CONTEMPORARY ART - Eastern and Western - 1945 to Present #338103

This survey was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s essay, "A Room of One's Own", in which she explains why it is easy to understand why there is so little literature written by women before the 19th century . The reason is evident: where there is no possibility (due to the lack of economic freedom or equal rights, etc.), it is impossible for development to occur. From Woolf’s thesis, it is but a small step to understand why what we commonly call “contemporary art” has developed in some regions but not others, and how the evolution of art is linked not only to historical events, but to an ongoing dialogue between East and West. This dialogue has intensified since the Second World War, reflecting the end of European colonialism, and the growing economic power of the global East.. As a result, this book focuses on the geographical areas of Europe, America, Japan and China, and on the dialogue between and its influence on artistic developments. This book takes an unusual tack in its approach to contemporary art: using historical and sociological analysis as a starting point, and examining the cultural similarities, rather than the cultural barriers. Thanks to this approach, the book maps out a world where artistic influence is not confined by mere borders, or worse, from approaches based on cultural prejudice.