Review

‘Morley marshals ways of seeing and understanding that will give both the lay reader
and the aficionadothe tools for a deeper engagement with art and ideas’
– Iwona Blazwick, Director, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 2019

Summary

• In a world where artists place a premium on self-expression and innovation, obtuse intellectualism and
outrage for outrage’s sake, this guide aims to decipher the often-intimidating phenomenon of modern art.

• Simon Morley sets out seven key approaches – based on history, biography, aesthetics, experience, theory,
scepticism and the market – by which to understand twenty modern and contemporary works of art,
ranging from Matisse’s Red Studio to Doris Salcedo’s Untitled.