5 comments about PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God.

1. Fantastic edition to my collection of post secrets! I loved this book and recommend it to all Frank Warren fans!



2. A very exciting Post Secret Book. It was interesting and wonderfully done. The content is shocking and lovable. Its everything you'd expect.



3. Really has the power to inspire and change lives if you take it all in and connect to the stories shared by complete strangers. A great gift for teens and above!



4. they are amazing books.
   i now own every single one of them and would never give them away if anything i'd purchase extras and give them away because they make you feel real, alive and never alone.



5. I should've looked at the other reviews before I bought the book. Apparently this place SUCKS! They've got over 70% negative ratings from people who never recieved their purchases. DO NOT buy from this company! Why Amazon allows them to sell here is beyond me.

5 comments about The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book.

1. These books are truly inspirational. I love them. You would never know how many lives you can relate to until you read their stories. People aren't honest any more, and the more we hide things, the more complicated our lives are. This book illustrates the simple purity and power of truth.



2. this next in a series of Mr. Warren's books shows the depth of wisdom available from average people with above average insight.



3. The Postsecret books are a fascinating glimpse into the concerns and lives of others. Makes for thoughtful conversation - and wondering what goes on in the lives of the people around us. We all have secrets - some more shattering or uplifting than others.



4. This was good, but not as good as the first - or perhaps the novelty is wearing off. Or perhaps because I check it each week, I feel like I've seen them all? Having said that, the book itself is great quality with some very interesting "secrets" in them. A few of them are extraordinarily sad and it makes me hope that the person that sent it was able to let go of it once it was mailed.



5. Its intresting to see the secrets of others. I hope Frank continues to publish them.

5 comments about The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren.

1. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" examines the forgery career of Han van Meegeren who amassed a fortune by littering the world with fake Old Masters paintings from the 1920s through the end of World War II. It is an amazing tale that has also been chronicled recently in Edward Dolnick's "The Forger's Spell."
   
   The Man Who Painted Vermeers focuses on the forger, his lifestyle, his counterfeiting associates, his pro-fascist activities, and his lengthy career in forgery. This book is an interesting look at a turbulent time in history that allowed strange things to happen in the art world.



2. I could not put it down. The strength of this book is Van Meegeren himself.
   
   The book races by trying to cover as much of the whirlwind as possible; the art, the forgery, the lies, the lifestyle, the marriages, the Nazis and the aftermath. The story of a consummate con artist in every sense. The book does a wonderful job covering certain details of art forgery for that time period (though I should state I am neither an art expert nor an art historian).
   
   I wish the book went greater into depth regarding the wheeling of all the dealing, but perhaps it is lost in history. Names of friends and rivals fly by and money and fake masterpieces change hands and countries eventually lose their governments. You want to know more about these people, but the author feels the need to get it all in.
   
   Even the aftermath is quite a spectacle. The book makes you want to know more about Lt. Joseph Piller and (if records could be found) what the experts really thought when they discovered their own hoodwinking. It is remarkable to see a man like Van Meegeren snake through every danger, coming out some sort of cultural hero, while he left behind him so many ruined reputations.
   
   As the author appropriately recites (from "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"): When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. The author wrote down the facts too.



3. I thought this book would tell the story of an amiable rogue who fooled the art establishment and even top Nazi Hermann Goering by faking Vermeers. It turned out to be much more than that. It's the tale of a creepy fascist with a specific political agenda who used his fakes to advance a form of art that glorified the Nazi view of the world.
   
   Han van Meegeren seems to have been a puffed up creep from the start. He had some talent, as shown by the illustrations of some of his portraits reproduced in this book, but his conservative bent and limited imagination meant he was never destined for greatness.
   
   Instead, he began painting fake Vermeers. His early efforts were genre interior scenes similar to those of the master himself. But then he hit another vein entirely, manufacturing a new and entirelu false chapter of the artist's career during which Vermeer allegedly devoted himself to painting somber Biblical scenes.
   
