Search results for ""author bob"
Yale University Press Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs
Acclaimed cultural critic Greil Marcus tells the story of Bob Dylan through the lens of seven penetrating songs “The most interesting writer on Dylan over the years has been the cultural critic Greil Marcus. . . . No one alive knows the music that fueled Dylan’s imagination better. . . . Folk Music . . . [is an] ingenious book of close listening.”—David Remnick, New Yorker Named a Best Music Book of 2022 by Rolling Stone “Further elevates Marcus to what he has always been: a supreme artist-critic.”—Hilton Als Across seven decades, Bob Dylan has been the first singer of American song. As a writer and performer, he has rewritten the national songbook in a way that comes from his own vision and yet can feel as if it belongs to anyone who might listen. In Folk Music, Greil Marcus tells Dylan’s story through seven of his most transformative songs. Marcus’s point of departure is Dylan’s ability to “see myself in others.” Like Dylan’s songs, this book is a work of implicit patriotism and creative skepticism. It illuminates Dylan’s continuing presence and relevance through his empathy—his imaginative identification with other people. This is not only a deeply felt telling of the life and times of Bob Dylan but a rich history of American folk songs and the new life they were given as Dylan sat down to write his own.
£12.82
Oxford University Press Oxford Reading Tree Songbirds Phonics: Level 1+: Bob Bug
Meet Bob in Bob Bug. Level 1+ Songbirds Phonics books focus on matching one sound to one letter, for example o as in dog. The focus phonics in this book are r l d b f h i u s m c t g p a o. Oxford Reading Tree Songbirds Phonics are highly decodable, beautifully illustrated stories written by best-selling author Julia Donaldson. The series contains a variety of storylines, rhyme, rhythm and genre ensuring there is something for every child to enjoy. The rich, patterned language in the stories is decodable making them perfect for children to practise their phonics. Songbirds Phonics can be used as a complete phonics programme, or the individual books can be used for phonics practice alongside any other phonics programme. Each book contains inside cover notes to support parents/carers with their children's phonics practice and comprehension.
£6.53
Hal Leonard Europe Limited The Gig Book: Bob Dylan
£17.52
Austin Macauley Publishers Little Bob Saves the World
£9.04
Plexus Publishing Ltd Bob Marley: Conquering Lion of Reggae
£14.99
Triumph Books Bob Feller's Little Blue Book of Baseball Wisdom
From hard-working farm boy growing up in post-World War I Van Meter, Iowa, to the youngest All-Star and longest-lived Hall of Famer, sharp-witted Bob Feller distills nine decades of hard-earned wisdom—gleaned from experiences both on and off the diamond—in his new Little Blue Book of Baseball Wisdom, a sequel to his best-selling Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom. Feller writes tellingly of the stars of his generation, but also shares the essential virtues which made him so successful—life lessons he learned from his father, who, eager to showcase his son's baseball talent, built a "field of dreams" on their Iowa farm when Feller was still a teen, lessons he learned fighting for his country in World War II, and lessons he learned subsequent to his baseball career.
£19.95
Taschen GmbH Bob Willoughby. Audrey Hepburn. Photographs 1953–1966
In his distinguished career as a Hollywood photographer, Bob Willoughby captured Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, but remains unequivocal about his favorite subject: Audrey Kathleen Ruston, later Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston, best known as Audrey Hepburn. Willoughby was called in to shoot the new starlet one morning shortly after she arrived in Hollywood in 1953. It was a humdrum commission for the portraitist often credited with having perfected the photojournalistic movie still, but when he met the Belgian-born beauty, Willoughby was enraptured. “She took my hand like… well a princess, and dazzled me with that smile that God designed to melt mortal men’s hearts,” he recalled. As Hepburn’s career soared following her Oscar-winning US debut in Roman Holiday, Willoughby became a trusted friend, framing her working and home life. His historic, perfectionist, tender photographs seek out the many facets of Hepburn’s beauty and elegance, as she progresses from her debut to her career high of My Fair Lady in 1963. Willoughby’s studies, showing her on set, preparing for a scene, interacting with actors and directors, and returning to her private life, comprise one of photography’s great platonic love affairs and an unrivalled record of one of the 20th century’s touchstone beauties.
