How to Art
Bringing a Fancy Subject Down to Earth
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
A funny, inviting, full-color book about art for people who don’t know about “art”—featuring new artworks by David Shrigley.
What is art, where do I find it, and once I’m in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it? Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she’d visited a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world. Now, she’s on a mission to help everybody come to art.
Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people’s deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives. How to Art provides a nifty way to ingest art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone—and makes it fun. Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Art is a central part of the human experience, but snobbery and jargon-filled critical language have wrongly convinced most people it's not for them, according to this approachable guide to viewing, collecting, and creating art. Beginning with the basics, Soho House art director Bryan (Bright Stars) breaks down how to find art (in national and local galleries and museums) and how to talk about it (consider materials, technique, style, and how the work makes one feel). Later sections expound on the benefits—even for novices—of making art (it helps with being in the present and stimulating creative thinking); offer tips for buying artworks on a budget; and advise those pursuing art as a profession on "finding your style," tracking sales, selling online, and drawing up an artist's statement. Bryan's blend of practical advice, intimate knowledge of the art scene, and down-to-earth personal disclosures ("I remain what I consider to be a terrible artist in the context of my day job, but it doesn't stop my entire body from relaxing... when I wield my daughter's felt-tip pens with reckless abandon") will go a long way in welcoming even readers who've never picked up a paintbrush. The result is a worthwhile introduction to an often intimidating world. Illus.