   You look at the reproductions of these pictures and you wonder how they fooled anyone at all. They are dull, lifeless, full of lugurious piety of the worst kind, the very antithesis of the glowing work of Vermeer. Yet these crude daubings took in most of the Dutch art establishment of the time. Once he had established the first fake of this kind, it became progressively easier to continue fooling everyone -- since each subsequent painting was clearly the work of the same artist.
   
   The author explains how some of the coded and subliminal messages in these images appealed to something in the air during the 1930s when Nazi ideology loomed larger and larger in Europe. For the first time, he unveils the depth of van Meegeren's Nazi sympathies and decodes his evil messages. The amount of research that went into this book is prodigious -- but the writing is always clear.
   
   Van Meegeren fooled the art experts of his time, he fooled Goering and he fooled his interrogators after the war. He fooled the world press, he fooled the judge and jury during his trial and he fooled the Dutch public. He died unexpectedly without ever paying for his actions. But thanks to this great book, he will not fool posterity.



4. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" is both a brilliant scholarly work and fascinating read. Insightful writing, yet completely accessible. Get this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This is a fascinating story, and Lopez does a great job in presenting his materials. Plus, the book is clearly informed by a lot of serious research. Definitely worth reading!

5 comments about The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love.

1. The author, Jackie Battenfield, writes with an insight and candor that can only come from one who's walked the walk. I believe the content and style of this well thought, well crafted book, will inspire and motivate artists of all disciplines. 'Really a pleasure to read. I feel I've now a comrade in arms to help me navigate the difficulties and obstacles of being an artist, and of bringing one's work to a larger audience.



2. Written for the aspiring fine artist, this guide focuses heavily on marketing and getting into galleries.
   
   It contains helpful information, but falls far short on the promise of the title.
   
   Nowhere in this book will you find information on how to "make a living doing what you love" as an artist.
   
   The author's personal experience in running a gallery enables her to give authentic examples of dealing with the world of galleries and her expertise, making for an easy read.
   
   However, confusion sets in when the author jumps from how to obtain fundraising and grants and working jobs to support your art, to a new section on hiring assistants, accountants and attorneys. There is a huge hole in between, and you're left asking "how do you make the huge jump from relying on grants and non-art jobs to needing assistants and accountants?"
   
   You can't "Make a Living Doing what You Love" off of grants and donations,etc.
   
   It misses the mark on how to generate income. Where does the money come from? This is the real question that artists want answered.



3. This is a fantastic book! It's a comprehensive review of what it takes to be a small business owner/artist from the ground up. Bravo to Jackie Battenfield for writing this book and for achieving such success in her own career. I am an artist career coach and the Director of The Artists Objective ([..]) and am insisting that all of my clients purchase it and recommending it to our entire email list. A must have for all artists, no matter what stage they are at in their career!



4. Jackie is a gifted artist and writer. She has years of gallery, grant writing, along with valueable artist Insights that will help you launch or furture your career to new heights.
   I plan to take a seminar from her within the next three years to help my passion for art to also become full time and get paid well for my art. You will learn a great deal from this gifted artist!



5. Readers, writers, artists, and musicians,read this book to find out how to make a living doing what you love. Written for artists by artist Jackie Battenfield, who has been perfecting these principles and keeping detailed notes about them for the past thirty years, this book holds a wealth of information. But anyone in the arts can use these strategies because they address our human need for acceptance, nurturing, support, and direction. All you have to do is replace "artist" with writer, musician, craftsperson, or whatever word suits your passion.
   
   Financial, family, organizational, or personal challenges sometimes sidetrack those who aim to be self-employed in the arts. Battenfield guides us gently past our childcare needs, credit card debt, chaotic record keeping, and insecurities to show us how to attack each challenge and correct our faulty thoughts and behaviors. Keeping the reader engaged with anecdotes of other artists, their direct quotations, and images of their art, as well as her own experiences, Battenfield helps us solve each of our dilemmas with sincere, concrete methods that only need our commitment to complete.
   
