Includes bibliographical references (pages 383-389) and index.

Act I. Politics. Scenes 1 to 17, featuring (in order of appearance) Jeff Koons, Ai Weiwei, Gabriel Orozco, Eugenio Dittborn, Lu Qing, Zeng Fanzhi, Wangechi Mutu, Kutlug Ataman, Tammy Rae Carland, and Martha Rosler -- Act II. Kinship. Scenes 1 to 10, featuring Elmgreen & Dragset, Maurizio Cattelan, Laurie Simmons, Carroll Dunham, Francis Alys, Cindy Sherman, Jennifer Dalton, William Powhida, Francesco Bonami, Grace Dunham, Lena Dunham, Rashid Johnson, and Massimiliano Gioni -- Act III. Craft. Scenes 1 to 16, featuring Damien Hirst, Andrea Fraser, Jack Bankowsky, Christian Marclay, Marina Abramovic, Grayson Perry, Yayoi Kusama, Cady Noland, Gabriel Orozco, Beatriz Milhazes, and Isaac Julien.

Is being an artist a radical form of entrepreneurship or a vocational calling like the priesthood? Is it an extension of philosophy or an offshoot of entertainment? In three richly interlinked but distinct 'acts' - politics, kinship and craft - Sarah Thornton compares and contrasts answers to the simple but profound question: what is an artist? '33 artists in 3 acts' draws on hundreds of personal encounters with the world's most important artists, to ask what it means to be making artworks in different parts of the world today. With Thornton as expert guide and trusted insider, we have unprecedented access to the lives of the artists, from late-night Skype chats with Ai Weiwei to taxi rides with Maurizio Cattelan on the way to and from the show that announces his death. We join Thornton as she rummages through artists' studios, homes and solo shows, inquiring about everything from their bank accounts to their bedrooms. The result is a series of cinematic experiences, which juxtapose artists in thought-provoking ways, and build up narratives that end with epiphanies. '33 artists in 3 acts' is a generational touchstone, a powerful triptych and gripping anti-monograph about truth, integrity, credibility and recognition. Essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary art, this masterful act of storytelling will also delight any reader seeking to understand creative lives.