In recent years, abstract painting has developed a rich complexity that, more than ever, rewards intensive viewing. Bob Nickas introduces the reader to the key issues in contemporary abstraction while profiling eighty artists who, in the last five years, have made it one of the most exciting areas in contemporary art. Each artist`s paintings are illustrated in lavish full-colour images and accompanied by a text that leads the reader through the work in language both accessible and illuminating. The product of extensive new research and several dozen studio visits with artists around the world, Nickas`s text brings out the key details and distinctions in their work, creating a vivid picture of a field awash in creative innovation. Painting Abstraction is an essential reference tool for curators, critics, artists and collectors, and a major statement on the future of painting from one of contemporary art`s most respected voices.

Featuring Tomma Abts, Richard Aldrich, John Armleder, Monika Baer, Kristin Baker, Francis Baudevin, Lisa Beck, Alex Brown, Agnieszka Brzezanska, Varda Caivano, Mike Cloud, Karin Davie, Jules de Balincourt, Philippe Decrauzat, Tomory Dodge, Jacob Feige, Chris Finley, Kim Fisher, Bernard Frize, Wayne Gonzalez, Joanne Greenbaum, Katharina Grosse, Mark Grotjahn, Wade Guyton, Alex Hay, Mary Heilmann, Daniel Hesidence, Mamie Holst, Jacqueline Humphries, Nathan Hylden, Xylor Jane, Chris Johanson, Tony Just, Jutta Koether, Bill Komoski, Michael Krebber, Alex Kwartler, David Malek, Marta Marce, Chris Martin, Julie Mehretu, Alison Miller, Katy Moran, Olivier Mosset, Carrie Moyer, Elizabeth Neel, Odili Donald Odita, Steven Parrino, Peter Peri, Ann Pibal, Monique Prieto, R.H. Quaytman, David Ratcliff, Anselm Reyle, Bernd Ribbeck, Ruth Root, Alex Ross, Sterling Ruby, Wilhelm Sasnal, Thomas Scheibitz, Anja Schwoerer, James Siena, Amy Sillman, Josh Smith, Rudolf Stingel, Esther Stocker, Philip Taaffe, John Tremblay, Alan Uglow, Daan Van Golden, Chris Vassell, Charline von Heyl, Kelley Walker, Dan Walsh, Chuck Webster, Stanley Whitney, Jens Wolf, Clare Woods, Christopher Wool and Heimo Zobernig.

A szerzőről:
Bob Nickas is a critic and curator based in New York. He has organized more than eighty exhibitions since 1984 and served on the teams responsible for Aperto at the Venice Biennale in 1993 and the 2003 Biennale de Lyon. From 2003-06 he was Curatorial Advisor at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York. The author of numerous essays in catalogues and monographs, he is a regular contributor to Artforum and founding editor of Index magazine. His books include two collections of his writing, Live Free or Die (2000) and Theft is Vision (2007).