   As a self-employed writer, just reading her strategies motivate me and gently move me forward in my weakest area--self-promotion. For a daughter who is an art therapist, and another daughter who is a musician, I have already ordered a copy of Battenfield's book. They will learn what I did from sections such as "Taking Charge of Your Professional Life," "Circulating Your Work," "How to Earn and Manage Money," "How to Find Even More Support: Grants, Residencies, Gifts," and "How to Build Community to Survive Being Alone"
   
   Jackie Battenfield has a keen sense of how it feels to be an artist by addressing "the underlying emotional impediments--insecurity, guilt, fear, and shame--you will confront that will derail you." She goes on to say, "Most of the topics address issues you can control...It was an intoxicating feeling to know I had so many tools under my command." Just reading this book makes me feel supported knowing that I am not alone in my quest to make, promote, and display my art.
   
   by Susan M. Andrus
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women

5 comments about Wisconsin Death Trip.

1. This is a true story.
   
   When I was around 11 years old (I'm 46 now), we got this book as a Christmas present from my quiet uncle, who was a doctor far away. I pored over this strange book in horror. I said, "Mother, I think something's wrong with Uncle James. Why would someone give a book like this to us?"
   
   About three years later, he gassed himself to death.
   
   From my child's eye view, it was a book overflowing with black and white pictures of long-dead children: propped in coffins, posed in their lying-outs amidst prickly flowers and poofy silk pillows. It was filled with photos of wasp-waisted women and descriptions of the brutality of a diptheria death. I read about the "black membrane" of diptheria growing over the backs of countless babies' throats--of parents made desperate by the wheezing (and then strangling) of hundreds of children. It was riveting, immediate, terrifying: history whipped into a frenzy.
   
   Honest to goodness, this was unspoken--but when I heard Uncle had killed himself, I wasn't surprised in the least.
   
   I know there must have been more to the book (as reviewers here attest)--I do recall reading a few newspaper articles about madness--but all I truly remember, too vividly to ever forget, is a dead girl then my age, slumping at a grotesque tilt in a coffin, her eyes waxy and lids half-closed, with vine-like lilies circling her. They'd propped her coffin up in order to photograph it, for goodness sake. If you were ten, wouldn't that be all you recalled?
   
   The book disappeared, and I didn't find it when my mother died. I'd dearly like to read it again. The Victorian-era obsession with children who'd gone to Jesus didn't make sense to my vaccinated, O.J.-nourished, well-exercised kid's mind, but I see it now: a world where people were MORE THAN LIKELY to lose most of their children to one of myriad childhood killers. The pittance they paid for their child's grave was all that they could give them--except their love, which I now know was no different from ours.



2. You can read through all the reviews here to get an idea of what the book is about, but the things which occur in this book did not all happen in just in one county as other reviews from Wisconsin point out and as the author fails to mention. These things could have happened, and I'm sure did, in most every other state/territory in the country at that time. Also, look at today's headlines and you will find the same or worse everywhere. Yes, rural life was difficult in those days, and I agree with WisconsinGal reviewer in her admiration of people living back in those conditions. And by the way, most people looked serious in pictures back then, check your own family's photos from the day. Disappointing book. Don't waste your money.



3. I recently read "The Time-Traveler's Wife" and noticed a small reference to a book I hadn't heard of -- "Wisconsin Death Trip." Intrigued by the casual mention of an apparently famous book about my home state, I decided to investigate, and stumbled upon something before my time in more ways than one.
   "Wisconsin Death Trip" came of age in the 1970s, well before I was born, and is set in the 1890s, well before my grandparents were born. Then again, in reading it, I felt a connection to the people, and to the land we shared. Reading "Wisconsin Death Trip" was quite a, well, trip; for one, the story of a relative of mine was traced throughout the book. For another, I was offered a glimpse of a life much different than the bucolic, pastoral pleasantry I had always, albeit subconsciously, envisioned. Were these the Wisconsinsites I was descended from? Apparently so.
   What people may not mention about this book is that it is FUNNY. "More poetry is said to come from Wisconsin than from any other state in the Union," it tells us, but apparently so do more "wierdies" [sic], and women who cut their hair off in their sleep, and daughters who burn their fathers' barns down. It is black humor, true, but I found myself laughing out loud as often as I was horrified. How many times will Mary Sweeny try to break a fine plate-glass window?
   A beautiful book, one whose legacy deserves to be revived, "Wisconsin Death Trip" strikes the right balance between photographic exhibition (of Black River Falls) and fin-de-siecle, daily-life exposition via newspaper clippings from both Minnesota and Wisconsin. And now those who have never before heard of Prairie du Chien (Prardoosheen), Menominee, and Sheboygan can know them intimately, and know the humanity populating them (in all its racist, incestuous, sexist, clinically insane glory).
   I just wish it were available for cheaper.



