A revealing collection of quotations from world-renowned artist Damien Hirst Hirst-isms is a collection of quotations-bold, surprising, often humorous, and always insightful-from celebrated artist Damien Hirst, whose controversial work explores the connections between art, religion, science, life, and death. Emerging in the 1990s as a leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs), Hirst first became famous and gained a reputation as a provocateur with a series of artworks featuring dead and sometimes dissected animals (including a shark, sheep, and cow) preserved in glass tanks filled with formaldehyde. Gathered from interviews and other primary sources and organized by subject, these quotations explore Hirst's early years, family life, and the beginnings of his fascination with art; the major themes of his work; his influences and heroes; his motivation; his process and the boundary-pushing production of his work; and his thoughts on the art world, fame, and money. The result is a comprehensive and nuanced book that sheds new light on a fascinating and important contemporary artist. Select quotations from the book: "The less I feel like an artist, the better I feel." "I like it when people love my art. I like it when people hate my art. I just don't want them to ignore my art." "Painting's like the most fabulous illusion, because there's nothing at stake. Except yourself." "I'm interested in the confusion between art and life, I like it when the world gets in the way." "Sometimes you have to step over the edge to know where it is."

An essential, inspiring collection of quotations about creativity, social justice, and more from musician, producer, artist, and designer Pharrell Williams Rising to global fame with his hit single “Happy,” Pharrell Williams has influenced every corner of music, from cowriting and producing the monumental track “Alright” with Kendrick Lamar to composing music for the Academy Award–winning film Hidden Figures. But his work also extends to fashion, design, and the visual arts, and he has collaborated with leading artists and designers, including Takashi Murakami, Daniel Arsham, and Comme des Garçons. Gathered from interviews and other sources, this compelling and provocative collection of quotations offers new insights into the personality and creative process of one of today’s most exciting and intriguing artists. Select quotations from the book: Self-awareness is a muscle that needs exercise. It needs a regimen. You’ve got to continue to reinvent yourself today, all the while thinking about tomorrow. Music is the key, the skeleton key that’s opened every door for me. There is no humanity without education. There is no education without demand. The only way to make life better for yourself, the only true and lasting way, is to make life better for others.

A boxed collection of Jenny Holzer’s renowned Truisms Jenny Holzer’s Truisms (1977–79), comprising over 250 single-sentence declarations, were written to resemble existing aphorisms, maxims, and clichés. Each sentence distills difficult and contentious ideas into a seemingly straightforward statement of fact. Privileging no single viewpoint, the Truisms examine the social construction of beliefs, mores, and truths. Arranged in alphabetical order, Truisms were first shown on anonymous street posters pasted throughout downtown Manhattan, and they have since appeared on T-shirts, hats, electronic signs, stone floors, and benches. Holzer-isms presents a collection of these iconic phrases in a special form: a cloth-covered, foil-stamped box containing six folded posters designed by Holzer, each featuring a selection of Truisms, accompanied by a booklet with an introduction, biography, and chronology. The result is a beautifully designed object that offers a new way to experience Holzer’s powerful and provocative text-based art.

Essential quotations from renowned artist and pop icon Keith Haring Keith Haring remains one of the most important and celebrated artists of his generation and beyond. Through his signature bold graphic line drawings of figures and forms dancing and grooving, Haring's paintings, large-scale public murals, chalk drawings, and singular graffiti style defined an era and brought awareness to social issues ranging from gay rights and AIDS to drug abuse prevention and a woman's right to choose. Haring-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this creative thinker and legendary artist. Gathered from Haring's journals and interviews, these lively quotes reveal his influences and thoughts on a variety of topics, including birth and death, possibility and uncertainty, and difference and conformity. They demonstrate Haring's deep engagement with subjects outside of the art world and his outspoken commitment to activism. Taken together, this selection reflects Haring's distinctive voice and reminds us why his work continues to resonate with fans around the globe. Select quotations from the book: "Art lives through the imaginations of the people who are seeing it. Without that contact, there is no art." "It's a huge world. There are lots and lots and lots of people that I haven't reached yet that I'd like to reach." "Art is one of the last areas that is totally within the realm of the human individual and can't be copied or done better by a machine." "The artist, if he is a vessel, is also a performer." "No matter how long you work, it's always going to end sometime. And there's always going to be things left undone." "I decided to make a major break. New York was the only place to go." "I came to believe there was no such thing as chance. If you accept that there are no coincidences, you use whatever comes along." "There was a migration of artists from all over America to New York. It was completely wild. And we controlled it ourselves." "I couldn't go back to the abstract drawings; it had to have some connection to the real world."

