Lives of the Artists

1. Art as Self-Invention and the Burden of Limitless Freedom

The radical changes in art and society that were set in motion during the early years of the twentieth century gave rise to a new kind of artist, whose first obligation was to invent or discover a new self.

Modern artist's dilemma. The 20th century ushered in an era where tradition and formal knowledge became optional, leaving artists with the daunting task of self-invention. This freedom, while liberating, presents an unending burden: where does one begin when art can be anything?

Art as a life approach. For the artists profiled, art serves as an approach to the problem of living, a means of navigating the complexities and contradictions of existence. Their lives are so intertwined with their work that the two cannot be considered in isolation.

The pressure to succeed. The contemporary art world, now part of a global visual culture industry, exerts immense pressure on artists to succeed in the marketplace and establish a unique brand. This pressure can clash with the need to accept failure in pursuit of a deeper vision, making self-invention a crucial skill.

2. Damien Hirst: Sensationalism, Death, and the Infatuation with Life

Death is an unacceptable idea, so the only way to deal with it is to be detached or amused.

Death as a central theme. Damien Hirst's work grapples with the impossibility of death in the mind of someone infatuated with life. His sculptures, often featuring dead animals preserved in formaldehyde, aim to confront the viewer with the uncomfortable reality of mortality.

Balancing shock and engagement. Hirst's sculptures, housed in minimalist steel-and-glass containers, transcend mere shock value by engaging viewers on multiple levels. His medicine cabinets, shark in formaldehyde, and chainsawed animals become metaphors for the human body's struggle against disease and decay.

From enfant terrible to family man. Hirst, once known for his hard-drinking and drug-fueled antics, has settled into the roles of devoted husband and father. Despite his transformation, his art remains provocative and continues to command record-breaking prices in the contemporary art market.

3. Cindy Sherman: The Theater of Ever-Shifting Selves and the Reclaiming of Storytelling

The more perfect the artist, the greater the separation between the individual who suffers and the mind that creates.

Virtuoso performer. Cindy Sherman's photography-based art presents a theater of ever-shifting selves, featuring deformed, disfigured, or demented characters. She shuns the spotlight, yet thrives as a virtuoso performer in her own work.

Reclaiming storytelling. Sherman has reclaimed storytelling in visual art, giving new life to the oldest trick in the book. Her enigmatic scenarios, meticulously plotted and constructed, have influenced countless younger artists working in setup photography.

Merciless narratives. Sherman's stories are gripping and merciless, often exploring themes of identity, gender, and the dehumanizing male gaze. Her Hollywood portraits, for example, capture the desperation of women working to hang on to youth, glamour, and hope.

4. Julian Schnabel: From Overheated Art Market to Award-Winning Filmmaker

I’m the closest you’ll get to Picasso in this life.

Doubling himself. Julian Schnabel, whose star rose and fell with the overheated art market of the 1980s, has doubled himself by holding on to his claims as a neo-expressionist painter while forging a second career as an award-winning film director.

A painter's vision. Schnabel's films, like Basquiat and Before Night Falls, are painter's films, visual objects whose look and feel carry the story as much as the script does. He has mastered the craft of filmmaking while retaining his unique artistic vision.

Defying expectations. Despite the art world's attempts to pigeonhole him, Schnabel remains committed to both painting and filmmaking. His unedited risk-taking and boundless energy continue to defy expectations and challenge conventional notions of artistic success.

5. Richard Serra: Shaping Space and Evoking Emotion Through Monumental Sculpture

What ever the work is evoking in people, I don’t dictate that, so I don’t know how to account for it.

Sculpting space. Richard Serra, considered our greatest living sculptor, freely acknowledges his early debt to Jasper Johns. Serra's sculptures are not static objects but shape space, inviting viewers to walk through or around them and experience their emotional impact.

Emotional resonance. Serra's recent work, particularly his torqued spirals, plays directly with the spectator's emotions, evoking feelings of confinement, expansion, and euphoria. His sculptures invite contact, with the patina of rich brownish-red rust.

Defying architectural boundaries. Serra's clashes with architects stem from his belief that art is purposely useless, while architecture must answer to utility. He resists the blurring of boundaries between sculpture and architecture, fiercely defending the unique role of the artist.

6. James Turrell: Capturing and Apprehending Light in the Vastness of Roden Crater

Go inside and greet the light.

