Contemporary Art: 200 of the World's Most Groundbreaking Artists - Softcover

At one time dismissed by many as inaccessible, elitist or even facile, contemporary art has since entered the realm of popular culture and is enjoyed by millions of gallery visitors every year. Public interest has grown dramatically since the 1990s, in part due to influential art collectors such as Charles Saatchi, whose promotion of contemporary art brought about the rise of The Young British Artists (or YBAs) to international celebrity status. Over the past decade ambitious redevelopments and new constructions conceived specifically for contemporary art - such as London's Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou in Paris and Museo Guggenheim Bilbao - have attracted record numbers of visitors. This accessible guide pinpoints key artists and events, and so helps demystify a generation of rapid change in the art world. The A-Z listing features 200 of the most widely exhibited and remarkable artists who have made substantial contributions over the past 40 years; with biographies, insights into their key works and cross-references to linked artists, themes and movements.

Charlotte Bonham-Carter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; and a Master of Arts degree in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London. She writes for a variety of international arts publications, including Flash Art, Contemporary, Untitled, Art Press and CIRCA; and was contributor to The Portrait Now, published by the National Portrait Gallery. She has written for and edited a number of exhibition catalogues, and co-curated Exquisite Corpse, at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Formerly assistant curator at Barbican Art Gallery, London and she is now assistant curator at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London and editor of ROLAND, the magazine of the ICA's visual arts programme.