Listen free for 30 days
-
Art Is Life
- Icons and Iconoclasts, Visionaries and Vigilantes, and Flashes of Hope in the Night
- Narrated by: Jerry Saltz, Mark Bramhall
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $29.14
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
From the Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author of How to Be an Artist: a deliciously comprehensible survey of the art world in turbulent times.
Jerry Saltz is one of our most-watched writers about art and artists and a passionate champion of the importance of art in our shared cultural life. Since the 1990s he has been an indispensable cultural voice: Witty and provocative, he has attracted contemporary listeners to fine art as few critics have. An early champion of forgotten and overlooked women artists, he has also celebrated the pioneering work of African American, LGBTQ+, and other long-marginalized creators. Sotheby's Institute of Art has called him, simply, “the art critic”.
Now, in Art Is Life, Jerry Saltz draws on two decades of work to offer a real-time survey of contemporary art as a barometer of our times. Chronicling a period punctuated by dramatic turning points—from the cultural reset of 9/11 to the rolling social crises of today—Saltz traces how visionary artists have both documented and challenged the culture. Art Is Life offers Saltz’s eye-opening appraisals of trailblazers like Kara Walker, David Wojnarowicz, Hilma af Klint, and Jasper Johns; provocateurs like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, and Marina Abramović; and visionaries like Jackson Pollock, Bill Traylor, and Willem de Kooning. Saltz celebrates landmarks like the Obama portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, writes searchingly about disturbing moments such as the Ankara gallery assassination, and offers surprising takes on figures from Thomas Kinkade to Kim Kardashian. And he shares stories of his own haunted childhood, his time as a “failed artist”, and his epiphanies upon beholding work by Botticelli, Delacroix, and the cave painters of Niaux.
With his signature blend of candor and conviction, Jerry Saltz argues in Art Is Life for the importance of the fearless artist—reminding us that art is a kind of channeled voice of human experience, a necessary window onto our times. The result is an openhearted and irresistibly enjoyable appraisal by one of our most important cultural observers.
You may also enjoy...
-
How to Be an Artist
- Written by: Jerry Saltz
- Narrated by: Jerry Saltz
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz, one of the art world’s most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration - and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt - Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief.
-
-
Blunt
- By Ryan Leacock on 2023-10-17
Written by: Jerry Saltz
-
The Story of Art Without Men
- Written by: Katy Hessel
- Narrated by: Katy Hessel
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway? Guided by Katy Hessel, art historian and founder of @thegreatwomenartists, discover the glittering paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century United States, and the artist who really invented the "readymade." Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of postwar artists in Latin America, and the women defining art in the 2020s.
-
-
Buy the hard copy!
- By M Pal on 2023-07-15
Written by: Katy Hessel
-
Your Brain on Art
- How the Arts Transform Us
- Written by: Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross
- Narrated by: Ellyn Jameson
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is art? Many of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.
-
-
Powerful & Important
- By Eve Weinberg on 2023-06-04
Written by: Susan Magsamen, and others
-
Make Your Art No Matter What
- Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
- Written by: Beth Pickens
- Narrated by: Beth Pickens
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you are an artist, you need to make your art. That's not an overstatement - it's a fact; if you stop doing your creative work, your quality of life is diminished. But what do you do when life gets in the way? In this down-to-earth handbook, experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life's inevitable obstacles and distractions. This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome.
-
-
struggled to finish
- By Tisha on 2023-11-07
Written by: Beth Pickens
-
The Creative Act
- A Way of Being
- Written by: Rick Rubin
- Narrated by: Rick Rubin
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world.
-
-
Better books out there
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-01-26
Written by: Rick Rubin
-
Art & Fear
- Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
- Written by: David Bayles, Ted Orland
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing free will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
-
-
Great read for Artists
- By Nameless on 2018-01-20
Written by: David Bayles, and others
-
How to Be an Artist
- Written by: Jerry Saltz
- Narrated by: Jerry Saltz
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz, one of the art world’s most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration - and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt - Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief.
-
-
Blunt
- By Ryan Leacock on 2023-10-17
Written by: Jerry Saltz
-
The Story of Art Without Men
- Written by: Katy Hessel
- Narrated by: Katy Hessel
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway? Guided by Katy Hessel, art historian and founder of @thegreatwomenartists, discover the glittering paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century United States, and the artist who really invented the "readymade." Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of postwar artists in Latin America, and the women defining art in the 2020s.
-
-
Buy the hard copy!
- By M Pal on 2023-07-15
Written by: Katy Hessel
-
Your Brain on Art
- How the Arts Transform Us
- Written by: Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross
- Narrated by: Ellyn Jameson
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is art? Many of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.
-
-
Powerful & Important
- By Eve Weinberg on 2023-06-04
Written by: Susan Magsamen, and others
-
Make Your Art No Matter What
- Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
- Written by: Beth Pickens
- Narrated by: Beth Pickens
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you are an artist, you need to make your art. That's not an overstatement - it's a fact; if you stop doing your creative work, your quality of life is diminished. But what do you do when life gets in the way? In this down-to-earth handbook, experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life's inevitable obstacles and distractions. This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome.
-
-
struggled to finish
- By Tisha on 2023-11-07
Written by: Beth Pickens
-
The Creative Act
- A Way of Being
- Written by: Rick Rubin
- Narrated by: Rick Rubin
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world.
