In My View: Personal Reflections on Art by Today's Leading Artists

by Simon Grant (Editor)

More than seventy-five of today’s leading international artists write about an individual artist whose work has influenced, moved, or inspired them Behind the closed door of the contemporary artist’s studio is a hidden world of images―those artworks from the distant or near past that have animated, troubled, consoled, or inspired the artists of today. This book reveals that hidden world, presenting an intimate guide to the imaginations of today’s leading practitioners through the works they love best. Artworks ranging from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries are featured, often supplemented by reproductions of work by the selecting artists. Intimate and evocative, the stories speak of the challenges, provocations, revelations, and delights that can be found when one artist looks closely at the work of another. Some artist-contributors provide unusual perspectives on familiar figures from art history―including Thomas Demand on Paolo Uccello, Miroslaw Balka on Michelangelo, Vik Muniz on Peter Paul Rubens, Juliao Sarmento on Eugene Delacroix, Joan Fontcuberta on Louis Daguerre, and Eija- Liisa Ahtila on Pablo Picasso. Others select lesser-known artists, from Jean-Marc Bustamante on Pieter Saenredam, Francesco Clemente on Henry Fuseli, and Tomma Abts on It―o Jakuch―u to Erwin Wurm on Poul Gernes, Do Ho Suh on Kim Keong-Hui, and John Bock on Armand Schulthess. 152 illustrations, 135 in color

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, 21st Century

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2012

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Although primarily focused on painting this still allows room for other disciplines like architecture and design, sculpture and photography as well as other mediums, giving us a broader and richer perspective on art.

Works which really stuck out for me included Gregory Crewdson’s “Beneath The Roses” series in particular his “Untitled (Worthington Street)” (2006), which I loved for its Hopper-esque intrigue. Van Doesburg’s “Counter Composition XV” (1925) made great use of seemingly simple colours and Turner’s “War, The Exile and The Rock Limpet” (c.1842) throws out a simply stunning sunset. I was also impressed by Poul Gernes and his simple and yet inventive idea of decorating the interior of the Herlev hospital at the University of Copenhagen (1968-76). This works almost like some form of soothing colour therapy as well as a piece of art.

The point of these books is never to agree with everything or enjoy it all, but more about opening new doorways and windows into fresh worlds and perspectives within the world and this book certainly does that. Again I was happy to come across some new works and artists, paving the way for more starting points, segues and rabbit holes to disappear down and for me that’s where the real pleasure in these books lies.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only book that comes up in my local library catalogue when you search for John Baldessari. I really wonder how the library ended up with it at all?

Anyway. Lots of good bits, Paul Noble on Schwitters, Baldessari on Sigmar Polke, Ilya Kabakov is insightful on Malevich, and so on.

In German they use ‘und so weiter’ more or less as we use ‘and so on’ in English. Where I might put ‘etc, etc’ they might put ‘usw, usw’.

Did you know, also, that all art is made in Europe or America? If you make art in Australia, it isn’t good, because if it was good, it would have been made in Europe or America. True story!! Australian artists need to art like no one is watching, which should be easy because no one is actually watching. But we want so much to be watched, so we just imagine the watching and make art that way. Which means you need to be careful and do it right because it would be embarrassing if someone watching saw you make a mistake. Usw, usw, ad infinitum.

Also, when is someone going to write a new and modern and accessible (popular?) book about Duchamp? I’d eat that shit up.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after reading "The Icon Thief," and wanting to know more about Marcel Duchamp. Although not a book that I read cover to cover, this is a fascinating volume.

I particularly enjoyed the short essays that Franz West wrote on Caravaggio, Gillian Wearing wrote on James Ensor and Juliao Sarmento wrote on Delacroix.

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains brief, concise essays by today's artists on the art of yesteryear. It keeps its focus by getting the artists to concentrate on (usually) one work: the one that knocked them backwards.

In the space of two or three well-illustrated pages, the artist explains their reaction to the art and how it influenced them. This focus prevents the book being shallow or just a coffee-table book of lovely pictures, although it's that too. One could argue that we can't see how the writer was influenced, but it would be difficult to show that without doubling the size of the book, since influences can be quite subtle. I'm happy to concentrate on their inner response.

We can't help wondering how we are "supposed" to respond to art, even though we know it's a foolish question. Here we get the best answer we'll ever get: we see how other artists responded and were inspired. And it's not just painting: Man Ray and William Blake also get a look-in.

Reading a whole book about art can be daunting. This is a perfect book for those who want to dip in, learn something useful and then go away and think.