Understand Contemporary Art: Teach Yourself

Grant Pooke teaches at the University of Kent where he is a Programme Director of the open entry Art History BA Degree. Graham Whitham is an Open University Associate Tutor and a former Art History A/AS Level Chief Examiner.

• : Preface: Acknowledgements: Personal introduction: 1 minute summary: 5 minute summary: 10 minute summary: 01 Introduction: contemporary art and aesthetics – theories of art making: What is contemporary art?: Things to remember: Suggestions for further reading: 02 the pre-history of contemporary art: Section 1 Defining terms: Section 2 The neo-avant-garde: Section 3 Reading contemporary art: Things to remember: Suggestions for further reading: 03 contexts for contemporary art: Section 1 The march of history: Section 2 Money makes the art go round: Section 3 Reality isn’t what it used to be: Things to remember: Suggestions for further reading: 04 forms of contemporary art: Introduction: Things to remember: Section 1 Painting, mixed media and sculpture: Painting and mixed media: Sculpture: Section 2 Photography: Things to remember: Section 3 Film, video and digital media: Film and video: Digital media: Things to remember: Section 4 Performance: Things to remember: Section 5 Installation: Things to remember: Section 6 Land and environment art: Things to remember: 05 themes and issues in contemporary art: Introduction: Things to remember: Section 1 Gender, sex and abjection: Gender and sex: Abjection: Things to remember: Suggestions for further reading: Section 2 Politics, difference and the global: Politics: Difference and the global: Section 3 Popular culture, the media, celebrity and consumerism: Popular culture and the media: Celebrity and consumerism: Things to remember: Suggestions for further reading: 06 displaying and buying contemporary art: Section 1 Contemporary art and the market - buying art: Art schools, institutes and colleges: Buying online: Section 2 Displaying contemporary art: Contemporary patronage – museums and big business: Where to see contemporary art: Contemporary art fairs: Section 3 Honouring contemporary art: Contemporary art awards: Things to remember: More information on buying art: Suggestions for further reading: Taking things further: Where to see contemporary art: museums and galleries: Finding out more about contemporary art: magazines and journals: Find out more about contemporary art: websites: Finding out more about contemporary artists: books: References