Cult Artists

50 Cutting-Edge Creatives You Need to Know

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Pub Date 03 Sep 2019 | Archive Date 24 Sep 2019

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Description

WHAT MAKES A CULT ARTIST? 
 
Whether pioneering in their craft, fiercely and undeniably unique, or critically divisive, cult artists come in all shapes and guises. Some gain instant fame, others instant notoriety, and more still remain anonymous until a chance change in fashion sees their work propelled into the limelight. 

In this nifty little book, Ana Finel Honigman handpicks a selection of inspiring artists you should know – from the iconic Salvador Dalí and Frida Kahlo, to radical activists such as the Guerrilla Girls and Ana Mendieta. The artistic mediums explored are similarly varied, with sculptors, performance, graffiti and fine artists alike. From little knowns with small, devout followings, to superstars gracing the covers of magazines, each is special in their individuality and their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight

Cult Artists is an essential addition to any art lover's library, as well as an entertaining introduction to our weird and wonderful art world.
 
Also in the series: Cult Filmmakers, Cult Musicians + Cult Writers

The artists: 
Dan Attoe, Balthus, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jospeh Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Louise Bourgeois, Leigh Bowery, Chris Burden, Sophie Calle, Chapman Brothers, Judy Chicago, Joseph Cornell, Molly Crabapple, Salvador Dali, Niki de Saint Phalle, Marcel Duchamp, El Anatsui, James Ensor, H. R. Giger, Gilbert & George, Guerrilla Girls, Nan Goldin, Jenny Holzer, Donna Huanca, Dorothy Iannone, Frida Kahlo, Allan Kaprow, Mike Kelley, Yves Klein, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Kazimir Malevich, Christian Marclay, Ana Mendieta, Alice Neel, Herman Nitsch, Yoko Ono, Orlan, Genesis P-orridge, Carol Rama, Faith Ringgold, Mark Rothko, Mark Ryden, Carolee Schneemann, Yinka Shonibare, Malick Sidibe, Stelarc, Florine Stettheimer, Kara Walker, David Wojnarowicz.

WHAT MAKES A CULT ARTIST? 
 
Whether pioneering in their craft, fiercely and undeniably unique, or critically divisive, cult artists come in all shapes and guises. Some gain instant fame, others...


Marketing Plan

Key Selling Points: Uniquely illustrated collection of boundary-pushing and often lesser known figures in the art world. Bite-sized, entertaining and accessible text opens up the art world to a wider audience. Appeals to a readership that seeks to celebrate difference, individuality and creative freedom.  

Key Campaign Activity Review pitch to art and history media

Trade: Finished Advances

Retail: Finished Advances

Consumer: Pitch to art magazines and websites for review, such as Artforum, Artvoices, Art and Living, Art Papers, ArtReview, Creative Quarterly, Room, Today’s Transitions, Design Observer, Quartz, Artsy, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, Gurnica, etc

Pitch with Cult Figures: Filmmakers NetGalley Leverage any US/Canada connections from author Pitch for gift guides

Key Selling Points: Uniquely illustrated collection of boundary-pushing and often lesser known figures in the art world. Bite-sized, entertaining and accessible text opens up the art world to a...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780711240292
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 144

Average rating from 20 members


Featured Reviews

"Cult Artists" by Ana Finel Honigman details the lives, artwork, and influence of 50 iconic artists who created unique and disruptive work that continues to challenge and change our understanding of art and society. These cult artists create from within communities that are often overlooked by art insiders. Some have underground followings, while others have permanently altered the mainstream. The majority of these artists created their art to fight against systems of social injustice. For example, everything Basquiat created was an attack on racism. P. Orridge fought for transgender rights. Many of these iconic artists were shaped by trauma, struggled with mental illness, or died tragically. They mastered the art of converting pain into progress. Their stories are fascinating, unique, entertaining, and shocking.

