Artists on Art: How They See, Think & Create

“Artists offer a unique way of viewing the world,” writes arts journalist Black, who assembles quotations from 50 artists in this densely written but informative survey. There are two pages for each artist, with quotes from their speech or writing, an overview of their art practice, and one image of an artwork. The artists represented here include Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Hokusai, as well as blue-chip contemporary artists from around the world (Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, Marina Abramovic, Jenny Saville, Njideka Akunyili Crosby). Black also conducts interviews with five artists (Tracey Emin from the UK, N. S. Harsha from India, Palestinian Mona Hatoum, Canada-born Victoria Sin, and Lisa Reihana from New Zealand), discussing in depth how and why they make art. The book also includes a list of sources for the artists’ quotations.