What is art for?
Contemporary artists on their influences, inspirations and disciplines
Published on 4. September 2025
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-911736-17-2 (ISBN)
Description
Drawing on over 25 years' experience talking to artists, Ben Luke conceived and launched the A brush with... podcast in 2020 to explore the influences, rituals and disciplines of artists working today through in-depth audio interviews. Titled after the final question he asks every guest, What is art for? comprises 25 of these conversations, edited and illustrated to offer a tangible and visually rich version.
The selected artists span 12 cities across 4 continents: Michael Armitage, Phyllida Barlow, Alvaro Barrington, Michael Craig-Martin, Tacita Dean, Jeremy Deller, Ellen Gallagher, Theaster Gates, Roni Horn, Pierre Huyghe, Arthur Jafa, Claudette Johnson, William Kentridge, Ragnar Kjartansson, Mark Leckey, Julie Mehretu, Cornelia Parker, Doris Salcedo, Dayanita Singh, Do Ho Suh, Sarah Sze, Charline von Heyl, Stanley Whitney, Alberta Whittle and Zadie Xa.
The book also features newly written texts by Luke that reveal what the series has taught him, drawing out the overlaps and parallels between interviews, and the shared passions and fascinations of different artists. Taken together, the volume - which is presented in an affordable reading book format - paints a compelling and, at times, unexpected story of artists' inspirations and motivations.
The selected artists span 12 cities across 4 continents: Michael Armitage, Phyllida Barlow, Alvaro Barrington, Michael Craig-Martin, Tacita Dean, Jeremy Deller, Ellen Gallagher, Theaster Gates, Roni Horn, Pierre Huyghe, Arthur Jafa, Claudette Johnson, William Kentridge, Ragnar Kjartansson, Mark Leckey, Julie Mehretu, Cornelia Parker, Doris Salcedo, Dayanita Singh, Do Ho Suh, Sarah Sze, Charline von Heyl, Stanley Whitney, Alberta Whittle and Zadie Xa.
The book also features newly written texts by Luke that reveal what the series has taught him, drawing out the overlaps and parallels between interviews, and the shared passions and fascinations of different artists. Taken together, the volume - which is presented in an affordable reading book format - paints a compelling and, at times, unexpected story of artists' inspirations and motivations.
Reviews / Votes
'The book is an excellent means by which interested parties can get turned on to the creative output of a group of contemporary artists' -- Brian Greene * Loophole * 'Luke is an exceptionally informed and attentive interviewer' -- Paul Carey-Kent * FAD Magazine * 'On a podcast, you can't show the artworks under discussion - so enter the book, which is generously illustrated with works by the interviewees and their diverse points of reference' -- Hettie Judah, art critic 'The best nuggets from the podcast that even the most reclusive artists clamour to be on. This book by brilliant and beloved Ben Luke is an instant classic' -- Louisa Buck, art critic 'Luke's lines of questioning go far deeper than normal interviews to touch not only on the artist's work, but the broad range of influences and connections that feed into their practice' -- Will Jennings * Recessed Space * 'There's a rhythm and flow through the publication where everything relates to everything else, and yet also stands alone as its own chapter... this is a really great thing' -- Ceri Hand * Extraordinary Creatives Podcast * 'One of the most insightful and dedicated arts critics around... If you're in the art world orbit, you will have heard his voice, you've maybe even preordered his new book, possibly begged to go on his podcast' -- Harriet Lloyd-Smith * Give me a break podcast for Plaster magazine * 'Ben Luke's new book "What is art for?" redefines the dynamics between print and digital projects' -- Joana P. R. Neves * Exhibitionista *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
350 colour; 350 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 173 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
1258 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-911736-17-2 (9781911736172)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ben Luke is a writer and broadcaster based in London. He is a contributing editor of The Art Newspaper and presents its podcasts A brush with..., of which there are over 100 episodes, and The Week in Art, which has run for more than 300 episodes. From 2009 to 2024, he was an art critic at the London Evening Standard. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio 4's Front Row and Monocle 24's The Globalist. Ben has contributed to books on artists as diverse as Phyllida Barlow, Glenn Brown, Michael Craig-Martin, Mark Dion, Matthew Krishanu, George Shaw and Jiro Takamatsu. He was selected in the Critics' Critics section of Artforum's Best of 2024 issue.