Are we in an emergency? It’s certainly reasonable to claim that. Can art save us? Probably not, but at times of uncertainty, it does play a role in our social, political and emotional lives. Funny Weather: Art in Emergency by Olivia Laing is a collection of art based profiles and essays that reflect the world we live in and the role of creator and creation in our world. It’s a career’s worth of commentary, and a repository of acute observations and thought provoking commentary. She profiles Jean-Michel Basquiat and Georgia O’Keefe, interviews Hilary Mantel and Ali Smith, writes love letters to David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and explores loneliness and technology, women and alcohol, sex and the body. It’s a compelling collection that shows the importance of art on and in our world.
