James Westcott's Biography of Marina Abramović Published by MIT Press in 2010

MIT Press published James Westcott's biography of performance artist Marina Abramović in 2010. The book, titled 'When Marina Abramović Dies: A Biography,' spans 326 pages and chronicles the artist's life from childhood through her sixties. Westcott, a former assistant to Abramović and an art critic, relied extensively on interviews with the artist and her family, along with archival materials. While the work offers a chronological narrative rich with personal anecdotes, it avoids academic analysis and critical inquiry. Notably, Westcott does not develop a sustained argument or thesis about Abramović's work. The biography includes detailed accounts of her performances but sidesteps deeper examination of concepts like re-performance, which is central to her practice. Westcott also discusses Abramović's establishment of the Marina Abramović Institute in 2006, aimed at preserving performance art, though he refrains from probing its theoretical implications. The book opens and closes with chapters on Westcott's personal experiences as Abramović's assistant, reinforcing its anecdotal tone. Despite these limitations, the biography is praised for its lucid writing style and unique insights into Abramović's personal life, making it an accessible and informative read. It stands as a significant, if not critical, account of one of the most influential artists of the late 20th century.