A collection of essential quotations from the renowned fashion designer, DJ, and stylist Abloh-isms is a collection of essential quotations from American fashion designer, DJ, and stylist Virgil Abloh, who was a major creative figure in the worlds of pop culture and art. Abloh began his career as Kanye West's creative director before founding the luxury streetwear label Off-White and becoming artistic director for Louis Vuitton, making Abloh the first American of African descent to hold that title at a French fashion house. Defying categorization, Abloh's work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums and galleries, most notably in a major retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Gathered from interviews and other sources, this selection of compelling and memorable quotations from the designer reveals his thoughts on a wide range of subjects, including creativity, passion, innovation, race, and what it means to be an artist of his generation. Lively and thought-provoking, these quotes reflect Abloh's unique perspective as a trailblazer in his fields. Select quotations from the book: "I believe that coincidence is key, but coincidence is energies coming towards each other. You have to be moving to meet it." "Life is collaboration. Where I think art can be sort of misguided is that it propagates this idea of itself as a solo love affair-one person, one idea, no one else involved." "Black influence has created a new ecosystem, which can grow and support different types of life that we couldn't before."

A vivid and compelling collection of quotations from the influential contemporary artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat Neshat-isms is an exciting collection of quotations from award-winning Iranian-American visual artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat. Her experiences of loss and grief as an Iranian woman living in exile are central themes of her work in photography, video, and film. She is known for her outspoken advocacy for Iranian women and human rights, and for poetic and politically charged images and narratives that raise questions about power, religion, race, and gender. Gathered from interviews, talks, and writings, these powerful and thought-provoking quotations showcase the voice of one of the most important artists of our time. “Through my work I have continued to defy and resist the Western clichéd image of Iranian women as passive victims. While acknowledging the repressive situation in Iran, I have continued to represent Iranian women as empowered, courageous, defiant, and rebellious.” “Every Iranian artist, in one form or another, is political. Politics has defined our lives.” “I’ve done a lot of work about women in a state of madness, where ultimately they find a kind of freedom.” “You can’t demystify a myth.”

A collection of essential quotations and other writings from artist and icon Jean-Michel Basquiat One of the most important artists of the late twentieth century, Jean-Michel Basquiat explored the interplay of words and images throughout his career as a celebrated painter with an instantly recognizable style. In his paintings, notebooks, and interviews, he showed himself to be a powerful and creative writer and speaker as well as image-maker. Basquiat-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this godfather of urban culture. In these brief, compelling, and memorable selections, taken from his interviews as well as his visual and written works, Basquiat writes and speaks about culture, his artistic persona, the art world, artistic influence, race, urban life, and many other subjects. Concise, direct, forceful, poetic, and enigmatic, Basquiat's words, like his art, continue to resonate. Select quotations from the book: "I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them." "I think there are a lot of people that are neglected in art, I don't know if it's because of who made the paintings or what, but, um . . . black people are never really portrayed realistically or I mean not even portrayed in modern art." "Since I was 17, I thought I might be a star." "The more I paint the more I like everything." "I think I make art for myself, but ultimately I think I make it for the world."

A collection of inspiring and provocative quotations from pioneering artist, feminist, and activist Judy Chicago A fierce activist for women’s rights and against climate change, Judy Chicago defines herself best: “I’m Judy Chicago, and I’m an artist and a troublemaker.” A leader of the Women’s Art Movement of the 1970s, Chicago also founded the first feminist art program in the United States. She is renowned for her monumental installation The Dinner Party (1974–1979), an iconic work that celebrates female luminaries from history and mythology, including Georgia O’Keefe, Emily Dickinson, Sojourner Truth, and Hatshepsut. Gathered from interviews and other sources, Judy Chicago-isms is an inspiring collection of the memorable and powerful words of a trailblazing artist. “You don’t have to be a man to support a patriarchal worldview, and you don’t have to be a woman to support feminist values.” “You have to choose hope. Hope comes from feeling that you’re on the side of right and fighting for it. If you’re a passive observer to what’s going on, it’s easy to give in to despair.” “Feminist art is all the stages of a woman giving birth to herself.” “[Women] should get fifty percent of the space in all institutions. That is what our mandate has to be.”

