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chihinoke22's review against another edition
3.0
Not what I was expecting but very informative. Good read if you like modern and contemporary art.... I do not like contemporary art
hollydunndesign's review against another edition
4.0
Many of the art books that I have read have been fairly dryly written, despite the subject matter. Sarah Thornton’s book is anything but. As suggested by the title it’s structured like a play with each scene featuring an artist. Some artists get more than one scene and sometimes scenes are shared by multiple artists. These scenes are conversations between author and artist and they give a wonderful glimpse into the minds of those working in contemporary art. If you’re looking for an introduction to the current art world this might be a good place to start. If you are a lover of contemporary art then you will also appreciate the insights in this. There are artists that you have probably heard of like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, but there are also smaller artists who do not make a living from their practices. My only disappointment was that there wasn’t more in here on some of the artists that I found most interesting. For instance Yayoi Kusama only has one chapter, as does Marina Abramovic and Lena Dunham. But overall this was a great non-fiction read.
katepowellshine's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little nervous about reading an art book that contains almost no reproductions of the art, but it was fine. I was pleasantly surprised by how clearly everything was described and of course much of it is available online. Very entertaining.
ellephuonglinhnguyen's review against another edition
3.0
Performance artists notoriously disdain the theater. Initially, Abramovic was no exception. "Performance is about the true reality," she explains, whereas "theater is artificial, the blood is not blood, the knife is not a knife." Nevertheless, she asked several directors to "contact" her life and "remix it," so she could see it anew. Robert Wilson, an avant-garde director, has risen to the challenge with an opera titled The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, a project that will no doubt enhance her legend. "The only theater I do is my own," she explains. "My life is the only life that I can play."
mooreahall's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this, originally getting it from the library and then deciding to buy myself a copy just so I could underline artwork titles and amazing quotes and make margin notes for myself for further research. Sarah Thornton is a wonderful writer, but even beyond that she has a talent for coaxing wisdom and poetry from her interviewees. She is also an apt juggler of massive amounts of information, which she finds humorous and clear ways of handing to the reader, so that they understand the exclusivity of what they're getting while not feeling excluded.
Bottom line, I would REALLY like to be friends with this woman.
Bottom line, I would REALLY like to be friends with this woman.
abimartin's review against another edition
5.0
Great comparative book. You don't need any prior knowledge of the artists discussed to enjoy the book
concerningnovels's review against another edition
2.0
This book was, as Goodreads defines two stars, "okay". I'd never have picked it up at a bookstore organically or voluntarily and you'd probably have to pay me a hefty sum to get me to read it again, but it wasn't the worst book I've ever been forced to read for a college course (I think that award still goes to Vogelin's essays).
mikolee's review
2.0
I first began by reading this book and was just so fascinated by the way the author contrasted seemingly different artists like Ai Wei Wei and Jeff Koons. This was particularly compelling when I went yo go see Ai Wei Weis provocative exhibit on Alcatraz. Then I listened to the second half of the book and grew unenchanted. Not sure of this was primarily due to the voice of the reader or the voice of the author. The second half came across as incredibly snotty and pretentious. I started imagining the artist characters as actors from Art School Confidential. So overall mixed review.
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