Fall Leaves

New autumn art books from many worlds

Looking for a rabbit hole to drop into? Try one of these fine fall books, each a world unto itself. For mystery, there's Man Ray, 1890~ 1976 (Abrams), a sumptuous display of work by the experimental photographer (and painter and filmmaker and writer) who turned silhouettes into unheard melodies, whose irradiated imagery was a scary clairvoyance. For muscle, there's The Sports Photography of Robert Riger (Random House), master of the mud-covered Adonis, chronicler of rugged grace—catch Wilma Rudolph winding down, her face angled like a Leonardo. As for angels circa 1995, surely they've traded those Renaissance robes for clothing by Beene, the couturier who mixes flight, mind, and matter in equal parts. For clues to how he does it, explore Geoffrey Beene (Abrams) by Brenda Cullerton, a high-ceilinged study of one man's abiding aerodynamics. Zooming in on the world's top hairstylists, Amy Fine Collins's Hair Style (HarperCollins) is a collection of fairy-tale dos spun from locks, bangs, and braids. Les Daniels's DC Comics (Bulfinch) celebrates 60 years of iconically coiffed (hence, rarely "offed") superheroes. Finally, James Steele's Queen Mary (Phaidon) cruises in color through her glam and glory days. Launched 1936; interiors, Art Deco; she was Wonderland for the worldly. —LAURAJACOBS

LAURA JACOBS