A collection of fascinating quotations from the legendary artist and graffiti pioneer Futura is a living legend-a world-renowned painter, designer, and photographer who was a pioneer of graffiti art and New York City's "subway school." His radical abstract work in the street and on canvas established him as a central figure in an important art movement that included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Rammellzee, Lee Quinones, and Dondi White. Futura-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this fascinating artist. Gathered from four decades of interviews and panel discussions, this memorable selection illuminates Futura's thoughts on legal and illegal art, his influences, fellow artists, and the past, present, and future. He also offers colorful memories of his adventurous life-growing up in New York City, serving in the Navy, touring with The Clash-and reflects on how his experiences have shaped his art. Select quotations from the book: "Graffiti was a way for me to exist. I wanted the world to know my name. I wanted to be somebody." "The essence of what graffiti is . . . is creating this identity and taking it to the public." "My whole life, I think, I've been a nomad." "I was always at home in the subway system." "People say, 'Let's play within the rules.' I say, 'No-let's break the rules a little bit.'"

A unique collection of brilliant quotations from the legendary Pop artist One of the most influential artists of his time and ours, Andy Warhol is nearly as renowned for what he said as for what he did. Indeed, he is so quotable that things he never said are endlessly and plausibly attributed to him, including, fittingly, the most celebrated fake Warhol saying-"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Warhol-isms separates legend from fact to present a unique and comprehensive collection of authentic quotations from the Pop artist. Gathered from interviews and other primary sources, these deadpan, droll, ironic, and sincere gems-in which a superficial embrace of superficiality often disguises provocative, unconventional ideas-provide compelling insights into the life and work of an artist who has left an indelible mark on art and popular culture. Select quotations from the book: I think an artist is anybody who does something well. I went to [a psychiatrist] once, and he never called me back. They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. I've never met a person I couldn't call a beauty. New things are always better than old things. I'm still a commercial artist. I was always a commercial artist.

A fascinating look at Keith Haring's New York City subway artwork from the 1980s Celebrated artist Keith Haring (1958-1990) has been embraced by popular culture for his signature bold graphic line drawings of figures and forms. Like other graffiti artists in the 1980s, Haring found an empty canvas in the advertising panels scattered throughout New York City's subway system, where he communicated his socially conscious, often humorous messages on platforms and train cars. Over a five-year period, in an epic conquest of civic space, Haring produced a massive body of subway artwork that remains daunting in its scale and its impact on the public consciousness. Dedicated to the individuals who might encounter them and to the moments of their creation, Haring's drawings now exist solely in the form of documentary photographs and legend. Because they were not meant to be permanent-only briefly inhabiting blacked-out advertising boards before being covered up by ads or torn down by authorities or admirers-what little remains of this project is uniquely fugitive. Keith Haring: 31 Subway Drawings reproduces archival materials relating to this magnificent project alongside essays by leading Haring experts. Distributed for No More Rulers

A collection of compelling quotations from a rising star in contemporary art, architecture, and design The work of renowned contemporary artist Daniel Arsham blurs the lines between art, architecture, archeology, and design. In his distinctive style, he takes ancient art works and objects from twentieth-century pop culture and casts sculptures of them in geological materials such as quartz or volcanic ash, colliding past, present, and future in haunted yet playful visions that prompt viewers to question their everyday surroundings. Gathered from interviews and other sources, Arsham-isms is a collection of lively, thought-provoking, and memorable quotations from this exciting young creative talent on a wide range of subjects-including art, architecture, film, design, pop culture, the art world, and what it means to be a globally recognized artist today. Select quotations from the book: "Art needs to be a little dangerous." "You don't have to own the thing to be part of it." "This work for me is not about progress. It is about destruction and growth and where they are able to meet in the middle."

