The concept of art as being purely for aesthetic contemplation, that is typical of industrial civilization, is not a very useful one for cross-cultural studies. The majority of the art forms that we see in museums and art books that have come from Native America or Africa or Oceania, are objects that were once part of a larger artistic whole from which they have been extracted. We need to try to piece together and imagine the artistic context as well as the cultural one if we are to attain a deeper sense of the import than the piece available to use provides. Even then, it is almost impossible to define the artistic whole. Perhaps we would do better to regard these pieces as fragments from the lifestyle of a people.

It is a peculiar moment for art, as it becomes both increasingly rarefied and associated with elite lifestyle culture, while simultaneously ubiquitous, with the boom of "creative" industries and the proliferation of new technologies for making art. In these important essays, Ben Davis covers everything from Instagram to artificial intelligence, eco-art to cultural appropriation. Critical, insightful, and hopeful even in the face of the apocalyptic, this is a must read for those looking to understand the current art world, as well as the role of the artist in the world today.

"Clement Greenberg is, internationally, the best-known American art critic popularly considered to be the man who put American vanguard painting and sculpture on the world map. . . . An important book for everyone interested in modern painting and sculpture."—The New York Times

In Art & Energy, Barry Lord argues that human creativity is deeply linked to the resources available on Earth for our survival. From our ancient mastery of fire through our exploitation of coal, oil, and gas, to the development of today's renewable energy sources, each new source of energy fundamentally transforms our art and culture—how we interact with the world, organize our communities, communicate and conceive of and assign value to art. By analyzing art, artists, and museums across eras and continents, Lord demonstrates how our cultural values and artistic expression are formed by our efforts to access and control the energy sources that make these cultures possible.

Creamier: Contemporary Art in Culture, is the 5th addition to Phaidon?s world renowned Cream series. Every few years, Phaidon brings together 10 illustrious curators to choose 100 of the art world?s best and most important emerging contemporary artists, and what they discover becomes an invaluable resource in an ever-changing art world. As has proven to be the case with those featured in the previous four Cream books, these will be the 100 artists the world is talking about for years to come. Valued by art collectors and art lovers alike as a road map through the ever expanding international art scene of gallery shows, museum exhibitions, biennials, and fairs, the Cream series is a must-have for anyone interested in the art world?s latest news and is an excellent introduction to the dialogue among some of its best minds. The introduction features a conversation between the ten curators discussing one of the art world?s hottest topics ? the recession and how it has impacted the market and artist creativity. Bound on high quality paper, printed to resemble broadsheet newspaper format, Creamier is packed in a custom-made box. The irony of the very latest news contained in a traditional, some would argue vanishing, format is intriguing. Readers are left to question the fluidity of the art world where an artist?s work can be fresh and new for such a short time, but where it never becomes insignificant.