How to Write About Contemporary Art

About the Author Gilda Williams is a contemporary art critic, editor and teacher. She is a lecturer on the MFA in Curating programme, Goldsmiths College, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She is London correspondent for Artforum magazine and a member of the International Association of Art Critics. Product Description How to Write About Contemporary Art is the definitive guide to writing engagingly about the art of our time. Invaluable for students, arts professionals and other aspiring writers, the book first navigates readers through the key elements of style and content, from the aims and structure of a piece to its tone and language. Brimming with practical tips that range across the complete spectrum of art-writing, the second part of the book is organized around its specific forms, including academic essays; press releases and news articles; texts for auction and exhibition catalogues, gallery guides and wall labels; op-ed journalism and exhibition reviews; and writing for websites and blogs. In counselling the reader against common pitfalls―such as jargon and poor structure―Gilda Williams points instead
to the power of close looking and research, showing how to deploy language effectively; how to develop new ideas; and how to construct compelling texts. More than 30 illustrations throughout support closely analysed case studies of the best writing, in Source Texts by 64 authors, including Claire Bishop, Thomas Crow, T.J. Demos, Okwui Enwezor, Dave Hickey,
John Kelsey, Chris Kraus, Rosalind Krauss, Stuart Morgan, Hito Steyerl, and Adam Szymczyk. Supplemented by a general bibliography, advice on the use and misuse of grammar, and tips on how to construct your own contemporary art library, How to Write About Contemporary Art is the essential handbook for all those interested in communicating about the art of today. Review With 'How To Write About Contemporary Art' Gilda Williams has created an illuminating, engaging and urgent guide to contemporary art-writing. While this is clearly essential reading for arts students and those at the start of a career in arts writing or criticism, it is equally invaluable for anyone involved in the art world that needs to transmit information and ideas in written form about contemporary art. So that's basically all of us. --Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-Director, Serpentine Gallery Finally. A book that teaches you how to write and think clearly about art. I can imagine this book inspiriting future generations to write legibly and intelligently art criticism, a field that's become too hermetic and convoluted for its own good. Revolutionary, radical and long overdue. Bravo! --Kenneth Goldsmith, poet and founder, UbuWeb A rare guide to writing practice that's also a wonderfully engaging read in itself, Gilda Williams's 'How to Write about Contemporary Art' interweaves plainspoken advice on the practical nuts-and-bolts of art criticism with trenchant observations about the conditions of the profession, all delivered in the voice of a savvy, generous friend. With a long track record as both a writer for and editor at leading journals and publishing houses, Williams knows the field from both sides this valuable book engages not only the hows but, crucially, also the whys of art writing. --Jeff Kastner, Editor, Cabinet magazine Bless you, Gilda Williams, for reminding us that fear is the root of bad writing, and for showing us how to take courage. Art writing can be deep, accurate, surprising, and even beautiful - and with any luck, 'How to Write about Contemporary Art' will spark a renascence of the deep, accurate, surprising, beautiful art writing we so badly need. --Barry Schwabsky, art critic, The Nation Williams's methodology is flawless ... gives insight to the inner workings of very different industries: academia, auction houses and mainstream and professional press. --Frieze Will become a standard text for anyone studying or interested in critical writing and the very vexed subject of '