After Modern Art 1945-2000 (oxford History Of Art) May 2026

Artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning sought a new, raw language of "action painting" that reflected the existential anxiety of the era.

Instead, a "Duchampian engine" began to drive the art world. This refers to the legacy of Marcel Duchamp, whose critique of aesthetic norms prioritized the idea over the physical object. This shift paved the way for everything from the conceptual puzzles of the 1960s to the performance art of the 1970s. Key Movements and the Transatlantic Tug-of-War After Modern Art 1945-2000 (Oxford History of Art)

Art became increasingly pluralistic, embracing photography, video, and identity politics. Artists like Cindy Sherman and Damien Hirst used provocative imagery to explore gender, death, and the burgeoning global art market. Beyond the Canvas: Art as Social Critique Artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning

While many histories focus solely on the rise of American dominance, Hopkins highlights a constant dialogue—and often a resistance—between European and American centers. This shift paved the way for everything from

Hopkins emphasizes that art during this period was rarely isolated from politics. The book tracks how major social shifts influenced the studio: After Modern Art 1945 2000 (Oxford History Of Art)

These movements stripped art of its decorative functions. Donald Judd and Sol LeWitt questioned the very nature of authorship and the "art object".