Sarah Thornton's '33 Artists in 3 Acts' Explores Artist Identities Through Interviews

Published in October 2014, Sarah Thornton's '33 Artists in 3 Acts' delves into the artist's experience through a series of interviews categorized into 'Politics,' 'Kinship,' and 'Craft.' The book showcases 33 artists, including notable figures like Jeff Koons, Ai Weiwei, and Damien Hirst, as well as two curators and their family members. Thornton structures her work around pivotal individuals, drawing on Francesco Bonami's artist classification. In contrast to her earlier 2008 publication, 'Seven Days in the Art World,' this book prioritizes the artists' perspectives, presenting them with little editorial interference. The interviews uncover contradictions in their beliefs, notably with Dittborn addressing art's significance in the face of oppressive regimes, while Thornton's reporting style enhances the exploration of artistic identities.