Lesson in Red
A companion to Still Lives– a Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine selection –this savvy thriller exposes dark questions about power and the art world and reveals the fatal mistakes that can befall those who threaten its status quo.
Brenae Brasil is a rising star at Los Angeles Art College, the most prestigious art school in the country, and her path to art world celebrity is all but assured. Until she is found dead on campus, just after completing a provocative documentary about female bodies, coercion, and self-defense.
Maggie Richter’s return to L.A. and her job at the Rocque Museum was supposed to be about restarting her career and reconnecting with old friends. With mounting pressure to keep the museum open, the last thing she needs is to find herself at the center of another art world mystery. But when she uncovers a number of cryptic clues in Brasil’s video art, Maggie is suddenly caught up in the shadowy art world of Los Angeles, playing a very dangerous game with some very influential people.
PRH Library video: Maria Hummel introduces Lesson in Red
“Like its prequel, ‘Lesson in Red’ is a gutting meditation on the relationship between art, life and violence.” —The New York Times
“Lesson In Red is a remarkably thought-provoking work that examines turn-of-the-century art-world mores through a critical feminist lens. Centering on tragic Brenae and her provocative video installations, the narrative unfolds from there into an elegant critique of exploitation and victim-blaming as Maggie has to struggle with her own complicity in seeing Brenae as merely a means to an end.”
—Criminal Element
“Maggie’s undercover assignment as a “gallerina,” in a gallery where a crew of four students are constructing (creating, really) an assemblage for which LAAC’s MFA director will take credit, is a fascinating demonstration of the exploitation of young female and male artists at the hands of their so-called mentors. Equally effective is Hummel’s insight into institutional politics and the often competing interests of museum founders and supporters, which has led to the marginalization of female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ artists.”
—Alta
“Lesson in Red is … a transporting follow-up to Hummel’s breakout novel. With its immersive depiction of a decidedly uncozy urban milieu, it’s sure to appeal to fans of Tana French and others who like their mysteries on the literary side. During a recent talk at Phoenix Books Burlington, Hummel said a third book about Maggie is in the works. We are here for it.”
—Seven Days
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