The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa

"A book that captures very well the enigmatic status of art and how we might approach it. . . . Kimmelman [is] a knowledgeable guide to all sorts of places we'd never have though of going." --Adrian Searle, The New York Times

"Michael Kimmelman writes that 'the world is full of amazing surprises.' As it happens, this book is one of them. Knowledgeable, charming, thoughtful, lucid, unpretentious writing about art? A critic who actually leaves his room and comes back with stories about interesting people and places in the real world? And if that weren't amazing and surprising enough, Kimmelman is on an earnest old-school quest, determined to convince us (in his charming and unpretentious way) that modern art is not a cynical game, that we can glimpse all kinds of improbable marvels and wonders in all sorts of places if we take the time to look and feel and think. I am grateful for The Accidental Masterpiece." --Kurt Anderson, New York Times-bestselling writer and host of the Peabody-winning radio program Studio 360

"I get more from reading Michael Kimmelman--the dry wit, the elegant conviviality of tone, the broad range and the underlying toughness of judgment--than from any art critic writing now. He really knows art and, what's more, really enjoys it. And he brings that enjoyment to the reader in a way that you can't fail to share. He's neither a jargoneer nor an art world nerd: He is deeply immersed in life, its pleasures, and the winding, unexpected ways in which art puts you in touch with both. Chapeau!" --Robert Hughes, awarding-winning art critic, writer, and director

"Michael Kimmelman, one of the most brilliant and sensitive critics of our time, in this book presents a surprisingly refreshing view of art and artists. From the beginning to the end, he exercises his wry sense of humor to explain something that is deeply insightful of our culture. His book shows how you may be an artist too, without even knowing. Read, and see yourself in this mirror of our contemporary and future society. You'll love it." --Yoko Ono

An exploration of art as a great passion of life, written by a chief art critic for The New York Times, considers what can be learned through pictures, sculpture, and the artists who create them, in a personal exploration that invites readers to become more aware of art and the creative spirit within one's own life. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.