Robert Ryman: The Real Thing 

*PRE-ORDER a copy of your catalogue now for delivery from Thu 8 Oct 2026*

Exhibition catalogue to accompany the exhibition in the Barbican Art Gallery from Thu 8 Oct 2026 - Sun 28 Feb 2027. 

Robert Ryman: The Real Thing is a new publication celebrating the late American artist Robert Ryman (1930–2019), whose rigorous and playful paintings pushed the boundaries of the medium for nearly 60 years.

Published with Pre-Echo Press and edited by Wells Fray-Smith, curator of the exhibition at the Barbican, and Matt Connors, painter and founder of Pre-Echo Press, the book documents the full range of Ryman’s paintings, revealing the variety of work he produced as he experimented with the limits and possibilities of painting. Alongside new scholarship from influential writers, artists and musicians including Darby English, Roni Horn, Howardena Pindell and Richard Tuttle, this book includes previously unseen archival material and pays special attention to Ryman’s studio and previous installations of his work. A vital resource for understanding the depth and significance of Ryman’s practice, this beautiful volume reveals his steadfast belief that painting, when really seen, is for pleasure.

Designed by London-based designer Studio Mathias Clottu, this softcover, 432-page book has been conceived as a material and tactile object in its own right. The bespoke white double jacket, with an underlayer of card and top layer of folded glassine, subtly nods to Ryman’s own careful attention to materials.

Paperback. 

8 x 11 inches

432 pages (200 colour)

Special Barbican price of £45.00

You can find out more about the exhibition and book tickets here. 

All images are courtesy Studio Mathias Clottu.