Contemporary Art Decoded

Jessica Cerasi

Hardcover | 20.7 x 2.54 x 26.04 cm | 208 pp

Tate Publishing/Ilex | 2021 | 9781781577455

What is contemporary art, and how did art come to be what it is today? How can we understand what a work of art means; and can’t just about anything be called art these days? Contemporary Art Decoded takes ten key questions about contemporary art and uses them to analyse what you’re looking at, how it works, and why it matters. Steering clear of jargon, this book digs deep into the core ideas and concepts behind the art. It features some work you’ll recognise, and some you won’t, from major artists including Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama and Zanele Muholi.

Chapters include:

– What is contemporary art?
– Where did it come from?
– Where do you draw the line?
– Does it matter who makes it?
– Does it have to mean something?
– Can anything be art?
– What about art for art’s sake?
– Has it all been done before?
– Does it have to be so serious?
– What’s next?