Two interviews by Cathy Courtney with Stephen Willats and David Tremlett

‘Talking Art: interviews with Artists since 1976’ is a collection of the best of Art Monthly interviews since the magazine’s inception in the early seventies. It provides a supplementary history of twentieth century art from over 150 perspectives through discussions between artists and critics (the interviewees range from Naum Gabo to Steve McQueen, Agnes Martin to Tacita Dean, Clement Greenberg to John Berger). Many leading practitioners have been interviewed, often at highly significant moments in their careers. The interviews provide the most immediate access to an artist’s thought processes and offer compelling narratives of the changing creative process. The artist interview has occupied an important position in Art Monthly since its first issue, and the book is published as part of the magazine’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Courtney, who wrote a column for Art Monthly for 17 years (her collected articles were published in book form as ‘Private Views and Other Containers: Artists Books’ reviewed by Cathy Courtney for Art Monthly, published by estamp 1995 ISBN 1871831091), contributed two interviews with Stephen Willats and David Tremlett. The interview with Stephen Willats explored and documented the place of his ‘Control’ magazine within the artistic and social contexts of his activity, defining the meaning behind his perceptions of the artists’ book as an ‘interactive agent’. The interview with David Tremlett clarified and defined the perception of his practice in terms of its relation to sculpture and architecture.