Ungrateful mammals

Ungrateful mammals

Dave Eggers

Book - 2017

Before he embarked on his writing career, Dave Eggers was classically trained as a draftsman and painter. He then spent many years as a professional illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing full-time. More recently, in order to raise money for ScholarMatch, his college-access nonprofit, he returned to visual art, and the results have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country. Usually involving the pairing of an animal with humorous or Biblical text, the results are wry, oddly anthropomorphic tableaus that create a very entertaining and eccentric body of work from one of today's leading culture makers.

Saved in:
Place a Hold Save to List Email this

2nd Floor Show me where

741.973/Eggers
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 741.973/Eggers Checked In
Subjects
Eggers, Dave.
Avant-garde (Aesthetics)
Painting, American > 21st century.
Drawing, American > 21st century.
Mammals > Pictorial works.
Illustrated works.
Genres
Illustrated works
Published
New York : Abrams 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
Dave Eggers (artist)
Other Authors
David Tilley (interviewee), Natasha Boas (contributor), Noah P. Lang (writer of introduction)
Item Description
Title and statement of responsibility spread out over 4 pages.
Chiefly illustrations.
Physical Description
137 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 21 x 29 cm
ISBN
9781419724633
  • Preface by Dave Eggers
  • Introduction by Noah Lang
  • Interview with David Tilley
  • Ungrateful mammals
  • "What if..." by Natasha Boas.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Prior to becoming an author and editor, Eggers (The Circle) was trained as a visual artist. Here, he offers a collection of his animal portraits accompanied by dry-witted handwritten captions. Eggers's drawings, which have the improvisational quality of wildlife sketches, include animals as different as jumping spiders and aardvarks. The written components are a mix of patently absurd pronouncements, metaphysical ponderings, and ominous declarations scrawled out at world's end. A naked mole rat, for example, is rendered in red pencil and accompanied by the words "He sent me to you because he knew we'd have so much to talk about." Elsewhere, a silky terrier is perfectly paired with the question "Would not weeping be redundant?" Readers will get a sense that the joke isn't on the animals but on humans and their endless probing for meaning. At the same time, it's a loving tribute to the animals that Eggers clearly admires. Illus. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Similar Items