£34.34
Penguin Random House Children's UK My Name is Bob: An Illustrated Picture Book
An illustrated children's picture book prequel to the worldwide bestseller A Street Cat Named Bob and The World According to Bob – perfect for very young fans. A moving and uplifting tale about one cat in search of a friend that will melt your heart."[Bob] has entranced London like no feline since the days of Dick Whittington" Evening Standard
£7.78
Universe Publishing The Offical Bob Ross Coloring Book: The Colors of the Four Seasons
This sequel to the best-selling Bob Ross Coloring Book features a collection of sixty-five seasonal paintings refashioned from Bob Ross's original works.The second coloring book based on the art of the beloved and acclaimed painter and television personality, this exclusive authorized collection of art, derived directly from Bob Ross's own paintings, offers his legions of fans a contemplative, relaxing, and inspiring way to connect with the work and personality of the pop-culture icon.Featuring many of Ross's most famous quotes and catchphrases about happy little trees, friendly squirrels, and more, the book also includes a full-color gallery of the original artwork. But as he would no doubt want, coloring fans of all ages are encouraged to make their own decisions, embrace their mistakes, and make each painting their own.
£13.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd You Lose Yourself You Reappear: The Many Voices of Bob Dylan
An insightful biography of one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan, by bestselling author Paul Morley. As one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan has enriched the American song tradition for over 50 years. With a talent that has been proven in the worlds of music, radio, art and poetry, Dylan is a man of many personas. From defying pop music conventions with protest songs such as “The Times They Are a-Changin’” to releasing three of the most influential rock albums of the 60s, he has not only extended the parameters of music genres but has also showed us the fluidity his craft. To mark Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday and 60 illustrious years in the arts, this insightful biography by bestselling author Paul Morley will explore the many voices of the folk icon.
£10.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd You Lose Yourself You Reappear: The Many Voices of Bob Dylan
An insightful biography of one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan, by bestselling author Paul Morley. As one of the world’s greatest musicians, Bob Dylan has enriched the American song tradition for over 50 years. With a talent that has been proven in the worlds of music, radio, art and poetry, Dylan is a man of many personas. From defying pop music conventions with protest songs such as “The Times They Are a-Changin’” to releasing three of the most influential rock albums of the 60s, he has not only extended the parameters of music genres but has also showed us the fluidity his craft. To mark Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday and 60 illustrious years in the arts, this insightful biography by bestselling author Paul Morley will explore the many voices of the folk icon.
£20.00
McNidder & Grace My Greenwich Village: Dave, Bob and Me
Terri Thal was very much a part of the folk music world in 1960s Greenwich Village, New York. Few people know that she was 21-year-old Bob Dylan's first manager prior to his contract with Albert Grossman and Columbia Records. She also managed musician Dave Van Ronk (who later became her husband), and others to include the Roche sisters, Paul Geremia and The Holy Modal Rounders. She booked performances at coffee houses, clubs and basket houses. In fall 1961, she recorded a set Bob did at the Gaslight. This audition tape she took to clubs and concert producers, trying to get him gigs - the original she still owns! When Dave Van Ronk first saw young Bob performing in a club in Greenwich Village he said 'I just heard this kid who's a fucking genius. You've got to hear him.' Within a few days Terri heard him play and agreed with Dave. Bob Dylan asked Terri, 'Would you get me gigs?' Terri Thal has two passions: folk music and social justice. This is a personal story of the world of folk music in 1960s New York written by a Jewish woman from Brooklyn who, although not a musician, was an intrinsic part of this scene. Terri describes Greenwich Village as a community that was supportive, musically exciting and one in which people had fun. She had many friends in Greenwich Village including Suze Rotolo and a number of seminal 1960s folk musicians. Terri tells us what it was like to hang out in the Village coffee houses and basket houses, to host folk singers like Tom Paxton and Phil Ochs who hung out at her apartment, and to be a manager. We hear her view and involvement of the 1960s socialist organizations, and how she later merged her professional work in not- for-profit agencies.
