Coffee table books, in all of their illustrative, photographic and literary glory, display a wealth of insight about their owner through a choice curation. Resting on living room furniture, these objets d’art simultaneously rouse conversation while also symbolizing a person’s interests sui generis. Whether a personal investment or a gift for a dilettante, these magnificently presented publications evade dusty bookshelves or being crammed in bankers boxes buried within closets, they demand to be showcased. S/ has rounded up a list of the most compelling coffee table books detailing unique cultural subject matter—from fashion to art—that will enliven any living room.
Scroll through the gallery below for more.
Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation Ed Ruscha: Eilshemius & Me Francois Halard: A Visual Diary Frank Gehry: Catalogue Raisonné of the Drawings Volume One, 1954–1978 Nan Goldin: The Other Side Naomi Resident Dog The New Woman Behind the Camera Fluence: The Continuance of Yohji Yamamoto Young, Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists Kara Walker: A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be