Artspeak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords

by Robert Atkins

Book Overview

An indispensable guide for art-world neophytes and seasoned professionals alike, the best-selling ArtSpeak returns in a revised and expanded third edition, illustrated in full color. Nearly 150... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789203650
• ISBN13: 9780789203656
• Release Date: August 1997
• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

ArtSpeak - A worthwhile guide

I am a docent and at times a docent trainer, and this guide came in very handy when I was preparing for an exhibition on contemporary artists. It is well-written, to the point, and has extensive coverage for a little book!

A Great Resource

I'm a BFA student at Virginia Tech heading to grad school and this is an excellent book to teach from, have as a reference, or just thumb through for fun. Simple and succinct while still thorough. It's really an invaluable thing to have for ready info at your fingertips. This book has been part of the curriculum here for Performance Art, Found Object Sculpture, and Installation classes, and everyone in the class universally approves and finds it helpful.

DA DOO DOO DOO DA DA DA DA, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY TO YOU

Dada? Neo-Dada? Mono-Ha? Sots Art? If you find yourself utterly confused by art terms, timelines, and general overall descriptions of art movements since the 1940's, Art Speak is a great book to have. Robert Atkins of Village Voice fame, has put together a dictionary/mini-encyclopedia of "ideas, movements and buzzwords" touching on everything of note that evolved in the art world from WWII through 1989. The books opens with a timeline 1945-1989 detailing and comparing (in capsulized form) major world and art events, giving the reader/student an idea of the corellation between history and how art evolves and intertwines with it. The remainder of the book is an alphabetical listing of art movements with descriptions and snazzy graphics. It isn't a huge text book with intensive essays and pages and pages of commentary on each style, but it is a great set of "Cliff Notes" for those trying to find a jumping off point to learn more about that slippery entity called art. I highly recommend it.

Great book for art history classes

Perfect for writing critiques and analyses from all art movements. Great glossary of terms for a beginning art student looking up hard-to-understand words in text books.

Great for art history students!

A glossary of art terms. This book is a definite must for those writing analyses of art. It's also good for looking up those tricky terms in your text books. It is filled with artsy terms and illustrations. I used it in all my art history classes.