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nielsism 's review for:
What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in a Nutshell
by Will Gompertz
A funny, witty, anecdotal, but at the same time fantastic introduction to modern art. The best thing about it is that it lets readers appreciate art works based on the originality and ingenuity of the works in reaction to 'what came before'. A metro-like map is added to see how different art forms are influenced and how they flow into the next. This is essential and rewarding, in that - for me - it spills over to other cultural forms and beyond. For example, in 2018, many people find it difficult to appreciate movies, literature, or music from X years ago. The kind of argument that goes: if you've seen Avengers, why would you like Star Wars? This book shows that 'works of art' (in the broad definition) cannot and should not be judged on quality only, but also on ideas, on originality, on how disruptive the artist has broken with his own influences - or how much he/she has borrowed from others. Straight onto my recommendation list.