No.1: First Works of 362 Artists [Hardcover]

Francesca Richer (Editor), Matthew Rosenzweig (Editor), Robert Adams (Photographer), John Waters (Photographer), Vito Acconci (Author), Matthew Barney (Author), Chuck Close (Author), Vik Muniz (Author), Ross Bleckner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

Sincere and ironic. Hip and stodgy. Academic still lifes and ready to hang museum pieces. When you ask over 300 artists, "What was your first work of art" the results are vast. An inspirational collection, No.1: First Works by 362 Artists showcases works by a variety of contemporary painters, photographers, sculptors, and filmmakers. The artists were asked to submit what they considered their "first" work of art--not necessarily the first piece they ever created, but the one that first successfully represented who they are as an artist today. Some of the works are first "mature" works, others are seminal or pivotal, others are catalysts, some are new beginnings. These submissions, along with written artists' statements, make up this fascinating look at the process of art-marking. No.1 is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in art and the process of discovery and creation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933045094
• ISBN-13: 978-1933045092
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,158,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept, September 6, 2008

By 

x "x" (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No.1: First Works of 362 Artists (Hardcover)

This book is exactly what the title says -- first works by 362 different artists. The artists were asked to submit what they considered their first work, so isn't always the first piece they displayed, but instead, what they considered an important piece in their career or something else like that.

Regardless, it's an interesting concept that provides a brief glimpse of many artists whom you probably haven't heard of before. The works span several decades and also span media: there are paintings, photos, film, sculpture, mized media, etc. Each entry is one or two pages, with commentary by the respective artist that can range from a couple sentences to a full page.

One thing to note -- the Amazon description is misleading. The authors are not the 5 artists listed; they are just five of the 362 whose works are included.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Full of Artists, February 15, 2009

By 

David G. Guzman (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No.1: First Works of 362 Artists (Hardcover)

Though you only get one example of their work (their earliest ne at that) there is still a lot to love about this book. Along with the photo of the work is a very insightful artist statement. Variety is also the book's strong suit. You should find a handful of works that that are pleasing if not all of them.