her materials. If you have the chance, visit a solo exhibition of her work at Towner Eastbourne (until 3 July), which is curated by the author.