Ben Luke is a writer and broadcaster based in London. He is a contributing editor of The Art Newspaper and presents its podcasts A brush with…, of which there are now more than 100 episodes, and The Week in Art, of which there are now more than 300 episodes. From 2009 to 2024 he was an art critic at the London Evening Standard. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. Ben has contributed to books on artists as diverse as Phyllida Barlow, Glenn Brown, Michael Craig-Martin, Mark Dion, Matthew Krishanu, George Shaw, and Jiro Takamatsu. He was selected in the Critics’ Critics section of Artforum’s Best of 2024 issue. His new book is What is art for? Contemporary artists on their influences, inspirations and disciplines.
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Ben Luke
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What is art for? Contemporary artists on their influences, inspirations and disciplines
Writer and broadcaster Ben Luke conceived and launched the "A brush with..." podcast with "The Art Newspaper" in 2020 to explore the influences, rituals and disciplines of artists working today through in-depth interviews. Titled after the final question he asks every guest, "What is art for?" draws on over 25 years' experience talking to artists and comprises 25 of these conversations, edited and illustrated to offer a tangible and visually rich version. The selected artists span cities, continents and even generations: they include Michael Armitage, Phyllida Barlow, Tacita Dean, Theaster Gates, Roni Horn, Arthur Jafa, Claudette Johnson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Julie Mehretu, Do Ho Suh, Sarah Sze, Stanley Whitney and more. The book also features texts by Luke drawing out the shared passions and fascinations of these different artists. Taken together, "What is art for?" paints a compelling and, at times, unexpected story of artists' inspirations and motivations.
