Includes bibliographical references and index.

What, when and where was modernism? -- Retreats from the urban -- Monuments, modernism and the public space -- The nude in modernity and postmodernity -- From the machine aesthetic to technoculture -- Modernism and realism in US art -- The artist and the museum: muse or nemesis? -- Identity politics in photography and performance art.

"Modern Art: A Critical Introduction traces the historical and contemporary contexts for understanding modern art movements and the theories which influenced and attempted to explain them. This approach forgoes the chronological march of art movements and '-isms' in favour of looking at the ways in which art has been understood. It investigates the main developments in art interpretation from the same period, from Kant to post-structuralism, and draws examples from a wide range of art genres including painting, sculpture, photography, installation and performance art. The book includes detailed discussions of visual art practices both inside and outside the museum."--Jacket.