Playing The Blue Danube while seated backwards; tormenting a page‑turner by tugging on a tie; spending an absurd amount of time adjusting the bench before playing a note — all of these routines worked because he treated trivial actions with the seriousness usually reserved for a difficult passage, allowing classical decorum itself to become comic material.

As a portrait painter, Alice Neel preferred to dissect her subjects, leaving flattery to others. Her work lives at the intersection of psychological autopsy anHer work lives at the intersection of psychological autopsy and radical empathy — a combination that makes her portraits feel simultaneously clinical and intimate; she painted revelation — what her sitters tried, often unconsciously, to conceal.

Bass wasn't interested in artistic self-expression. He was interested in solving problems. A corporate logo needed to work at any size. A film title sequence needed to establish tone and prepare audiences before the narrative began. A poster needed to communicate its message instantly. Form always served function.

If art, as a whole, could be thought of as a universal language — every culture on Earth indulges in it — then different types of art could be considered its many dialects, with books being one of my favorites. Yes, writing — and good writing at that — should be considered an art form. So, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite art-related books in the hopes they sow the seed of curiosity to explore other dialects of art within you.