4. Michael Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip, originally a doctoral thesis, is one of the most touching, poetic, beautiful, harrowing, moving and dislocating works I have read. Basically a compendium of found glass plate negative photos taken by the (himself knock-knees odd) Charles Vam Schaik in and around the rural community of Black River Falls WI, and leavened by snippets taken from the Badger State Banner newspaper and the Mendota State Record Book (an insane asylum), as well as a few personal reminisces, the book instead is a commentary and an indictment of a brutal time of economic dislocation, social upheaval, religious confusion and obsession, and personal decay in a farming community. It is an endless repitition of suicide, madness, arson, children dying of disease, and of a mostly sternly religious people living the grimmest of lives of back breaking work in the country. The photos by their sheer repetition and some of the games played with them by the author, pound out a tattoo of strain, people only barely suppressing their madness, and a society truly on the edge of collapse. Hardly the bucolic paradise so often evoked in our time.
   
   The afterword by the author provides some backstory and statistics backing the point up, and illustrating in numbers and facts what the pictures and excerpts made clear by anecdote, and is also well written.
   
   This was something of a cult book in the mid 70s, a most unusual way of looking at local history, lifting up the rock under which society had crawled. It is haunting, tragic, striking. You will never forgot it.



5. Buying a classic again. This is the U of New Mexico Press version. The earlier publisher had the picture of the baby in a coffin on the cover. That was better, but the contents are the same.

5 comments about Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art.

1. I very much enjoyed this book. I learned quite a lot about how the "art world" works. The story is a compelling one, the research seems solid, the writing is fluent and engaging, and the book is a remarkably easy read when you consider how much technical material is covered in it. The authors have a real knack for descriptive writing, making things that the reader cannot see real and solid in the mind's eye.
   
   However, there were three things that I found frustrating about the book. First, the lack of illustrations -- it seems as if the book would have been stronger if there had been images to help the non-expert understand the ways in which the forged pieces were good and the ways in which they fell short. Second, I was left with real curiosity about what Drewe had been doing prior to this scheme. I wish that the authors had managed to uncover this information. it seems odd to me that where they are willing to make educated guesses (always identified as such!) about other things, they had no theories to advance about this particular point. And finally, I find myself wondering where the painting Myatt says he did not do came from.
   
   These are minor quibbles, and should in no way stop anyone with an interest in art, in confidence games, or in interesting well-told stories from picking this book up and getting a great deal of enjoyment out of it.



2. An expertly written, carefully researched and exciting story of the pathological mastermind John Drewe who meticuously created extensive faked provenance to support his sales of hundreds of modern paintings forged by his accomplace artist John Myatt. The single criticism I have is that, although this book has lengthy descriptions of numerous faked Giacomettis, Nicholsons, Bissières and Sutherlands, there is not included a single photograph of any of the forgeries or of any genuine works to compare them with, nor are there any photographs of the forged provenance documents. And, although Drewe and Myatt's appearances are described in great detail, not a single photograph of either is included. Anyone reading this book would want, and expect, to see exactly what these paintings looked like and exactly how closely they resemble the genuine ones, and the verbal descriptions are excellent, but they are no substitute for photographs. It is inexplicable why none are included. Fortunately, a Google Image search for "John Drewe" or "John Myatt" provides a number of examples of the faked paintings, as well as photographs of Drewe and Myatt (Myatt looks more distinguished to me, and Drewe less, than suggested by the book) and even some of the faked documents supporting the forgeries.



