Themes in Contemporary Art

by Gillian Perry, Paul Wood

In this fourth volume of the Art of the Twentieth Century series, the contributors address a fascinating variety of themes relating to art from the 1960s to the end of the century―the period of “postmodernism.”

The first of the book’s seven chapters deals with the emergence in the 1960s of what has been called an “expanded field” for art activity. Other chapters discuss the consequences of Conceptual art for notions of the aesthetic; the Post-Conceptual practice of painting; practices of Post-Conceptual photography; video, performance, and installation art; and women’s practice and the question of gendered and nongendered objects. The final chapter explores the globalization of art at the end of the twentieth century. Full color illustrations are featured throughout the volume.


Published in association with The Open University

Genres: Art, Art History, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2004

Reviews

[Martin Ridgway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of four books that covered the Open University course Art of the Twentieth Century.
This one (part four) covers the end of the century. It looks in detail at the developments after Modernism became not modern. It's all well covered and well explained - which is something because the art of this period does very little for me. Still, despite that, this provides a good grounding in the rationales and themes behind the works.

[chris tervit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant study book from Open Uni. Mostly about Conceptual art and postmodernism.