Author:Adolf Loos
Revolutionary essays on design, aesthetics and materialism - from one of the great masters of modern architecture
Adolf Loos, the great Viennese pioneer of modern architecture, was a hater of the fake, the fussy and the lavishly decorated, and a lover of stripped down, clean simplicity. He was also a writer of effervescent, caustic wit, as shown in this selection of essays on all aspects of design and aesthetics, from cities to glassware, furniture to footwear, architectural training to why 'the lack of ornament is a sign of intellectual power'.
Translated by Shaun Whiteside
With an epilogue by Joseph Masheck
A liberation and a joy, beautifully written and brilliantly thought. What Artists Wear is at once a revelatory account of how art is made and an electrifying investigation into the relationship between clothes and autonomy, freedom and power
—— Olivia LaingBrilliant, loving, visually incisive
—— Hilton AlsCompelling
—— ApolloRevelatory
—— GuardianAn insightful account ... whether offering visual analysis or social observation, Porter writes with clarity and wit
—— FriezeA fascinating exploration of the clothing worn by the rebels, rule breakers and outliers of the artistic world, and what it means to live in it ... The book defies convention ... Porter's curiosity is infectious
—— EsquireEclectic, invigorating ... the chapters devoted to female artists make for the most fascinating reading, their clothes liberating them by giving them permission to be different
—— ObserverUnique, intelligent and enlightening, super interesting and so well researched. It is rare indeed to come across a book that not only captures the imagination, but informs and amuses at the same time. Each turn of the page is a surprising delight. Perhaps what is most striking about this book is its authenticity ... Charlie Porter's seriousness and genuineness, coupled with his off-kilter sense of humour, not forgetting his huge talent, seep through the entire production. Not a fake nor pompous note anywhere. This is simply the real article, just like Charlie.
—— Adrian Joffe , President of Comme des GarçonsA roving, intimate analysis of the clothes that inform art
—— AnOther MagazineWonderful ... I read it in one delicious gulp. An important page-turner.
—— Jennifer Higgie , author of The Mirror and the PaletteDelicious ... What Artists Wear can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of your art or fashion knowledge ... Porter shares each anecdote with the confidence and clarity of a story teller, weaving memories into the book
—— GlassTimely ... intimate ... A leisurely, contemplative journey through the art world of the 20th Century, as shown through the medium of the artists' own clothes.
—— HypebeastBrilliant and unexpected... What Artists Wear approaches fashion in a wholly different way
—— ShowstudioPersonal and brimming with anecdotes ...Porter explores the intrinsic connections between artists and their choice of clothing with agility, nuance and insatiable curiosity... His diverse curatorial eye holds both geographic and historical breadth
—— Dan Thawley , A Magazine Curated ByA clarion call to examine not only the clothes of artists but also our own
—— The Art NewspaperUnexpected, lushly illustrated ... As a connoisseur of the lived-in, Porter delights at Lee Krasner's paint-spattered slippers and the tactile richness of Alberto Giacometti's rumpled suit
—— Hettie Judah , V&A MagazineAs he cycles through the lives of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sarah Lucas, Martine Syms, and Joseph Beuys, Porter's deep dive is a tender report on the legacies we leave behind and the clothes that accompany us along the way.
—— Dazed Books of the YearInquisitive and insightful, Porter's skillful dissection of the historical context, social commentary, and personal symbolism behind each artist is a pleasure to get lost in
—— Publishers WeeklyUnique, wide-ranging... Style guru Charlie Porter takes us on a voyage of discovery
—— Creative BoomPorter captures the various 'archetypes' associated with artists. He emphasises the shift from the 'codification of patriarchy to the breaking of the canon
—— Araba Opoku , The Art NewspaperClothes can be a prison. But Porter makes a powerful argument that they offer freedom too, to work against the structures "that control what we all wear"
—— En Liang Khong , Times Literary SupplementDe Waal's gentle and thoughtful probing is persuasive and his exploration of the family history after the count's death in 1935 - especially the deaths of family members under the Nazis - is both poignant and unforced
—— Michael Prodger , New StatesmanThe form of a series of letters to Camondo... [is] an inspired idea, for it allows de Waal to achieve an intimacy of tone and directness of expression... a powerful address that is both a rupture with and a binding to all that precedes it
—— Laurel Berger , SpectatorA fascinating portrait of the French collector Count Moise de Camondo
—— A Little Bird, *Summer Reads of 2021*Outsider art requires outsider biography, and Blackburn, an expert in finding new forms to fit odd lives, has managed her task magnificently.
—— Kathryn Hughes , GuardianBeautifully delicate.
—— Big IssueRichly satisfying.
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Sunday ExpressA gorgeous, dreamy quest, for a man named John Craske.
—— Rose George , New StatesmanThe book has an understated charm and is a beautifully rendered portrait of an artist’s life and landscape.
—— Ian Critchley , Sunday TimesThis tender biography is gossipy and philosophical by turns.
—— Daily TelegraphExecuted with undeniable skill and the sense of an intimate acquaintance with life on the open seas.
—— Herald ScotlandUnusually moving.
—— William Leith , Evening Standard