Customer Reviews

Art Addiction: 100 Contemporary Artists (Masters of Today)

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Though this book and the others in this series by Petru Russu show amazing works and are to be considered a great way to see art from around the world, the method by which these books come into being is to be looked at somewhat askance.

Much like the "vanity" galleries that exist worldwide, these books are basically pay-for-show situations, wherein the artist pays a considerable sum, (upwards of over 1500 dollars US) to be published on their pages. Basically, they would not exist if it were not for the artists paying for the entire enterprise with their entry fees. This situation leaves out all of those "genius" artists whose works may outshine those published, but sadly cannot come up with the funds necessary to enter into the "juried" selection. It would be interesting to see the jury process from the inside.

In a way, it simply reflects the standard gallery practices in most large cities. If you know the right people, have enough influence, can guarantee a following and some sales, ANY gallery will end up showing your work regardless what it looks like.

Art Addiction 100 contemporary artists, in fact, is nothing other than a reflection of the idea or philosophy of a transversal, complex and at times even incomprehensible our cultural era, to provide innovative spatial dimensions, new temporal dynamics in book form.

Andrea Pagnes, art critic