"Tomkins approaches art writing as a raconteur rather than a formalist: artists’ lives, Tomkins says, are 'integral to what they make' . . . Tomkins is a creature of our anything-goes cultural era. Though not a strictly nonjudgmental postmodern­ist, Tomkins is cheerfully ecumenical, defying both the squabbling sectarians of the art world and critics who believe art is becoming increasingly frivolous. These 10 profiles, which originally appeared from 1999 to 2008, helped ratify the contemporary canon in all its eclecticism, from the market-savvy provocations of Damien Hirst to the austere if gigantic minimalism of Richard Serra to the enigmatic theatricality of Cindy Sherman . . . [Tomkins'] consummate mastery of the magazine profile form and enthusiasm for his subjects are winning."—Mick Sussman, The New York Times Book Review

"A major work of scholarship that is also a major work of art."—Sacvan Bercovitch, Harvard University

"The volume compiles writings not previously available in English alongside fresh translations of his better-known works. This is all very nice, but if you're like me, the first thing you want to know when perusing any Marinetti edition is, 'Is the essay about sculpted meat included?' Happily it is."—Philadelphia Weekly

"Provides the best overview of political and other aspects of the art world that I have ever come across . . . It is a bible that every artist should have."—Shannon Wilkinson, president, Cultural Communications, New York

“Sharon Waxman’s Loot is the most instructive as well as the most intelligent (and the most entertaining) guide through the labyrinth of antiquity and the ways in which the claims of the departed intersect with the rights of the living.”—Christopher Hitchens author of God Is Not Great and The Elgin Marbles: Should They Be Returned to Greece?