“Collecting Contemporary”
by Adam Lindermann
Taschen

This is not your parents’ art book.

With new designers, artists, and painters easily accessible through the World Wide Web, and gallery openings becoming the new places to be seen, the contemporary art movement is both exciting and frustrating. With so many points of entry, how can a newbie collector dive in without hitting some rocks? Taschen and Adam Lindermann have released the perfect handbook for new and old art aficionados. Culling together bite-sized interviews with collectors, gallery owners, artists, and critics, collectors get an inside view on when to purchase art, what to look out for, and how to go about reselling older pieces.

The book is an easy yet substantial read. Insider lingo and jargon is explained in detail, and the editors did a great job ordering the chapter based on the interviewees role in the art community. “Collecting Contemporary” also provides a wealth of art photos. Readers unfamiliar with a particular artist mentioned in the text can usually find one of their works on an opposite page or in a sidebar.

The best advice offered in the book? Buy what you love, not what will appreciate in value. While it’s nice to make a quick buck, adorning your walls with art that you like looking at is what collecting contemporary art is all about.