Kate Bryan. Cornerstone, (336p) ISBN: 9781529154528. Art Writing, read 27/06/25, Paperback ★★★★☆

How To Art`

I loved this from the moment I started reading it as there are a lot of similarities with how I grew into art from a working class background where no one I knew was in the ‘art world’ and it took a long time to feel as though I was allowed to be there.

Kate Bryan’s book is a broad read taking in lots of different aspects of the art world and art making, but with the object of demystifying the lot of it. From telling you why your worthy of appreciating (or not) art, why you are capable of making it, and clearing up some of the more opaque aspects of where to see art amongst other areas.

Written in a really accessible way, non-technical language and short paragraphs to help you digest the information, it makes the various aspects of the art world far more understandable and acknowledges that the art world itself acts to make these obfuscations part of it to help with the process of making art elitist but to ignore all that and enjoy it anyway.

The writing is wonderfully supported by illustrations from David Shrigley in his usual magnificently dry humour but cuttingly intelligent style.

Kate talks about how you can respond to artwork, lets you in on the secret that you don’t have like everything you see but explains how to examine why you don’t like it in a clear manner.

We also find out where to see art, from local galleries to auction houses and everything in-between, and not to be put off by this as the artists really want you to see their work!

Kate also talks about owning art, and this I feel is really important as we can all have art surrounding and enriching us on a daily basis and what better than art you’ve chosen yourself because you love it.

A book full of humour but also highly informative, a must have for all budding art connoisseurs, well art lovers and that can be all of us.