One of the most important artists of the twentieth century, Mark Rothko (1903–1970) created a new and impassioned form of abstract painting over the course of his career. Rothko also wrote a number of essays and critical reviews during his lifetime, adding his thoughtful, intelligent, and opinionated voice to the debates of the contemporary art world. Although the artist never published a book of his varied and complex views, his heirs indicate that he occasionally spoke of the existence of such a manuscript to friends and colleagues. Stored in a New York City warehouse since the artist's death more than thirty years ago, this extraordinary manuscript, titled The Artist's Reality, is now being published for the first time. Probably written around 1940–41, this revelatory book discusses Rothko's ideas on the modern art world, art history, myth, beauty, the challenges of being an artist in society, the true nature of 'American art,” and much more. The Artist's Reality also includes an introduction by Christopher Rothko, the artist's son, who describes the discovery of the manuscript and the complicated and fascinating process of bringing the manuscript to publication. The introduction is illustrated with a small selection of relevant examples of the artist's own work as well as with reproductions of pages from the actual manuscript. The Artist's Reality will be a classic text for years to come, offering insight into both the work and the artistic philosophies of this great painter.

R. H. Quaytman is one of the most outstanding contemporary American artists, trying to revive and update the intellectual and emotional potential of the painting medium. Her work, which is a constantly evolving project, is a multi-threaded story divided into subsequent chapters, which, despite their apparent separateness, connect with each other. These images often have a strong autobiographical basis. Feminist threads appear here many times. Part of the series is a record of the artist's family history. We can find here the motives of her experiencing motherhood and raising her daughter. "The Sun" - the name of the first chapter refers to the title of the newspaper in which the artist found a notification of the sudden, tragic death of her grandfather. Her visit to Łódź in 1999, for many reasons of a city that was particularly important to her, initiated a fascination and then a constant creative dialogue with the art of Władysław Strzemiński and Katarzyna Kobro. Despite the fact that the impulse to create many of her works were genuine important events in the artist's life, these images escape unambiguous interpretation. Often times, it only becomes clearer when they are put together, when their relationships, bonds and influence are formed.