Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art - (California Studies in the History of AR) 2nd Edition by Kristine Stiles & Peter Selz (Paperback)

About the Book

First edition edited by Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz.

Book Synopsis

First published in 1996, this irreplaceable resource has now been updated, revised, and expanded by Kristine Stiles to represent thirty countries and more than one hundred new artists. Stiles has added forty images and a diverse roster of artists, including many who have emerged since the 1980s, such as Julie Mehretu, Carrie Mae Weems, Damien Hirst, Shirin Neshat, Cai Guo-Qian, Olafur Eliasson, Matthew Barney, and Takashi Murakami. The writings, which as before take the form of artists' statements, interviews, and essays, make vivid each artist's aesthetic approach and capture the flavor and intent of his or her work. The internationalism evident in this revised edition reflects the growing interest in the vitality of contemporary art throughout the world from the U.S. and Europe to the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Australia.

From the Back Cover

"Contrary to the popular myth of the 'inarticulate' artist, the literature of contemporary art is rich and varied and, until now, widely scattered. Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art is the most comprehensive selection of such writings available. An essential resource for scholars, it also offers the lay reader generous doses of vivid and provocative writing." --Robert Storr, Yale University

"The accomplishment of this book is astounding. It will change the way scholars think about the totality of the world of contemporary art, and it will be the essential text for generations of students to come." --Richard Shiff, University of Texas, Austin

Review Quotes

"Capture[s] the vitality and global tenor of the contemporary art world. . . . Indispensable for artists and art historians alike. . . . Essential."-- "Choice"

"This enormous book of primary sources contains it all: poems, manifestos, plans, statements, critiques, and of course, interviews, with over a hundred new artists over the first edition....keep it on your coffee table...for the next decade as you parse through whenever you need to be reminded that though the creative life might be lonely, you are not alone."-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Kristine Stiles is France Family Professor of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University. She is the author of the forthcoming books Concerning Consequences of Trauma in Art and Society and Correspondence Course, An Epistolary History of Carolee Schneemann and Her Circle.
Peter Selz (1919-2019) was Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of California, Berkeley. His many books include Art of Engagement: Visual Politics in California and Beyond (UC Press).