American artist Elizabeth Peyton is one of the outstanding painters of her generation, a painter known for her intimate figurative portraits of youthful, romantic people, ranging from friends, to historical figures, to music world celebrities. Her work is intensely personal, but the subject becomes an intimate of both audience and artist. Peyton's ability to draw the viewer in is a result of her own fascination and curiosity about the figures she chooses. They are stylish in a timeless way and are at moments in their lives when they stand for their own ideals of independence, beauty, and artistry. Her manner is to paint small, devotional images in an "awkward, self-effacing way with an offhand intensity." Compiled by Peyton herself, the book chronicles ten years of inspiration, her works in many media, and her exhibitions, revealing the evolution of this exceptional artist who has been highly influential, in the words of the New York Times, in bringing "a return to beauty in art, a resurgence of figurative work, and a revival of painting."

"It's fitting that Peyton's first major show was in room 828 of Manhattan's fabled Chelsea Hotel, whose residents have included everyone from Thomas Wolfe to Sid Vicious. Her portraits — whether of Edwardian poet Rupert Brooke, Prince Harry or her friends — seem to emerge from the same timeless, eternal bohemia that the hotel exemplifies. The portraits recorded in this lavish volume — small, and painted with an offhand casualness that doesn't quite conceal a formidable technique — are idealized and emotional rather than 'warts and all' realistic. Her Kurt Cobain more closely resembles a Renaissance cherub (by way of Walter Keane) than the ravaged child of his videos and photographs; her young Queen Elizabeth is creamy and serene, with none of the real subject's characteristic wariness. But Peyton's art is about emotional truth and visual intensity. If the book has a fault it is a certain sameness and repetition: Peyton's work hasn't developed all that much since the Chelsea Hotel show of 1993, and what in a gallery might surprise and refresh becomes, over the course of 200 pages, cloying. Peyton's achievement is, nonetheless, impressive: she has helped return the painted portrait to the mainstream discourse of American art." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Compiled by Peyton herself, this volume chronicles ten years of Peyton's inspiration, works in many media, and exhibitions. The text includes an introduction by Matthew Higgs, director of White Columns, an interview with Steve Lafreniere, a contributor to Index and Artforum, as well as essays by other art critics. Peyton's works are beautifully reproduced in numerous color plates.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Compiled by Peyton herself, this volume chronicles ten years of Peyton's inspiration, works in many media, and exhibitions. The text includes an introduction by Matthew Higgs, director of White Columns, an interview with Steve Lafreniere, a contributor to Index and Artforum, as well as essays by other art critics. Peyton's works are beautifully reproduced in numerous color plates. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)