The art world is full of drama, but Nayeri is able to distill this drama into a more sociological investigation of the democratization of art. I love how the author wove in pressing issues of the day, like race, class, ethics around animal rights, and interviewed preeminent artists for this book. The questions ultimately revolve around what kind of responsibility we have artists and consumers as access to the creation of art becomes widespread.

Farah Nayeri's Takedown made me realize that the world of art dealing and museums exists in a separate space from mine. Regrettably working in STEM, I always thought of the humanities as wholesome and healing. I dedicate myself to them in my free time, after all, and so thought myself pretty well-versed in art history, if an amateur still. This little book was an eye-opener. Meaning that I'm glad I don't have anything to do with professional art journalism and museum curators.

As many other "industries", art trade is a minefield of corruption, and always has been. The issues Nayeri addresses concern a variety of topics: for example (briefly) art censorship over the course of history, the influence of newly emerged social media on public opinion, artistic representation in times of social justice efforts, or - most interestingly for me personally, as I had never considered there being such a problem - the ethical funding of art. All extensive subjects, which are analysed through a handful of examples each.

I missed at least a mention of online art communities and the literal censorship of artistic nudity on platforms such as instagram. Not to mention website algorithms and how they "silence" artists who do not produce a continuous flow of so-called content. But perhaps that is an issue for another book.

Had this been written in a less detached, matter-off-factly manner, less highlighting of the author's own achievements in the art world, I would have gone through the book much faster. As it is, I think readers who themselves study the arts will appreciate Nayeri's insight into the dark side of les beaux arts and what we consider artistic freedom.

This is a really approachable cultural history of power in the art world—who was able to create art, fund art, and view art. Nayeri's tone is inquisitive, conversational, and warm. I think this was essential to my enjoyment, since many art tomes seem intimidating and use complex verbiage that even as someone who studied art and art history, I easily get sick of. This book always kept me engaged and intrigued.

Her insider knowledge and perspective was great, and allowed her to speak to many of the artists and gallery owners whose stories were featured in this book. These primary sources really enriched Nayeri's narrative and offered a space for artists to reflect on events that had sometimes occurred many years ago. I had learned about some of these controversies before, but it was great to read a new perspective (sometimes from the artist themselves!).

If you're at all interested in the art world, definitely check this one out!

I just finished a course on inclusiveness by ICOM (international museum association), and doing a course on women in art from 1900-now. Both already touched on some elements in this book, but Farah really got into it.
It was fascinating to hear more about the different types of censorship in the past, and how social media has given a voice to the masses. I think it's very difficult on how to deal with art made by problematic people, can you still love it?
I thought one of the examples on the Gauguin exhibit was very interesting, how you can show art by a problematic man, but also inform the viewer on him as a person and what the issues.
I think more context should be given in a lot of museums. I think this book is interesting for both people who love art, and don't know that much about it.

Takedown is a solid overview of some of the major incidents of censorship and controversy in art history. Its prose is straightforward and clear, which makes it a good fit for general audiences looking to learn more about art history, and it presents art world controversies without sensationalizing, though it doesn’t remove their inherent juiciness, either. It’s also filled to the brim with quotes and interviews with major art world players, bringing their names, roles, and perspectives to a more general readership.

Despite the accessibility of the prose in Takedown, I did find some instances where terms were used imprecisely enough that they might stray into the realm of inaccuracy, which is a concern when communicating about something as obscure and complex as the art world can be. I was also somewhat confused by the organization and emphasis of the book, which gives some incidents more coverage than others without clear reasoning as to why, and inconsistently interjects the author’s perspective into what is otherwise a largely third-person, fact-driven book. Although the subtitle refers to the digital age, most of the content is about events that occurred well before then, squeezing much of the discussion of digital-age controversies into the last chapter before the epilogue.

I was particularly bothered by a glaring inaccuracy regarding the origin of the #MeToo movement that I hope will be remedied before publication: in Chapter 2, the author claims that the #MeToo movement was “born” in Hollywood in 2017 with allegations brought against Harvey Weinstein. This is simply factually inaccurate. The Weinstein allegations made the hashtag go viral, but the movement was actually started in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke, a Black woman who is a survivor of sexual assault and has advocated for survivors since at least 2003. I was surprised that such an inaccuracy would get so far through the editing process.

Overall, there’s a lot to recommend Takedown in terms of what it covers, but I would not feel comfortable recommending it to others as anything other than a starting point for research about censorship, controversy, and power in the art world, especially given that most of the perspectives included in the book are those of members of long-standing art world institutions.

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Astra House in exchange for an honest review.