Art on the Edge and Over

Book excerpt: Recognizing that art at the end of the twentieth century changes too quickly and is too multifaceted and unfamiliar to be automatically understood, Art on the Edge and Over: Searching for Art's Meaning in Contemporary Society explains the intractably avant-garde art of the 1970s, 80s and 90s by searching for art's meaning within the context of popular culture and the common trends that have led to such new forms of expression. This one-of-a-kind resource is composed of 35 easy-to-read, chapter-long essays that each cover a particular deviation from conventional art practices (such as smell as an aesthetic ingredient, shopping as a creative process or blood, pollen, discarded dolls and toxic earth as a medium of expression.) Within each chapter, the theme discussed is illuminated by and elucidates the work of one particular artist (such as Laurie Simmons, Wolfgang Laib, On Kawara, Marina Abramovic, Gilbert and George, David Hammons, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, David Salle, Janine Antoni, Rosemarie Trockel, Andres Serrano, Carolee Schneemann, Barbara Kruger, Vito Acconci, and Mike Kelley). An easy-to-follow guide to the unconventional art of our contemporaries, Art on the Edge and Over is a vital resource for all those interested in art history, studio art, aesthetics, and contemporary society.