Take Notes

A book that equally illuminates and inspires, Art Work reveals the artistic notetaking habits of an astonishing range of artists, filmmakers, writers, designers, and other creators by granting rare access to the journal pages and other visual materials they use to capture and foster their work. Twenty-five creators—including Wes Anderson, Ingmar Bergman, Louise Bourgeois, Will Self, Richard Serra, Blek le Rat, Tony Kushner, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Merce Cunningham, and others—are profiled through a generous selection of images and essays that give context to their work in general as well as to the project being illustrated. Materials featured encompass literal notebooks, a blizzard of Post-it notes, chalkboards, the marks recorded on the walls of a sculptor's studio, and beyond, demonstrating and exploring for students and artists the boundless range of the creative process.

Ivan Vartanian is the author or editor of numerous books on international art and design, including Drop Dead Cute, Style Deficit Disorder, and See/Saw. He lives in Japan.