The Art of Performance

This groundbreaking book was first published in 1979. The current expanded edition is supplemented with a comprehensive account of the technical, political, and aesthetic shifts in the art of performance characteristic of the early 21st century. The broad appeal of performance in the eyes of a growing audience interested in new art is explained by the desire to communicate directly with the most outstanding contemporary artists. Maurizio Cattelan, Paul McCarthy, Tanya Brugera, Matthew Barney, Patti Chang — are just a few of the many names that this book presents in a historical context related to other pioneers in the field of performance, from futurists with Dadaists to Yves Klein with Laurie Anderson.