3. "Provenance" is the account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art. About 240 forged paintings were produced, many selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and netting overall about 2 million pounds over nine years. Many are still considered genuine and hang in prominent places. The authors reveal that museums not only display art, but also assemble and maintain a chain of ownership for the works of the authors they display; funding this effort, however, is difficult and became key to the fraud detailed in the book.
   
   The action begins with a museum reception for Dr. John Drewe, professor of nuclear physics and art connoisseur, who has just donated two 'valuable decades-old' paintings to the museum. Dr. Drewe is accompanied by his 'research assistant' John Myatt, who is shocked to realize that he had just finished painting the valuable donated paintings. Myatt strongly protests to Drewe that the subterfuge will certainly be discovered by the museum's curators, and gets Drewe to withdraw the donation on the grounds that he'd just learned of potential problems with their documentation. Dr. Drewe instead substitutes a $20,000 donation, with promises of another $500,000 later for the museum's provenance work. The point of Dr. Drewe's generosity was to gain access to the museum's records.
   
   Dr. Drewe and Myatt had met four years prior when Drewe responded to Myatt's ad for reproductions. Myatt had just been abandoned by his wife, along with with two babies in diapers, and was short of money. Dr. Drewe commissioned a copy, and their relationship grew over time. Meanwhile, world art prices began soaring. Myatt, in turn, switched from making copies to creating original paintings in the style of the more valued artists he was mimicking; doing so, he carefully researched the style and peculiarities of the artists he was emulating. At first he was unaware that Drewe was selling his reproductions and creations as authentic.
   
   Buyers became increasingly demanding of proof of authenticity as prices increased. Fortunately for the con artists, Drewe was now well-positioned to comply - both creating fake entries within the museum records (loose-leaf binders were used) for Myatt's heretofore non-existent paintings, and also using the records to compile credible-looking receipts and other records - again, from both real and invented collectors. Dr. Drewe used computers, old typewriters, and a scanner to revise old photographic records. (Museum security focused on people taking things out; it was especially lax regarding donors.)
   
   Dr. Drewe's cons, however, are not limited to art - he also attempts to con his common-law wife (Batsheva Goudsmit) out of her real estate holdings, has her declared insane (she loses her job as a pediatric eye specialist), and takes custody of the two children. Myatt, on the other hand, eventually concluded that Dr. Drewe was insane (outlandish stories, dealing with guns) and cheating him, and Myatt then refuses to have anything more to do with Drewe.
   
   In the middle of all this a strange fire and death occurs at an apartment owned by Drewe's common-law wife. Investigators meet with Batsheva and she tells them the dead person was probably blackmailing Dr. Drewe - 'something to do with art forgeries,' and later gives investigators Drewe's briefcase, loaded with strange receipts, clippings, art books, etc. Eventually Dr. Drewe is arrested for art fraud and exposed as never having gone past high school. Between Drewe's faking illnesses and fleeing, it took 18 months before he was brought to trial. The trial took another 6 months, he was found guilty in 5 hours, and sentenced to 6 years. Myatt received a one year sentence, served 4 months, and resolved to never paint again. His arresting officer, however, persuaded Myatt that 'he had a gift' and commissioned him to create a painting of the officer's family. Myatt returned to painting, and has done well since - making explicitly clear that his works are not authentic.
   
   My main complaint about "Provenance" is that the suspicious fire and death issues were never resolved - the topic is just left hanging. I'm also at a loss to understand how 'Dr. Drewe' sustained himself prior to meeting Myatt (the book and other sources say that almost no records exist - still, his Batsheva and Drewe's parents provide potential sources), and why his financial situation deteriorated prior to being arrested.



4. Provenance becomes a fast read as you quickly turn the pages to find out how this outrageous scam scheme was pulled off. The characters are wonderful and what a bird's eye view into the world of art, galleries and museums! Even if you do not have alot of interest in these areas the book will hold your attention as the mystery unravels. I have both lent my book to friends and ordered copies for presents.



