Art Monster

Art Monster can’t be contained in a blurb. Light on its toes and sharp in its wit, it’s both a celebration and an excoriation of New York’s art world. An absolute delight to read a book that deftly describes those of us who “yearn for the mud”— I loved it. -- Alexandra Auder, author of <i>Don’t Call Me Home</i> Kosut combines ethnography, cultural analysis, and personal essay in a way that feels seamlessly elegant and exceedingly smart. She possesses a sharp eye for the most telling of details, a level of analytic insight that would be the envy of even the most seasoned ethnographers, and tremendous literary skill. Engaging, lively, and beautifully written, this book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the social meaning and definition of artistic identity, what it means to do artistic labor, and the role of the arts in the social lives of cities. -- Anne Bowler, University of Delaware Art Monster is both an ode to and an interrogation of New York—amid the city's history, ambition, and impossibilities, what kinds of art can survive and flourish? Marin Kosut's pursuit of this answer is not to be missed—this is an important book for anyone making art right now. -- Chelsea Hodson, author of <i>Tonight I'm Someone Else</i> A must read for artists who don't believe in selling out, fear the inevitability of doing so, and are looking for company as they lay their course through late-stage art capitalism. -- Jenni Quilter, author of <i>New York Painters and Poets: Neon in Daylight</i>