10 Artists Share the Books That Transformed Their Art and Thinking
CULTURED magazine surveyed ten contemporary artists regarding the literary works that shaped their artistic journeys. Danielle Mckinney and Hew Locke both frequently mentioned John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing'. Ivan Cheng drew inspiration from Bhanu Kapil's 'Ban en Banlieue' for his performance at the 2026 AIR Festival, while Taína Cruz referenced Kay Thompson's 'Eloise' in her paintings showcased at the Whitney Biennial. Enrique Martínez Celaya selected Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick', and Ryan McGinley highlighted 'David Armstrong: The Silver Cord'. Kenturah Davis pointed out Toni Morrison's 'The Site of Memory' and Carlo Rovelli's 'The Order of Time'. Lyle Ashton Harris chose Allan Sekula's 'Photography Against the Grain', and Cayetano Ferrer admired Caetano Veloso's 'Tropical Truth'. Friedrich Kunath mentioned 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' by Roger Lewis.
Key facts
- CULTURED magazine asked 10 artists to name books that changed their thinking about art.
- John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing' was cited by Danielle Mckinney and Hew Locke.
- Ivan Cheng cited Bhanu Kapil's 'Ban en Banlieue' and other works.
- Taína Cruz cited 'Eloise' by Kay Thompson.
- Enrique Martínez Celaya chose 'Moby-Dick'.
- Ryan McGinley cited 'David Armstrong: The Silver Cord'.
- Kenturah Davis cited Toni Morrison's 'The Site of Memory' and Carlo Rovelli's 'The Order of Time'.
- Lyle Ashton Harris cited Allan Sekula's 'Photography Against the Grain'.
- Cayetano Ferrer cited Caetano Veloso's 'Tropical Truth'.
- Friedrich Kunath cited three books including 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'.
Entities
Artists
- John Berger
- Danielle Mckinney
- Hew Locke
- Ivan Cheng
- Bhanu Kapil
- Taína Cruz
- Kay Thompson
- Enrique Martínez Celaya
- Ryan McGinley
- David Armstrong
- Kenturah Davis
- Toni Morrison
- Carlo Rovelli
- Lyle Ashton Harris
- Allan Sekula
- Cayetano Ferrer
- Caetano Veloso
- Friedrich Kunath
- Roger Lewis
- James Elkins
- Novalis
- Raimundas Malašauskas
- Jan Verwoert
- Carl Jung
- James Hollis
Institutions
- CULTURED
- Whitney Biennial
- AIR Festival
- BBC
Locations
- Brazil