Well-researched, crisply perceptive writing on art.
A debut memoir recounts how a self-confessed introvert tried to make it as a painter but was left confounded by the art world’s expectations and restrictions.
Downey’s erudite and thought-provoking book opens with a brief recollection of an art class that emphasized the importance of communication over technique. Having strong convictions about how art should be taught, she quit the class. Before becoming a mother, the author worked in publishing in Boston. Parenthood left her little “brain space” to create, but after her children were in school, she decided to become an artist. A keen writer, she set up a blog about her journey and her first steps in the painting world. Downey found the social aspects of her work exhausting, with her introversion leaving her feeling like an outsider. The author looked at the role of contemporary artists, examining the cult of celebrity and self-promotion and the necessity of being fluent in “artspeak” and forging connections in an “ultra-social, extrovert” society. Downey’s odyssey became one of self-understanding, as she dissected her creative drives and the personal roots of her consternation regarding societal expectations. The author describes her own creative process with forthright clarity: “I plan, then I execute my plan. It may sound uninspired, but I argue that it is just as valid a way to paint as any other.” In doing so, she makes readers reconsider why artists are expected to be spontaneous and extroverted. Downey employs a sound knowledge of art history to illustrate her arguments. For example, she discusses the anonymity of painters and sculptors in ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations in contrast to the “personal fame” of artists from the Renaissance onward. The author also offers illuminating moments of introspection: “Each of these issues around art, which all came down to matters of identity and social status, brought up how I felt about myself in the world.” Some readers may be disappointed that Downey did not proceed to become a professional painter, but her memoir remains inspirational as a thorough exploration of the creative self and a search for personal satisfaction. This work will prove an invaluable handbook for readers trying to gain a foothold in the art world and for those feeling ostracized by it.
Well-researched, crisply perceptive writing on art.Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-9716775-2-4
Page Count: 338
Publisher: Green Tea Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
A detailed look at an important chapter in the life of one of the iconic artists of the late 20th century.
Lavishly illustrated volume chronicling Lennon and Ono’s years in New York, leading up to the recording of John’s 1973 album, Mind Games.
The book is organized largely along chronological lines, with photos, interviews, letters, and poems from each period. The photos are the weakest element, with too many minor variations of the same shots. There is a fair amount of material on their political activism, a lot of it in response to Richard Nixon’s 1972 campaign for reelection. At first the couple associated with American radicals such as Abbie Hoffman and John Sinclair, but the attraction wore off when it became clear that they saw Lennon mainly as someone who could help draw attention to the movement. Lennon underwent a protracted battle to avoid deportation, nominally because of his 1970 London arrest for possession of marijuana, but just as likely because of his political activism. There is also a good bit of material on Lennon’s conversion to feminism and his work for women’s rights, on the mystical influences on his and Ono’s work, and on their lives together. The most interesting aspect of the book to students of Lennon’s music is undoubtedly the inclusion of lyrics from his songs of the era, usually accompanied on facing pages by the former Beatle’s handwritten drafts, with guitar chords indicated and his comments on the song’s inspiration. The final few pages are given up to interviews of the backing musicians and recording engineers who worked on the Mind Games album.
A detailed look at an important chapter in the life of one of the iconic artists of the late 20th century.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780500027783
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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