With so much writing being done online, books have taken on a precious new meaning.

That’s no different in the art book world, or more specifically, the luxury book market as defined by Benedikt Taschen, the German publisher who in 1999 famously published SUMO, a retrospective of the work of iconic photographer Helmut Newton.

It was the largest book produced in the 20th century and now sells on Ebay for $15,000.

An image by the late, great Helmut Newton, from SUMO. Image: livresphotos.com

“…books can themselves become their own pieces of highly sought-after art. “The making of the titles is a collaboration with the artists,” (Taschen) explains. “Their ideas are at the centre of the work and they are involved all the way through the process, making the books original, personal and desirable – like great art should be. Why shouldn’t an art book be something to be revered?”

Visionaire realized this in 1991, when it launched its 3-times-per-year limited edition “albums of fashion and art.”

Of course there have always been book collectors. It’s just that it’s now becoming a trend. VoCA recommends book collecting. Books are easy to store and often incredibly beautifully designed, interesting objects.

Another image from the book. Image: taschen.com

Click HERE to read the full article from the Guardian.