Modern Art: A Critical Introduction

Modern Art: A Critical Introduction is a comprehensive introduction to the artists, movements and theories of twentieth century art history. Spanning a century of art from Manet to Damien Hirst and Rachel Whiteread, the authors follow the development of traditional genres such as the female nude, and trace the emergence of new theories and approaches which fragmented modern art into a bewildering variety of 'isms' from Expressionism to Constructivism. The book:
* explores key themes of the modern era, such as the figure of the nude, the changing nature of self-expression, and the question of the display of art works
* covers the major movements of the twentieth century, including futurism, constructivism, abstract expressionism, dada, surrealism, fauvism, performance art, post-modernism and contemporary art
* relates artistic movements to their social and cultural contexts
* is richly illustrated with over 100 picutres