Why is Art Full of Naked People? is an irreverent and informative primer that asks tricky questions about what makes art art. What is with all the fruit? Why is art so weird nowadays? There are questions about how art views the world, from cave paintings through to Cubism, from the Renaissance to contemporary art, questions about different genres, including still-life painting, landscapes and portraits, and questions about the role and value of art in the past and today.
Artists ask questions when they make art and viewers ask questions when they look at art; this book provides an engaging way for young people to explore asking and answering questions for themselves. The book is structured around twenty-two questions, each one tackled over two spreads. Through this provocative approach it offers an introduction to art history and a toolkit to enable young people to feel confident asking questions, searching for answers, and “reading” art for themselves.
Reviews
The title alone is enough to hook browsers. Hodge uses high-level questions about famous and lesser-known works of art to provoke critical thinking about a variety of artists and their creations. Comedic cartoon guides help point out some of the concepts mentioned in the text, while the questions allow students to make the reading experience their own. [A] colorful romp through the art world.
— School Library Journal
Contributors
Susie Hodge
Author
Susie Hodge is an art historian, author, artist, and journalist with more than one hundred books to her name. She has an MA in the history of art from Birkbeck, University of London, and is a fellow of the RSA. She has twice been named the No. 1 art writer by the Independent.
