Free delivery
Year of publication: 2024
Number of pages: 312
ISBN: 9780500297605
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Cover: Paperback
Format: 186 x 242 mm
What does it mean?
Is it really art?
Why does it cost so much?
While these questions are perpetually asked about contemporary art, they are not the questions that E. H. Gombrich set out to answer in his seminal book The Story of Art. Contemporary art is very different from what came before. From the 1960s, where Gombrich’s account concludes, artists began to abandon traditional forms of art and started to make work that questioned art’s very definition. This is where Godfrey picks up the story.
Developments in contemporary art have followed no straightforward line of progress or sequence of movements. Recognizing this, Tony Godfrey creates a narrative from a series of often dramatic creative conflicts and arguments around what art is or should be. From object versus sculpture and painting versus conceptual to local versus global, gallery versus wider world, The Story of Contemporary Art traces a history in terms of drastic changes in social and political life over the last sixty years.
How do we experience being human in a world that seems to change so quickly? In exploring art’s relationship to this question, Godfrey asserts that multiple voices must be heard: critics, theorists, curators and collectors, but also audiences and artists themselves. Key to the book is the story of how a perception that art was made almost exclusively by white men from North America and Western Europe has been radically overturned. Compelling and intelligent, but never academic, this book tells us how.
Tony Godfrey, former Programme Director of the MA in Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s Institute, London, now lives in Manila, where he works as a curator with artists from South-East Asia. He has written for the Burlington Magazine and Art in America, and is the author of Conceptual Art and Painting Today, as well as numerous exhibition catalogues.
Here's a simple guide on how to purchase our fantastic product:
For businesses, payment is possible through both card and bank transfer, based on the invoice.
When you place your order, we want to make sure it reaches you in the most convenient way possible. Here's how it works:
Once you've completed your order, we'll send you all the important details via email to the address you provided during the order confirmation process. If you prefer, we can also send you a text message to your phone number. We've got you covered!
Our amazing courier team will swing into action and deliver your products right to your doorstep. If you placed your order before 21:30, you can expect same-day delivery within a maximum of 3 hours. Talk about speedy service!
If you made your purchase after 21:30, don't worry. We'll deliver your products the next day, at a time that suits your schedule. Your convenience is our priority!
Need to keep an eye on your delivery? No problem! You can easily track your courier's location in real-time as they bring your order to you. It's like having a personal GPS for your products.
For our valued customers in remote regions, please note that delivery may take slightly longer. Typically, orders placed from these areas are delivered within three to five business days. Your patience is greatly appreciated!