Vanity, money and ‘angry masculine impastos’: Liam Pieper’s Appreciation is a mordant tale of a tragically flawed artist

By Georgia Phillips, Lecturer, Creative Writing, University of Adelaide

A nuanced exploration of the value and personal cost of art-making runs through Melbourne writer Liam Pieper’s jaunty new satirical novel Appreciation.

Set in the near present, the novel is about Oli – a gay painter from the country who has learned to capitalise on this fact in public appearances – while also reflecting on “toxic masculinity” in a vague, rote-learned way. Oli paints over-sized, Basquiat-inspired paintings,…

Read complete article

~	Papua New Guinea demands apology from Joe Biden over cannibalism remarks

~	Lebanon: Ministerial Decision Advances Justice

~	A new dash for copper is underway – how will it play out? Expert Q&A

~	Global: UN Special Rapporteur is right to raise human rights concerns about carbon markets

~	On X, Elon Musk pushes a campaign against a Brazilian Supreme Court Justice

~	US Universities Should Respect Right to Protest

~	Burkina Faso: UN rights office deeply alarmed at reported killing of 220 villagers

~	A new dash for copper is underway - how will it play out? Expert Q&A

~	Why does it feel so cold in the UK right now – and when will it warm up?

~	Artificial sweetener could harm your gut and the microbes that live there – new study