Jo Steffens

Taking its inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s seminal 1931 essay, the Unpacking My Library series charts a spirited exploration of the reading and book collecting practices of today’s leading thinkers. Artists and Their Books showcases the personal libraries of ten important contemporary artists based in the United States (Mark Dion, Theaster Gates, Wangechi Mutu, Ed Ruscha, and Carrie Mae Weems), Canada (Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller), and the United Kingdom (Billy Childish, Tracey Emin, and Martin Parr). Through engaging interviews, the artists discuss the necessity of reading and the meaning of books in their lives and careers.

This is a book about books, but it even more importantly highlights the role of literature in shaping an artist’s self-presentation and persona. Photographs of each artist’s bookshelves present an evocative glimpse of personal taste, of well-loved and rare volumes, and of the individual touches that make a bookshelf one’s own. The interviews are accompanied by “top ten” reading lists assembled by each artist, an introduction by Jo Steffens, and Marcel Proust’s seminal essay “On Reading.”… (more)

A fun read and short enough never to outstay its welcome. I'm among those who get genuine pleasure in reading what people think of book collecting and seeing pictures of their shelves. It helped that the artists here had a good range of outlooks on both collecting and reading / consulting books.

This third installment takes the same approach as the first: selecting 10 artists and asking them a general set of questions, then inviting each to submit a "Top 10" list. Features an excerpt from Proust's essay "On Reading" where the first reprinted Benjamin's essay used for series title, and the second used an essay by its editor, Leah Price.

Steffens doesn't specify but it appears there was an initial questionnaire followed by some back-and-forth on specific answers. Not every question is addressed by each artist.

Refreshingly, Steffens in no way introduces the artists she interviews. Thumbnails given on each "contributor" appear only at the end, and the table of contents entry was small enough I wasn't prompted to read it first. In effect Steffens leaves it to the reader to either recognise the artist, consult references separately, or build up an impression from what each artist says about their library. I was familiar with just two, and not well, so by and large my understanding of the artist is from the interview.… (more)