The artists included are Balthus, Leigh Bowery, Chris Burden, Sophie Calle, Chapman Brothers, Judy Chicago, Joseph Cornell, Molly Crabapple, Salvador Dalí , Niki de Saint Phalle, Marcel Duchamp, H. R. Giger, Guerrilla Girls, Nan Goldin, Jenny Holzer, Donna Huanca, Frida Kahlo, Allan Kaprow, Mike Kelley, Yves Klein, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Kazimir Malevich, Christian Marclay, Ana Mendieta, Alice Neel, Hermann Nitsch, Yoko Ono, ORLAN, Genesis P-Orridge, Carol Rama, Faith Ringgold, Mark Rothko, Carolee Schneemann, Mark Ryden, Yinka Shonibare, Malick Sidibé, Stelarc, Florine Stettheimer, Kara Walker, and David Wojnarowicz. I highly recommend this book for any artist or anyone interested in art history.

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A fascinating entertaining look at the iconic cult artists. Loved learning about how an artist attains that status 50 artists 50bios a lovely book beautifully put together and illustrated .Would make a lovely gift. #netgalley #quarobookd.

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as an ARC via NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The selection of 50 artists is a little expected and other times surprising. Its good mix of people. I do wish the mini bios were longer and maybe showed more of the artists works or working styles. It might not always be clear to a reader, who is not familiar with these artists, that the imagery showed with the author are references or representations of the artist’s work. I come from an art history background so I am very familiar with the artists and their work. I do appreciate that the bios and this book serve as introductions to the artists and are meant to intrigue readers to research them more. I think in that the book serves its purpose well.

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Fascinating - a professional and high quality book, rich in information, and made complete by attractive images. Worth the read, especially for art lovers.

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What a fine look at some of the most arresting modern artists! From Dalí to Kahlo, Balthus to Basquiat, Ono to Rothko, and even the radical Guerrilla Girls, CULT ARTISTS covers it all.

Delves into what creates an art cult figure and features background and works of artists in various media: Sculpture, performance, graffiti, and fine art. Perfect for collectors and students alike. 5/5

Pub Date 03 Sep 2019.

Thanks to Ana Finel Honigman, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#CultArtists #NetGalley

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Nice introduction to different artists that may be new to you. It is more of an introduction to the artists and their works. But no actual pieces are shown. More of a collection of artists to look at.

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This is a fascinating trot through the world of cult artists. Some well known like Frida Kahlo, Yayoi Kusama and Salvador Dali and some lesser known, but who nevertheless sound fascinating. This is a great book to dip in and out of. You learn so much more than just the biography of the artist. The text is written as appealingly as possible and gives a broad brush stroke to the time the artists were making their work and any political and social struggles they may have had to face so that you get a real sense of where the art they make is coming from. I enjoyed learning about artists that are new to me and have a list of their works that I want to look up. This, by the way, is the only thing I found frustrating about the book. It would have been brilliant to have an example of their work there too, although I realise that copyright restrictions might make that difficult to do.

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Another great book from this author. I previously read "Cult FIlmmakers". I like the simple plain format it is in, but wish with this one since it is about artists that it had illustrations of some of their artwork. Other than that it was a great history on artists.

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My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for granting my wish via NetGalley for Ana Finel Honigman’s ‘Cult Artists: 50 Cutting-edge Creatives You Need To Know’ in exchange for an honest review.

While a quite short book it contains a wealth of information. Honigman writes extensively on art and fashion for a number of publications and holds a doctorate in the History of Art from Oxford University.

Her Introduction sets out her criteria for selecting these particular artists. She references Paul Gaugin’s statement that art is either ‘revolution or plagiarism’ and states that the “fifty iconoclasts presented in this book deploy art as revolution”.

She also advises that as women artists remain under-represented in galleries(and paid less than their male counterparts) that her selection is weighted in favour of groundbreaking feminist perspectives.

She provides short entries on the lives, careers, and key works of her chosen 50. Each artist’s entry is accompanied by an illustrative portrait by Kristelle Rodeia that cleverly incorporated an aspect of their style into the image.

Of course, one difficulty with a collection of artists is having to describe in words their art, which can feel a little flat. I utilised the internet to access images of the artworks mentioned for each artist. It demonstrates what an educational resource the internet can be.

I read this over a few days and felt it is a perfect book to dip into to slowly expand my knowledge of cult artists. I met a few familiar names along the way and discovered many new ones.

A very informative book that is perfect for art lovers or as a gift for same.

I have preordered its hardback edition.

