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

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY NPR, TIME, AND THE ECONOMIST

“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.

Absolutely a must for anyone interested in ART

Bianca Bosker's GET THE PICTURE was outstanding in every way.

As the director of a museum of contemporary, graffiti and street art, I was captivated (and often amused) by Bosker's experiences as she travails from one facet of the art market to another - gallery worker, studio assistant, art guard, guest curator, and more. Lots of humorous anecdotes, as Bosker careens towards a more thorough appreciation of contemporary art. The "art world" is a fascinating, cutthroat, varied and exhilarating industry. Highly recommended for artists, aficionados and collectors.

Excellent narration by the author - a truly entertaining listen. Thank you.

A lot of foul language

I am not a fan of foul language but I pressed on because I wanted to hear her thoughts. I do feel I gained insight into the gallery system and seeing. I don’t think I could encourage friends to listen without proving a warning about the language and some raunchy topics.

This was a fascinating exploration of the world of contemporary art by n all of its craziness.

As I’ve said in previous comments, having the author read their work is often not the best choice (exceptions are Toni Morrison and David McCullough, for instance), and that is the case with this book. The story she had to tell was just enough to offset her voice, which is not suited for audiobooks. That does not mean that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy “reading” this book. I learned a great deal about the contemporary art world and gained insight from the author’s final section about how to look at art.

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.