Explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, bringing together philosophy, art theory, and many examples. This work discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, sex, web sites, and research on the brain's role in perceiving art. It is suitable for the public, introductory students, and teachers in the arts.

List of Illustrations ; 1. Blood and Beauty ; 2. Paradigms and Purposes ; 3. Cultural Crossings ; 4. Money, Markets, Museums ; 5. Gender, Genius, and Guerrilla Girls ; 6. Cognition, Creation, Comprehension ; 7. Digitizing and Disseminating ; Conclusion ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

`Review from previous edition So many of the questions that define us as a culture have been raised through and by the art of recent decades, that without coming to terms with our art, we can scarcely understand ourselves. Cynthia Freeland has written a very smart book, in which high philosophical intelligence is applied to difficult questions raised by real works of art. It immediately situates the reader where thought and action meet, and since the issues are inescapable, it should be required reading for everyone. I know of no work that moves so swiftly and with so sure a footing through the battle zones of art and society today.' Arthur C. Danto, Columbia University, author of After the End of Art `This pocket potboiler provides some answers, a lot of questions and plenty of entertainment along the way' TNT Magazine `a pacy and readable introduction to art history' Independent on Sunday `admirable for its scope, compactness and exceptional clarity. Reader-friendly and thought-provoking' The Independent `a book of simplicity and clarity that may well come to rival John Berger's Ways of Seeing as a reader's digest of the rubric of theories that make up contemporary art criticism . . . This is a valuable book for anyone perplexed by the arcane theorising of contemporary art' Sue Hubbard, The Independent `a useful crib' Guardian

'profoundly refreshing and satisfying ... Freeland's energetic and engaging voice breezily guides the reader, while employing an astonishing array of examples to illuminate and activate her explications.' (Don Bacigalupi, Director, San Diego Museum of Art) Up-to-date and future-oriented: devotes a chapter to art on the web, video art, art museum CD-ROMs and various theorists of the new media and of postmodern art Illustrated with a wide range of salient images Discusses topical artists like Andres Serrano and Damien Hirst as well as more historical examples like Goya and Velazquez The style is clear, lively, and humorous

Cynthia A. Freeland is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Houston. She has published on topics in the philosophy of art and film, ancient Greek philosophy, and feminist theory. She is also author of The Naked and the Undead: Evil and the Appeal of Horror (1999) and co-editor of Philosophy and Film (1995).

'profoundly refreshing and satisfying ... Freeland's energetic and engaging voice breezily guides the reader, while employing an astonishing array of examples to illuminate and activate her explications.' (Don Bacigalupi, Director, San Diego Museum of Art) Up-to-date and future-oriented: devotes a chapter to art on the web, video art, art museum CD-ROMs and various theorists of the new media and of postmodern art Illustrated with a wide range of salient images Discusses topical artists like Andres Serrano and Damien Hirst as well as more historical examples like Goya and Velazquez The style is clear, lively, and humorous