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Join the art critic Ben Eastham on a private tour of an extraordinary museum. Let him walk you through a building constructed from memory and filled with a series of bewildering art works, while he delivers a guide comprised of personal experience, professional expertise and sympathy.In this stunningly original book, an introduction to contemporary art is combined with the author's own memories and reflections on what art means. With the help of a cast of interfering security guards, pretentious curators, sceptical visitors, angry protestors and elusive ghosts, Eastham proposes that the art of today offers a way of understanding our increasingly strange and complex times.Eastham doesn't ask you to like the artworks in his imaginary museum, but offers the tools for you to formulate and express your own opinion of them. He argues that art should be judged by the feelings it provokes and the conversations it generates: in talking about art, we learn to talk about ourselves and the world in which we live.
This book offers a personal tour of contemporary art, framed as an exploration of an imaginary museum built from memory. The author, Ben Eastham, guides the reader through bewildering artworks, blending personal experience and professional expertise with reflections on art's meaning in our complex times. The narrative incorporates a cast of characters, including security guards, curators, protestors, and ghosts, to propose that contemporary art provides a lens through which to understand the modern world. Eastham encourages readers to develop their own opinions, arguing that art's value lies in the feelings it provokes and the conversations it generates, which in turn help us understand ourselves and our world.
The book is presented as a unique introduction to contemporary art, combining critical analysis with personal narrative. The author's approach of using an imaginary museum constructed from memory allows for a subjective yet informed exploration of modern artworks. The inclusion of various characters and scenarios suggests an engaging and unconventional method for discussing art's relevance and impact on society. The core argument posits that engaging with art, through discussion and personal reflection, enhances our understanding of both ourselves and the contemporary world.
Page Count:
144
Publication Date:
2020-10-27
Publisher:
TLS Books
ISBN-10:
0008375429
ISBN-13:
9780008375423
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