January 2007 Page 3

> A NEW BOOK WORTH READING

"Letters to a Young Artist"
Darte Publishing, New York
96 pages
$15 paperback

This book of 23 letters to a "young artist" seeking career advice from successful older ones (e.g. Gregory Amenoff, Jo Baer, Alex Katz, Adrian Piper, Elizabeth Murray, John Baldessari et al) would be a useful read in these days of so many artists wandering around in the commercialized wilderness of concept and technique.

In 20 years of private work with artists who, having created art which they believe is worthy, find it desirable or necessary to either "market" or be "recognized" (two VERY ambiguous words :-) for it, some of the advice offered in this book may not resolve either of those two common objectives, but it may make it easier to accept the consequences of making the effort.

From what I've seen of the book, it has some extremely good suggestions... which very few will heed, but ought to.