I finished reading The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande today, and started the next book on my non-fiction queue: Magritte by Jacques Meuris.
I am excited to read such a beautiful and fragrant book (yes, the paper smells wonderful!), yet I am also very nervous.
This is the first time in my life I am reading an “art book.” And I will be terribly disappointed at myself if I don’t finish and/or enjoy this book, but since this is an uncharted territory, that is a very real possibility. Of course it’s fun being pretentious and maybe I want to be the kind of person who enjoys reading art books. But I still deep inside secretly think that art books are more for enjoying the glossy reproductions of artworks more than for reading the text. So the real reason why I want enjoy and finish this book is to be able to justify to myself why I should buy more Taschen books.
I have discovered these lovely Taschen books at the Strand bookstore. And by “discovered” I mean after walking past them for years, I finally took a moment to stop between the first and the second level of Strand bookstore and tried to figure out why there is always a crowd going crazy over these oversized coffee table books. Turns out, the shelves held really affordable yet well made Taschen books on art, architecture, and design (and maybe other things, but I am not sure).
My head started spinning so I spun together a compelling vision: I can read all of them (and more importantly, own all of them) and learn all about the artists I am interested in. They will complement my drawing sessions so well. And I will live happily ever after as a fabulously interesting person who can draw and can talk about drawings. Ah, I chided myself for not noticing them earlier!
Come to think of it, one of my art teachers from a few years back suggested we buy some of these and study the reproductions for proportion and composition. I obsessed a little over the choice of my first Taschen book and finally decided on the Magritte book, one of the hard cover 25th anniversary editions. It was exciting peeling open the plastic wrap and holding such a beautiful book.
But the problem remains: will I read the book? Otherwise, I will not get more of these. And my knowledge of art will come solely from those little cards mounted next to art pieces at museums.
I very much want to read and enjoy these books, but what worries me is the size, yes literally the physical dimensions of the book. I have never successfully read a really big book before in my life, with the exception of picture books. Maybe it’s because they are not portable or because they hurt my wrists that have the strength of a tofu. But since in a way, I am reading a picture book, I hope to get through this book. And then get another one… maybe on Chagall.