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An interesting book which depicts artist, in this and the last century, that had something to say through various media mediums about the world they shared. The biographies of each of the 50 artists are really interesting and the illustrations attached to each person is really thought provoking. A good read anyone interested in cult art

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This was a really fun and interesting book about cult artists. It's a nice way to learn and discover more, in addition it has some fun illustrations.

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This book is filled with overviews and introductions to 50 famous cult artists from the 20th century through into the 21st. These 50 notable modern artists are celebrated in this book. From iconic artists such as Frida Kahlo and Marcel Ducamp to the radical activists such as Guerrilla Girls. These artists featured use a wide range of mediums to create their work, including performance, sculpture, painting and graffitti (to name a few). Each artists has this in common: their individuality and their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight their audiences and the people around them.

The 50 artists featured: Dan Attoe, Balthus, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jospeh Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Louise Bourgeois, Leigh Bowery, Chris Burden, Sophie Calle, Chapman Brothers, Judy Chicago, Joseph Cornell, Molly Crabapple, Salvador Dali, Niki de Saint Phalle, Marcel Duchamp, El Anatsui, James Ensor, H. R. Giger, Gilbert & George, Guerrilla Girls, Nan Goldin, Jenny Holzer, Donna Huanca, Dorothy Iannone, Frida Kahlo, Allan Kaprow, Mike Kelley, Yves Klein, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Kazimir Malevich, Christian Marclay, Ana Mendieta, Alice Neel, Herman Nitsch, Yoko Ono, Orlan, Genesis P-orridge, Carol Rama, Faith Ringgold, Mark Rothko, Mark Ryden, Carolee Schneemann, Yinka Shonibare, Malick Sidibe, Stelarc, Florine Stettheimer, Kara Walker, and David Wojnarowicz.

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I think that this book is a great introduction to these 50 brilliant artists, many of whom I knew of beforehand and some that I sadly didn’t before I read this book. This book brilliantly introduces these 50 artists and their work in a simple easy to understand manner. The way that Honigman has written about these artists can be easily understood by people with different levels of art knowledge, from younger readers getting into art and wanting to discover more artists to older artists that want a simple reference to artists or to find more artists similar to ones they already know.

From reading this book I discovered more artists that I hadn’t heard of, or had only heard of by name, that I liked the work of. When reading I wanted to find out more about many of the artists featured.

So I think that this book is a great stepping point in doing research about artists, art movements, times in history and it’s relation to art, etc. Especially as it gives you a enough information without bombarding and overloading you with too much.

The only thing I would have liked was many some examples of the artists works alongside the information about the artist. I think that It would have been nice to have had that visual alongside the information to give you a better idea of their work. I did like the illustrations in this book, I thought that they were a very nice touch, but I would have liked examples of the artists work as well. Especially as this is a book about artists and their work you do expect some visual representation of their work even if it’s only one or two images. Saying this, it doesn’t detract from the information and you can do further research yourself I just think that it would just make it more accessible to a wider audience.

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This is a beautiful book with a varied collection of art. I would love to have a hard copy in my living room to flip through for inspiration.

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A precious book presenting the life of 50 art iconoclasts.

From Frida to Dali,from Basquiat to Guerilla Girls ,Ana Finel Honogman portrays the life of 50 modern artist: they have seen the world and created cutting edge works,each in a peculiar and distinctive way.

I enjoyed the book as it gave me the chance to discover artists I had never heard of. I would have loved to see some artists’ pieces in the book.

The language is accessible to different targets of readers, no matter what their knowledge of art culture is.

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A curious little volume of contemporary artists known for their eccentricities in work and life. Each page includes a description of the artist and his/her most (in)famous works, and a graphic illustration of the artist. Not for the weak-stomached (in one description alone, an artist crucified himself to a Volkswagen Beetle, had his assistant shoot him in the arm on film, and lived in a school locker for several days), but sure to fascinate.

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A fascinating overview of 50 cult artists. Some are well known, others more obscure(to me, at least!) but all have produced works which have got people talking. The entries are quite short but give enough information regarding the artist's lives and most famous works which give you a good starting point if you want to look further. The book also includes wonderful illustrations for each artist. I highly recommend it.

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