Lives of the Artists

New York: Henry Holt and Company; A John Macrae Book, 2010. xiv, 254 pages; 21 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Age toning. First paperback edition. "As formal technique and rigorous training continue to fall away, art has become an approach to living. As the author says, 'the lives of contemporary artists are today so integral to what they make that the two cannot be considered in isolation.' Among the artists profiled are Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, reigning heirs of deliberately outrageous art that feeds off the allegedly corrupting influences of capitalist glut and entertainment; Matthew Barney of the pregenital obsessions; Cindy Sherman, who manages multiple transformations as she disappears into her own work; and Julian Schnabel, who has forged a second career as award-winning film director. Tomkins shows that the making of art remains among the most demanding jobs on earth." - Publisher.. 1st. Paperback. Very Good. 8vo.