Transforming a volcano. James Turrell has spent his career transforming an extinct volcanic crater into an observatory for celestial events. His work is not about light but is light itself, made manifest in sensory form.

Naked-eye observatory. Turrell's Roden Crater features nine underground chambers and one huge outdoor space designed to capture and apprehend light from the sun, moon, and stars. The project demonstrates how we create and form our perceptions of the visible world.

Blending art and nature. Turrell's work at Roden Crater blends art and nature, creating a space where viewers can experience celestial vaulting and other perceptual phenomena firsthand. He seeks to create a direct, unmediated encounter with light and space.

7. Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle and the Struggle Against Sexual Definition

I think what the ‘Cremaster’ project is suggesting is that this is impossible.

Narrative sculptures. Matthew Barney's obsessive, myth-haunted films grow out of his sculptures, whose materials have included Vaseline, tapioca, his own body, and a great many of his fellow creatures, living and dead. The films are vehicles for the sculptures he makes for them.

Resisting definition. The "Cremaster" cycle explores the struggle against sexual differentiation, with Barney himself often appearing in the films. The cycle's hermetic aspects have not impeded its ac cep tance as a major work of art.

Pushing boundaries. Barney's work pushes the boundaries of art, film, and per for mance, creating a unique and often perplexing vision. His ability to blend disparate elements into a cohesive whole has earned him both acclaim and controversy.

8. Maurizio Cattelan: Serious Jokes That Pinpoint Social and Philosophical Dilemmas

I see that art has a great potential to refer to a broader debate, to go out there and reach an incredible audience. And if my work can’t do that, well, it’s useless.

Escape artist. Maurizio Cattelan, an escape artist with a taste for anonymity, scours the world for serious jokes that pinpoint our social and philosophical dilemmas. His work often provokes debate rather than controversy.

Provocative images. Cattelan's sculptures, such as La Nona Ora (the Pope struck by a meteorite) and Him (a kneeling Hitler), challenge viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about power, religion, and history. His work often elicits strong reactions, sometimes leading to censorship or vandalism.

Humor and ambiguity. Cattelan's distinctive, anarchic humor sets him apart from most artists working today. His work is characterized by ambiguity and multiple layers of meaning, inviting viewers to engage in a dialogue about the issues he raises.

9. Jasper Johns: From "Things the Mind Already Knows" to a World of Shifting Focus

I don’t know what it is, art. But I believe in it, so far.

Challenging expectations. Jasper Johns, our most extravagantly admired painter, freely acknowledges his early debt to Marcel Duchamp. Johns's work has consistently challenged critical expectations, evolving through various stylistic periods and defying easy categorization.

Things the mind already knows. Johns's early work, featuring flags, targets, and numbers, explored the intersection of perception and representation. His seductively painted renderings of these familiar images blurred the line between art and everyday life.

Shifting focus. Johns's later work has become increasingly complex and personal, incorporating autobiographical references and borrowings from other artists. His paintings invite viewers to construct their own meanings from the enigmatic images he presents.

10. Jeff Koons: From Kitsch to the Sacred Heart, Removing Anxiety Through Art

I’m taking us out of the twentieth century.

Brand recognition. Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, the reigning masters of a deliberately outrageous, media-centered art that feeds off the corrupting influences of entertainment, celebrity, and late-capitalist glut. Koons's work has become a leading brand in the contemporary art market.

Pop culture. Koons's art, often featuring replicas of balloon animals and gift-shop tchotchkes, draws heavily from pop culture. His goal is to connect people to humanity and expand the parameters of their lives.

Removing anxiety. Koons believes that art should remove anxiety and make people feel good about themselves. His work, while often controversial, aims to create a sense of security and spiritual trust in the viewer.

11. John Currin: Rejuvenating Figurative Painting with Skill and Provocation

I’m the closest you’ll get to Picasso in this life.

Technical mastery. John Currin decided to rejuvenate the art of figurative painting by rediscovering traditional skills that proved to be, in his hands, perfectly viable after all. His technical skills, combined with his provocative subject matter, have made him a leading figure in contemporary art.

Provocative subjects. Currin's paintings often feature nudes, portraits, and genre scenes that challenge conventional notions of beauty and taste. His work explores themes of sexuality, power, and the human condition.

Balancing skill and content. Currin's ability to blend technical mastery with provocative content has earned him both acclaim and controversy. His work invites viewers to question their own assumptions and confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world around them.

Last updated: March 13, 2025