£19.80
Imprint Academic Political Art of Bob Dylan
£17.85
Hannibal Verlag Bob Marley Catch a Fire
£19.80
Palgrave USA A Street Cat Named Bob
£31.49
Heel Verlag GmbH Malen mit Bob Ross deutsche Ausgabe
£18.00
Manchester University Press Dusty Bob: A Cultural History of Dustmen, 1780–1870
Why did dustmen exercise an extended hold over the imagination of many Regency and Victorian artists and writers, including George Cruikshank, Henry Mayhew, Charles Dickens as well as numerous little known dramatists, caricaturists, print makers, journalists and novelists? This book, the first study of the cultural representation of the dust trade, provides many varied answers to this question by showing the ways in which London dustmen were associated with ideas of contamination, dirt, noise, violence, wealth, consumerism and threat. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, including plays, novels, reportage and, especially, visual culture, Dusty Bob describes the ways in which dustmen were perceived and mythologised in the first seventy years of the nineteenth century.Although Dusty Bob centrally comprises a detailed and original piece of research of interest to scholars and advanced students of Victorian culture, it has been written with a broader readership in mind.
£85.00
Ridinghouse Bob Law: Field Works 1959–1999
During Law’s stay at St Ives in the late 1950s, the artist developed a series of Field drawings that reduced elements observed in the surrounding landscape – the sun, trees and clouds – into a set of abstract signs held within a rhomboid frame. The series was, in Law’s words, ‘about the position of myself on the face of the earth and the environmental conditions around me’. Using a thickly drawn line to contain and delimit the almost-blank pictorial field, Law refined his early abstract language in subsequent monochrome works, from ‘open’ and ‘closed’ drawings to the monumental paintings of the Mister Paranoia series. Published to accompany a 2015 exhibition of the same name, this volume draws together over 20 works by leading British minimalist Bob Law (1934–2004), providing a concise overview of the artist’s career. This fully illustrated catalogue includes an essay by Douglas Fogle that includes new scholarship on the artist and focuses on his pursuit of the void’s poetic possibilities.
£15.00
Rowman & Littlefield Cartoons from Maine: How's the Water, Bob?
Since 1992, Jeff Pert's sardonic cartoons, particularly those featuring lobster and moose, have appeared in magazines (including Down East) and on merchandise sold throughout New England. Collecting more than 100 of his best, most popular comics, How's the Water, Bob? presents a hilarious alternative look at Maine.
£11.39
Rare Bird Books Bob Honey Sings Jimmy Crack Corn
£19.22
Medina Publishing Ltd Bob Dylan at the Isle of Wight Festival 1969
2019 marks the golden anniversary of the mass musical gatherings that saw the hippie generation at their 1969 zenith. Two events stand out, staged within days of each other that magical August: in the United States, there was Woodstock, and in the UK the Isle of Wight Festival of Music. Woodstock drew 400,000 fans and a quality bill that was a Who's Who of contemporary talent - all bar the main man the organisers hoped to lure on the doorstep of his home, Bob Dylan. Instead, Dylan opted to headline at the Isle of Wight, in front of close to 200,000 adoring fans. Here Bill Bradshaw celebrates the events of that summer 50 years on... and how the Isle of Wight, off England's southern coast, staged what was then the nation's biggest festival - and how it pulled off such a huge coup. Eye-witness accounts from fans, artists and the promoters bring alive that gilded summer and how it influenced both Dylan and the rock festival movement for generations to come.
£13.57
Hodder & Stoughton Bob Willis: A Cricketer and a Gentleman: The Sunday Times Bestseller
SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 'Verdict on Willis book: a treat' - Express'The book is a gem' - Mike Atherton 'It's a lovely book, containing previously unseen musings from the great man' - David Lloyd'enjoyable and eye-opening... a delight to read' - The Telegraph 'A warm, polished recollection.' - The Guardian'It's such a great read' - Piers Morgan'Willis book will bowl you over' - Sunday Mirror & The PeopleA biography celebrating the life of the legendary cricketer Bob Willis, with tributes from key figures in sports and media and a foreword by Sir Ian Botham. Following his passing in 2019, tributes to Bob came flooding in in every major news outlet and from every major figure in the industry - and outside of it. His career spanned decades, from his days as a cricketer for England to his time as a pundit on Sky TV. This autobiography includes never-before-seen writing from Bob alongside contributions from key figures as well as a detailed account of the great England victory over Australia at Headingly in 1981.The book, edited by Bob's brother David, combines a new biography, written by Daily Mail sportswriter Mike Dickson, with a celebration of a truly legendary man. Tributes from some of his many friends in the world of cricket and beyond are accompanied by reflections on highlights from an eventful life, drawing on autobiographical and personal material by Bob himself, contemporary press reports and the accounts of team-mates and opponents.
