Come as You Are: Art of the 1990s is the first major museum survey to historicize art made in the United States during this pivotal decade. Showcasing approximately sixty-five works by forty-five artists, the book includes installations, paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, video, sound, and digital art. Come as You Are offers an overview of art made in the United States between 1989 and 2001, a period bookended by two indelible events: the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. The book is organized around three principal themes - the identity politics" debates, the digital revolution, and globalization; its title refers to the 1992 song by Nirvana and to the issues of identity that were complicated by effects of new technologies and global migration. All the artists in the exhibition made their initial entry into the art historical discourse during the 1990s, and they reflect the increasingly heterogeneous nature of the art world during this time, when many women artists and artists of color attained unprecedented prominence. Contributors include Huey Copeland, Jennifer Gonzalez, Suzanne Hudson, Joan Kee, Frances Jacobus-Parker, Kris Paulsen, Paulina Pobocha, and John Tain. Published in association with the Montclair Art Museum.
About the AuthorAlexandra Schwartz is the founding curator of contemporary art at the Montclair Art Museum. Previously she was a curator at the Museum of Modern Art. She is author of Ed Ruscha's Los Angeles.
Reviews"Engaging, especially when addressing topics that remain urgent today, such as net art and the representation of black artists. Seeing the visual creations laid out from Schwartz's perspective, the decade appears energetic and imaginative again." Publishers Weekly "The essays ... are engaging ... backs its insights up with enough visuals to earn readers' attention." Publisher's Weekly "A solid summary of American art of a recent decade, as curated by the major museums." -- Kathryn Wekselman Library Journal "Invaluable to all students and scholars seeking an art historical account of contemporary art." -- J. H. Noonan CHOICE
Book InformationISBN 9780520282889
Author Alexandra SchwartzFormat Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint University of California PressPublisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 1179g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 203mm * 23mm