100 Contemporary Artists Hardcover – October 1, 2009

This very hefty two volume set, slip-covered in a well designed fashion, does not represent every contemporary artist considered important today, as any reader will soon find out after searching for particular favorites. Instead, as the jacket flap remarks, these are the artists published over the past ten years in the Taschen ART NOW series: "the focus is on the works and positions, trends and traditions that have repeatedly stirred heated debate - both in the art world and amongst the general public. ....it gives a reliable overview of artists and art in the past decade.'The reproduction of the art in this book is of the highest order. The artists are listed alphabetically, making the book a handy and quick reference for educators and students. Each of the hundred artists included is introduced by a very brief one paragraph statement, in English, German, and French. All art forms are well represented, from the famous works of Basquiat and Cicely Brown to the very bizarre and hilarious 'sculptures' or assemblages of Maurizio Cattelan. Just to suggest the exposure of each artists, the works of John Currin are illustrated with 11 images - both very well known ones and some rarely seen ones - in both full page and several to a page format.Photography is very well represented by both famous artists (such as Nan Golden) and newer faces. Installation art draws a lot of space in the book but then it draws a lot of space in the museums and exhibition halls where it originates. In looking through the books (and that demands a lot of time on the part of the viewer, so rich is the content of this set) one aspect of contemporary art that is slighted is in figurative work. Yes, there is some, but where are the works of the powerful artists like Eric Fischl, Steven Assael, Jenny Saville, Euan Uglow, Lucian Freud, Vincent Desiderio, Odd Nerdrum, Bo Bartlett, Yongbo Zhao, Jean Rustin, Deborah Poynton, etc? Figurative artists always seem to be slighted in tomes such as this, but thankfully there are monographs and articles published frequently to fill that void.In all, this is an impressive survey of contemporary art presented in a luxurious manner - very much work the price of the set! Grady Harp, October 10

2 volumes. Magnificent color and quality paper. Many full page prints on which you can really appreciate details because of the HiRes pictures. Good selection of artists such as Kippenberger, Gonzalez-Torres, Hirst, etc...More than 5 works per artist. The book mostly contains images all over and fortunately minimum text (which I consider the best in this case).Definitely a MUST HAVE artbook.

Beautiful pictures.Two books that come in a nice packet.Both books are very big.Text is good too.Beautiful for your coffee table or as a gift.

If you like your art books big, glossy, full of high-res photos, and light on text, then this is the book for you. After a one page preface, Holzwarth presents an alphabetical list of his top 100 contemporary artists culled from the pages of Art Now. Each artist is treated with a one paragraph discussion of methods, subject matter, and theory (translated into German and French) followed by 5-10 half page or full page photos of representative work.It's easy enough to quibble about inclusions and exclusions in any "top 100" list. This one is full of darlings of auction houses, collectors, and the international art fair circuit. However, I didn't see many glaring omissions, and Holzwarth includes a nice cross section of conceptual and figurative artists.It would have been nice to see a more in depth discussion of the artists chosen, selection criteria, and a discussion of movements in contemporary art. As it stands, this book basically acts as a visual primer rather than anything approaching a work of scholarship. It's probably a nice place to start if you're new to contemporary art and looking for artists that suit your tastes. The two handsome and well bound volumes make a great coffee table book.

'100 Contemporary Artists' by Taschen is a professional summary of 21st Century artists and the direction art has pursued to date. There are few books on the market which reflect a collective of artist as varied as found within these two volumes. For the price the set is a steal. Definitely for the contemporary artist or collector.

Freaking awesome art book. Highly recommended for anyone entering the contemporary art landscape. Hefty book, like a tome!

great book, excellent price for this volume and quality.

A little fashionably slick, but on the whole an invaluable compendium.