£20.00
LMH Publishing Bob Marley & The Wailers: The Definitive Discography
£12.99
Freies Geistesleben GmbH Top Bob dein Hund und Retter
£12.00
Alfred Music Bob Is Not My Uncle: Score & Parts
£14.10
JOVIS Verlag BOB CAMPUS – Transformation einer stillgelegten Textilfabrik
Die Transformation einer ehemaligen Textilfabrik zum BOB CAMPUS in Wuppertal-Oberbarmen zeigt, wie aus einer urbanen Brache ein offener Ort der Stadtteilgesellschaft wird. In zwei Bänden werden die Gestaltungsabläufe des preisgekrönten Areals sichtbar. Der zuerst erscheinende Band 1 widmet sich dem Bauprozess und den sich nach und nach entwickelnden Raumqualitäten: Durch das Zusammenspiel aus innovativen Lösungen für architektonische Herausforderungen, dem wertschätzenden Umgang mit dem historischen Ort und der vorhandenen Bausubstanz sowie einem kontinuierlich koproduktiven Prozess vieler Akteur*innen entsteht eine einzigartige Nutzungsmischung aus Kita, Schulräumen, Büros, Wohnungen und Gemeinschaftsflächen. Starke Bilder veranschaulichen, wie es gelingen kann, Gemeinwohl zu bauen – und welche Chance für die Gesellschaft darin liegt. Eine Anregung zum Nachahmen.
£33.50
BMG Books Dreaming of Dylan: 115 Dreams About Bob
Perhaps the only subject more fascinating than the mysterious world of dreams is the mysterious world of Bob Dylan. Dreaming of Dylan brings the two together for a weird and wonderful romp through the ways the mercurial musical master shows up in our subconscious states. Celebrated writer and musician Mary Lee Kortes lovingly curated this off-kilter collection of nocturnal visions. Paired with over 100 original images and illustrations, these dreams will captivate you in ways you never expected. Bob Dylan once sang, “I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.” And be in them he has! There are plenty of musical dreamers here, from the incomparable Patti Smith to Squirrel Nut Zippers frontman Jimbo Mathus to Kevin Odegard, whose guitar is heard on the memorable intro to “Tangled Up in Blue,” and others. Not to mention the everyday dreamers, from plumbers to poets and pastors, from dentists to attorneys and psychotherapists. Some dreams are poignant; some are disturbing; and others are nothing short of bizarre. Taken together they’re an enthralling look at what the famously enigmatic singer/songwriter represents in the deepest recesses of our minds.
£21.95
Hal Leonard Europe Limited The Best Of Bob Dylan-Chord Songbook
£17.09
ECW Press,Canada The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story
£17.09
Andrews McMeel Publishing Bob Ross 2025 DaytoDay Calendar
£15.60
Little, Brown Book Group Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan 1957-1973
Bob Dylan has always regarded himself as a songwriter: 'I am my words,' he wrote in 1964.Distilling a lifetime's passion and study, leading Dylan author, Clinton Heylin charts the development and first moments of genius of this unique artist whose songs changed the world.From his first attempts at writing, Song to Bridget, in 1957, (apparently for Brigitte Bardot) Bob Dylan always aspired to poetry, yet his role as a writer rather than a performer of his own songs is often overlooked. In over fifty years of creativity he had penned some of the most iconic, and perfect, songs in popular history. Arriving in New York in 1961, the city had an enormous impact on the young artist and, as he established himself amongst the folk clubs and artists, he would produce songs that spoke for a whole generation: Blowing in the Wind, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, The Times They Are a Changin', Like a Rolling Stone, and Forever Young.In Revolution in the Air Clinton Heylin recounts the story of each song as it is written, giving a full appreciation of the songs themselves as well as Dylan the emerging artist. Unlike any other book on Dylan, it charts his rise as a writer, where he gained his inspiration, the burst of energy which produced some of his most famous songs as well as the lesser known stories behind the more iconic verses.This is an essential book for anyone interested in Dylan and his place in literature. Informative, opinionated, packed with new insights and revelations, this is an instant classic.
