What Artists Wear
£12.30£14.20 (-13%)
*A Financial Times Book of the Year*
‘The first time I opened What Artists Wear, I gasped with pleasure. Imagine it as a kind of punk cousin to John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, liberally illustrated with the most astonishing images of artists, decked out in finery or rags … It transported me to somewhere glamorous, exciting, even revolutionary’ Olivia Laing, Guardian
Most of us live our lives in our clothes without realizing their power. But in the hands of artists, garments reveal themselves. They are pure tools of expression, storytelling, resistance and creativity: canvases on which to show who we really are.
In What Artists Wear, style luminary Charlie Porter takes us on an invigorating, eye-opening journey through the iconic outfits worn by artists, in the studio, on stage, at work, at home and at play. From Yves Klein’s spotless tailoring to the kaleidoscopic costumes of Yayoi Kusama and Cindy Sherman; from Andy Warhol’s signature denim to Charlotte Prodger’s casualwear, Porter’s roving eye picks out the magical, revealing details in the clothes he encounters, weaving together a new way of understanding artists, and of dressing ourselves.
Part love letter, part guide to chic, and featuring generous photographic spreads, What Artists Wear is both a manual and a manifesto, a radical, gleeful, inspiration to see the world anew-and find greater pleasure and possibility in the clothes we all wear.
Read more
Additional information
| Publisher | Penguin, 1st edition (27 May 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 376 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0141991259 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0141991252 |
| Dimensions | 11.2 x 2.9 x 18.2 cm |
by IY
I’ve been following Charlie Porter’s fashion columns for many years and was happy to find this book and pre-ordered it! The book is filled with stories about the artists most of whom we know through their artwork but not much about their personal lives and Charlie taps into that humanly aspect by questioning what clothes the artists wore. It’s such an inspiring book to read and to me it really gave life to these great names from the art industry. I love that it’s not so about the trend or what these artists saw suitable to be clothed in as a way to give image to their names but just simply what they wore as a way to understand their personalities almost and how sometimes these artists would use the clothes in their artworks. Highly recommended.
by Eve D
There’s a lightness of touch in Charlie Porter’s writing that encourages you to ask questions and re-consider what you see. His knowledge is obvious, as is his enthusiasm and it was a joy to read. The portrait of Duncan Grant in his tracksuit is worth the price alone. Also really liked the format – accessible rather than glossy and exclusive.
by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
Porter’s book really communicates the emotional and human aspect of getting dressed that is so often omitted from books on ‘fashion’. Probably because he employs clothing as an entry point to access the psyche of the creatives he profiles and really explores what clothes meant to their lives and how their lives are imbued into their clothes. This was an accessible and enjoyable read, and I love that there were images dotted throughout the text. A book I will return to dip in and out of regularly. Perfect gift for those interested in clothing and the arts, I’ve already bought another for a friend.
by Rowan
Taste art and fashion are my favourite subjects I had high hopes for this book.
Unfortunately the author is of the opinion that is is trendy to be anti white men and has ruined what could be a fabulous book by his constant attacks on white men. Let me be clear here I am not of the opinion that a white patriarchal society has not caused one hell of a lot of problems but this book is about art and fashion and turning every chapter into a rant against white men just appears in my opinion to be off subject and for the purpose of the author to be seen as trendy. I tried to not let this annoy and continue reading but have just got bored now.
by Gary Fab
I read this because Olivia Laing writes about it in her book: Funny Weather: Art In An Emergency. I loved it so much I wanted to read everything she mentions. This is an interesting set of essays about art and clothing and how the two are entwined. Each chapter has a slightly different focus. Sometimes it’s about how the clothing is integral to understanding the artwork, as in the performance art of Gilbert and George. Other times it’s the practicalities of how artist’s survive in miserable conditions while they make their art. Other times it’s the fertile friendships between artists and fashion designers and what that brings to both, as in the relationship with Louise Bourgeois and Helmut Lang. It was a captivating and interesting read.
by Rowan
Book itself is wonderful the content is what I am rating. Its not the end of the world But I was really looking forward to getting this book and wanted to wrap up as a gift, it looks like I’ve already bashed it about a lot. The condition the book arrived in was not good.
by Denio
Beautifully illustrated and well structured throughout . About halfway through in it drifts into a student essay on social justice theory with daft examples of how a hoodie has connotations of X Y Z etc. A shame as generally a great read.
by isabella
Really good read. Highly recommend!