Kate Bryan – författare

The Art of Love tells the stories of the most fascinating couples of the art world – uncovering the passionate, challenging and loving relationships behind some the world's greatest works of art. Kate Bryan (broadcaster, writer and curator) delves into the complex world of artistic relationships, exploring the nuanced ways in which art and love can share the same space. When two married artists collaborate, do they ever get a moment off? What happens when love fades and two artists, known by one moniker, part? When a couple work independently, how do they manage jealousy and competition? In this book, you’ll meet love in all its glorious and complicated forms, including unlikely couples with conflicting philosophies (Yayoi Kusama & Joseph Cornell); unconventional marriages that prove love has many guises (Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera); couples who suffered from intense, public burnout (Marina Abramovic & Ulay); soul mates who found safety in each other (Ethel Mars & Maud Hunt Squire); and bitter rivalries that weren't built to last (Jasper Johns & Robert Rauschenberg).Through evocative stories and beautiful illustrations, Kate tells of the formation, and sometimes breakdown, of each romance – documenting their highs and lows and revealing just how powerful love can be in the creative process. Whether long-lasting, peaceful collaborations, or short-lived tumultuous affairs, The Art of Love, opens the door on some of the greatest love stories of the twentieth century.

'Bryan’s writing pops and zings like a Basquiat painting' – NOEL FIELDINGIn Bright Stars, Kate Bryan examines the lives and legacies of 30 great artists who died too young, celebrating their inspirational stories and extraordinary talent. Some of the world’s greatest and most-loved artists died under the age of forty. But how did they turn relatively short careers into such long legacies? What drove them to create, against all the odds? And how can we use these stories to re-evaluate artists lost to the shadows, or whose legacies are not yet secured? Most artists have decades to hone their craft, win over the critics and forge their reputation, but that’s not the case for the artists in this book. Art heavyweights Vincent van Gogh and Jean-Michel Basquiat have been mythologised, with their early deaths playing a key role in their posthumous fame. Others, such as Aubrey Beardsley and Noah Davis, were driven to create, knowing their time was limited. For some, premature death, compounded by gender and racial injustice, meant being left out of the history books – as was the case with Amrita Sher-Gil, Charlotte Salomon and Pauline Boty, now championed by Kate Bryan in this important re-appraisal. And, as Caravaggio and Vermeer’s stories show us, it can take centuries for forgotten artists to be given the recognition they truly deserve.  With each artist comes a unique and often surprising story about how lives full of talent and tragedy were turned into brilliant legacies that still influence and inspire us today. This is a celebration of talent so great it shines on.Beautifully illustrated with portraits of the artists, as well as reproductions of some of their most famous works, this important and timely work makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of the lives of some of the most talented artists throughout history.****************'Bryan’s writing pops and zings like a Basquiat painting – and reminds us why truly great artists are immortal.' –NOEL FIELDING'Bright Stars is a compelling reflection on the concept of legacy. Bryan’s wide ranging assessment of artists we lost too soon proves that longevity in art is rewarded to the stars that burn the brightest, however fleeting their lives and careers.' – MARIA BALSHAW, DIRECTOR OF TATE'Kate Bryan marshalls a wealth of fascinating detail about artists’s lives cut sadly short … and in sprightly prose brings their work vividly to life.' – JOAN BAKEWELL****************The ArtistsKeith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Caravaggio, Dash Snow, Vincent van Gogh, Amedeo Modigliani, Francesca Woodman, Ana Mendieta, Félix González-Torres, Raphael, Yves Klein, Gordon Matta-Clark, Robert Mapplethorpe, Egon Schiele, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Amrita Sher-Gil, Johannes Vermeer, Robert Smithson, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Aubrey Beardsley, Noah Davis, Eva Hesse, Charlotte Salomon, Umberto Boccioni, Gerda Taro, Joanna Mary Boyce, Pauline Boty, Helen Chadwick, Khadija Saye, Bartholomew Beal.

'Finally! Art without terror!' PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE'Puts art in our lives, our homes, our hearts' RICHARD CURTIS'A breath of fresh air' PHILIPPA PERRY'Read it, enjoy it and be liberated' DAILY MIRRORWhat is art, where do I find it, and once I’m in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it?Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she’d been into a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world.Now, she’s on a mission to help everybody come to art. Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people’s deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives.So here, in HOW TO ART, is a nifty way to take art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy really famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, through to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone, and makes it fun.Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley'Like food, art has that wonderful ability to bring us joy. Kate is the perfect expert to help us all develop a more meaningful relationship with art.' JAMIE OLIVER'Joyous and liberating ... if art slightly scares you, or if you’ve ever stood in front of a painting feeling gauche and tongue-tied, you’re going to love it.' INDIA KNIGHT'The definitive "how to" guide to not being intimidated by the world of art and artists. It brings joy, which is a powerful thing.' MARIA BALSHAW, DIRECTOR OF TATE

'Finally! Art without terror!' PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE'Puts art in our lives, our homes, our hearts' RICHARD CURTIS'A breath of fresh air' PHILIPPA PERRY'Read it, enjoy it and be liberated' DAILY MIRRORWhat is art, where do I find it, and once I’m in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it?Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she’d been into a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world.Now, she’s on a mission to help everybody come to art. Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people’s deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives.So here, in HOW TO ART, is a nifty way to take art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy really famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, through to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone, and makes it fun.Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley'Like food, art has that wonderful ability to bring us joy. Kate is the perfect expert to help us all develop a more meaningful relationship with art.' JAMIE OLIVER'Joyous and liberating ... if art slightly scares you, or if you’ve ever stood in front of a painting feeling gauche and tongue-tied, you’re going to love it.' INDIA KNIGHT'The definitive "how to" guide to not being intimidated by the world of art and artists. It brings joy, which is a powerful thing.' MARIA BALSHAW, DIRECTOR OF TATE

Brought to you by Penguin.What is art, where do I find it, and once I'm in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it?Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she'd been into a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world.Now, she's on a mission to help everybody come to art. Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people's deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives.So here, in HOW TO ART, is a nifty way to take art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy really famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, through to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone, and makes it fun.'Finally! Art without terror!' Phoebe Waller-Bridge'A completely joyful book about the joy of art. A cracking, easy read that puts art in our lives, our homes, our hearts' Richard Curtis'A whole art education in one book. Written in accessible language, communicating the joy that is art, both to make and to look at. It's what the art world needs - fresh air' Philippa Perry'In this book, you hold in your hand a set of luminous keys to infinite doors in the world of art.' Es Devlin'The definitive 'how to' guide to not being intimidated by the world of art and artists. It brings joy, which is a powerful thing' Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate(c) Kate Bryan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025