What Was Contemporary Art?

What Was Contemporary Art? examines the evolving definition of contemporary art through key moments in the 20th century. Meyer focuses on specific case studies from different decades to trace how institutions, critics, and artists understood and debated what counted as "contemporary." The narrative moves between several major art museums and educational institutions, including Harvard's Fogg Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Through archival research and historical analysis, Meyer reconstructs debates about modernity, preservation, and the relationship between past and present art. The book explores tensions between traditional art history and the drive to collect and display new works. Meyer documents how museums and universities developed their approaches to contemporary art collecting and education over time. This historical investigation reveals enduring questions about how we define and value art of our own time. The book challenges assumptions about what makes art "contemporary" and demonstrates how this concept has shifted across different eras and contexts.

Readers note Meyer's clear writing style and ability to explain complex art history concepts through specific case studies and examples. Several reviewers highlight his examination of museums' historical approaches to contemporary art. Positives: - Detailed research and archival work - Strong analysis of Alfred Barr's role at MoMA - Effective use of focused examples rather than broad generalizations - Clear explanations of how "contemporary" shifted meaning over time Criticisms: - Focus remains too centered on major institutions and established artists - Some repetition between chapters - Limited discussion of art outside US/Europe - Price point seen as high for academic text Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (47 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (12 ratings) Notable review quote: "Meyer successfully traces how museums grappled with collecting and displaying new art throughout the 20th century, though the institutional perspective sometimes feels limiting" - Goodreads reviewer

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Stallabrass This text examines how contemporary art emerged as a category through institutional changes and market forces in the post-war period.

Art Since 1900 by Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss, Yve-Alain Bois The authors present contemporary art through psychoanalytic, social, formalist, and political perspectives across key moments in modern art history.

Inside the White Cube by Brian O'Doherty The book analyzes how gallery spaces shape the meaning and reception of contemporary art through examination of exhibition practices and institutional frameworks.

Theory in Contemporary Art since 1985 by Zoya Kocur and Simon Leung The collection connects contemporary art practices to critical theory through primary source texts from artists, critics, and scholars.

Making Contemporary Art by Linda Weintraub This text maps the strategies and methods used by contemporary artists through case studies and analysis of artistic processes.

🎨 Meyer challenges the common assumption that "contemporary art" only refers to current or recent artworks, tracing how the term has been used throughout the 20th century 📚 The book was inspired by a 1929 question from Harvard professor Paul J. Sachs: "What is modern art?" which Meyer transforms into "What was contemporary art?" 🏛️ The author examines how different museums, including MoMA and the ICA Boston, have defined and presented "contemporary art" at various points in their histories 🖼️ The book explores how artists like Picasso were considered "contemporary" in the 1930s, revealing how the label shifts across different time periods 🎓 Richard Meyer developed many of the book's key ideas while teaching at USC, where student questions about the boundaries between modern and contemporary art helped shape his thesis