Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

A noteworthy survey, this book offers 554 fine quality color and black-and-white plates of photographs, paintings, assemblages, architectural drawings and models, designed objects, furniture, prints, multiples, illustrated books, and also film and video stills (but only one frame of each). Published in conjunction with the show "Open Ends," the collection consists of American, international, and cross-cultural works added to MoMA since 1980, arranged by year of collection, with some artists represented in several years, but with only three for 2000. In his introduction, curator Varnedoe notes that the "purpose of the volume is visual information." He also offers enlightening comments on the museum's philosophy of collecting. Short captions accompany plates. Following the pictures, 11 essays by museum staff on "relationships and themes" suggest ways to thematically unite various works. The tremendous variety of expression is hard to categorize, but each essay offers insights and many works are placed in some context. Checklist with more detailed information including size; index of illustrations, alphabetical by artist. Presenting visual challenges through new images full of complex ideas, this is the best survey of post-1980 art in one place. General readers; undergraduates through professionals. W. L. Whitwell formerly, Hollins College