Art Attack: A Short Cultural History of the Avant-Garde

By Marc Aronson

In the army, the advance guard is the first wave of soldiers who rush into enemy territory, risking their lives to map out the terrain. In the arts, the avant-garde consists of people who have devoted their talents, even their lives, to seeing the future and to confronting others with their visions. This intriguing introduction to modern art examines the avant-garde from its nineteenth-century origins in Paris to its meaning and influence today. It presents the visionaries who took the greatest risks, who saw the furthest, and who made the most challenging art-art that changed how we imagine our world. From cubism to pop art and beyond, this is the story not only of those risk takers, but of their creations and of the times in which they lived. Notes, bibliography, index.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395797292
• ISBN13: 9780395797297
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great intro to modern art for teens & curious adults

As mentioned by the reviewers above, this book is intended forteens. However, non-enthusiasts adult readers that want to know moreabout the history of modern art will enjoy it as well.Basically, the author has attempted to show how modern artists have affected modern society and vice versa. Unlike many art history books, this book talks about music, theater, dance and subcultures in society, such as the beats and the hippies. Accordingly, you end up with a fuller picture of the scene.The author has also attempted to make the impact of these works understandable to teens by using examples from the world as teens know it today, such as rap music, Internet, etc.All in all, teens interested in the art scene will find this book interesting and engrossing. Why 4 stars, rather than 5? I would prefer 4.5 stars, but that's not an option. My main objection to this book is the author's tendency to mythologize the avant garde artist and to whitewash some of their problems. But I would still recommend this book.