All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley, former Metropolitan Museum of Art Security Officer. In the tradition of classic workplace memoirs, All the Beauty in the World is a surprising, inspiring portrait of a great museum, its hidden treasures, and the people who make it tick, by one of its most intimate observers.

The Museum’s Art of Reading book club selection for November 2023.

Hardcover
240 pages

On view at MOPA through September 3, 2023!

This survey of the life and work of Julia Margaret Cameron, celebrates the photographic genius as it reproduces the key works from her trail-blazing career.

Julia Margaret Cameron was among the most innovative and influential photographers in the history of the medium. Her distinctive use of close-up and soft-focus was groundbreaking. This book presents an engaging introduction to Cameron’s life and work through more than 100 of her most important photographs. Three sections explore Cameron’s unique artistry and range: from her early experiments in the art of photography, to her pioneering portraits of public figures such as Charles Darwin and Sir John Herschel, to her allegorical compositions and the artistic tableaus she created to illustrate Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. In addition to including pages from the original manuscript of Cameron’s autobiography and insightful explanatory texts, Arresting Beauty tells the story of her pioneering career and lasting legacy in one accessible and beautiful volume.

With contributions from Lisa Springer and Marta Weiss

Hardcover
208 pages
126 illustrations
7.4 in x 9.4 in x 1 in

Everything She Touched recounts the incredible life of the American sculptor Ruth Asawa.

This is the story of a woman who wielded imagination and hope in the face of intolerance and who transformed everything she touched into art. In this compelling biography, author Marilyn Chase brings Asawa’s story to vivid life. She draws on Asawa’s extensive archives and weaves together many voices—family, friends, teachers, and critics—to offer a complex and fascinating portrait of the artist.

This richly visual book contains over 60 reproductions of Asawa’s art and archival photos of her life (including portraits shot by her friend, the celebrated photographer Imogen Cunningham). It documents Asawa’s transformative touch—most notably by turning wire—the material of the internment camp fences—into sculptures. Ruth Asawa forged an unconventional path in everything she did—whether raising a multiracial family of six children, founding a high school dedicated to the arts, or pursuing her own practice independent of the New York art market.

Her beloved fountains are now San Francisco icons, and her signature hanging-wire sculptures grace the MoMA, de Young, Getty, Whitney, and many more museums and galleries across America.

Hardcover, 224 pages
Size: 7 1/4 x 9 1/4  inches

Build and display this adorable Pix Brix Vincent Van Gogh! The Van Gogh kit comes in a paint can and includes Pix Brix, instructions, and a printed Starry Night painting. Build this little whimsical pixel Vincent and display him in the paint can case with his painting as the backdrop. The perfect gift for any Van Gogh fan!

Not for children under 3 years old, due to small parts

This quilled masterpiece brings Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” to a completely new dimension and illustrates the endless possibilities of handmade paper art. By using the ancient art of quilling, skilled craftspeople artfully transform tiny paper strips into bold brush strokes. This hand-made framed masterpiece takes over 6 hours to create.

Framed size: 12 x 10 1/2 inches

This quilled masterpiece brings Hokusai’s “The Grate Wave” to a completely new dimension and illustrates the endless possibilities of handmade paper art. By using the ancient art of quilling, skilled craftspeople artfully transform tiny paper strips into Hokusai’s masterful print. This hand-made framed masterpiece takes over 6 hours to create.

Framed size: 12 x 10 1/2 inches

This quilled masterpiece brings the Gustav Klimt painting Lady with a Fan to a completely new dimension and illustrates the endless possibilities of handmade paper art. By using the ancient art of quilling, skilled craftspeople artfully transform tiny paper strips into bold brush strokes. This hand-made framed masterpiece takes over 6 hours to create.

Frame: 11.5″ x 11.5″
Image: 6″ x 6″

This quilled masterpiece brings the Gustav Klimt painting Lady in Gold to a completely new dimension and illustrates the endless possibilities of handmade paper art. By using the ancient art of quilling, skilled craftspeople artfully transform tiny paper strips into bold brush strokes. This hand-made framed masterpiece takes over 6 hours to create.

Frame: 11.5″ x 11.5″
Image: 6″ x 6″