How does art work? How does it move us, inform us, challenge us? Internationally renowned painter David Salle’s incisive essay collection illuminates the task of many of the very most important artists from the twentieth century. Engaging with an array of Salle’s close friends and contemporaries-from painters to conceptual performers such as Jeff Koons, John Baldessari, Roy Lichtenstein, and Alex Katz, among others-How to find out explores not only the multilayered personalities from the artists themselves but also the distinct character of their oeuvres.

Salle writes with laughter and verve, updating the jargon of artwork theory with exact and evocative explanations that help the listener develop a personal and intuitive engagement with artwork. The effect: a get better at class on how to find with an artist’s eye.