100 Works of Art That Will Define Our Age

Product Description Just as Picasso’s Guernica or G�ricault’s Raft of the Medusa survive as powerful cultural documents of their time, there will be works from our own era that will endure for generations to come. But which ones? Which contemporary artworks best capture the zeitgeist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries? This bold and engaging book, written by one of the freshest and most exciting voices in cultural criticism, predicts which artists and artworks from the past two decades will come to define our age through their power to question, provoke and inspire. This is essential and enjoyable reading for all those working with and studying contemporary culture, as well as for the general art-lover keen to find a clear path through the maze of global contemporary art. Review A marvelous combination of aesthetic sensibility, poetic imagery, and charming wit . . . This is at once a major look at contemporary artworks and a personal investigation of the self-image provoked by them. Verdict: This title is a major addition to the literature of art criticism and philosophy. --Library Journal

A daring and convincing analysis of seminal artworks of our age. Full of stunning works and Grovier argues their significance with conviction --The Daily Telegraph

A beautifully illustrated appraisal of art from 1989 to 2012 that invites reflection on some of the best-known contemporary artists as well as offering some less publicly celebrated works --The Wall Street Journal

Daring and convincing ... an illuminating map through the landscape of international contemporary art. --Artdaily.com

You can't argue with the line-up ... as a snapshot of art's preoccupation with spectacle and statement, 100 WORKS is a grand definition of the age. --Wallpaper* magazine

The author's deftly woven and poetically phrased analyses smartly contextualize his choices...Grovier provides an ambitious and convincing survey of contemporary art that hovers delightfully between criticism, history, and an art lover's poetic tribute. --Publisher's Weekly

The lavishly presented selection of works stretches from 1989 to 2012: here, Marina Abramovi's performance art sits next to Banksy graffiti, Grayson Perry's tapestries and Jenny Saville's provocative portraiture...[Grovier] makes a case for each inclusion, often citing the broader narratives of the times that a piece chimed with. --Metro

This lavish survey recalls some great art of the past 20 years ... What did Grovier leave out? Very little, I think --The Observer

Beautifully illustrated ... superior to many list books in its singular and often original voice. --The Art Newspaper Richly illustrated ... A valuable read ... Grovier makes a compelling case for his inclusions. --RA Magazine

A compelling list of works ... Thumbing through this book is like looking at a who's who of the art world. Every page is turned with a bang ... this book succeeds in its endeavour. --Aesthetica

[Grovier's] glimpsed the possibility for elegance, intelligence and surprise in 100 tight three-to-five paragraph entries, and followed through ... as hostages to fortune go, 100 Works feels pretty secure. --Art Quarterly

The book that generated most debate this year. --The Daily Telegraph's 'Best Art Books of the Year'

Audacious ... This is a great introduction for anyone keen to get to grips with the headline-grabbers of the past two decades. --Time Out, 'This Season's Best Art Books'

If nothing else will get people arguing over the art of their time, Grovier's book will. --The San Francisco Chronicle, Gift Guide

You have 20 to spend ... what would you buy? I'd give a copy of Kelly Grovier's 100 Works of Art that Will Define Our Age ... He cuts through a great deal of the noise and distractions of the recent decades in art. --The Irish Times, 'This Season's Best Art Books'