May 112013
The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed
Listen closely…can you hear it?
Can you hear the voices? Thoughts, insights, confessions from the creative community sharing ideas, trading secrets, venting frustrations; asking and answering questions such as, “What color rarely shows up in your work?” or “How do you express vulnerability in your art?” Or “What is one current trend that you wish would go away?” As artists, we are curious by nature and there is a longing to see inside the hearts and minds of artistic souls of our own ki
List Price: $ 24.99
Price: $ 8.26
An amazing look into the minds of many artists,
Heads up, guys. A new book is in town and it’s one of the best books on the relationship of the artist and his/her work I’ve put my hands on in a good long while.
In Seth’s first (amazing) book, “The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed” he has curated a beautifully diverse group of artist not only in the mediums they work in, but also in age, gender, life experiences, and aesthetics. The book is full of juicy artwork and equally as thirst-quenching q&a’s by the artists. The questions Seth asked the artists are extremely relevant especially today with the added complication that a public persona through the internet can be as an artist. I especially love pages 122-123. The question Seth presents there is “Is creativity built-in, learned, or both?” The answers are all so perfectly penned. (I was going to share a favorite but they are all amazing for different reasons.)
The questions Seth presents to the contributing artists are so centering in that they slide right in to the heart of what it means to be an artist and the aspects of life and identity that we have the experience of juggling more in the forefront than our non-artist counterparts. I love that so many perspectives are shared and yet there is the commonality of authenticity in each and every answer. If you are looking for a non-how-to book and more of a thoughtful conversation between artists about what it’s like on the inside of the artist mind, this is a fantastic choice. New and seasoned artists alike will benefit from asking themselves the same questions Seth presents in the books therefore resulting in a more authentic expression.
Well done, man!
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It’s Alive! (and kicking),
Seth Apter’s blog-gone-book will be the subject of art talk viral and actual for months to come. Maybe it’s inevitable that an artist with a Ph.D in psychology would always want/try to peel the proverbial onion when it comes to his art cohorts and peers, but Seth always takes it a step further and digs ever deeper with questions seeking answers cathartic and confessional. He pushes the limits in such a gently gracious manner – no it’s NOT cleverly diabolical! And artists respond. Obstacles, emotions, choices. Secrets, fears, desires, anger. The depths are plumbed. The book serves up 133 artists (and their diverse and wonder-full art) on a gorgeously graphic platter of layout and design. Dozens of questions are answered in more and less detail in the first two sections of the book by 31 featured artists, and the additional (100+) artists are highlighted in the final third section, with responses to still more questions presented statistically by percentage. Danny Gregory, Angela Cartwright, Michelle Ward, Robert Maloney, and Julie Prichard are a few of the fantastic artists Seth has brought together in another deliciously crafted North Light Books publication.
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Unique and wonderful,
This is the most refreshing book about art and artists I have seen published in quite some time. Not only does Mr. Apter present beautiful images for us to look at, he also, as a PHD in psychology, presents the world of art through the artists every thought. We travel through the creative process, in it’s most intimate details. Art therapy presented in a pure and easy to read way. Kudos to Seth Apter, for opening up the mind of the artist!
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