Art and Celebrity

This is an accessible study of the art world and its interaction with celebrity culture and fame. Global culture is dominated by celebrities, some of whom - such as Madonna and Sylvester Stallone - are art collectors and some - such as Dennis Hopper and David Bowie - are spare-time artists. In this volume, John A. Walker explains how artists such as Warhol, Gavin Turk, Jeff Koons and Elizabeth Peyton contribute to, but also critique, the cult of celebrity by depicting film and rock stars. He also looks at Princess Diana in paintings and statues. Celebritization has overtaken the art world too: Walker surveys 14 art stars of the 20th century from Dali to Tracey Emin. The book also reviews alternatives: the leftwing pantheon of figures such as Mao, Che Guevara and Rosa Luxemburg, and pictorial celebrations of the people. Finally, Walker considers the pros and cons of celebrityhood for artists and its effects on current art, and discusses the return of the hero in the wake of 11 September 2001.