The Transformation of the Avant-Garde: The New York Art World, 1940-1985

Crane documents the rise of New York City as the center of the avant-garde following the rise of Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s. Her account is built around discussions of seven styles: Abstract Expressionism in the forties, Pop art and Minimalism in the sixties, Figurative painting, Photorealism and Patter painting in the seventies, and Neo-Expressionism in the early eighties. "This comprehensive sociological analysis of the postwar art world offers a fascinating look at not only the intricacies of that world but also the sociology of work and professions, the economics of culture markets such as `dealing art,' and the sociology of culture."--the publisher.