CVJ

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Schnabel, a lion of the New York celebrity scene, here produces an autobiography at the grand old age of 35. Written in a flat, almost minimalist style, the memoir tells how a young man from Brooklyn, then Texas, lands in Soho, gets discovered, becomes rich and famous but preserves his artistic integrity as he bums around Europe and New York. Schnabel writes as if the daily doings of his cliquish circle are bound to be of immense interest to readers. He offers tough-talking advice to aspiring artists and sets down his critical opinions on numerous contemporaries; sometimes he drifts into a sort of Beat prose-poetry as he confronts themes like death and fame. Approximately 140 reproductions of paintings and objects are included. Author tour. (November 6)

Library Journal

Schnabel is a ``hot'' property in the contemporary art world. His brutal, broken crockery paintings and philosophical braggadocio have won him critical attention and acclaim, not to mention sales. Unfortunately, this autobiographical meander tells us much more than we need to know about Schnabel's views on artistic production. The artist's linking of passions to visual development seems a calculated evocation of, let's say, Jackson Pollock? The result is an intellectually tiresome text, with good, although incompletely captioned, illustrations. Though the book is expensive, some specialized and art school collections will want it. Paula A. Baxter, N.Y.P.L.