Unpacking My Library: Artists and Their Books

Steffens, Jo Jo Steffens, Matthias Neumann, Marcel Proust,

ISBN 10: 030021698X / ISBN 13: 9780300216981

Published by Yale University Press, 2017

Unpacking My Library: Artists and Their Books This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780300216981

Synopsis:

A captivating tour of the bookshelves of ten leading artists, exploring the intricate connections between reading, artistic practice, and identity

Taking its inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s seminal 1931 essay, the Unpacking My Library series charts a spirited exploration of the reading and book collecting practices of today’s leading thinkers. Artists and Their Books showcases the personal libraries of ten important contemporary artists based in the United States (Mark Dion, Theaster Gates, Wangechi Mutu, Ed Ruscha, and Carrie Mae Weems), Canada (Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller), and the United Kingdom (Billy Childish, Tracey Emin, and Martin Parr). Through engaging interviews, the artists discuss the necessity of reading and the meaning of books in their lives and careers.

This is a book about books, but it even more importantly highlights the role of literature in shaping an artist’s self-presentation and persona. Photographs of each artist’s bookshelves present an evocative glimpse of personal taste, of well-loved and rare volumes, and of the individual touches that make a bookshelf one’s own. The interviews are accompanied by “top ten” reading lists assembled by each artist, an introduction by Jo Steffens, and Marcel Proust’s seminal essay “On Reading.”

About the Author:

Jo Steffens is an independent writer and curator; she is the former director of the Municipal Art Society of New York’s Urban Center Books and Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival.

Matthias Neumann is principal at normaldesign and adjunct assistant professor of architecture at the New York Institute of Technology.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Unpacking My Library: Artists and Their Books
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication Date: 2017
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good