Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions

by Lynne Perrella

A glimpse into the personal collections and work of 35 major artists. This large format, full-color, inspirational book is about how artists use their collections to make artwork. The gallery-style format allows readers to see what artists collect, and the resulting spectacular artwork they make from it. The book will feature the collections and the artwork of thirty-five major mixed-media artists. The artwork will include journals, assemblages, altered books, as well as jewelry pieces, and detailed descriptions of the materials and techniques used, plus tips and insights into using unusual materials and collections. Mixed-media artists are naturally collectors. They are fascinated by the stuff of life, and they are always looking for the right elements to add to their collages and journals. This book offers a juicy combination -- sort of a walk through an artist-filled flea market, and a gallery of the pieces created using these collections with tips and insights on collecting and creating, and how they go hand in hand. Features a lineup of 35 contributing artists including:

Genres: Art, Crafts, Nonfiction, Reference, How To

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Lindsay]

Not what I expected. Very long winded descriptions and a lack of pictures showing what it's truly about. The book is about collections, yet there are more close-ups and finished fodder photos than truly real collections.

[Shelli]

Unfortunately, this was the first book by Lynne Perrella that was a disappointment to me, as nearly everything she puts out is otherwise visually stunning. I expected Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions to have amazing pictures of the materials that artists amass into epic collections, but most of them were more like pieces and parts of those collections arranged with some other random stuff to make atmospheric, Instagram-worthy photographs (even though this book precedes Instagram). To make matters worse, the text is really pointless, the design of the book is pretty terrible, and the photo processing is really weird – the colors are too lurid on the page and look vintage 1970s, even though this book was published in 2007. A disappointment in the Perrella oeuvre.

[Astrid Yrigollen]

Interesting coffee table book about the things people collect and how they turn their collections of medals,buttons,tags,pieces of crockery,little dolls etc in to art pieces.There were some photos that were really just the pictures of the collections themselves and not really made in to anything, unless you want to say that the collection itself was a statement. Shrug.My favorite was the Memory Jugs. There was a short paragraph about the artist as well.

[Hella]

Dit is geen collage-maak-boek, maar inspirerend is het wel! Het laat de wonderlijke verzamelingen zien van 35 verschillende kunstmakers. Het zijn collages maar soms zo driedimensionaal dat het eerder beeldhouwwerken zijn, of alaartjes, of installaties. Eén van mijn favorietste collagemaaksters (Anne Bagby) staat er ook in.

[Sarah Lee]

This book just wasn't what I was expecting. The only thing it has to do with art making or artists is that the collections belong to artists. I couldn't even read through the whole thing. I found it boring.

[Janet]

Love this quote: "collecting is, of course, for most collectors just a reasonably absorbing and largely harmless pastime, looked upon by an uncomprehending world as a kind of gentle madness." - Stephen Calloway

[Meikoningin]

Not what i expected : this book is about how artists use their collections to make artwork. It allows you to see what artists collect, and the resulting artwork they make from it.
The book features the collections and the artwork of forty major mixed-media artists. The artwork includes journals, assemblages, altered books, as well as jewelry pieces, and detailed descriptions of the materials and techniques used, plus insights into using unusual materials and collections.

[Mary Cartledgehayes]

A most luxurious, exuberant look at the ways mixed media artists gather their materials. The photographs are the draw; the introduction to previously unknown artists is a joy; their comments are revealing.

I've read it three times already and may have to buy my own copy rather than relying on the one from the library.

[Mary]

WooHoo! Too fun - not to mention inspiring if you're into making art from found objects. The pictures are vivid and for me led to any number of new art projects. That's why I love these well-done, out-of-the-ordinary artist/authors - they can put together lovely books to look at again and again.

[Merilyn]

Beautiful, inspirational.

[Tina]

like looking through someones secret treasures! fantastique!