Books, films and TV about being an artiste

[Cloo]

Just finished reading Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany which I actually bought for my brother but it turned out he had it already, so I decided to read it. I don't know a lot about Kraftwerk, but I am definitely interested in them as a cultural phenomenon and this book was a fascinating look into them as a whole artistic project. In general I really like books/films/programmes that give that kind of insight. I found Patti Smith's 'Just Kids' like that as well - obviously it's intensely personal but I think it said a lot about the life of an artist as a whole, similarly the film Moonage Daydream about Bowie which I think built up the big picture of him and his creative process.

Any other recommendations for books, films or programmes that take a deep dive into artists/musicians/film makers etc and their processes?

 

[nottsgirl]

There’s an amazing biography of Marina Abramovich the performance artist. I’ll look the title up.

 

[nottsgirl]

It’s called Walk through Walls: A memoir.

 

[shifting gears]

Just finished reading Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany which I actually bought for my brother but it turned out he had it already, so I decided to read it. I don't know a lot about Kraftwerk, but I am definitely interested in them as a cultural phenomenon and this book was a fascinating look into them as a whole artistic project. In general I really like books/films/programmes that give that kind of insight. I found Patti Smith's 'Just Kids' like that as well - obviously it's intensely personal but I think it said a lot about the life of an artist as a whole, similarly the film Moonage Daydream about Bowie which I think built up the big picture of him and his creative process.

Any other recommendations for books, films or programmes that take a deep dive into artists/musicians/film makers etc and their processes?

Pretty sure I read the Kraftwerk book years ago, my main takeaway now is of their absolute cycling obsession, does that ring true, err, Cloo? Like they often got out of the tour bus 200k before the next gig stop and jauntily cycled the rest of the way?

I’ve got the David Byrne book How Music Works lined up to read but not started it yet, comes highly recommended though…

I read Dan Charnas’ book Dilla Time earlier this year which would fit your criteria in terms of deep-dive into method etc, bio of the late great J Dilla (hip hop producer of groups like The Pharcyde)

Really enjoyed this Keith Haring documentary too: Keith Haring: Street Art Boy

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Helen O'Hara's book was intetesting. She talks a lot about the process of getting the music right, and the frustration of being seen as a bit part when she was a key contributer to that process and the results.

 

[Cloo]

shifting gears - yes, there was a lot of cycling, to the point it alienated one of the members rather a lot!

 

[hitmouse]

Just started reading this, a collaboration (one of several, apparently) between the critic/writer/general good egg John Berger and the photographer Jean Mohr, dunno if it might be what you're looking for?

Another Way of Telling by John Berger: 9780679737247 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

“There are no photographs which can be denied. All photographs have the status of fact. What is to be examined is in what way photography can and cannot give meaning to facts.” With these words,...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

 

[Orang Utan]

Can we have a song?

 

[Cloo]

Bruce Springsteen's autobiography looks at musical life in an interesting way in terms of being the frontman of a band - Springsteen does not go easy on himself, he's clearly hard to please as a member of his ensemble, and fires a lot of band members, including good mates.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Personally l love musicians autobiographies. . . . But not just musicians (and they don't have to be ones I like) also, comedians and other artists. I think I like to see their process, how they got to where they got to, and how they live a normal life around that. What I tend not to like are books about people by other people. I'm not sure why, but they do not intrest me at all. Some are OK when they are constructed from interviews . . I think I want to hear it from the horses mouth.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Bruce Springsteen's autobiography looks at musical life

Did he talk about Alan Vega in that book?