Claire Gilman – författare

A richly illustrated, up-to-the-minute overview of new approaches in drawing, set in the context of recent developments of other forms of contemporary art. This book explores the variety of ways in which contemporary artists from around the world have come to approach drawing as the primary, sometimes the sole, element of their practice, and one which is autonomous: an end in itself rather than a means to an end in another, more substantial medium. In an era of advanced technologies where image production has accelerated – potentially beyond the capacity of human attention – what values can be attributed to the slow, deliberate process of drawing by hand? The artworks featured in this volume are not confined to traditional tools – one can also draw on a computer, tablet or smartphone, and examples of digital drawing are incorporated into the narrative not as a separate category but as one medium among many. Grouped thematically by specific approaches, including abstraction and figuration, nature and artifice, social observation and critique, with essays and feature spreads for each section, this selection of international artists of diverse backgrounds and experience includes not only recognizable names such as Michael Armitage, Camille Henrot, Robert Longo, Amy Sillman and Kara Walker, but also a host of emerging talents. Beautifully presented in a visually appealing and tactile format with the feel of an artist’s portfolio, this is an inspiring overview of the best drawing practice today.

This beautiful book presents valuable new information and context about how tarot has developed, evolved, and been reimagined by artists, mystics, and writers over the centuries, from its origins as a fifteenth-century card game in Renaissance Italy to its profound transformations into tools for divination, artistic creation, and storytelling. This new volume fills a very real - and timely - gap in the currently available published material on the history and artistic development of tarot, its symbolism, and its source of inspiration for contemporary artists.An illustrated introduction plus six other richly illustrated essays explore the extensive history of tarot, the origins of the cards, their iconography, the idea of individual engagement in fortune and divination, as well as the highly personal aspects in much of the imagery. A main plates section features twenty-two spreads of tarot cards, comparing the same character or virtue cards across three Renaissance decks as well as the extraordinary range of imaginative tarot imagery.