An illuminating, strongly opinionated, and enthusiastically acerbic critique of today’s art world.
A collection of critical essays takes on art world trends.
In this volume of essays that Kamhi describes as “both a prequel and a sequel” to her work Who Says That’s Art? (2014), she gathers assessments of the contemporary art world’s failings written over a span of more than three decades. The essays, many of which were previously published on the author’s blog or in Aristos, the journal she co-edits, include reviews of museum and gallery shows, critiques of education programs in public schools, and deep dives into the philosophical questions of how art is defined. Favorite pieces of art make appearances, as do works and artists that Kamhi holds up to withering criticism. She connects her views to Ayn Rand’s objectivism, with several of the essays exploring the philosophical underpinnings of art as humans have created and engaged with it since the days of cave paintings. Other offerings detail the author’s battles with educators, museum curators, and other figures of authority in the art world, bringing readers deep into her ongoing fight against mainstream critical opinions. The book’s tone is imperative and immediate throughout, and readers will be left with a clear sense of how and why art and the public’s understanding of it matter in the contemporary world. Detailed notes, including both citations and comments, are included in the backmatter.
Kamhi does not mince words (“One of the most absurd and destructive notions in today’s artworld is that of so-called ‘conceptual art’ ”). She is also clear in the definitions she applies throughout the volume (Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc, “like any abstract work—is not art, in part because it does not, indeed cannot, communicate, outside explication notwithstanding, fundamental human values, or ideas”), leaving readers with no doubts about her perspective. Even readers who disagree with the author’s take are likely to appreciate the book’s authoritative confidence and depth of knowledge as well as her strong and forcefully expressed feelings about the value and role of art. There are occasional shortcomings in that largely comprehensive knowledge (for instance, Kamhi misses relevant historical allusions when she dismisses Dread Scott’s protest art). But on the whole, the author has a solid command of her subject and is skilled at presenting analyses of a primarily visual form through text. (The book does not include illustrations; readers can find links to images of the art mentioned at mmkamhi.com.) Because the volume is a compilation of discrete pieces originally published in a variety of contexts over several decades, there are some repetitive elements. Careful readers will have no trouble keeping track of the artists Kamhi favors and despises, as they make many appearances throughout the text (“the vulgar triviality of Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons”). Although her contentions are not entirely persuasive to readers of different philosophical persuasions, they are solidly argued and thoughtfully presented. The collection’s eloquent prose and well-developed point of view make it a thought-provoking and often enjoyable read even for those who disagree. Kamhi’s passion for her subject is undeniable and makes even the more technical aspects of the work accessible.
An illuminating, strongly opinionated, and enthusiastically acerbic critique of today’s art world.Pub Date: May 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9906057-3-7
Page Count: 351
Publisher: Pro Arte Books
Review Posted Online: April 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
A beautifully produced, engaging homage.
Celebrating a beloved artist.
Published to coincide with a major exhibition of works by British-born artist David Hockney (b. 1937) at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, this lushly illustrated volume offers a detailed overview of the artist’s life and work, along with chapters focused on his various styles and subject matter, a chronology, and a glossary of the many techniques he employed in his art, including camera lucida, computer, and video. Contributors of essays include noted art historians and curators, such as Norman Rosenthal, who edited the volume; Simon Schama; Anne Lyles; James Cahill; and François Michaud. Growing up in the north of England, Hockney was drawn to the light and sparkle that he found in Hollywood movies. When he finally arrived in Los Angeles, the sunlit landscapes inspired him, and his new sense of artistic freedom concurred with sexual freedom: As a gay man, he felt liberated from the constraints that had weighed on him in Britain, even in the “relative Bohemia” of the Royal College of Art. Essayists reflect on his artistic interests, such as landscapes, portraiture, flowers, and the opera—for which he created boldly exuberant sets—as well as on his influences and experimentation. Michaud examines the impact on Hockney of a visit to Paris in the 1970s, where he became familiar with Henri Matisse and his contemporaries from museum exhibitions. In the 1990s, visiting his mother and friends in Yorkshire, Hockney painted both outdoors and in the studio, experimenting with various media—including the photocopier and fax machine—as he worked to render the woodsy landscape. As a companion to the exhibition, the volume offers stunning reproductions of Hockney’s prolific works. Enormously popular with museumgoers, Hockney, Rosenthal exults, “transforms the ordinary and the everyday into the remarkable.”
A beautifully produced, engaging homage.Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780500029527
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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