Brian Dillon

Marina Warner

Roger Malbert

Artists featured include Tacita Dean, Katie Paterson, Nina Canell, Pablo Bronstein, Charles Le Brun, Gerard Byrne, Phillip Henry Gosse, John Dee, Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin, Corinne May Botz, Gunda Forster, Matt Mullican, Toril Johannessen, Anna Atkins, Nina Katchadourian, Laurent Grasso, Salvatore Arancio, Aurelien Froment, Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, and the taxidermy of Thomas Grunfeld.

Art and the Pleasures of Knowing

Curiosity

Claire Gilman

This book explores the variety of ways in which contemporary artists from around the world have come to approach drawing as the primary, sometimes the sole, element of their practice, and one which is autonomous: an end in itself rather than a means to an end in another, more substantial medium. In an era of advanced technologies where image production has accelerated potentially beyond the capacity of human attention what values can be attributed to the slow, deliberate process of drawing by hand? The artworks featured in this volume are not confined to traditional tools one can also draw on a computer, tablet or smartphone, and examples of digital drawing are incorporated into the narrative not as a separate category but as one medium among many. Grouped thematically by specific approaches, including abstraction and figuration, nature and artifice, social observation and critique, with essays and feature spreads for each section, this selection of international artists of diverse backgrounds and experience includes not only recognizable names such as Michael Armitage, Camille Henrot, Robert Longo, Amy Sillman and Kara Walker, but also a host of emerging talents. Beautifully presented in a visually appealing and tactile format with the feel of an artists portfolio, this is an inspiring overview of the best drawing practice today.

Drawing in the Present Tense

Rosalind E. Krauss

William Kentridge

Kate McCrickard

This unique and beautifully presented book includes almost one hundred prints in all media, from 1991 to the present, with a stress on experimental, collaborative and serial works. William Kentridge's distinctive use of light and shadow and silhouettes, his concern with memory and perspective, and his absorption in literary texts, are all strongly in evidence throughout this book, which provides new insights into the working methods of this prolific artist. Kentridge is internationally acclaimed for his drawings, films and theatre and opera productions. He is also an innovative and prolific printmaker; he started his career studying etching at the Johannesburg Art Foundation, and printmaking has remained central to his work ever since. Over the past 25 years, he has produced more than three hundred prints - etchings, engravings, aquatints, silkscreens, linocuts and lithographs - often experimenting with challenging formats and combinations of printing techniques to create highly-worked, intensely atmospheric imagery. Kentridge is producing 40 new prints for the accompanying exhibition some of which will be illustrated in this book. His prints range in scale from intimate etchings and drypoints to linocuts on rice paper and canvas measuring 2.5 metres high. Also featured is Portage (2000), an accordion-folded multi-panelled book, 4 metres long, with torn paper silhouetted figures dancing across unbound pages of the French encyclopedia Le Nouveau Larousse Illustre. The procession is one of Kentridge's great themes, ultimately a symbol of humanity's journey through life.

William Kentridge as Printmaker

A Universal Archive

How contemporary artists draw the human figure in an affordable, up-to-date and well-illustrated survey, covering an eclectic range of drawing styles and media Drawing Peopleis a thoughtful and beautifully illustrated survey of the most compelling and inventive drawings of the human form being produced today by 70 contemporary artists from around the world. An introduction places the medium of drawing in its historical context, discussing its intersection with photography, painting, collage and illustration, as well as its ability to intimately express thought, personality and emotion, as well as fundamental questions about identity. Five chapters―Body, Self, Personal Lives, Social Realityand Fictions―include short introductions outlining each theme, followed by generously illustrated profiles on individual artists exploring their style, approach to the medium and the ideas, narratives and inspirations that lie behind their mark-making. A selection of finely reproduced images highlights the latest work by each artist. Drawing Peoplefeatures an international roster of artists working with pencil, ink, watercolor, charcoal and crayon, including Francis Alÿs, Charles Avery, Louise Bourgeois, Francesco Clemente, Adam Dant, Marlene Dumas, Dr. Lakra, Paul McCarthy, Nalini Malani, Wangechi Mutu, Raymond Pettibon, Rosemarie Trockel, Tal R, Marcel Dzama, Barry McGee, Amy Sillman and Kara Walker. Together, their drawings and sketches, illustrations and animations bring to life one of the most creatively rich and emotionally powerful forms of art being made today. An essential book for students and practicing artists.

Roger Malbert

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