The Social World of Galleries: Contemporary Art, the Market and Internationalization, by Alain Quemin
A study of the place of contemporary art galleries and gallerists, especially in Europe and the US. Based on the author’s field research carried out for over a decade, and combining ethnographic material with quantitative data, the book (Bloomsbury, £79.20) reveals the role galleries play in the creation of art value.
The National Gallery: A History, by Jonathan Conlin
The National Gallery in London has been marking its bicentenary with a range of activities including exhibitions, fundraising campaigns and a capital project. Its latest offering is this book by Jonathan Conlin (Yale University Press, £35), a professor of modern history at the University of Southampton, who has previously written about the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The National Gallery publication includes a focus on 15 paintings that provide an opportunity to explore changes in artistic taste over the decades, as well as visitor’s reactions to the gallery’s artworks.
The Conservator’s Cookbook: Solution Preparation for the Heritage Professional, by Laura Chaillie
This book (Routledge, £26.39) features step-by-step guides outlining how to prepare various solutions, adhesives, gels and other mixtures used in heritage conservation. The author is an objects conservator at the London Museum.