Fionnáin reviewed Playing for Time by Lucy Neal
Review of 'Playing for Time' on 'GoodReads'
4 stars
A comprehensive and detailed documentation of community arts practice in the UK that are built off sustainability and environmental practice. Coordinated by Neal, it takes written examples of artworks from over 60 artists who have worked with diverse artforms and communities. There would be something here for anyone with an interest in this area, from food sustainability to activist art. The book concludes with resources - recipes for how to create community art projects and a substantial reading list.
Where Neal writes, there is a nice blending of contemporary environmental theory and art theory. Unfortunately, the book is, marred by a lack, of editing including commas, where they really shouldn't be, many typos, and some unusual made-up words ("pre-prepared"?!?). The structure is also hard to follow and not very logical. These problems take from what is otherwise a wonderful resource, and it is still very easy to recommend Playing for …
A comprehensive and detailed documentation of community arts practice in the UK that are built off sustainability and environmental practice. Coordinated by Neal, it takes written examples of artworks from over 60 artists who have worked with diverse artforms and communities. There would be something here for anyone with an interest in this area, from food sustainability to activist art. The book concludes with resources - recipes for how to create community art projects and a substantial reading list.
Where Neal writes, there is a nice blending of contemporary environmental theory and art theory. Unfortunately, the book is, marred by a lack, of editing including commas, where they really shouldn't be, many typos, and some unusual made-up words ("pre-prepared"?!?). The structure is also hard to follow and not very logical. These problems take from what is otherwise a wonderful resource, and it is still very easy to recommend Playing for Time to any artist with a community-based practice.