Description
An indispensable volume
Vogue
As rabid admirers and collectors of contemporary art and photography we wholeheartedly recommend this passionate and joyous book. Without art the human soul is unfulfilled. This collection by Russell and Robert fully explains why.
Sir Elton John and David Furnish
Russell and Robert have made talking art not just pleasurable but necessary.
Lena Dunham
As witty, wise and well informed as Russell and Robert s excellent podcast.
Edward Enninful, OBE
When launching the Talk Art podcast in 2018, actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament had one clear aim: to make the art world more accessible. Since then, the podcast has grown to be a global hit, featuring exclusive interviews with leading artists, curators, gallerists, actors, musicians and fellow art lovers such as Lena Dunham, Sir Paul Smith, David Shrigley, Noel Fielding, Edward Enninful, Rose Wylie and Sir Elton John.
Talk Art, the book, is a beautiful and accessible celebration of contemporary art, and a guidebook to navigating and engaging with the art world. Covering a range of different media from photography and ceramics to performance and sound art, the book explores the way art interacts with our society, highlights lesser-known artists, and provides a snapshot of the art world as it is today.
With a wealth of imagery - some never before seen in print and some created exclusively for the book - and an informative, engaging narrative, Talk Art will become the must-have book art lovers return to again and again.
The book features highlights from interviews with: Tracey Emin, Jordan Casteel, Jerry Saltz, Elton John, Grayson Perry, Ian McKellen, Alasdair McLellan, Helen Cammock, Somaya Critchlow and many more.
Praise for the podcast:
Lively, accessible and enthusiastic - Financial Times
As fast-paced and gossipy as it is genuinely interesting - Dazed
Trendy, gossipy, fast-paced conversational fun - New York Times
It s an education, but not in an alienating highbrow way - NME
About the Author
Russell Tovey is an actor best-known for appearing in The History Boys, Years and Years, Being Human, The Good Liar, HBO s Looking and ITV s The Sister and American Horror Story. He is also a passionate art collector, with more than 300 pieces, and a judge for the prestigious Turner Prize 2021.
Robert Diament is Director of the Carl Freedman Gallery and Counter Editions (a company that produces prints and multiples by leading contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin, David Shrigley and Martin Creed). Before working in art, he was the lead singer of electro-pop band Temposhark.