Art in Theory 1900 - 2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas (Paperback)

by Charles Harrison (Editor), Paul J. Wood (Editor) "At the beginning of the twentieth century, to think of modern art was to think of modern French art..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, United States, First World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Occasionally one comes across a book that is at once compelling and frightening, a book that excites and disorientates, a book with intimations of the sublime. Art in Theory is such a book. An indispensable source book." (Arlis News-Sheet)

Product Description
This popular anthology of twentieth-century art theoretical texts has now been expanded to take account of new research, and to include significant contributions to art theory from the 1990s.

• New edition of this popular anthology of twentieth-century art-theoretical texts.
• Now updated to include the results of new research, together with significant contributions from the 1990s.
• Includes writings by critics, philosophers, politicians and literary figures.
• The editors provide contextual introductions to 340 texts.
• Complements Art in Theory 1648-1815 and Art in Theory 1815-1900 to create a complete survey of the theories underpinning the development of art in the modern period.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (October 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631227083
• ISBN-13: 978-0631227083
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,695 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Modern
  #20 in	Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism > Criticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable reference book, August 10, 2005

By	Oda May - See all my reviews

Had I read the reviews about this book, I wouldn't have bought it.
I had to though, for my "Art: Language and Theory" class, in my second year of Graphic Design major. I was shocked with it at first, it's almost 1300 pages, with not a single image in it! It looked extremely dull. But the thing is, I found it extremely useful, and enjoyable to read at times too. It covers art theories in the 20th century, and has texts written by artists, philosophers, polticians and much more.
I now refer to it with every paper I write, every presentation I make and so on. There are also letters and notes in the book by artists such as Cezanne and Matisse, which are delightful to read. I use a dictionary sometimes, but not always, though I agree, the language is hard to comprehend at first glance.
I don't think any art student or teacher could do without this book, I used it as a beginners guide while studying art, and I won't stop using it. Don't be put off when you first get this book, you'll learn to value and appreciate it with little time.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview, December 27, 2003

By	Mark G. Mcleod "mark" (Liverpool, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I used this book for a graduate theory class and ended up reading pretty much all of it. The book provides an excellent overview of the major movements during the past 100 years but also misses out on a lot of the most current trends. I believe there were less than 3 articles dated after 1999. The writings seem to be obscure at times, with the editors trying to draw distant similarites between varying fields. Most of the passages used overly pretentious language, so keep a dictionary nearby. This book is not a beginner guide and it helps to have some knowledge of art history as well as a little world history. A better or easier read would have to be "Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art"...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book of diverse opinions, March 2, 2008

By	C. Bettencourt "Chris Bettencourt" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The subtitle to this book is "An Anthology of Changing Ideas", which is remarkably accurate. The excerpts in this book run the ideological spectrum from Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler, and everyone in-between. The assembly of so many artists, politicians, philosophers, and theorists in one place has had a profound impact on my understanding of particular artworks, and my relationship to art in general. It's an intimidating book, but somehow this diverse group of thinkers is organized in a way that could be read straight through. Personally, I find it to be an invaluable tool for research and artistic growth.