Since the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York nearly 150 years ago, artists have lingered in its hallowed halls, taking inspiration from a collection that spans over five millennia. A new book celebrates this tradition in the 21st century. Based on a year-long web series by the Metropolitan Museum debuted between March 2015 and June 2016, The Artist Project features interviews with 120 well-known contemporary artists from around the world about works in the Met's collection that spark their imagination. Readers will be excited to discover the unexpected places where the artists find personal connection in one of the world's preeminent museums. Mark Bradford reflects on the emotional temperature of color in Clyfford Still's abstract paintings; Lee Ufan contemplates the magical aura of an 18th century Korean vase by an unknown artist; Liliana Porter admires how the precise details in portraiture from the late 15th century bring the subjects to life; Edmund de Waal marvels at the timelessness of a Ming dynasty white Chinese ewer; and Martha Rosler travels to the Cloisters where she considers the relation of historical and contemporary artistic practices and the broader purpose that art serves in society. Originally recorded for the Met's website, the interviews have been transcribed for the book and are accompanied by reproductions of each piece from the Met's collection alongside images of the artist's own workallowing readers to see for themselves the visual connections across time and cultures. The unique perspectives and thought-provoking insights offered by the artists will inspire readers to look at art in a new, more personal, way.

Autorentext

Thomas P. Campbell is the former director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Christopher Noey provides the introduction and was series director of The Artist Project web feature and is currently Senior Advisor in the Office of the Director at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Klappentext

Offers an interesting insight into what inspires artists today through 120 interviews with international contemporary artists who discuss works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

Zusammenfassung

120 of the world's most influential contemporary artists discuss the art that inspires them in this lavishly packaged and designed book.

"The Artist Project is the latest step among The Met's recent strides to better integrate contemporary art into its historical pantheon." Art News

Artists have long been stimulated and motivated by the work of those who came before them - sometimes, centuries before them. Interviews with 120 international contemporary artists discussing works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection that spark their imagination shed new light on art-making, museums, and the creative process. Images of the artworks appear alongside images of the contemporary artists' work, allowing readers to discover a rich web of visual connections that spans cultures and millennia.