Race, sex, and gender : issues in contemporary art /

This is an overview of artists whose sex, race, or sexual orientation is the central theme of their work. Lucie-Smith explores the impact these new voices have had on the contemporary art world in the US and in Britain, and he discusses recent work in several non-Western countries. He devotes a chapter to each of the various groups, e.g., African American art, Chicano and Cuban art, racially based art in Britain, minority sexuality in art, feminist art, Aboriginal and Maori art, and the art of modern Africa and Asia. The author attempts to historicize works by citing art with similar themes in the recent and distant past. Although not the definitive work on "outsider" art, it is nonetheless a good basic source for the various movements and artists who have come in recent years to make up the avant garde. There are numerous good color plates of work by artists that are not often reproduced. A fine general bibliography accompanies each chapter. General; lower-division undergraduate through graduate. R. J. Merrill; University of Southern California

Historians have been playing catch-up over the past decade in an attempt to recognize and document the heretofore ignored yet essential roles of women and minorities. This worthwhile effort has brought us both the blessing of a more accurate and enlightening perspective and the curse of superficial forms of political correctness. Prolific and candid art historian Lucie-Smith is not afraid to elucidate the many subtle ways this muddle of good intentions with genuine scholarship and aesthetic appreciation can skew our perceptions of the art of African Americans, Chicanos, feminist women, gay men, Australian Aboriginal and Maori artists, and modern African and Asian artists. For one thing, there is great artistic diversity within each of these groups, since not every member of a racial, ethnic, or sexual group creates overtly political or group-oriented art. Lucie-Smith discusses a number of artists from each group in terms of how their work relates to their minority status, their uniquely personal viewpoint, and the aesthetics and expectations of the majority. Of particular interest is the section on "minority sexuality" in which Lucie-Smith focuses on the art of gay men and the use of sexual imagery as a "weapon of the avant garde." ~--Donna Seaman

This book does not treat the themes cited in the title but instead considers the groups that define themselves in terms of racial identity, sexual orientation, and gender politics. It explores how, and by whom, these minority groups have become a central force in contemporary art. Transgression is the essence of avant-garde art, but these groups seem to seek validity within the structures they set out to challenge. Lucie-Smith is much troubled by what he sees as the judgment of art based on the artist's sex, race, or sexual preference rather than its aesthetic quality. Is morality really a substitute for merit? An interesting look at an issue of current interest and concern to us all.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.