Drawing People: The Human Figure in Contemporary Art

Description

The act of drawing has long been considered the foundation of an artistic education, and the life class essential to the formation of an artist's style and technique. Yet in the contemporary art world drawing is increasingly regarded as a medium in its own right, and the figure as a subject for ongoing exploration well beyond the sketchbook. Drawing People is a thoughtful and beautifully illustrated survey of the most compelling and inventive drawings of the human form being produced today. An introduction places the medium of drawing in its historical context, discussing its intersection with photography, painting, collage and illustration. Chapters on Body, Self, Personal Lives, Social Reality and Fictions include short introductions outlining each theme, followed by commentaries on individual artists exploring their style, ideas and techniques, accompanied by finely reproduced images of their recent work.

Roger Malbert is Head of Hayward Touring, the Hayward Gallery, London. He has been a judge for the Jerwood Drawing Prize, and his writing on art has featured in the Independent, Art Monthly, the Times Literary Supplement, The Art Newspaper and Modern Painters.

'Drawing is now back in the spotlight ... this book is asserting the importance of drawing in its own right, as an autonomous artform and not a means to an end' - Independent 'These weird and wonderful sketches of the human body reveal just what is possible when, pencil in hand, the artist lets their subconscious off the leash' - Guardian 'Rewards through its eclectic mix of artists using drawing as their base, and may inspire an expanding attitude towards the human figure from artistic readers' - Association of Illustrators 'A comprehensive and impressive compilation of work from many different contributors, regions and cultures ... a fascinating and rewarding read' - The Artist