Movements in Art Since 1945

This standard introduction to visual art since 1945 has been revised, updated, and redesigned for the first time since 2001. Movements in Art Since 1945 summarises movements, trends, and individual artists from abstract expressionism to the present day, with detailed coverage of major developments such as pop art, conceptual and performance work, minimal art, neo-expressionist and figurative painting, the YBAs, and the globalised art scene of the twenty-first century.

A new chapter on art since 2000 includes discussion of work by Banksy and Ai Weiwei, as well as recent trends in art from Russia and Eastern Europe. Writing with exceptional clarity and a strong sense of narrative, Edward Lucie-Smith demystifies the work of dozens of artists, revealing how the art world has interacted with social, political, and environmental concerns.

Nearly 300 images of key artworks range from the paintings of Jackson Pollock via graffiti from 1980s New York and land art of the 1970s to contemporary painting from China and video from Japan. The book is as global in its reach as art has become in the 21st century.