Customer Reviews

pressPLAY: Contemporary Artists in Conversation (Themes)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book gives great insight into how contemporary artists really think about their work. It will be a required text in the university art studio class that I teach. This is not a book for information on the "how to" of art, but rather about the "why to". The careful reader will learn much about the motivations of contemporary artists, and the attitudes that allow them to pursue directions that range from straightforward painting (e.g. Katz, Mangold) to political (e.g. Kabakov, Simpson) to the unartful-looking (e.g. McCarthy, Kelley) to conceptual (e.g. Weiner). However, this will not be an easy read if you are not already familiar with the work of these artists. I'm suggesting to my students that they look at online resources to provide greater context for the interviews (but there are two color plates for each artist).

We read this book for one of my graduate level classes. Out of the dozens of interviews, there are only TWO painters. NO printmakers. The book consists of roughly 70% installation/video artists, 20% Performance artists, and 5% of painters, photographers, and non-installation style sculptors.

Some of the interviews were very funny and down to earth, but most of them were incredibly pretentious.

Basically, if you're into conceptual style installation art, this book is great, otherwise, skip it.

Anyone interested in modern and contemporary art will do well to read this book. It is very straight forward and an easy read. The artists in this text are helpful examples of those whose work has greatly influenced today's contemporary art. A great art resource.

Many words, little said. How could so many say so little. That being said, I'm hopeful that the book will be a good reference for my contemporary art and artists lectures series. Here's hoping for hope.