After Modern Art 1945-2000 (Oxford History of Art) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: postwar art, New York, Abstract Expressionism, West Germany (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hopkins is an able guide...creating a self-determined path through some remakrably dense territory but ready to point out the meaningful byways as well."--John Loughery, The Washington Post
"The intelligent and sophisticated synthesis of key debates makes this volume invaluable. This skillful re-integration of developments in the art of post-war Europe with that of America is impressive and controversial."--Patricia Bickers Art Monthly
"Finally an affordable, clearly written book on the Contemporary Era. Filled with resources and analysis that students can use."--Steven Michael Vroom, Cornish College of the Arts
"This excellent work focuses on important movements and issues in the visual arts from WWII to the present....[Hopkins]...succeeds in extending discussion out from American art to provide an international perspective as well as an exceptionally stimulating and cohesive commentary on the 'difficult' art of the 1960s,'70s, and '80s. Reproductions are good; well-chosen, helpful notes; brief chapter bibliographies; useful time line; list of Web sites. Upper-division undergraduates and up."--CHOICE
"After Modern Art, in only 245 pages, covers that amazing creative period following the Second World War. Well documented with a good array of illustrations, this book is fun reading."--Gadfly
"An invaluable guide to art of the second half of the twentieth century."--Sandy Nairne, Tate Gallery

Product Description

Modern and contemporary art can be both baffling and beautiful; it can also be innovative, political, and disturbing. This book sets out to provide the first concise interpretation of the period as a whole, clarifying the artists and their works along the way. Closely informed by new critical approaches, it concentrates on the relationship between American and European art from the end of the Second World War to the eve of the new millennium.
Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, and Damien Hirst are among many artists discussed, with careful attention being given to the political and cultural worlds they inhabited. Moving along a clear timeline, the author highlights key movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Postmodernism, and performance art to explain the theoretical and issue-based debates that have provided the engine for the art of this period.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019284234X
• ISBN-13: 978-0192842343
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best overview of contemporary art, June 17, 2001

By	"sangild" (Frederiksberg, Denmark) - See all my reviews

I have - for professional reasons - read several introductions to contemporary art written in the late 90s, and this is by far the best. Hopkins does not only have a great knowledge on the field but he is also good at writing about it, and furthermore he is up to date with the latest scholary researches on the field without being academic in his way of formulating it.

I recommend this for students and scholars as well as for the just interested. No matter who you are, you will definitely know much more about contemporary art than before, and have a lot of good color reproductions of the works as well.

54 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ripon College Art 370 reviews, September 28, 2001

By A Customer

Here are some responses of undergrads at a liberal arts college in a seminar on contemporary art-
Student 1:
1. The book was interesting and well developed...it moved at a steady pace
and was consistent.
2. Hopkins used too many difficult words that weren't familiar and he was
unclear as to the main objective in some of his chapters.
3. In some areas of the book, Hopkins only touched on some of the artists
who seemed important and went too into depth on a few others. He needed to

keep that aspect of the book consistent...the rest was well done.

Student 2:
Hopkins used many examples of Contemporary Art that were very relative to the concepts he explained. While they helped me to understand his ideas, some of his writing was very difficult to understand. He was wordy and used many uncommon terms making reading slow and hard to comprehend. This would be an excellent book for those who are in the advanced stages of learning about Contemporary Art.

Student 3:

Hopkins does a wonderful job of providing ample examples for the reader.
However, he does not do a very good job of explaining the examples without
creating some confusion. Hopkin's also uses a vocabulary that is too
advanced for the undergraduate reader that this book is intended for.

Student 4:
Hopkins used some very interesting examples to try and create a new way of looking at the transition from modern to post-modern art. I think that the book is mislabled as a beginner book, since from the start the author assumes that we have a strong basic knowledge of art history. To be fair the issue he is talking about in this book is so complex that writing an introduction is a very difficult task, I think that Hopkins did a good job.

Student 5:
-The book takes a different view on 20th century art, and helps put things
in a historic context.
-The book is difficult to understand at times, and seems to be at a higher
than introductory level.
-Some of the references to works are vague, and they are hard to connect to
the photos.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars YAY!, October 3, 2007

By	N. Ovsepian "nar_nar" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the more interesting modern art books I've had. It's goes beyond a discussion of the artwork and places everything in a historical context. It also discusses the artist's relationships and attitudes and how they are influenced by and how they influence their times.
Overall, good book if you're into modern art.