New Art

Enhanced by some 240 mostly color illustrations, this ambitious survey of contemporary art is notably illuminating. Papadakis, editor of London-based Art & Design , here culls 34 ``critical writings, interviews and artists' statements'' from the magazine as well as from exhibition catalogues. Critics and artists discuss the rapid tempo of mass media and its impact on 20th-century art, offer opinions on the effectiveness of political art and expound on the international art scene. Joseph Beuys's influence on current trends is acknowledged. Among the interviewees are Jenny Holzer, known for her installations of electronic signboards; Jeff Koons, who employs consumer-oriented imagery, and Cindy Sherman, whose Untitled Film Stills are subject to feminist criticism. Reproductions of works by Ashley Bickerton, Anselm Kiefer, Barbara Kruger and Mario Merz effectively supplement the rhetoric. (Dec.)