£12.99
Thunder Bay Press Bob Ross Happy Little Sticker Puzzles
£15.49
Ohio University Press Players, Teams, and Stadium Ghosts: Bob Hunter on Sports
In Players, Teams, and Stadium Ghosts, sportswriter Bob Hunter has assembled a Hall of Fame collection of his best writing from the Columbus Dispatch. Fans will encounter some of the biggest names in sports and relive great moments from games played by amateurs and pros. They’ll encounter forgotten players and teams that struggled. Hunter shows us LeBron James when he was a 15-year-old high school freshman, already capturing the world’s attention; 20-year-old Derek Jeter’s meteoric rise through the minors, including the Columbus Clippers; a strange encounter with Pete Rose hustling frozen pizzas; and the excitement of watching future WNBA star Katie Smith dominate a Columbus Quest championship game. The common thread is the personal touch that Hunter consistently uses to take readers beyond the final scores and the dazzle of lights. These are the people behind the athletes. They’re remembered for how they played, but Hunter reminds us who they were.
£19.99
Hal Leonard Corporation Bob Marley - Strum & Sing Guitar
£14.99
Hal Leonard Europe Limited Really Easy Piano: Bob Dylan
£12.02
Fox Chapel Publishing Bob Lang's The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker, Revised Edition
This book demonstrates how to design and make built-in cabinets for a variety of rooms. It includes instructions for cutting, joining, finishing and installing, plus advice for working with different materials. It includes a colourful 16-page idea gallery. Demonstrating how woodworkers can approach the complex job of designing and making built-in cabinets for kitchens, family rooms, and home offices, this technical handbook provides meticulously detailed shop drawings, instructions, and hundreds of professional tips for saving time, materials, unnecessary aggravation, and money. Bob Lang offers practical, hands-on guidance for building traditional face-frame cabinets as well as constructing contemporary frameless cabinets. Woodworkers will learn how to measure rooms and design fitting cabinetry that considers both function and aesthetics, how to develop working shop drawings and cutting lists, and how to work with materials as varied as solid wood and plastic laminate. Technical instructions for cutting and joining the basic box, as well as for fitting it to drawers, sinks, corners, appliances, and islands, are also included, as are detailed steps for sanding, finishing and installing each piece. This revised edition also offers a colourful new 16-page idea gallery with photographs of finished cabinets.
£17.09
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc Painting with Bob Ross: Learn to paint in oil step by step!
Painting with Bob Ross—with artwork created by Bob Ross himself using his specially formulated oil paints, brushes, basecoats, and other tools—introduces artists and Bob Ross fans to the basics of painting landscapes. Everyone will enjoy Painting with Bob Ross, as his “happy accidents” approach makes this challenging subject matter enjoyable for all ages, regardless of skill level and materials used. “All you need is the desire to make beautiful things happen on canvas…” —Bob Ross In 1982, The Joy of Painting made its debut on public television. The unrehearsed, unedited show soon became a favorite among aspiring artists and painters. Almost 40 years and 403 episodes after his on-air debut, and decades after his untimely passing, Bob Ross still has enormous global popularity as a beloved painter, affable TV personality, and cultural icon. With this guide, you can learn to paint a happy tree in seconds, just like Bob Ross! Painting with Bob Ross introduces you to the tools and materials you need to paint beautiful landscapes, as well as basic painting techniques, such as how to load your brush and how to paint with a knife. Following the introduction are 16 painting projects, each with a complete list of tools and materials needed and instructions for preparing the canvas. Jump into painting with step one, then follow the full-color painting progressions and clearly written instructions until you’ve reached the final step—and your new, joyful work of art! This is the only Bob Ross book with all-color images. Even if you’re brand new to painting, remember that Bob said, “Talent is nothing more than a pursued interest. All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.” Throughout this book, Bob’s quotes encourage you to keep going. So grab your copy of Painting with Bob Ross, relax and unwind, and paint a Bob Ross-inspired landscape! You can paint graceful mountains, ocean waves crashing onto rocks, a winter cabin, a lakeside path, a deep forest river, and many more breathtaking views. And don’t forget to sign each of your masterpieces once you’ve completed the last step!
