Do Readers Digest?

It measured 20x28 inches,weighed 66 pounds and came with a custom-made stand created by French designer Philippe Starck.

It measured 20×28 inches,weighed 66 pounds and came with a custom-made stand created by French designer Philippe Starck. Published by the Paris-based Taschen,Sumo,a 488-page tribute to the German-Australian photographer Helmut Newton,created a record for being the most expensive book published in the 20th century when it sold for $4,30,000 at an auction in April,2000. In the publishing industry,rife with speculation about buyers for art books,Sumo provided a reason to hope. It also brought into the limelight the genre of art books,a category that often occupies a corner in bookstores.

If the Indian art industry is at a nascent stage,the art book industry can be said to be in its infancy. As artists and their works gain recognition,authors too are picking up their pens to document the nuances of art and the people behind the easel. The publication of art books does not always result in a profit but it is an activity that is essential for art education, says Sunaina Anand,director,Art Alive Gallery in Delhi that has published numerous books such as Faces of Indian Art (Rs 7,500) and Raza: A Life in Art (Rs 6,500).

Shruti Parthasarathy,executive editor,publications,Delhi Art Gallery,agrees: The production costs of these books is very high,largely because in-depth research is conducted for content. These books are not fast-moving,so we keep the print run between 1,500 to 2,000. She adds that researchers and academicians are the main customers of these books.

At the Vadehra Art Gallery Bookstore in Delhi,however,it is students who sit hunched over tomes on art. Owner Parul Vadehra says the idea is not to sell but to promote awareness of art. Among the collection here are in-house publications on artists such as Gulam Mohammed Sheikh and Tyeb Mehta. These are meant for the informed collectors as well as those keen on developing an interest in art. The language is simple and the books are heavy on information, states Vadehra,who tied-up with Prestel Publishing in 2010. Together,the two have produced books on artists Sunil Gupta and Shilpa Gupta. A tie-up helps with international distribution, states Vadehra. Their next joint publication is on artist Atul Dodiya.

In their bid to reach out to the masses,publishers are also trying to break the notion that art books are expensive. Popular Prakashan Publishing House,for instance,has a series of paperbacks titled The Dialogue Series,in which each book about artists such as Manu Parekh and Baiju Parthan is priced at Rs 175. Last year,Delhi Art Gallery,too,launched its monographs (Rs 200 each) with a series on artists from the Progressive Group such as MF Husain. These are targeted at students who cannot afford expensive books, says Parthasarathy. In comparison,Continuum,a coffee table on the Progressives,also by DAG,is priced at Rs 6,000.

Pramod Kapoor,founder of Roli books,which has been publishing art books for three decades,says that finding readers would not be a problem if the packaging were right. We need to be innovative. We also need to address the readers concerns and attempt to create a boom, says Kapoor,whose chain of art bookstores,CMYK,in Delhi,Pune and Mumbai has an impressive collection for all ages and budgets.

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