The Lure of the Social

A modern-day Vasari's The Lives of The Artists for the era of socially engaged art, The Lure of the Social is an intimate journey with key individuals into the gatherings and institutions that make up the field. Coombs' voice is insightful and knowledgeable, and the writing is moving and often strikingly beautiful. While there are many, many books on Socially Engaged Art, the experimental and intensely personal nature of this book sets it apart. It is a book of and for the field. -- Stephen Duncombe, professor of media and culture at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the department of media, culture and communication at the Steinhardt School of New York University. Author of Dream: Re-Imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy Gretchen Coombs's important, engaging book puts the 'social' back into the often institutionalized medium of social practice. Through a series of studio visits, Coombs takes the reader behind the scenes, creating nuanced and telling portraits of some of today's leading practitioners. Coombs's approach-at once critical and anthropological-is blissfully unrhetorical. The Lure of the Social captures the heart of one of the most important artistic movements to emerge in the 21st century, and one that is here to stay. -- Chris Kraus, author of Social Practices and After Kathy Acker: A Literary Biography Artists and activists lured to the social-anyone interested in leaping the walls between art and life-will find this book a smart, accessible, and eye-opening treasure trove. It is full of fascinating projects, many new to me, presented on a first-name basis through the author's intimate discussions with the artists and facilitating organizations. The pros and cons of social practice art have rarely been so intelligently examined. -- Lucy R. Lippard, author of Undermining: A Wild Ride Through Land Use, Politics and Art in the Changing West