Nice spot

“It’s a nice day, let’s go out and see if we can spot some famous artists”. That’s something we hear people saying all the time. Of course it’s all very well for those in the know, but what about those who wouldn’t recognise John Baldassari if he sat down next to them in a train and introduced himself? We figure that’s just what Sebastian Piras was thinking when he suggested a spotter’s book of artists to his publisher. “These people are the celebrities that got away,” he says, throwing his manuscript down on the table. “Some of them are still leading private lives and even having coffee in public without being mobbed. My book will end all that. Anyone who has a copy will know when Jasper Johns comes in the room and be able to point out Cindy Sherman to all the people who thought she was someone else standing in the corner.”

As it turned out Sebastian wasn’t too fussy as to whether there should be examples of the artists’ work next to each portrait (something that impressed the cost conscious publisher) and the deal was done. You can get a copy of A Pocketful of Contemporary Artists:Photographic Portraits here and start collecting artists right away.