Get the Picture
A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See
by Bianca Bosker
I think it takes a considerable amount of courage to admit, as the author does in the introduction, that “a lot of the [contemporary] art I saw was barely recognizable as art”. And yet it is a very common sentiment. I myself stopped trying to “understand” what I saw in galleries and museums — I just decided that I liked some of it and was left indifferent to the rest. But Bianka Bosker does not give up so easily. With a level of obsession worthy of a medieval knight-errant, she sets out to explore the art world and comes back with a most strange tale to tell.
It is hilarious, but also very insightful and informative. I loved her writing, her uncanny ability to capture things in perfect phrases. The book is full of keen observations (“I’d noticed that art devotees spoke like they were trapped in dictionaries and being forced to chew their way out”) and deep dives into the history of art and the human connection to it. In all its intensity, it was a slow read for me, I had to take breaks — but each time I returned to it, I was immediately captivated.
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
