33 Artists in 3 Acts - Couverture souple

With effortless sophistication, Thornton takes readers on a journey across the globe and into the homes and minds of contemporary artists. In the process, she banishes cynicism about modern art, revealing it to be a volatile, healthy enterprise still deeply engaged with the world --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

How can one be real artist in the real world? Thornton sets off to find out, meeting and debating with many of the most important artists around the globe. Credibility, integrity, legitimacy, recognition and truth in art are all tackled here. While the basis of the book is contemporary art, the themes are of universal interest --The Bookseller

'Writing with verve, insight and authenticity... Thornton's method is to let her hubristic subjects hang themselves by their own nooses. She is skilfully nuanced on the artist Christian Marclay' --Financial Times

'Engaging and ingenious... The question that drives 33 Artists in 3 Acts is not 'What is art?' but a closely allied inquiry: 'What is an artist?' This is a very good question and woven into the texture are certain intriguing lines of inquiry. Thornton's interview with Ai Weiwei after his imprisonment is one of the book's most absorbing scenes. The book is scattered with memorable and sometimes witty thoughts from Maurizio Cattelan and many more' --New Statesman

'A vivid and entertaining read... Thornton meets some interesting artists and her direction can be playful. Her interviews with Andrea Fraser stand out, as do all her meetings with Ai Weiwei' --Guardian

'Thornton nails some wonderful portraits of the people that, well, do wonderful portraits. These characters are no longer creators of icons but icons themselves and Thornton is in the front pew - but taking notes, not praying at all' --Monocle

'An idiosyncratic work of art tourism... Thornton mischievously encourages her interviewees to slag off colleague on other continents and she has an acute eye for their domestic surroundings' --Art book of the year, Observer

'Thornton nails some wonderful portraits of the people that, well, do wonderful portraits. These characters are no longer creators of icons but icons themselves and Thornton is in the front pew - but taking notes, not praying at all' --Monocle

Is being an artist a radical form of entrepreneurship or a vocational calling like the priesthood? Is it an extension of philosophy or an offshoot of entertainment? In three richly interlinked but distinct 'acts' - Politics, Kinship and Craft - Sarah Thornton compares and contrasts answers to the simple but profound question: what is an artist? 33 Artists in 3 Acts draws on hundreds of personal encounters with the world's most important artists, to ask what it means to be making artworks in different parts of the world today. With Thornton as expert guide and trusted insider, we have unprecedented access to the lives of the artists, from late-night Skype chats with Ai Weiwei to taxi rides with Maurizio Cattelan on the way to and from the show that announces his death. We join Thornton as she rummages through artists' studios, homes and solo shows, inquiring about everything from their bank accounts to their bedrooms. The result is a series of cinematic experiences, which juxtapose artists in thought-provoking ways, and build up narratives that end with epiphanies. 33 Artists in 3 Acts is a generational touchstone, a powerful triptych and gripping anti-monograph about truth, integrity, credibility and recognition. Essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary art, this masterful act of storytelling will also delight any reader seeking to understand creative lives.