The best-selling visual history of the rock concert poster, now available at an irrestible price

Electric, outrageous, erotic, rebellious—rock concert posters are the visual equivalent of the music they advertise. The Art of Rock traces the history of this energizing art form from the bold letterpress posters advertising Elvis's early shows, through the multicolored fantasies of the psychedelic era, to the avant-garde collages of new wave and punk. More than 1,500 posters and other graphics—tickets, backstage passes, buttons, handbills—are presented in their original blazing color (or their stark black and white, as the case may be). The text features dozens of exclusive interviews with musicians, concert promoters, and the poster artists themselves, including legends like Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, or Wes Wilson—who also designed the cover of this book. A visual journey through thirty years of rock and roll, as well as a valuable reference, The Art of Rock is an essential volume for every music lover (and art lover).

Color your way through this insider’s tour of New York City’s iconic landmarks and little-seen neighborhoods, alongside the plants and animals that know them best

Explore lively streets, scenic parks, and teeming waterfronts in Wildlife of New York, a coloring adventure that celebrates the vibrant, humming energy of New York City and its surprisingly varied animal life. Artist Giada Crispiels’ playful scenes highlight beloved landmarks from all five boroughs—like Central Park, Coney Island, and the New York Botanical Garden—alongside charming neighborhood nooks and crannies. There are dozens of animals, from common squirrels to eagles and coyotes, that thrive in every corner of the urban jungle. The animals, as well as all of the featured locations, are described in lively captions at the back of the book.

Selected to fit any reader’s preference, Wildlife of New York’s artist quality paper reflects any coloring implement’s hue—whether it be markers, pens, or coloring pencils—in arresting blends and bold vividness. Packed with enchanting details, it will provide hours of fun for colorists of all ages, while opening their eyes to the amazing ecological diversity of even the most bustling cityscape.

The first comprehensive monograph on contemporary artist Karen Gunderson written by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Frank.

Widely collected in Hollywood and New York, artist Karen Gunderson is perhaps best known for her work since the 1980s, when she transitioned from painting in color to working only in black. Over her forty-plus-year career, Gunderson has tackled subjects from clouds to royalty to the cosmos. Her long-developed, labor intensive technique, including rigorous brushwork and paint layering, employs a range of black shades that create a unique three-dimensional effect: The multiple textures from the paint catch light and make the paintings shimmer and appear to move, alternating with shadows and highlights that illuminate her subjects—historic royal figures, bodies of water, mountains, and constellations—depending on how the viewer moves in front of each artwork.

Tracing the life and career of the artist, Karen Gunderson is written by author and critic Elizabeth Frank, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her biography of poet Louise Bogan and is the author of a number of books on art, including Jackson Pollock, published by Abbeville.

Art lovers and artists interested in Gunderson’s painting technique will discover captivating works in this book—in more than 100 illustrations—that shows how the artist pushes the limits to what one can do with black paint. While abstract artists of the past, including Ad Reinhardt and Pierre Soulages, have employed black paint, Gunderson has set herself apart from this lineage. She has distinguished herself not only with her use of figurative subjects, but also the way her works radiate a quiet optimism—a sharp contrast with this dark medium.

 From the best-selling photographer of Ancient Trees, an arresting collection of black-and-white chicken portraits paired with quotations from classic literature.

An elegant survey of over 70 works of art featuring women reading throughout history.

What is it about a woman reading that has captivated hundreds of artists over the centuries? Stefan Bollmann’s Women Who Read Are Dangerous explores this popular subject in more than 70 artworks—drawings, paintings, photographs, and prints—by iconic artists such as Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, Suzanne Valadon, August Sander, Rembrandt, and many more.

As the book’s provocative title indicates, a woman reading was once viewed as radical. In chapters such as “Intimate Moments” and “The Search for Oneself,” Bollmann profiles how a woman with a book was once seen as idle or suspect, and how women have gained autonomy through reading over the years. Bollmann offers intelligent and engaging commentary on each work of art in Women Who Read Are Dangerous, telling us who the subject is, her relationship to the artist, and even what she is reading. With works ranging from a 1333 Annunciation painting of the angel Gabriel speaking to the virgin Mary, book in hand, to twentieth-century works, such as a stunning photograph of Marilyn Monroe reading Ulysses, this appealing survey provides a veritable slideshow of the many iterations of a woman and her book—a compelling subject to this day.

An excellent gift for graduates, teachers, or Mother’s Day, this elegant book is a must read for anyone interested in art, literature, or women’s history.