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Art Work

Art Work

On Creativity, Rejection, Tenacity and Luck

Summary

Art Work, by photographer and writer Sally Mann, offers a spellbinding mix of wild and illuminating stories, practical (and some impractical) advice, and life lessons for artists and writers—or anyone interested in the creative path. Written in the same frank, fearless, and occasionally outrageous tone of her bestselling memoir, Hold Still, this new book reaffirms Mann as a unique and resonant voice for our times and is destined to become a classic.

Illustrated throughout with photographs, journal entries, and letters that bring immediacy and poignancy to the narrative, Art Work is full of thought-provoking insights about the hazards of early promise; the unpredictable role of luck; the value of work, work, work, and more hard work; the challenges of rejection and distraction; the importance of risk-taking;
and the rewards of knowing why and when you say yes. In sparkling prose and thoughtfully juxtaposed visuals and ephemera, Art Work is a generous, provocative, and compulsively readable exploration of creativity by one of our most original thinkers.

Reviews


  • It seems unfair that an artist so gifted behind the camera should also be possessed of such a magnificent literary talent
    John Banville

About the author

Sally Mann

Sally Mann is one of America’s most renowned photographers. She has received numerous awards, including NEA, NEH and Guggenheim Foundation grants, and her work is held by major institutions internationally. She lives in Virginia.
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