10 Booths to Visit at the NY Art Book Fair

Image via Complex Original

This independent London-based publishing company has a photography focus. Their glossy editions include titles from Ryan McGinley, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, Terry Richardson, and Elizabeth Peyton. According to their website, "We view the book as the final step in an artists process, and encourage the artist to engage in the conception, design and feel of the book." Thus, Mörel's books are art objects in their own right. Because the publishing house wants to maintain a close relationship with artists and retailers, they do not sell through third party sites, so don't expect to see these beauties on Amazon.

Composed of an editorial team of volunteer artists and writers who share a passion for the arts, Ugly Duckling Presse has grown from a zine into a small, Brooklyn-based press. The nonprofit arts and publishing group formed with the aim of producing poetry, translation, experimental nonfiction, performance texts, and books by artists. Ugly Ducking Presse has published over 200 titles since it was founded in 1993.

Printed Matter has been a supporter of the arts since it was established 1976. The independent non-profit was founded by artists and people who worked in the arts who wished to further the appreciation, dissemination, and understanding of art publications. Today, it not only hosts the NY Art Book Fair and LA Art Book Fair, but it sells over 15,000 books on behalf of book artists and other independent publishes.

If you didn't already know, Yale University Press is considered by many to be world's best publisher of books on art and architecture. The esteemed publishing house is known for its selection of academic publications, rivaled by none other. Recently, it has also boasted an impressive collection of art catalogs, monographs, and art books from some of the world's finest museums.

Photography enthusiasts, be sure to visit Aperture at this year's fair. Aperture Foundation has been devoted to spotlighting photographers and publishing fine art photography books since 1952. This year, the booth will feature new titles like J. H. Engstrom's Sketch of Paris, Bernd and Hilla Becher's Stonework and Lime Kilns, as well as the latest Aperture issue, which was just re-launched this year.

As one of America's leading publishers and distributors of 20th century art, photography, and design, Artbook | Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. is a must-stop booth at the NY Artbook Fair. D.A.P. was founded in downtown New York in 1990, a time when international art books struggled to enter the American marketplace of art literature. Fast forward two decades, and D.A.P. distributes books by some of the world's most revered publishing companies and museums. In fact, D.A.P. reps many American museum publishes like the Guggenheim, MOCA, and the MoMA.

PictureBox is a Brooklyn-based publishing company that has produced works like Gary Panter, an epic two-volume monograph dedicated to the illustrator. In 2013 alone, PictureBox will release Matthew Thurber's Infomaniacs at the end of October and volume two of Blow Your Head by Diplo, Shane McCauley, and Mad Decent, among others. Not only will PictureBox exhibit at the NY Art Book Fair, it will also join Artbook | D.A.P. and ForYouArt at the fair's satellite space, See.Me Gallery. The three companies have teamed up to present an exhibition of over 200 posters spanning 40 years, published by the Colby Poster Printing Company and including works by Ed Ruscha, Kathryn Andrews, Peter Coffin, and more. The three companies will also show 3 Union Shop, a short documentary on the printing company, directed by Felipe Lima and C.R. Stecyk III for MOCAtv.

Independent, Toronto-based publishing company, Bywater Bros. Edition has produced books and editions featuring the likes of artists David Shrigley, Richard Prince, Josephie Mecksepeer, and most recently, Zhang Dali. Pictured above is the cover of Zhang Dali: Lynn Valley 7: A Second History, just one of the publishing company's hot titles, which examines the before and after prints of photos the Chinese government manipulated during the '50s, '60s, and '70s.

Founded in 2012 in LA by artist Hassan Rahim, Shabazz Projects is a small publishing house that releases a range of books, zines, and art objects. The organization has a contemporary art, fashion, and photography focus. At this year's NY Art Book Fair, Shabazz Projects & Friends will be showing and selling a collection of carefully curated editions by international artists and publishers. The list includes Aaron Brown, Adam Villacin, Amy Lombard, Amanny Ahmad, Ben Barretto, Ben Clark, Bolo Paper, Brian Okarski, Cake Publishing, Catalogue Library, Colpa Press, Cult, David Rudnick, Department International, Eric Yahnker, Eric Wrenn, Giovanni Duca, Hart+Leshkina, Hassan Rahim, Iconograph Magazine, Jan Hakon Robson, Jerry Hsu, Kia Tasbihgou, LA Club Resource, No Layout, Polanski, Raphael Garnier, Ruine, Samba Utopia, SPA, Trevor Hernandez, and more.

This year's NY Art Book Fair will house the exhibition to Think Like Clouds, a small installation curated by The Badlands Unlimited. The exhibition showcases the drawings, diagrams, and notes of curator superstar Hans Ulrich Obrist. It serves as a good preview for The Badlands' upcoming book Think Like Clouds, which takes readers on an exploration of Obrist's mind through flowcharts on hotel notepads and scribbles on e-mail printouts. As a preview to the contents of the book, there will also be limited edition magazine, made by Paul Chan, available at the Badlands' booth.