The writer and broadcaster Andrew Marr talks about how artists make good work and just what 'good' means in this thought-provoking book about painting.
Andrew Marr is a Scottish journalist. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and has had a long career in political journalism, working for the Scotsman, The Independent, The Economist, the Express and the Observer. From 2000 to 2005 he was the BBC's Political Editor. His broadcasting includes series on contemporary thinkers for BBC 2 and Radio 4, political documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC Panorama, and Radio 4's Start The Week'.
This book did well to encourage me to paint, and Marr isn't under any illusions of his or our own probable splendour. As well as arguing for what he values in modern painting (and the book is replete with works and references to modern artists), he goes through his thought process when composing his art, and the gaps and missteps between his results and ideas. The book ends up being a banner for the value of painting in our creative-spiritual lives.