Artists' Lives

Engaging encounters, personal anecdotes, and jargon-free critical insights into some of the liveliest creative minds in modern art, by an international art-world insider.

The Art NewspaperMichael Peppiatt’s lively, engaging writing introduces us to many notable art-world personalities, such as the Catalan painter Antoni Tàpies, whom he visits in his studio, and moments of disillusion, such as his meeting with the self-mythologizing artist Balthus. Art criticism blends with anecdote: Peppiatt recalls riding with Lucian Freud in his Bentley, drinking with Bacon in Soho, and many more revealing moments.This collection of Peppiatt’s most perceptive texts includes encounters with underrecognized artists, such as Dachau survivor Zoran Mušic, or Montenegrin artist Dado, whose retrospective Peppiatt curated at the 2009 Venice Biennale.Remarkably varied in their scope and lucidly written for a general reader, these selected essays not only provide us with perceptive commentary and acute critical judgment, they also give a unique personal insight into some of the greatest creative minds of the modern era. This book is a must-read for all lovers of modernism and post-war paintingin particular.