33 Artists in 3 Acts - Hardcover

Sarah Thornton's Seven Days in the Art World was named one of the best art books of the year by the New York Times and is available in sixteen languages. She was the chief writer on contemporary art for the Economist. She holds a BA in art history and a PhD in sociology.

“A masterful picture of 33 artists, keenly bringing details of their lives to the surface with a skilled hand...With effortless sophistication, Thornton takes readers on a journey across the globe and into the homes and minds of contemporary artists. In the process, she banishes cynicism about modern art, revealing it to be a volatile, healthy enterprise still deeply engaged with the world.”
- Publishers Weekly, Starred review

“[A]n invaluable, incisive, and exciting guide to today's deliriously diverse, sophisticated, scandalous, and profound art world.”
- Donna Seaman, Booklist, Starred Review

“How can one be a real artist in the real world? Thornton sets off to find out, meeting and debating with many of the most important artists around the globe. Credibility, integrity, legitimacy, recognition and truth in art are all tackled here. While the basis of the book is contemporary art, the themes are of universal interest.”
- The Bookseller

“Writing with verve, insight and authenticity...Thornton's method is to let her hubristic subjects hang themselves by their own nooses. She is skillfully nuanced on the artist Christian Marclay.”
- Financial Times

“Engaging and ingenious.”
- The New Statesman

“A vivid and entertaining read...Thornton meets some interesting artists and her direction can be playful. Her interviews with Andrea Fraser stand out, as do all her meetings with Ai Weiwei.”
- The Guardian

“Thornton nails some wonderful portraits of the people that, well, do wonderful portraits. These characters are no longer creators of icons but icons themselves and Thornton is in the front pew―but taking notes, not praying at all.”
- Monocle

“[Thornton's] interviews, interwoven to show conjunctions and contrasts, cohere into a strong three-part whole―first politics, then kinship, and finally, a readable interrogation of what's so often overlooked: craft.”
- Boris Kachka, New York Magazine

“Inspiring―as unique as each of the artists featured.”
- Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times

“A readable, approachable introduction to the rock stars of [contemporary art] and their work.”
- Kevin O’Kelly, Christian Science Monitor