The book is a lasting luxury. We live with them throughout our lives, and when they are created by artists, they can become objets d’art in their own right. “Artists take the book very seriously as a creative part of their vision. They hold high standards and produce it with passion,” observes Charles Miers, Publisher of Rizzoli New York. Working with the likes of Doug and Mike Starn, Taryn Simon, and Ryan McGinley, among others, Miers has made Rizzoli New York the house for cutting edge monographs.
Rizzoli is one of the world premier names in art book publishing, having first established itself in Italy in 1929. In 1974, Rizzoli New York was launched and in the past twenty-five years it has grown to become one of the leading American publishers. home to four imprints: Rizzoli, Universe, Skira Rizzoli, and Ex Libris the company produces 130 titles a year. Since Miers took the helm in 2002, the list has become exquisite, a cohesive and consistent blend of high quality editorial, design, and production for some of the most important artists working today in art, architecture, fashion & beauty, interior design, and travel, among others.
“Books are a medium for visual people,” Miers notes. “The curated quality of the book is highly valued and the production quality is second to none. A book provides a more efficient way to look at a collection of work on a particular subject than anything else.” Indeed, books become a source of pleasure, knowledge, and inspiration. In an age where digital is the usual, books have only increased in value among people who were raised with them. They take on iconic value and can be raised to the status of must-have like the latest Air Jordan.
Take Kate: The Kate Moss Book, released in Fall 2012. People waited patiently on line outside Colette, Paris, to purchase the $85 tome. Love was in the air and Kate herself had arrived to sign copies of the book. Rare are her personal appearances. But she understands. This is her book. Miers observes, “Kate Moss is a muse and a cultural icon. Her career will continue into her 90s. She is a completely timeless figure like a movie star or a princess. The book represents an historical body of work. Whenever we have done this—such as with Tom Ford, Carine Roitfeld, or Ralph Lauren—the result has been universal embrace. We are part of a community of creatives and culture, and in constant dialogue with that community. We all intersect and interact in so many ways.”
The book was released with eight unique covers, shot by fashion’s greatest working photographers: Mario Testino, Corinne Day, Inez & Vinoodh, Craig McDean, Mert & Marcus, David Sims, Mario Sorrenti, and Juergen Teller. At 10.5 x 13.75 inches, it was a vision of pure artistry, envisioned by a woman who has spent her life in print. Now that the magazine industry has slimmed to the key players in the field, Kate knows books set the bar for shelf life. Trust Miers to make this happen at a time when print is becoming transformed into something more exquisite.
Rizzoli is renowned for its luxurious tomes, a distinct combination of provocative and compelling content combined with high production values. This renown is mirrored in the success of its list on the market. This is a tribute to the primacy of the photography book as one of the most populist of all art forms. Art in the age of mechanical reproduction has its benefits, and we can all enjoy the aesthetic, intellectual, and physical pleasure of the form. As Miers observes, “When you ‘read’ a photo book it is a liberating experience. You really go at a rhythm; whether it is the author’s, the publisher’s, or the reader’s, you establish a rhythm. This is true for reading text as well.” It is this rhythm that lures us in and makes us want to turn the page, and then return to the page, time and time again, to pause and consider, to savor, to re-engage with the ideas and the energies contained within.
Miss Rosen
