Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions
Perrella, Lynne. Art Making, Collections & Obsessions: An Intimate Exploration of the Mixed-Media Work and Collections of 35 Artists. Quarry: Quayside. 2008. 160p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-59253-363-3. $26.99. FINE ARTS  Perrella (Beyond Paper Dolls) features creative uses by 35 artists of found and collected objects such as buttons, shells, textiles, photos, suitcases, utensils, and other castoffs that are given second lives in art projects. Examples of each artistÆs works are displayed on a colorful double-page spread, with large photo reproductions and commentary that includes quotations from writers and musicians. Some of the most innovative and clever applications are wedding-cake-box sculptures, worn and painted gloves, and outlandishly decorated corsets and military garb. Instead of serious intellectual art, this is more a showcase of works by artists having fun with trinkets and treasured ephemera. Contact information and artist web sites are included at the back. A popular crafts addition suitable for many public collections.Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL, Library Journal, April 2008