Styles, Schools and Movements – an Encyclopaedic Guide to Modern Art

Citation

Brown, B. (2003), "Styles, Schools and Movements – an Encyclopaedic Guide to Modern Art", Library Review, Vol. 52 No. 1, pp. 47-47. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530310457077

The styles, schools and movements of the most dynamic period in art history, from the end of the nineteenth to the early twenty‐first century are presented in this new encyclopaedic guide to modern art. A total of 100 entries represent the most significant developments, bringing together painting, sculpture, architecture and design. Subjects progress in chronological order from impressionism through cubism, art deco, art brut and neo‐dada to contemporary movements, for example, earth art, neo‐pop, sound art and Internet art.

The author, Amy Dempsey, takes a contextual approach to the study of each movement, incorporating historical and cultural positions, biographical information and a range of possible interpretations and views on the art itself. Each entry ends with details of major collections and key books for further reading. Cross‐referencing enables readers to compare related movements.

Entries provide a substantial overview of all major movements, styles and schools, with details of the major players and the ideas or manifestos that held groups together and their major achievements. Entries are well illustrated with 266 illustrations overall and 159 in colour. Amy Dempsey writes in a clear succinct style that could be understood from high school students upwards. I particularly like the way she introduces each entry with a quote, summing up or reflecting on an aspect of each movement. Andre Breton writes on surrealism in 1943 “nothing but the marvellous is beautiful”.

Boundaries between different art movements and styles are often blurred and run into each other. This is well illustrated by the time‐line at the beginning of the book which shows contemporaneous shifts of style and consciousness. Differences between art movements are particularly blurred today, when a single artwork can possibly involve video, installation, sound and be site‐specific. Take also, for example, Internet art which is described as “democratic, and interactivity is its key feature”. Described in 1997 by David Garcia and Geert Lovink, Internet art is introduced as “an aesthetic of poaching, tricking, reading, speaking, strolling, shopping, desiring”.

This book provides an excellent overview, probably the best yet, of modern art styles, schools and movements. A further 200 brief entries at the end of the book provide basic information on other movements, and a comprehensive index links all styles, schools, movements, artists, designers, collectors and architects. I can highly recommend this book for collectors large and small, for its range of coverage, authoritative and well written text and high quality illustrations.