From the Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of How to Be an Artist: a deliciously readable survey of the art world in turbulent times
Jerry Saltz has long been an essential voice on art and artists, advocating fervently for art's place in culture. Since the '90s, he has captivated readers with his wit and provocations. He's championed female, African American, LGBTQ+, and other society-minimized creators. Sotheby's Institute of Art calls him "the art critic." In Art Is Life, Saltz surveys contemporary art, revealing how artists react to events like 9/11 and current crises. He profiles pioneers like Kara Walker, Jeff Koons, and Willem de Kooning, and highlights Obama portraits and Kim Kardashian. Saltz also shares his own history of a haunted childhood and time as a "failed artist."
With his signature blend of candor and conviction, Jerry Saltz argues in Art Is Life for the importance of the fearless artist—reminding us that art is a kind of channeled voice of human experience, a necessary window onto our times. The result is an openhearted and irresistibly readable appraisal by one of our most important cultural observers.
