Introduction to NoteWorthy Art & PhotoBooks of the 21st Century

Written & Photographed by Kenn Sava.

A BookMarks Special

Across space & time, everything I write in the following 2 pieces began here…Bob Haak’s Rembrandt: His Life, His Work, His Time, published by Abrams in 1969, 348 pages with 612 illustrations including 109 HAND-TIPPED color plates. Click any Photo for full size.

Art books have been a passion of mine since I was a little kid. Early on, my mother belonged to a book club and when there wasn’t anything she wanted, she let me pick a book. I always chose an Art book, some of which I still have and still refer to. A few years later, during a visit to the first real bookstore I was ever in, I saw a large 14 x 11 inch book titled Rembrandt: His Life, His Work, His Time by Bob Haak, above. I was floored. Here was Rembrandt’s entire life and, what seemed to be, with over 600 illustrations including 109 hand-tipped plates (i.e. each plate was attached to the page by hand!), his entire oeuvre. It wasn’t, but it was a great overview. Most of all, it fired my imagination as to what a truly great Art book could achieve. That, and the singular possibility of experiencing most of an Artist’s entire body of work in one book excite me every bit as much right now as they did when I was a kid.

Art books were the first way I could see and discover Art before I could drive, they remain every bit as essential to me now that museums and galleries are within walking distance. In compiling the lists of Art books and PhotoBooks that follow countless hours these past 25 years have gone in to looking at books in innumerable bookstores (including a good number that are, sadly, no longer in business), museums, galleries, libraries and virtually any place else that has them, equalled by how much thought, consideration, and living with these books has gone into this selection. All of that is built on an equal number of years before January 1, 2000 that I spent looking at Art books. All told, a  long time.

As a result, no pieces I’ve written over the past 9 3/4 years on NighthawkNYC have come close to being the amount of work that has cumulatively resulted in the two pieces that follow. They represent a lifetime of looking at Art Books, and 8 years of looking intensely at PhotoBooks, condensed into 6 months of work selecting them and writing the pieces. My hope is that you will find it useful.

The Museum of Modern Art’s endless wall of Art books, as I call it, is at least 30 feet high and twice as wide. I asked to see the Yoko Ono book under the sleeping cat sculpture. They laughed.

Narrowing the focus to books published for the first time in the 21st century didn’t make the job much easier; a number of books I instinctively put on the list wound up having publication dates just before 2000, disqualifying them. Other books I have a strong personal preference for, I didn’t feel were books I’d make a general recommendation for, which is what I try to do with my NoteWorthy Book lists. Many other books are terrific in terms of the Art or Photography they contain, but lacking in other areas as books in my view.

That these lists are surprisingly long is a testament to what I’ve seen in almost half a century of looking at Art books: they’ve gotten better, especially since 2000. While there were, of course, great and important Art writers before 2000, virtually every other aspect of bookmaking has evolved, largely for the better. Acid-free paper highlight an incredibly wider range of today’s papers, better Art Photography with the increased use of color, better materials, better production processes, better distribution, and the wide-spread availability of all of these things has led to a world-wide proliferation of books on Art, and especially Photography, as countless smaller PhotoBook publishers vie with the big companies for exposure & attention.

So, WHAT’S a “NoteWorthy Art or PhotoBook of the 21st Century?”

I’ve said all along that I don’t believe “best” exists in the Arts. I use the term “NoteWorthy” in speaking about books, in this case, that I most highly recommend. I’ve endeavored to narrow these down to books that have it all- great work in a great book. At the same time, I’ve tried to keep in mind that most people don’t want large Art or PhotoBook libraries. They want to know what the most important books are. That is what I have tried to give you: The NoteWorthy Art and PhotoBooks (i.e. those I recommend most highly) released thus far in the 21st century, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, both are partially incomplete; some lack images, there are no ISBN numbers…Given my new realities, I just don’t have the time I did before. I’ve felt it was more important to spend time living with these selections to see if I really feel these should be included. Still, I have no doubt that sooner or later (probably sooner) I’ll realize I left out a book that REALLY should have been on this list. Also, for both lists, I’ve sadly decided to leave out Artist’s books that are/were published in editions so small that few can see them.

Let’s look at some books! There’s nothing like going to a great Bookstore. Where else are you actually going to get to see Artbooks and PhotoBooks-in person?

I dedicate both my Noteworthy Art & PhotoBook of the 21st Century (thus far) pieces to my fellow Art book & PhotoBook lovers everywhere, and especially to all of those who have written to me about books I’ve written about, books I should know about, or written to tell me about books I’ve written about that have impacted their lives. You’ve inspired me to get these done.

Kenn Sava.    

Without further ado-

NoteWorthy Art Books of the 21st Century by Kenn Sava may be seen here.

NoteWorthy PhotoBooks of the 21st Century by Kenn Sava is coming soon.

*- Soundtrack for this piece is “Noteworthy” by Homeboy Sandman from his album Dusty, 2019.

