This standard introduction to visual art since 1945 has been revised and redesigned for the first time since 2001. Movements, trends, and individual artists from abstract expressionism to the present day are summarized, with detailed coverage of significant developments such as pop art, conceptual and performance art, minimal art, neo-expressionist and figurative painting, the YBAs, and the globalized art scene of the 21st century. A new section on art since 2000 includes discussions on the works of Banksy and Ai Weiwei, as well as recent trends in art from Russia and Eastern Europe. Edward Lucie-Smith writes with remarkable clarity and a strong sense of narrative, demystifying the work of dozens of artists and revealing how the art world has interacted with social, political, and environmental issues. Nearly 300 images of major artworks range from Jackson Pollock's paintings to 1980s New York graffiti and 1970s land art to contemporary painting from China and video from Japan. The book is global in its scope, as art has become in the 21st century.