Ed Atkins's 'Flower' Explores Confessional Non-Fiction Through Bodily Obsessions

Ed Atkins's book 'Flower', published by Fitzcarraldo Editions in April 2025, marks his first work of non-fiction, following earlier publications 'A Primer for Cadavers' (2016) and 'Old Food' (2019). The 96-page volume delves into Atkins's personal appetites, including descriptions of substandard pharmacy wraps, premixed alcoholic drinks, vaping, and ultra-processed meats, while reflecting on his self-diagnosed ADHD and skin condition. Language remains central to Atkins's practice, which spans CGI videos, performances, and plays, with 'Flower' drawing from confessional literature, his daughter's games, poor internet writing, and AI. The narrative, presented in an unparagraphed style, oscillates between grotesque bodily gratifications and quiet domestic moments with his partner and children, culminating in a reflection on joy and a childhood scar from a garden fork incident. Atkins discusses his art-making process, noting the importance of creating 'dead men'—computer-generated figures—as a proxy for confronting death, and critiques collaborations between science and art despite benefiting from them. The book, reviewed in ArtReview, reinforces physicality in contrast to digital remove, with Atkins embracing his flaws and corporeal existence.