Artful Jesters: Innovators of Visual Wit and Humor

by Nicholas Roukes

While most artists use skill and imagination to create objects of inspiration, only a mischievous few challenge viewers with a dose of humor in the form of whimsy, wit, irony, parody, satire, or nonsense. In ARTFUL JESTERS, artist and professor Nicholas Roukes provides a historical perspective on the use of humor in art, plus a showcase of 50 highly creative contemporary artists, such as Roy De Forest, Carroll Dunham, and Gladys Nilsson, whose mission is to amuse, entertain, and inform. With more than 180 full-color reproductions, ARTFUL JESTERS exposes the “other side” of art—the seriously lighthearted and often hilariously funny side, sure to refresh your spirits and change the way you think about art.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004