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

SARAH THORNTON is the author of the international hit Seven Days in the Art World [Granta, 2008]. She has been the chief writer on contemporary art for the Economist and a contributor to publications such as the Guardian, The Art Newspaper and the New Yorker. She has a BA in Art History and a PhD in Sociology. She lives in London.