Kris Graves Receives the NighthawkNYC NoteWorthy PhotoBook of the Year Award

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Written & Photographed by Kenn Sava.

Over its 8 3/4 years of existence, the name Kris Graves has appeared in the pages of NighthawkNYC.com as much, and probably more often, than any other Photographer. Why? No one else is doing what he is doing.

On the one hand, he co-founded and runs one of the foremost Artist-owned publishing companies there is: Kris Graves Projects. Since its founding, KGP has given a voice to a remarkable list of Artists, releasing first-class publications at affordable prices, which lead to their books routinely selling out. More recently, he founded the Monolith imprint, “dedicated to showcasing work from artists of color across mediums that address issues of race, identity, equity, gender, sexuality, and class.” Exceedingly open to new talent, many of the Artists he’s published received their first opportunity to have a PhotoBook of their work published. Some are “names” now; a testament to his taste.

As if this isn’t enough, Kris Graves, himself, has created an important body of Photography that looks at our time, and the past, with a unique vision, one that foregrounds what it is to be Black in America today, while living with the past. The culmination of his work to this point is his 2023 book, Privileged Mediocrity (published by Monolith with Hatje Cantz), one of my two NoteWorthy PhotoBooks of 2023. He published the other, Jon Henry’s Stranger Fruit.

Since I don’t believe “best” exists in the Arts, I started publishing annual Noteworthy PhotoBook lists (and NoteWorthy Art Book lists) of the books I most highly recommend in 2018. Since that time, one of Kris Graves’s self-authored books, or one of the books he’s published has been one of my NoteWorthy PhotoBooks of the Year in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023! (I didn’t do a list in 2022.)

Verso.

Let’s break it down…

In 2018, Kris Graves Project’s 10-volume set, LOST, was one of my NoteWorthy PhotoBooks of 2018. The set includes Mr. Graves’s book Long Island City.

In 1019, KGP’s TWENTY-volume LOST II was one of my NoteWorthy PhotoBooks of 2019.  I wrote about the making of the set, which I called “monumental” at the time, here. It remains my personal favorite of the 4 LOST sets. LOST II includes The Bronx by Kris Graves.

In 2020,  Kris Graves Projects was my NoteWorthy PhotoBook Publisher of the Year for somehow managing to publish EIGHTEEN books during the height of the pandemic when working with ANYone else was extremely challenging to say the least. In addition, Mr. Graves took extensive trips documenting the Black Lives Matter Protests throughout the South, creating a body of work that would become the classic Privileged Mediocrity in 2023, at considerable personal risk. 2020 also saw him introduce the Monolith imprint.

2021 saw Electronic Landscape by Isaac Diggs & Edward Hillel, published by KGP, make the list under the “Excellent & Under the Radar” category. The book has since gone on to achieve legendary status.

After not doing a list in 2022 for personal reasons, Mr. Graves returned as the author/Photographer of one of the only two NoteWorthy PhotoBooks, 2023, and the publisher of the other, as I’ve said.

That’s pretty remarkable. And especially Worthy of Note, no?

And the winner is…Kris Graves at his KGP booth at AIPAD: The Photography Show, April 26, 2024.

Informing him that the only two books on my 2023 list were his, I told him I should just give him the trophy, he’s been on my list so many times. “If there is one, I want it,” he replied. So, I decided to make him a NighthawkNYC.com PhotoBook of the Year Trophy, shown in the first picture, which I have nicknamed “The Golden Oof,” in honor of my avatar, Oof the Owl (What’s the deal with me and Owls? “Sava” means Owl). 

Kris Graves with team member & book designer, Caleb Cain Marcus.

On April 26th, I presented it to him at his booth at AIPAD: The Photography Show. Also present was his team member, the wonderfully talented book designer Caleb Cain Marcus, who designed both books on my 2023 list. In addition to being an Artist, himself, Mr. Marcus has designed a number of Kris Graves Projects recent books, including their newest release, the 10-volume LOST IV, among books for any number of others. 

Holding down the fort at AIPAD: The Photography Show, 2024, with both of the 2023 NoteWorthy PhotoBooks. What other PhotoBook Award gives an actual trophy?

In a world of many fine Art & PhotoBook publishers, Kris Graves’s work consistently stands out. He has something of John Hammond’s gift for finding new talent and often pairs them with more established Artists in his LOST series to democratic effect that lets their work speak for itself in beautiful and affordable books- even in the face of raging inflation. While his books regularly sell out, a sure sign of public acceptance, I’ve been surprised his work and accomplishments haven’t been more widely recognized. Privileged Mediocrity and Jon Henry’s Stranger Fruit are classic cases in point. Look through a copy of either and you’ll see what I mean.

“Propose a toast
Let’s hear it for the spirits and the ghosts
Rejoices for the voices in my gut and in my dome
Are why I never drink alone
I think that’s noteworthy”*

*-Soundtrack for this piece is “Noteworthy” by Queens own Homeboy Sandman from Dusty. KGP is based in Long Island City, Queens.

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