The Work of Art

Praise

“The Work of Art is a case study in creativity featuring preeminent artists of our time.” —Vanity Fair

“The book is a piece of art. It’s a beautiful object.” –Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show

“Gorgeously illustrated . . . Fabulous insights into the artist’s work.” —NBC, “Today in New York”

“A panoply of artists offer a rare peek into the mysteries and mundanities of the creative process in this captivating compendium . . . Moss concludes on a fascinating note, musing that while ‘artists don’t have more interesting dreams than the rest of us,’ they do possess ‘an unusual ability to cross over—to get entrance to that inarticulable place, and then to capture what they can make use of.’ It’s a must-read for creatives of all stripes.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In this handsome book, [Adam Moss] interviews more than 40 creators in all disciplines who ‘walk me through, in as much detail as they could muster, the evolution of a novel, a painting, a photograph, a movie, a joke, a song, and to supply physical documentation of their process.’ Many of the creators are well known, including Stephen Sondheim, Louise Glück, Twyla Tharp, and George Saunders . . . The book is amply illustrated, with sketches for dress designs, notes on animation, preliminary concepts for buildings, doodled ideas on coffee-stained napkins, and more . . . this is an inspiring work, especially for anyone struggling to create art and wondering whether the slogs and endless false starts are worth the effort. An encouraging book dedicated to the pleasures and agonies of making art.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The Work of Art by Adam Moss is a handsome, strikingly designed, color-glossy book of interviews with all manner of artists . . . Moss’s voice is distinct—​sympathetic, appreciative, confessional, generous, curious, humorous—​as he compares the anguish and achievements of others with his own continuing struggles to be a painter . . . The book is clearly a work of love . . . ” —WSHU Public Radio