33 Artists in 3 Acts

By: Sarah Thornton

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

33 Artists in 3 Acts offers unprecedented access to a dazzling range of artists, from international superstars to unheralded art teachers. Sarah Thornton's beautifully paced, fly-on-the-wall narratives include visits with Ai Weiwei before and after his imprisonment and Jeff Koons as he woos new customers in London, Frankfurt, and Abu Dhabi. She meets Yayoi Kusama in her studio around the corner from the Tokyo asylum that she calls home. She snoops in Cindy Sherman's closet, hears about Andrea Fraser's psychotherapist, and spends quality time with Laurie Simmons, Carroll Dunham, and their daughters Lena and Grace.

Through these intimate scenes, 33 Artists in 3 Acts explores what it means to be a real artist in the real world. Divided into three cinematic "acts" - politics, kinship, and craft - it investigates artists' psyches, personas, politics, and social networks. Witnessing their crises and triumphs, Thornton turns a wry, analytical eye on their different answers - and non-answers - to the question, "What is an artist?"

©2014 Sarah Thornton (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"With effortless sophistication, Thornton takes readers on a journey across the globe and into the homes and minds of contemporary artists." ( Publishers Weekly)

Very interesting interview reportage

The narrative flows nicely from one artist to the next.The author incorporates not only insights into the specific artists' approaches and philosophies but puts it all in a global context. The author looks at the people and the rolls they play in the art world today. It's difficult to conclude after listening to this book, that what is being touted today as the best contemporary art will stand the test of time.

A Insight worthy of reading

Would you listen to 33 Artists in 3 Acts again? Why?

relevant to the time we are living, useful information. a journalistic view.

What did you like best about this story?

the insights to why artist are artist.

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Sarah Thornton's other book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

no. this book is objective and truthful. non what so ever romancing.

Any additional comments?

sarah thornton is a good read, unfortunately is all just a lavish world she spins around in.

Great for contemporary art nerds

Contemporary art is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy the philosophical playground that the living art world has built for us, then you will love the interviews in this book. I don't know that I truly grasp the "3 acts" concept as it really just feels like a collection of interviews, but that does not really detract from the content. My favorite part was actually just learning what all of these key players think about each other as they occupy common territory in the art world.

Insightful - fun to listen to

Where does 33 Artists in 3 Acts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The value in this book is the insightful perspective the author has garnered over many years in the art world--perhaps better access than anyone among this segment of the art world. Her writing is superb, fun and entertaining besides educational.

This is how it is!

It makes one aware of the different components of the art world, and how they shape our cultural bias. I especially liked the way the author wove all aspects of the artists lives throughout the book.

Another hit from Thornton

Good book of art world gossip and humanizing interviews with the artists. The audio performance was really great. I would rec.

entertaining, enlightening

Would you listen to 33 Artists in 3 Acts again? Why?

This book delivers on its promise. It takes you into the lives of several contemporary artists, and it revealed the state of modern art.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 33 Artists in 3 Acts?

The moments when Thornton was able to bring us into the artists' process were the most fascinating to me. Mainly, because many times, I had to reconsider what I thought art was - and what the role of the artist was in its creation.

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard any other performances.

Very interesting, not engaging read

Love the interviews. Sarah Thornton def had lovely access. Not so into her descriptions and francophiliac writing. Not a fan of the narrator. All that said, totally worth the listen. Excellent subjects and interviews.

Abridgements. Doesn't match text in kindle book

Unfortunately, the audiobook simplifies words and phrases that are in the eBook. If you are listening and reading them together, this is disconcerting. On their own, each form of this book (audio, text) are very good.

Fabulous!!

If you could sum up 33 Artists in 3 Acts in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating, enlightening and real.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 33 Artists in 3 Acts?

I loved Sarah Thorton's subtle comparison of Ai Weiwei with Jeff Koons. I had never considered the artists to be opposites before and yet their work symbolically critiques each other. Brilliant!

What about Tavia Gilbert’s performance did you like?

Gilbert's inflection was perfect, her pauses were appropriate and her voice felt warm and welcoming. I enjoyed spending 12 hours in the car with her.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could never listen to this book in a single sitting. I listened to it in 30 minute chunks, and it gave me a lot to think about at the end of each day.

Any additional comments?

This book is for art lovers and delves deep into the art market. A text version of this book with photos would be much more enjoyable to a casual art lover. I would only listen to this audio book if you already have a strong background of contemporary art history and know several of the artists that Thornton writes about.