For its newest title, Phaidon Press has gathered ten respected curators to choose 100 of the world’s best and most important emerging contemporary artists. The resulting collection is CREAMIER: Contemporary Art in Culture, the fifth addition to the publisher’s Cream series.

Packed with over 700 color images from a variety of mediums, CREAMIER is a beautiful new reference for art collectors and lovers. A one to two page spread is dedicated to each of the featured artists, including a newly commissioned text written by the curator who selected the artist, alongside full-color images illustrating the artists’ most recent work. The book’s introduction reveals a thoughtful discussion amongst the curators (including the Tate Modern‘s Catherine Wood, The Kitchen‘s Debra Singer, MACBA‘s Chus Martinez, and Kunsthalle Basel‘s director, Adam Szymczyk) on the topic of the recession’s impact on both the art market and artists’ creativity.

The design of the book itself also nods to the nature of the art world. Calling to mind a broadsheet newspaper in size, weight and paper, CREAMIER reinforces the “of the moment” nature of the artists and work within. That newspaper-look implies accessibility, while the custom-made box it comes in hints at a more collectible aspect; combined, these design elements reinforces the idea of the art world’s fluidity, wherein an artist’s new work can be fresh for only a short while, but where powerful work will stand the test of time.

Creamier: Contemporary Art in Culture: 10 Curators, 100 Contemporary Artists, 10 Sources
Curated by Elena Filipovic, Douglas Fogle, Yukie Kamiya,
Inés Katzenstein, Chus Martínez, Kitty Scott, Debra Singer,
Adam Szymczyk, Catherine Wood, and Tirdad Zolghadr.
Published by Phaidon Press, 2010
700 color illustrations
324 pages
$39.95
www.phaidon.com

*above: Jamie Isenstein, Arm Chair, 2006; linen, wood, metal, nylon, raw cotton, upholstery foam, human arms and human legs or ‘Will return’ sign; dimensions variable. Curator: Debra Singer.

*above: Goshka Macuga, I Am Become Death, 2009; mixed–media installation; dimensions variable. Curator: Adam Szymcyck.

*above: Lisa Anne Auerbach, Photomural for Nottingham Contemporary Window Installation, 2009; color photograph 670 x 304 cm. Curator: Douglas Fogle.

*above: Alejandro Cesarco, When I am Happy, 2002-present; coloured pencil on paper; 28 × 23 cm. Curator: Inés Katzenstein.