The Contingent Object of Contemporary Art (Mit Press)

In The Contingent Object of Contemporary Art Martha Buskirk weaves an introductory survey that posits as its premise the question of "what is art" and "what criteria should be used to critique it". The book is written with such an ease of exploration that it is marketed to a seasoned audience but it instructs with an immediacy that is refreshing and enlightening. The boundless definition of art is surveyed and engaged through an exploration that is thorough and representative, leaving questions to the reader that allows for a continued meditative practice.The critic here follows suit with more conventional readings, but does so only as a point of departure and delves into the dynamics of a dialogue that she sustains admirably and efficaciously.Manipulation of concepts and theories is always given its due resonance, allusions to pop art is brought to the fore to better illustrate a changing landscape that has a foundational influx. Anyone who is interested in contemporary art should do well to pick up this study: they will undoubtedly become informed with a more adequate and formal framework to the questions art has posed in recent days and its overall impact on social, cultural and conventional paradigms.For a more varied in-depth scholarly approach look into "The Lure of the Object."

In plain English, this book is one of the best ways to learn about Contemporary Art and understand the fundamental trends of installations, performance and cutting edge art today. My background: I never studied Art, but took classes in Philosophy/Aesthetics and have done a fair amount of commercial and fine art photography. The reading is very dense and this book covers a number of ideas that have driven contemporary art. Get out your reading glasses because the type is fine and it may take several reads to fully comprehend what is being said.Examples of the artists covered include Janine Antoni, Felix Gonzales-Torres and many others who will no doubt influence generations of artists in the future. It's a hard read, but completely worth every minute -- buy this book -- I was extremely satisfied and still think about the concepts it contains often. I continue to send copies to friends who are trying to figure this out. It is not a stock item, so you may have to be patient.You will not see modern art the same way after you read this enlightening book.

A+++ love this product! Highly recommend!

Good read!

I just finished this book and i found it very good. The five chapters take specific topics such as: 'Medium and Materiality' and 'Context as Subject' and flesh them out in relation to a larger thesis on the idea of the 'contingent object.' Also i found it useful that when they mentioned artwork, they generally had a picture (B+W) of it (unlike some books which dont provide a picture or show a different piece altogether! ) A good overview of the interrelations between minimalism, performance, conceptual art and contemporary art. Asks lots of questions but doesn't attempt to answer them all (i find this useful, others may find it annoying) Recommeneded if you want to know more about some of the background for some contemporary art theory and practices. Good balance of female and male artists.

best book on the subject

One of the most usfell aft theory books that i have got and read in the last three years for my degree has exactly what i need in it