5. Provenance is the best creative non-fiction that I have read since Hot Zones. Similarities include a fascinating topic,impeccable research, global impact and eccentric characters. Contemporary art forgery is a subject that could have been fairly dry. The authors kept me reading for two days and I came away with more than the facts of John Mayatt, a great forger and John Drewe, an even more accomplished con man. I have always been a bit puzzled by the marketing of contemporary artists. Provenance offers a blunt and unvarnished view into this process. Just fascinating -Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern ArtI was sorry to complete the last page but delighted to see that Salisbury and Aly Sujo provide a bibliography that offers endless great reading.

5 comments about I'd Rather Be in the Studio!.

1. I can't say enough about this book! I have been a painter all my life and have dreaded marketing my art. It scared me to death! I never knew what to say, or even how to say it. Alyson changed all that. The book digs deep into the psyche of an artist and brings out the very best in not only their art, but how to talk about the art to the world. I am not a writer by any means, but now, I enjoy talking about my art and I have very little fear of self-promotion. It reminds me a lot of the feelings and emotions I had when I was younger as I would paint a picture and that rush of excitement would cascade through my body! This book has uplifted my spirits as an artist and more importantly has gotten me OUT of the studio in a good way.. Since reading and applying what I've learned, my art has been selling and selling. Thank you Alyson!



2. I'm taking a 2 day seminar with Alyson in March in Racine, Wisconsin and I wanted to read it before attending so I would get the most out of her seminar. It is a great follow up to another book I read last year -- The Answer by John Assarf.
   
   Alyson's book is very easy to understand and is very well written. Beginning, emerging, as well as established artists will find somthing in this book to help me move their art business to the next level.
   
   I highly recommend that all artists read both of these books to help you really zero in on what your goals are and how to achieve them. The organization skills you will get will make you more productive in the studio as you won't be spending as much time dealing with the business side of your art, which you have to deal with in order to be successful.
   
   Information about online networking using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and blogging will help you to decide what you need. Many ideas for marketing yourself (the artist) and your artwork.



3. I found this very informative. The author has endeavoured to cover all aspects of marketing oneself as an artist, something that a lot of artists would find tiresome and have little experience of. She has excellent ideas and they are clear and well-explained.



4. I purchased this book to be better able to relate to the artists I represent in my central Oregon gallery. I was not surprised to find I can apply some of the information and techniques to my business as well. The book is well-organized and builds on the previous exercises and chapters as one goes through the text. Plenty of references and sources are provided as well.



5. This book contains basic material for artists to market and self-promote. Something I am very much for...
   When I purchased the book nearly one year ago, right away upon reading the chapter on blogging I found a dead link listing. I'd systematically looked up all the links and the [...] link was D.O.A. ( I found an article on their demise). Fortunately a lot of the good sites are long lasting, but some new sites are not mentioned...
   *I'd Rather Be in The Studio* was published February 2008, and IMO there should be a second revised and updated version by now for full value for your money...
   I gave the book 3 stars primary based on this lack of a second edition and the rather chaotic table of contents in the first edition.

2 comments about The Drawings of Bronzino (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

1. Agnolo Bronzino (1503-72) was the pupil, assistant and probably the lover of Pontormo. He was also the court painter for Cosimo I de' Medici. Today this mannerist artist is primarily remembered for his elegant portrait paintings; his drawings are seldom featured in the many exhibition catalogues that I have encountered. Thus it is a rare treat to encounter a volume that showcases his entire known output of drawings.
   
   There are 60 drawings executed by or attributed to Bronzino presented in this superb Metropolitan Museum catalogue. 26 of these are in the possession of the Uffizi Museum in Florence. Bronzino's drawings, primarily figure studies, were executed as preparatory sketches for paintings. The works are generally of exceptional quality and interest; one is left to wonder why they have received such scant attention in the past. Although they might not approach the originality and standard of the great drawers such as Rubens, Raphael or Michelangelo, Bronzino's efforts are not far behind.
   
   Additional to the drawings are 62 unannotated color reproductions of Bronzino's paintings and tapestry designs. The standard of the color reproductions (mostly life sized for the drawings) are exceptional as is the general printing and paper quality. The essays and annotations are by authorities on Bronzino. Three cheers to the Metropolitan for a wonderful publication.



