Get the Picture

A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See

By: Bianca Bosker

Narrated by: Bianca Bosker

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Get the Picture is one of the funniest books I’ve read . . . Brilliant.” —The Washington Post

“A gripping and often hilarious investigation into the art world. . . . Bosker goes full Tom Wolfe.” —TIME

“Funny, whip-smart, and gorgeously written, Get the Picture will forever transform the way you see. . . . I loved every word.” —Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms

The New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork takes readers on another fascinating, hilarious, and revelatory journey—this time burrowing deep inside the secretive world of art and artists

An award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession, Bianca Bosker’s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world—and couldn’t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she—or any of us—could engage with it more deeply.

In Get the Picture, Bosker throws herself into the nerve center of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators, and, of course, artists themselves—the kind who work multiple jobs to afford their studios while scrabbling to get eyes on their art. As she stretches canvases until her fingers blister, talks her way into A-list parties full of billionaire collectors, has her face sat on by a nearly-naked performance artist, and forces herself to stare at a single sculpture for hours on end while working as a museum security guard, she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization machine but also a more expansive way of living.

Probing everything from cave paintings to Instagram, and from the science of sight to the importance of beauty as it examines art’s role in our culture, our economy, and our hearts, Get the Picture is a rollicking adventure that will change the way you see forever.

©2024 Bianca Bosker (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[Bosker] has written a dark comedy of manners, and what she exposes here might be a new kind of country club mentality, where the cultural elite can no longer exclude people based on race, gender or sexual identity, so they come up with clever new ways to build moats around their little castles. . . . Get the Picture is one of the funniest books I’ve read about New York’s contemporary art scene . . . Brilliant.” —The Washington Post

“It’s a passionate, brilliant examination of why humans make and value art, from a joyous and gifted investigator.” —Lit Hub

“Connoisseurs and neophytes alike will be charmed and captivated by Bosker’s boundless curiosity and astute powers of observation.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Loved

Loved this smart, funny, and insightful book. Now I can’t stop thinking about and craving art- which in grateful for

Real, well-researched, and entertaining

Was trying to overcome painting/art world burnout post-grad and this was one of a few things that kept me going. Such a refreshing take of the art world that doesn’t hold back with telling the truth and truly explores every facet of it. The range of people and places she chooses to work with is a really accurate assessment of the art scene and it was so, so nice to see that there really are people out there who aren’t so prestigious and exclusionary. Really helped me realize there is a place for me in the art world after all. So glad this got recommended to me, and I highly recommend it to anyone else—art world people or not—if you want a better understanding of how things work (and don’t work lol) or if you’re a bit lost and need someone to help guide you back & become more in the know. Really great insight on how to sell artworks as well, which people do not talk about nearly enough. Bravo!

a must read for any artist, teacher, or schmoe wanting to get closer to art;)

funny, witty, raw account for her experiences with infiltrating the contemporary art scene. I had no idea!!

Love it!

If you enjoy biographies and love art, this book is for you. Loved the research the writer did and how she described her experiences. It was a joy to listen to this book. There is a little bit of everything in this book: philosophy, history, business, and of course art.

Very insightful

Informative and funny. An interesting peek into the art world and to the people she encountered. The author also does a great job reading it.

Highly recommend.

Best kind of investigative journalism, total immersion and the ability to translate a subculture to the rest of the world.

A “no-punches pulled” storyline

A tell-all and straight forward review of the art world. The culture and subcultures which exist in the world of art critics, collectors, and artist alike. The unwritten rules which govern the social pariah of art. Thank you to the author who writes this as a culmination of a multiyear project. Well done

Excellent

Superlative book about the art world. It was exactly what I was looking for. Now I will write the word potato to prove that I am human.

This is a personal journey

I agree with Anthony's comments. What started out seeming like a bashing of the NY elitist art world was but the beginning of Ms. Bosker's personal journey. in the end she found her own way of looking at art, and I'm not sure that even she saw that coming. The light she shines on the art world along the way is educational and necessary, but in the end her observations were left behind as she found her own answers.

The art world is a gated community, of lunatics.

Everything I hate about the art world is revealed in this delightful book. Thankfully, it's not just an art world bashing, but a revealing of the love of art, learning to see and how to see art. Along with a reminder that there are many art worlds out there --go make your own.