Art: 21: Art in the Twenty-First Century 2

An excellent survey of contemporary art, this abundantly illustrated volume introduces readers to some of the most important practitioners in the field--among them Charles Atlas, Kiki Smith and Paul Pfeiffer. Sollins, who interviewed the book's 16 subjects for her PBS television series""ART:21,"" lets the artists speak for themselves here. The result is a refreshingly direct volume in which photographs of the artists' works are juxtaposed against their own observations about their obsessions, their work habits and their field. For example, Kara Walker, whose delicate black paper silhouettes deal with the legacy of slavery, remarks that, for her,""beauty is just kind of an accident."" And Korean sculptor Do-Ho Suh reveals that the idea for his haunting installation of military dog tags,""Some/One,"" came to him in a dream. Those readers who would like a little more guidance as they approach these thought-provoking works can find help in Sollins's detailed introduction and in the book's appendix of biographies. 387 illustrations, including 335 full color plates.