2. This book is the catalog for the current show at the Met in NYC, which is the first exhibition ever devoted in the US to one of the masters of Mannerism in XVIth-century Florence. It is probably one of the best publications put out by the museum in recent years, both for the high-quality illustrations and for the scholarly text.
   
   59 drawings by, or thought to be by, Bronzino, are studied here (his nearly entire known production) and the high point of the book is its explanation why they are thought to be by Bronzino himself and not by other contemporary mannerist artists such as Pontormo. The book also enables the reader to discover a master draughtsman, an artist who used the line as an unequalled means of expression, an artist much more impressive in these small works on paper than in his often pompous court portraits of the rich and famous of the time.

5 comments about The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art.

1. I am so disappointed with the kindle version of the book. No illustration at all! i think it is not acceptable for the book which the subject is art! please send me another illustrated version!



2. I could not put this book down! It's very entertaining and taught me a lot about the contemporary art scene. There are so may outrageous things in here!!



3. This was a semi-interesting read about what is contemporary art and what makes it valuable. The title comes from a shark preserved and mounted by British artist Damien Hirst with an asking price of $12 million. The author gives lots of inside information and interesting anecdotes but I think the book will appeal mainly to folks interested in the buying and selling and auctioning of art.



4. When it comes to contemporary art, many observers simply scratch their heads and mumble, "You call that art?" Intriguing, disturbing, exhilarating and obscene, contemporary art is hard to understand. In fact, when you consider pieces like the titular $12 million stuffed shark by Damien Hirst, it is often downright baffling. If you're looking for artistic explanations and interpretations, though, Don Thompson doesn't offer much help. That's not his particular domain. Thompson, an economics and marketing professor, zeroes in on the financial inner-workings of the art world (at least, the pre-2009 recession art world). Curious why certain pieces sell for millions, he delved into the peculiar personalities that inhabit this controversial genre. getAbstract applauds his lively exploration of a fascinating topic that few economists would even ponder.



5. Reading about the machinations of the modern art world is fascinating but somewhat depressing. A friend, a struggling sculptor who is classically trained and a real craftsman, rails against the frequent rubbish that is passed off as art nowadays. Thompson vividly describes this often vacuous world where the idea is often paramount and savvy marketing will either make or break the artist's career.
   
   I found this book a gripping read. Thompson writes informatively and lucidly about the dealers, auctioneers, artists and collectors who populate this rarified world of contemporary "art". Strongly recommended.

5 comments about ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career.

1. I've only gotten through the first chapter. I stopped there because there was so much that I needed to do in that chapter that I felt it best to complete those tasks before moving on. The work is what I should have learned in college as part of my BFA, but no one teaches these things to art students. The quotes from professionals peppered generously throughout give great tips and insight. I wish I would have found this book the year that I graduated.



2. I have an MFA, and a BFA, and have read about every book on this subject matter. I found this reference to be about the most extensive and current resource yet for the entering mid career artist.
   The examples cover what has changed as a result of technology and the internet. The best feature is that the pages contains sidebars with interviews/comments and advice from well known experts in the field. In this regard reading this book was like paying $20 for the benefit of a several day long conference with the very best speakers.
   *This would be my text for a professional practices course for BFA or MFA students.



3. This book is a great resource for graduating students and working artists alike. It is an excellent primer to navigating how to handle yourself professionally in the art world if you are unfamiliar, and the book is also deep enough that I think even working professionals can gleam tips and extra knowledge . Insight comes not only from the two authors, but also from many working artists, gallerists, curator's, etc... as they share their knowledge as it relates to each chapter. Having so many opinions expressed really shows you the multiple paths you can take and also often unsaid rules people must navigate to become a working artist. An excellent Title!



4. This book is an excellent resource for both the budding artist and the professional artist. Replete with with great information and resource materials.



5. I was browsing one day at a book store and came across this gem. If you're starting out as an independent artist, this is a Godsend. I could not put it down after I started reading. This would've helped me tremendously when I left art school years ago, but alas, it's never too late!! Follow your passion!
   
   Again, this is a must-read if you're a fresh artist, and on top of that, the price is excellent!! You can't lose!!