£12.99
Gran Travesia El Único E Incomparable Bob
£18.60
Rizzoli International Publications Bob Crewe: Sight and Sound: Compositions in Art and Music
Best known for having written and produced some of the seminal records of American popular culture from Big Girls Don t Cry for the Four Seasons to Silence is Golden for the Tremeloes and Lady Marmalade for LaBelle Bob Crewe was a multifaceted artist for whom a passion for painting and the visual arts provided a lifelong counterbalance to music. Collected here are more than 80 of Bob Crewe s artworks, stretching from his first forays into abstract expressionism in the 1950s and 1960s to more complex, tactile compositions made on his full-time return to painting in the 1990s accompanied by archival images and ephemera that reflect Crewe s simultaneous contribution to popular music. Essays by Jessica May and Peter Plagens explore the development of an artist whose influences ranged from Rauschenberg and Johns to Warhol and Bacon; legendary record producer Andrew Loog Oldham captures the period of radical experimentalism in which Crewe wrote many of the most memorable songs in the canon of modern pop; and Donald Albrecht s introduction ties together the many complementary aspects of Crewe s personal and creative lives.
£49.50
The Crowood Press Ltd Bob Church's Guide to New Fly Patterns
An introduction to 400 flies, making use of modern materials that have revolutionized the art of fly tying in recent years. Each fly is described and illustrated in full, including dressing and comments regarding when to use it and how to fish it effectively. There are patterns for reservoirs, lochs, small fisheries, gravel pits and rivers; and for grayling, salmon and sea trout. There are further guest contributions from international experts.
£13.60
Universe Publishing Be a Peaceful Cloud and Other Life Lessons from Bob Ross
Inspired by Bob Ross's famed painting techniques, quotes, and iconic images, this affirming guide-to-life book will help you navigate your own personal landscape, one day--or canvas--at a time. Beloved for his relaxing tone and his way of imparting his meditative outlook on life (all while creating a painting in under thirty minutes on television), Bob Ross had a quiet, nurturing disposition that made him the perfect guide to overcoming (and appreciating) everyday challenges both big and small. Featuring Bob's most famous quotes and illustrated by more than thirty of his original paintings, Be a Peaceful Cloud and Other Life Lessons from Bob Ross is filled with calming, mindful essays that tap into his advice on imagination, friendship, mistakes, and finding happiness. Chapters range from Blank Canvas: It's Your World, which illuminates how to approach each day, to Bravery Tests: Challenging Yourself, which draws upon your inner strength, to Happy Little Accidents: Creating Success from Failure, which affirms the power of positive thinking. Bob Ross's lessons gently encourage everyone to live their best Bob Ross life--an aspiration more important now than ever before.
£14.99
Hal Leonard Europe Limited The Definitive Bob Dylan Songbook (Small Format)
£28.83
Redbook Bob Marley: Wake Up & Live
£18.65
All Verlag Bob Morane 12 All Verlag
£17.80
Kiepenheuer & Witsch GmbH Wolfgang Niedecken ber Bob Dylan
£14.00
Running Press,U.S. Bob Ross Inspirational Posters: 12 Designs to Display
Find inspiration from the joy of painting and Bob Ross himself with this book of posters featuring the artist's works and most motivational messages.This set includes high-quality full-colour posters, in 12 unique designs, featuring Ross's artwork and emblazoned with his inspirational quotes. The 8x10" removable sheets come ready to hang or frame, so you can instantly bring the joy of Bob Ross to your own home or office.
£11.37
Simon & Schuster Cimarron Rose: A Billy Bob Holland Novel
£15.59
Royal Academy of Arts Bob and Roberta Smith: The Secret to a Good Life
When Bob and Roberta Smith - pseudonym of the artist Patrick Brill - was elected a Royal Academician in 2013, he had a more complex relationship with the Royal Academy than most. He remembers well the feeling of suspense as his parents, both artists, waited to hear whether their submissions had been accepted for the annual Summer Exhibition. The outcome brought jubilation or despair, but rarely to both, which led to its problems. In The Secret to a Good Life, Bob and Roberta Smith introduces his mother, Deirdre Borlase, and her encounters with the often sexist and class-ridden art establishment of post-war Britain. Her story has led her son to ruminate on drawing, politics and the challenge that art can pose to authority. In the colourful signwriting style for which he is best known, the artist tells a poignant and political family story. In the end, it is Deirdre who provides the answer to the question: what is the secret to a good life?
£21.67