For skeptics; art lovers; and the millions of us who visit art galleries every yearmdash;and are confusedmdash;What Are You Looking At? by former director of Londonrsquo;s Tate Gallery Will Gompertz is a wonderfully lively; accessible narrative history of Modern Art; from Impressionism to the present day. What is modern art? Who started it? Why do we either love it or loathe it? And why is it such big money? Join BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz on a dazzling tour that will change the way you look at modern art forever. From Monets water lilies to Van Goghs sunflowers; from Warhols soup cans to Hirsts pickled shark; hear the stories behind the masterpieces; meet the artists as they really were; and discover the real point of modern art.You will learn: not all conceptual art is bollocks; Picasso is king (but Ceacute;zanne is better); Pollock is no drip; Dali painted with his moustache; a urinal changed the course of art; why your 5-year-old really couldnt do it. Refreshing; irreverent and always straightforward; What Are You Looking At? cuts through the pretentious art speak and asks all the basic questions that you were too afraid to ask. Your next trip to the art gallery is going to be a little less intimidating and a lot more interesting.With his offbeat humor; down-to-earth storytelling; and flair for odd details that spark insights; Will Gompertz is the perfect tour guide for modern art. His book doesnrsquo;t tell us if a work of art is good; it gives us the knowledge to decide for ourselves.
#2348279 in eBooks 2002-10-01 2002-10-01File Name: B005GC7GLS
Review
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Good overview of a lot of ideas...By Jesse WalkerJust finished the book. and am relatively impressed by it overall. while it obviously has a few weaknesses. Steiner divides the world hierarchically into chapters. starting at the smallest human scale (habitat) and working gradually up to a global scale. The book reads like an adademic work. and Steiner continually interrupts the flow of ideas with quotes and references to the work of others. It seems like his main goal was to include as many names of people as possible in the text (nearly every paragraph mentions someone new). The bibliography is lengthy. That does mean that if any particular concept appeals to the reader. they know exactly where it originated. and where to go to learn more. but makes the book more challenging to read. Intellectually engaging. perhaps.Overall. a good summary of an emerging field. along with plenty of review. critique. and synthesis of ideas. Id recommend the book to "sustainability" types. the conservation-minded. ecologists. and (especially) city and regional planners.His main point: We. as humans. need to consider the environment and our relation to it. Especially as pertains to our everyday life experience.
