Complete Amateur – Erik Kessels

A celebration of amateurism by Erik Kessels, one of the most original figures in today’s art and design scene, Complete Amateur explains how to let go of everything you know and embrace things you know nothing about.

Full of brilliant masterpieces by absolute beginners (and also by artists who have kept experimenting with a beginner’s approach), this photographic guide invites you to exercise your amateur muscle and escape the traps of professionalism. “Do it like you don’t know what you’re doing”, says Kessels, suggesting that going in blind is sometimes the only way to see clear, and the best ideas emerge when you don’t know the rules and are not afraid of making mistakes. Once you wipe the slate clean, you are forced to explore new and unpredictable routes, in life and work: this book – which can be read starting wherever you like, even from the end – invites you to shrug off your baggage of experience, skills, and safe (but obvious) solutions: it’s time to discover your inner amateur.