-
-
Better books out there
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-01-26
Written by: Rick Rubin
-
Art & Fear
- Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
- Written by: David Bayles, Ted Orland
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing free will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
-
-
Great read for Artists
- By Nameless on 2018-01-20
Written by: David Bayles, and others
-
Boom
- Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art
- Written by: Michael Shnayerson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The contemporary art market is an international juggernaut, throwing off multimillion-dollar deals as wealthy buyers move from fair to fair, auction to auction, party to glittering party. But none of it would happen without the dealers - the tastemakers who back emerging artists and steer them to success, often to see them picked off by a rival. Dealers operate within a private world of handshake agreements, negotiating for the highest commissions. Michael Shnayerson, a longtime contributing editor to Vanity Fair, writes the first-ever definitive history of their activities.
Written by: Michael Shnayerson
-
Picasso's War
- How Modern Art Came to America
- Written by: Hugh Eakin
- Narrated by: Mack Sanderson
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In January 1939, Pablo Picasso was renowned in Europe but disdained by many in the United States. One year later, Americans across the country were clamoring to see his art. How did the controversial leader of the Paris avant-garde break through to the heart of American culture? The answer begins a generation earlier, when a renegade Irish American lawyer named John Quinn set out to build the greatest collection of Picassos in existence. His dream of a museum to house them died with him, until it was rediscovered by Alfred H. Barr, Jr.
-
-
Absolutely Gripping
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-06-18
Written by: Hugh Eakin
-
Ninth Street Women
- Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art
- Written by: Mary Gabriel
- Narrated by: Lisa Stathoplos
- Length: 40 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five women revolutionize the modern art world in postwar America in this "gratifying, generous, and lush" true story from a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist (Jennifer Szalai, New York Times). Set amid the most turbulent social and political period of modern times, Ninth Street Women is the impassioned, wild, sometimes tragic, always exhilarating chronicle of five women who dared to enter the male-dominated world of 20th-century abstract painting - not as muses but as artists.
-
-
Incredible history
- By Lara F on 2024-05-21
Written by: Mary Gabriel
-
Hot, Cold, Heavy, Light, 100 Art Writings 1988-2018
- Written by: Peter Schjeldahl, Jarrett Earnest - introduction
- Narrated by: Peter Schjeldahl
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hot Cold Heavy Light collects 100 writings - some long, some short - that taken together form a group portrait of many of the world’s most significant and interesting artists. From Pablo Picasso to Cindy Sherman, Old Masters to contemporary masters, paintings to comix, and saints to charlatans, Schjeldahl ranges widely through the diverse and confusing art world, an expert guide to a dazzling scene.
-
-
Chapters
- By J. Grier on 2020-10-18
Written by: Peter Schjeldahl, and others
-
It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond
- Artist's Way
- Written by: Julia Cameron, Emma Lively
- Narrated by: Heather Henderson
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When someone retires, the newfound freedom can be quite exciting, but also daunting. The life that someone had has changed, and the life to come is yet to be defined. In this book, Julia Cameron tells listeners how cultivating their creative selves can help them navigate this new terrain. She tells the inspiring stories of retirees who discovered new artistic pursuits and passions that more than filled their days - they nurtured their souls.
-
-
Very helpful.
- By Ted on 2020-08-15
Written by: Julia Cameron, and others
-
Creative Calling
- Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life
- Written by: Chase Jarvis
- Narrated by: Chase Jarvis
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Life isn’t about “finding” fulfillment and success - it’s about creating it. Why then has creativity been given a back seat in our culture? No longer. Creativity is a force inside every person that, when unleashed, transforms our lives and delivers vitality to everything we do. Establishing a creative practice is therefore our most valuable and urgent task - as important to our well-being as exercise or nutrition. The good news? Renowned artist, author, and CreativeLive founder, Chase Jarvis, reminds us that creativity isn't a skill - it's a habit available to everyone.
-
-
Highly Recommended
- By Anonymous User on 2019-10-27
Written by: Chase Jarvis
What the critics say
“The world’s most famous and celebrated contemporary art critic.”—GQ
“One of the most powerful art critics today.”—Time Out
“A critic of the people, bringing art to a broader audience.”—Architectural Digest
What listeners say about Art Is Life
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Catherine Dove
- 2024-05-04
Frank, insightful and engaging for art lovers
Mostly American, mostly well-known contemporary artists and art scene viewed critically and generously, getting into the issues that concern artists today. Fun and inclusive. Jerry reveals something of himself too, which kept it real....
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-07-07
A Real Human
Jerry Saltz became part of my daily life. I’d wake up and listen to him before breakfast. He would always start my day. His slow, well chosen words were like watching a landscape painting , they were calming and kind. Even when he was looking at art which visually I didn’t want in my head or eyes, he found good things to say and was severely honest. I believed him. The last two chapters proved to me what a very nice man this is indeed, and I don’t come across those that often. Pro all underdogs of the art world, he gives everyone a chance and seems to think they all have a chance at art. His writing is unique, it’s lulling, it slows down the world and makes us look at art and life at a pace we should all live at. He lives many, many miles from me, in a different country no less, but I felt he was my neighbor,the kind you want next door. I loved so much of his writing, his unique view of life, and I grew not to care about the art, but more how he felt about it, and what words he would use to tell their story. I love his writing. It’s familiar and new at the same time. He’s a simple man with a worldly view, and I just want to know what he has to say. His chapter on Jasper Johns made me want to buy this book, it’s the kindest summary of any artist/human being. He does what he says Johns does- he looks and looks and looks. …. At everything. I have already told all my artist friends to buy the book, get it from the library, get it into your life one way or a other. It will enrich your very soul.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!