Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by Julian Stallabrass

0 ratings • 0 reviews • 0 shelved
Book cover for Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

Contemporary art has never been so popular - but what is 'contemporary' about contemporary art? What is its role today, and who is controlling its future?

Bloody toy soldiers, gilded shopping carts, and embroidered tents. Contemporary art is supposed to be a realm of freedom where artists shock, break taboos, flout generally received ideas, and switch between confronting viewers with works of great emotional profundity and jaw-dropping triviality. But away from shock tactics in the gallery, there are many unanswered questions. Who is really running the art world? What effect has America's growing political and cultural dominance had on art?

Julian Stallabrass takes us inside the international art world to answer these and other controversial questions, and to argue that behind contemporary art's variety and apparent unpredictability lies a grim uniformity. Its mysteries are all too easily explained, its depths much shallower than they seem. Contemporary art seeks to bamboozle its viewers while being the willing slave of business and government. This book is your antidote and will change the way you see contemporary art.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
  • ISBN10 1280762918
  • ISBN13 9781280762918
  • Publish Date 1 January 2006
  • Publish Status Active
  • Out of Print 17 February 2015
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Oxford University Press, USA
  • Format eBook
  • Pages 154
  • Language English