JORI FINKEL covers art for The New York Times from Los Angeles and is the West Coast correspondent for The Art Newspaper. She has also written for Artnews, Art in America, Town & Country, and Art+Auction magazine, where she was formerly senior editor, and has contributed to broadcasts on NPR, PBS, and CNN.
An argument for why art museums matter -New York Magazine In her sparkling new book, It Speaks to Me, Finkel speaks to acclaimed artists from diverse mediums, styles, and nations about specific works of art that had unique impacts on their own creative development...The book is must-read material for anyone interested in how art history shapes itself across time, place, and the lives of individuals. -L.A. Weekly Arts writer Finkel offers an idiosyncratic and entertaining tour of works that have inspired artists in this winning compilation of intimate interviews. This thoughtful work makes artistry accessible and also serves as an educational tool for those interested in exploring art and those who create it. -Publishers Weekly The artists in It Speaks To Me explore the insistent pull of objects on the self and soul, one the art curious can experience right alongside art professionals. Finkel's excellent book, neither full of jargon nor dumbed down, speaks persuasively to both. -Hyperallergic These comments will, no doubt, come in handy for critics and art historians who need to explain artists' working methods, ideas and borrowings, and will be helpful to readers who want insight into the works. -The Art Newspaper