DICKINS, Rosie, The Usborne Introduction To Modern Art

by Camilo Cañaveral Alzate, 2° ESO A

When speaking about Art, do you know what the terms Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstract, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Conceptual, Pop and Land mean? Do you think that photographs deserve to be ranked as Art? Do you think a line of bricks can be Art? Yes?… No?…

If you want to learn what modern art is, in a simple way, I surely recommend you this book. It’s a perfect guide to understand the art we commonly see these days in galleries and in the streets. The book traces the history of modern art from the 1850s to the present. Pictures, websites, comments, timelines, etc. are included. It also explains the lives of various important artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Roy Lichtenstein and many others. Some masterpieces are very well described in detail: how they were made, what they mean, when they were created...

One of my favourite parts in this book is a whole page dedicated to explain what modern art is. I find it really useful: it teaches you how to see a piece of art, how to understand it and even how to feel it! Thanks to this book I’m preparing a trip to the Tate Modern to experience modern art.