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What Is Now Known Was Once Only Imagined: An Autobiography of Niki de Saint Phalle
Top of the pile
91
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
86/100Critics
96/100Scholars
Author:
Nicole Rudick, Niki de Saint Phalle
Publisher:
Siglio
Date:
February 21, 2022
A biography by Nicole Rudick told in Saint Phalle's own words, assembled from rare and unseen materials.
What The Reviewers Say
... visually splendid book brings to life all the complexities and contradictions of the legendary sculptor, painter, and filmmaker. By strictly relying on Saint Phalle’s own writings, scribblings, letters, memoirs, essays, and often text-heavy graphic artworks, Rudick adroitly creates a loose narrative of the artist’s unruly life while resisting interpretation. The result is a kind of legerdemain of editing without judgment or speculation, an open text that invites the reader to linger on Saint Phalle’s lushly reproduced imagery and to contemplate her inextricably linked work and life. (I suggest using a magnifying glass, as I did, to explore the artist’s intricate drawings and occasionally tiny handwriting).
... ebullient, poignant.
In this innovative and kaleidoscopic work, Rudick brings to life the irrepressible vitality of French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) by letting her subject speak for herself.