Featuring never-before-seen drawings by the renowned contemporary artist, a beautiful facsimile edition that reveals the working process of an extraordinary creative mind Sketchbook reproduces original working drawings and sketches by the contemporary American artist and designer Daniel Arsham, whose work freely crosses the boundaries of art, architecture, film, and design, and also speaks to fans of pop culture, including sneakerheads, car enthusiasts, and anime devotees. Spanning a decade and featuring previously unpublished drawings by this highly skilled draftsman, this beautifully produced facsimile edition provides an unprecedented, intimate look at Arsham's working process, revealing a new side of an extraordinary creative mind. Published in association with No More Rulers

Writings on human life and the refugee crisis by the most important political artist of our time Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is widely known as an artist across media: sculpture, installation, photography, performance, and architecture. He is also one of the world's most important artist-activists and a powerful documentary filmmaker. His work and art call attention to attacks on democracy and free speech, abuses of human rights, and human displacement--often on an epic, international scale. This collection of quotations demonstrates the range of Ai Weiwei's thinking on humanity and mass migration, issues that have occupied him for decades. Selected from articles, interviews, and conversations, Ai Weiwei's words speak to the profound urgency of the global refugee crisis, the resilience and vulnerability of the human condition, and the role of art in providing a voice for the voiceless. Select quotations from the book: "This problem has such a long history, a human history. We are all refugees somehow, somewhere, and at some moment." "Allowing borders to determine your thinking is incompatible with the modern era." "Art is about aesthetics, about morals, about our beliefs in humanity. Without that there is simply no art." "I don't care what all people think. My work belongs to the people who have no voice."

Brooklyn-born Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-88) was one of the most important artists of the 1980s. A key figure in the New York art scene, he inventively explored the interplay between words and images throughout his career, first as a member of SAMO, a graffiti group active on the Lower East Side in the late 1970s, and then as a painter acclaimed for his unmistakable Neoexpressionist style. From 1980 to 1987, he filled numerous working notebooks with drawings and handwritten texts. This facsimile edition reproduces the pages of eight of these fascinating and rarely seen notebooks for the first time. The notebooks are filled with images and words that recur in Basquiat's paintings and other works. Iconic drawings and pictograms of crowns, teepees, and hatch-marked hearts share space with handwritten texts, including notes, observations, and poems that often touch on culture, race, class, and life in New York. Like his other work, the notebooks vividly demonstrate Basquiat's deep interests in comic, street, and pop art, hip-hop, politics, and the ephemera of urban life. They also provide an intimate look at the working process of one of the most creative forces in contemporary American art.

This collection of quotes demonstrates the elegant simplicity of Ai Weiwei's thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. A master at communicating powerful ideas in astonishingly few words, Ai Weiwei is known for his innovative use of social media to disseminate his views. The short quotations presented here have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed Chinese artist and activist. The book is organized into six categories: freedom of expression; art and activism; government, power, and moral choices; the digital world; history, the historical moment, and the future; and personal reflections.

Together, these quotes span some of the most revealing moments of Ai Weiwei's eventful career--from his risky investigation into student deaths in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to his arbitrary arrest in 2011--providing a window into the mind of one of the world's most electrifying and courageous contemporary artists.

Select Quotes from the Book:

On Freedom of Expression"Say what you need to say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.""A small act is worth a million thoughts.""Liberty is about our rights to question everything."

On Art and Activism"Everything is art. Everything is politics.""The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.""Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don't feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy."

On Government, Power, and Making Moral Choices "Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country.""I feel powerless all the time, but I regain my energy by making a very small difference that won't cost me much.""Tips on surviving the regime: Respect yourself and speak for others. Do one small thing every day to prove the existence of justice."

On the Digital World "Only with the Internet can a peasant I have never met hear my voice and I can learn what's on his mind. A fairy tale has come true.""The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that.""The Internet is the best thing that could have happened to China."

On History, the Historical Moment, and the Future "If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.""We need to get out of the old language.""The world is a sphere, there is no East or West."

Personal Reflections "I've never planned any part of my career-- except being an artist. And I was pushed into that corner because I thought being an artist was the only way to have a little freedom.""Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom.""Expressing oneself is like a drug. I'm so addicted to it."